Programs to help those in need during the pandemic are receiving an injection of funds from the provincial government.
The Province announced on March 31 it will provide $30 million in Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) funding to assist individuals, seniors and families who are isolated or impacted by the measures taken to combat COVID-19. Calgary received $9 million, Edmonton $7 million, and the remaining $14 million will be distributed to program throughout the rest of Alberta.
Agencies eligible for the funding include charitable and non-profit groups providing services like at-home help for seniors, crisis and help-lines, food-security issues, emotional and mental health counselling, and other community issues as identified by local FCSS organizations.
There is no specific amount per community.
“It hasn’t been allocated out by municipality,” said Debbie Posey, manager of FCSS in Okotoks. “This is quite a different fund and it’s being rolled out different than the usual FCSS funding.”
She said one main difference is no matching funds from the Town are required, and also Okotoks FCSS will not have a say in which programs are approved and funded.
Applications can be made through the local FCSS office, which will review programs and ensure each application is complete. Posey said she’ll also be on the lookout for possible co-operation among agencies.
“If we had three applications for the exact same idea I might get a hold of all three of those applicants and ask if they would consider co-ordinating an effort so there’s one application and they’re all providing a service that’s necessary but not three different groups providing the same service,” she said.
In addition, FCSS in Okotoks will provide assistance in linking people with organizations and partners available in the community, she said.
All applications will be sent to the Province, which will determine which programs are funded and for how much. The Alberta government will also send out contracts to those agencies.
Even FCSS programs can apply for funding, so community initiatives could be submitted that way as well, she said.
Funding must be sent out by March 2021, so Posey said there’s no deadline for applications so long as there is still money in the pot.
“We’re trying not to rush, we’re trying to come up with a comprehensive look at what are we seeing for needs, what do we anticipate needs might be, and then thoughtfully apply,” she said. “It’s a limited pot of money, so we don’t want to ask for more than we need, we want to have a good, thoughtful plan in place before we apply.”
While the funding is different from regular FCSS dollars and does not require voting from the Town’s committee, Posey said she’ll still consult her members and share ideas with them prior to making applications so everyone is in the loop.
For more information or to make an application, visit www.okotoks.ca. Applications may also be sent by email at [email protected].
Krista Conrad, OkotoksToday.ca
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