WOODLANDS - Fort Assiniboine and Goose Lake residents will soon be able to access a more extensive range of services from Barrhead and District Family Community Support Services (FCSS) without travelling outside their community.
That is because, on Dec. 6, during their meeting in Fort Assiniboine, Woodlands County councillors authorized the municipality to enter into a three-year agreement with the Barrhead FCSS to provide enhanced services for $58,000 annually.
For the last several years, Woodlands County residents living in those areas have been able to access basic services such as the food bank and FCSS' Christmas hamper programming, as the municipality had a contract with Barrhead not-for-profit organization for more limited services for $12,500 annually. That contract expires on Dec. 20.
Barrhead FCSS executive director Karen Gariepy told councillors that over the last two and a half years, she has noticed an increase in the number of residents from the Fort Assiniboine and Goose Lake area accessing their services.
However, a recent social needs assessment, in addition to Barrhead FCSS' observations, indicated that the area's residents needed more services than the $12,500 allowed.
Gariepy said the increased funding will allow FCSS staff to take programming on the road and directly bring it to Fort Assiniboine and Goose Lake area residents, albeit part-time.
"Our goal is to have a weekly presence in Fort Assiniboine because what we are seeing is transportation is becoming quite an issue in accessing our programming," she said.
Gariepy said she would start assigning an FCSS client support worker to Fort Assiniboine at least once weekly.
She said the client support worker is perhaps the most critical person in the organization as they act as a gatekeeper and navigator to all of FCSS' programming.
"She helps people with information, referrals, guidance, goal setting, for whatever type of assistance they need, whether it is mental health and addictions or family violence help," she said.
Another area Gariepy said they have seen a real need for in the Fort Assiniboine area is senior support, adding she expects that once the client support worker starts making her rounds to the hamlet, FCSS expects to see a significant increase in area residents enrolling in their senior home support program provides, which provides light-house cleaning assistance to those 55 and above or those with medical issues.
Other programming Gariepy hopes to bring to Fort Assiniboine include a perinatal mental health program 'N' Compass, a well-being program for caregivers, and the 'Finding Your Voice' program for people who have been victims of domestic or family violence.
Gariepy added the Barrhead FCSS can do more than the typical FCSS organization, as it is a not-for-profit organization.
Typically, FCSSes are operated as a branch of the municipal government and are funded through operational grants from the province and municipal governments they serve using an 80/20 per cent formula, with the province providing the larger share. The use of this funding is restricted to programs of a preventative nature.
Although the Barrhead FCSS receives and operates programs using this funding as a charitable society, the organization can fundraise for programs that would usually be outside their purview, such as the food bank, Santa's Toy Box and Christmas hampers, and its Hungary Kids program.
The latter, Gariepy explained, is a school lunch-type program where the FCSS provides food to the school, such as granola bars, fruit, or other base ingredients provided through the food bank for school staff or volunteers to create lunches or provide snacks to students.
Other community programs include the Community Angels For Recreational Enrichment (CARE), a subsidy for low-income families to help them provide cultural enrichment and sports opportunities for their children, coats for kids and families and the community income tax preparation program.
Another program outside traditional FCSS programming that FCSS hopes to first offer in Barrhead and then bring to Fort Assiniboine residents is a community transportation program for those seniors (55 plus) to get them to and from medical appointments.
Gariepy said FCSS is also working with another agency to create dementia support programming, initially for Barrhead residents but eventually expanding to Fort Assiniboine and Goose Lake.
