BARRHEAD - The Ripple Connection Support Centre's (RCSC) future is out of their hands.
The RCSC is a not-for-profit organization which opened in 2010; it provides services for people who directly have mental illness and brain injuries, as well as their families and caregivers.
On April 30, on its Facebook page, the organization announced that it would be closing its doors on May 15 for an indeterminate amount of time due to lack of funding.
"I had to give out layoff notices today," RCSC executive director Vernice Aitken said.
However, she said the Ripple Connection is hopeful it will be able to survive in another form.
Aitken said they are currently in discussions with another local not-for-profit agency whose vision aligns closely with theirs.
The hope, she said, is that the Ripple Connection will be able to continue to operate in some form under the auspices of the umbrella of the other non-profit organization, adding that she would know later this week.
The Ripple Connection has been in dire financial straits for some time.
In October 2024, RCSC board members Deb Breitkreitz and Steve Bizuns approached Town of Barrhead council, asking councillors to waive the municipal utility bill and pay half of the RCSC's monthly rent.
Waiving the utility fees would save the organization $2,231 annually, while subsidizing its rent would save another $13,200 annually.
But the real pressure point came in early March when Alberta Health Services (AHS) informed the RCSC that they would be terminating its $79,000 annual Recovery Alberta contract. The Ripple Connection was in the second year of a three-year contract.
"[AHS] met with our financial controller, Peggy Kunstleben. She thought it would be the typical year-end meeting, but instead, they were cutting our funding at the end of May," Aitken said in an interview with the Barrhead Leader in March.
In a statement to the Leader, Recovery Alberta communications lead Jessica Conlin responded via e-mail: "Recovery Alberta was established as a healthcare agency focusing on frontline mental health and addiction care services. As we deliver on that mandate for Albertans, Recovery Alberta is reviewing programs, services, and contracts on an ongoing basis to ensure that they are delivered efficiently and effectively. These reviews ensure that public funding is maximized and not used for under-utilized or duplicated services or services not aligned with Recovery Alberta's mandate."
On March 11, Aitken asked Town of Barrhead council to put the Ripple Connection electricity and natural gas utilities under the municipality's umbrella so the not-for-profit organization would get a lower rate.
On April 22, councillors denied the request, citing liability concerns.
After the meeting, Mayor Dave McKenzie noted that even if they had accepted the request, the savings would have been minimal, saying there would have been no noticeable savings for natural gas and about $34 a month for electricity.
Barry Kerton, TownandCountryToday.com
