Depending on who you ask, a merger between the Hope Resource Centre and Family and Community Support Services is not in the cards.
FCSS director Jayme Baxter poured cold water on the idea, which had been percolating since October 2012 when she mused about the FCSS taking over some of the HRC’s programming.
“That’s not on the table anymore,” she said last week.
However, she did not give an explanation as to what may have scuttled any discussion about a merger that may have been going on.
“There’s actually nothing,” she said. “There’s been no talks or anything about it.”
On the other hand, Westlock Women’s Association chair Marilyn Lannon left the door open to such a move just a crack, but cautioned that it’s merely speculation on her part at this point.
“I really don’t want to say anything right now on it because I don’t know,” she said. “I’m not saying ‘No, it isn’t.’ I’m just saying the facilitator is the one that is guiding us through this and I have no idea what’s going to come out of these brainstorming sessions.”
Those sessions will be taking place over the coming weeks, and will include strategic planning between board members and employees, all overseen by a facilitator.
Lannon said the facilitator would have a better idea whether a merger between FCSS and the HRC could happen, but such a union would not be discussed until well into the planning sessions.
“It depends on how we work through some of the other portions,” she said.
Whatever the end result of those sessions is, Lannon said the goal is to continue to help women who are experiencing domestic violence, in whatever way the association can.
“As an organization, we’re looking at how we can continue to provide the services to Westlock and community,” she said. “We’re all pretty passionate about continuing the education and prevention of domestic violence.”
Whether that is done through combining forces with FCSS, or through other means, is essentially immaterial, so long as women in need get the assistance they require.
“We’re just looking at how we can continue to survive,” she said.
