City of Vaughan

The Health Spot has made the decision to commit to contributing business practices and activities that respond to the Sustainable Development Goals as issued by the United Nations. The following is a list of the 17 goals outlined by the UN, and how we plan to commit practices that best meet those goals.

We currently have a series of activities and policies in place to minimize poverty in our community: we have an annual clothing drive inviting staff and customers to donate clothing for those in need; we pin mittens and scarves on our Christmas tree so those in need during our harsh winter months can keep warm; we have special rates for those customers who demonstrate financial need as well as seniors and those on fixed incomes representing discounts of 10 to 20 per cent.

We conduct two food drives a year collecting packaged foods from staff and customers that is donated to the local Food Bank for distribution. We also have on hand healthy food and juice boxes so our staff and customers never experience hunger in our facility.

We promote healthy eating habits and teach how to promote good health including workshops in health and wellness with a focus on nutrition, hygiene, self-care, and the care for the environment to promote overall well-being. We have hand sanitizers and hand-washing instructions in all washrooms. We also support mental health programs for our staff and customers.

We regular promote good health through a series of Instagram Live educational programs. Our website also has a series of regularly published blogs serving as educational information on health care. We plan to continue our digital educational programming with the production of a video to be digitally disseminated for the Vaughan community and beyond.

Within our company, we strive to build a team in which both genders are equally represented equally with opportunities and equal pay for both men and women. We also provide IT training for anyone – men or women – who may need it among our staff.

We not only offer free, clean drinking water for our staff and customers but also diligently follow all health code regulations for washing hands.

Regularly scheduled inspections of our washroom and kitchen facilities ensure continuous cleanliness and hygiene throughout our facilities. The disinfectant we use is Benefect, a botantical disinfectant that has no harmful chemicals and kills 99 per cent of all germs.

To uphold water quality, regular cleaning procedures are in place, underscoring our commitment to maintaining high standards.

As part of our corporate commitment to achieving carbon neutrality, we use energy-efficient lighting rechargeable batteries, chargeable speaker systems and provide charging pads for the electronic devices of staff and customers. We also use portable fans and space heaters to reduce the energy consumption of the heating and ventilation system of the building.

We strive to hire youth workers and plan to create an internship program in the near future that provides valuable employment opportunities for local teenagers, ages when most young people have difficulty finding jobs. We actively recruit youth workers through local high schools and provide professional development training. We also plan to join with another practice for chiropractic mentorship.

We have several innovative programs in place such as informational programming on our televisions for customers. We also provide guest use of our Internet free of charge and a dedicated QR code for customers so they may access their files at any time. Our Internet presence is significant. In addition to our regularly updated website, we have social media platforms on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn providing information and education on our services and health care to hundreds of subscribers in Vaughan and beyond.

We are dedicated to diminishing inequalities by fostering inclusivity for individuals with disabilities. This commitment is reflected in our services for disabled clients. We are also a fully accessible facility as we are on the ground floor and have no stairs. Our washrooms are wheelchair accessible by being on the ground floor and we plan to provide grab bars in the near future. This approach underscores our commitment to inclusivity and ensuring that our community activities are accessible to everyone.

We participate in all of Vaughan’s sustainable city programs and we take care of all organic waste disposal and recycling. For special recycling needs, we take home waste materials to recycle them in the appropriate containers and at appropriate facilities. We also commit to supporting local initiatives such as the United Nations’ tree-planting program operated by its Youth Climate Report organization.

We actively promote responsible consumption and production through our sustainable practices of reusing boxes and bottles. We use environmentally friendly massage oil (Holy Oil) and our organic cleansers are 99 per cent biodegradeable. To further minimize environmental impact, we discourage the use of plastics. Instead, we strongly advocate for the use of reusable bottles.

We commit to promoting climate action for groups and organizations that align with our educational programs through our social media and website presences online. Furthermore, we pledge our support to climate action groups and programs such as the work done by the United Nations’ Youth Climate Report and other climate action NGOs.

We are dedicated to reducing the impact of plastic waste from our community on rivers, lakes, and oceans. Our ultimate goal is to transition exclusively to sustainably produced alternatives. To achieve this, we only purchase locally caught fish and re-use our plastic bottles.

We are committed to recycling and have set the objective of using only environmentally- friendly materials whenever possible. To reduce our paper consumption, we are actively planning to transition to a 100% digital approach. We use no chemicals that are harmful to the environment and commit to participating in local plastic pick-up events in public parks.

Furthermore, we plan to actively support tree-planting initiatives made by the United Nations’ Youth Climate Report and other similar initiatives that may be introduced in Vaughan.

To ensure the safety of our staff and customers, our facility is equipped with extensive security measures, including surveillance cameras and alarm systems. We commit to reporting crime when we see it in and around our place of business.

We are dedicated to partnering with groups, organizations, and suppliers who share our commitment to sustainable business practices. We also commit to volunteering our time for programs run by partners who initiate activities that support the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Through these collaborations, we aim to advance our commitment to adhering to all of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, reinforcing our dedication to sustainability and making a positive impact in various aspects of our community and beyond.