Welcome
Welcome to social and community well-being. Explore the resources within this dimension to nurture your social bonds and make a positive impact in your community, ultimately enhancing your own well-being along the way.
Help for families and those caring for others
Caregiving by its nature is not something that can be added on top of your daily activities in a neat, stress-free package. It must be integrated with our many other responsibilities, and for that we must acquire new knowledge and a different set of skills. Login to Homewood Health to check out a variety of caregiving resources, including articles on self-care for the sandwich generation, elder and family care, and respite care.
Employee and Family Assistance Program: Family—whether traditional or non-traditional—may be considered the first or primary community in our lives. Homewood Health’s Employee and Family Assistance Program provides support for both employees and their immediate family/dependents – counselling, Life Smart coaching for elder/family care, parenting, legal issues, financial and more.
Roots to Thrive: Roots to Thrive is a living curriculum, led by Dr. Shannon Dames and it is designed to re-connect us to our true nature and to community. From this secure and embodied place, we remember the abundance of resources around us and our innate capacity for healing.
Work Teams are a source of social support. Those water cooler and coffee chats are a type of informal connection between colleagues that enhances social well-being. Positive professional relationships—particularly between employee and direct supervisor—are a significant facilitator of fewer, shorter medical leaves and successful returns to work.
United Way
United Way: Do you love where you live? Do you want to make this community even stronger? Show your local love. When people in local communities struggle, the United Way is there to help by bringing together the right people, the right information and investing in programs to make change happen. We can also increase our own sense of well-being when we can give to others in our community.
Visit the website to learn more about the United Way and donate to their campaigns.
Canadian Blood Services: VIU is a member of the Canadian Blood Services Partners for Life program. Together, we can make a lifesaving difference for patients in our community and across Canada. Join the VIU team and make a lifesaving difference for patients in our local communities and across Canada. Joining a team is now easier than ever.
- Set up an account or download the GiveBlood app on the App Store or Google Play.
- Select “partners” from the menu.
- Select “join a team” and find VIU Vancouver Island University in the drop down list.
- Book an appointment through your team bookings (visible under your team) or as an individual.
- Partner ID: VIUV011640 (four letters, six numbers).
- Organization: VIU Vancouver Island University.
- Year: 2026.
- Pledge: 150.
Employee and Family Assistance available 24/7 at 1.800.663.1142 or visit Homewood Health.
Our Customer Account Name: Vancouver Island University
Our Invitation Code: BCI714 [note: 3 capital letters followed by 3 numbers]