The Belleville and Quinte West Community Health Centre Board of Directors is made up of people from the community who are in touch with community needs and changes and who support the mission and values of BQWCHC.
James graduated from McMaster University as an Occupational Therapist in the class of 2000, and worked as an OT in mental health in several communities in Ontario. Along the way he worked with several Community Health Centres (CHCs) and the unique role of CHCs in our healthcare system. Through this experience, he started to care about social justice, wellness, literacy, and looked for jobs working with marginalized groups (such as outreach to people who are homeless). James, his wife Kelly and their 2 children have lived in Belleville since 2007 and since joining the BQWCHC in 2016, he has brought perspective from his career in community health work and his own personal experiences with the health system to Board discussions. James has also volunteered at his children’s schools when possible, and as a driver for Gleaner’s Food Bank.
Through his work and life experiences, James has come to recognize there are barriers for many people in our community to access health care and support that many of us take for granted. Some of these barriers are obvious, and some are hidden. The work of the Belleville & Quinte West Community Health Centre is to discover, and lower these barriers - to help make our community a better place for all of us to live.
James Huff joined the BQWCHC Board of Directors in June 2016.