BARRHEAD – Barrhead's Thrive program will live on to fight for another day.
How many days is yet to be determined, but thanks to a decision made by Town of Barrhead councillors, the answer is at least until sometime in February.
The Thrive program is a family violence and relationship abuse prevention initiative. It is run by Barrhead and District Family Support Services (FCSS) as part of its community programming.
On Dec. 14, councillors unanimously approved a request from FCSS executive director Karen Gariepy to provide two months of bridge funding worth about $6,500. The funds would come from the proposed 2022 operating budget.
On Nov. 22, Gariepy told town councillors that the program would end before the new year unless they found a new funding source. She gave the same message to County of Barrhead councillors in mid-October and then reiterated it during their Dec. 7 meeting when she presented council with the proposed FCSS budget for 2022.
Mayor Dave McKenzie said FCSS has a couple of irons in the fire, but even if they are successful in obtaining the necessary funding, the Thrive program is in jeopardy of suffering a major setback.
Gariepy has publicly stated they are waiting to see if their application for a provincial grant comes through. If successful, it would allow FCSS to operate Thrive for four years at its current level (three days a week). FCSS made the application some time ago, and they have been unable to learn the status of their application.
FCSS has also asked the Barrhead Elks to help fund the program, on the suggestion of County of Barrhead Coun. Bill Lane, a long-time member of the service club. Chief administrative officer Edward LeBlanc noted the Elks will discuss the request at their Dec. 21 meeting.
"They are in real jeopardy of losing the facilitator of the program. So even if they are successful, they might have to find someone to fill that void. They would, in turn, have to rebuild the relationship they have with their clientele," McKenzie said.
And that is one of the reasons why he decided to work with administration on a proposal that would see the town provide two months of temporary funding until FCSS learned whether they would receive provincial funding, a donation from the Elks or other private sources.
"From (the town's perspective) to have this type of program available is a great benefit to our community ... programs like this take the strain off of other services, which is a good thing," McKenzie said.
Coun. Rod Klumph was hesitant as to whether the municipality should provide temporary funding for the program.
"I hate to be a grinch, and I recognize the good work FCSS is doing through this program, but we have to be fiscally responsible," he said. "Other (level) of governments are spending huge amounts of money on social programs without regard with where it comes from."
Klumph was also concerned about what would happen if FCSS did not receive the provincial grant or could not come up with the necessary funding through their fundraising efforts.
He also asked if Gariepy made the same request of the county.
Coun. Ty Assaf said he had no problem providing temporary funding for two months until FCSS learned if their other potential funding sources came through.
"If by some chance it does not come through, then that is a concern we can address then," he said. "We are heading into what is for many the most stressful part of the year ... and when people are under stress there is the potential of violence."
McKenzie agreed, saying when he was an RCMP officer, there was always a surge of domestic abuse and attempted suicide calls during the holiday season.
Coun. Don Smith said both Assaf and Klumph had good points, suggesting a compromise in that the bridge funding could be offered in the form of a repayable loan if and when FCSS received appropriate funding.
"But in the long term, I don't believe it is this council's responsibility to keep Thrive going," Smith said. "It is up to FCSS to adjust their programs accordingly to fit their budget, just like we have to."
McKenzie added that county councillors might be more amenable to chip in and help fund the program for a short period if asked to do so by the town.
"The statistics show that rural (county) clients using Thrive outnumber the town by a two to one ratio," he said. "It seems to me that they would have more of a vested interest in seeing the program continue."
At the Dec. 7 County of Barrhead council meeting, Gariepy noted that in November, out of the 37 clients they serve who are the victims of domestic or family violence, 25 are county residents. Out of 24 outreach clients or people whose family or friends are experiencing domestic or family violence, 16 came from the county.
Several councillors also voiced their frustration, saying this was another example of the province downloading responsibilities to municipalities.
Initial dollars for Thrive came through a safe communities innovation fund (SCIF) grant in 2011, which then rolled over into the family communities safe grant. That funding source ended in March 2018. Since then, Thrive has existed solely on FCSS fundraising efforts and community donations.
Although FCSS is a standalone, non-profit organization in Barrhead, it also receives funding through provincial and municipal government grants in an 80-20 per cent split, with the province being responsible for the larger portion. In their proposed 2022 budget, FCSS is asking both municipalities for $68,500, an increase of $7,500 from 2021. As a community program, Thrive is not eligible to use this funding.
Assaf said he did not like the chances of the county contributing anything outside their 80-20 budget contribution.
"The last time when there was a request to help Thrive, the county did not pitch in ... they said go ask somebody else. We've seen it time and time again," he said.
What Assaf was referring to is in 2018, when Thrive's provincial funding ended, the Barrhead Rotary Club proposed a partnership that would see them and the Barrhead municipalities contribute $15,000 each for two years. The town contributed and the Rotary Club opted in while the county declined.
Regardless of whether the county opts-in, Assaf said, council needs to support Thrive, at least through the holiday season, moving that the municipality provide FCSS with two months of Thrive bridge funding.
Barry Kerton, TownandCountryToday.com
