City of Medicine Hat superintendent of community support services Shona Dickie (Photo courtesy of Bob Schneider)

By Scott Roblin

Provincial Funding

Non-profit groups encouraged to apply for provincial FCSS funding

Apr 8, 2020 | 1:31 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – The City of Medicine Hat is reminding local non-profit groups who provide supports during the global pandemic that provincial funds are available.

In late March, the provincial government rolled out $30 million in funding supporting Family and Community Support Services programs across the province who are still operating during the pandemic.

Charitable groups and non-profits have been able to apply for the provincial money, something that Medicine Hat’s superintendent of community support services Shona Dickie is encouraging locals to take advantage of.

“There’s lots of impacts that social isolation can have and impacts of people being off of work,” said Dickie. “This really helps to potentially help coordinate some volunteers to help out with other agencies and to have people supporting our most vulnerable citizens.”

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In the first week and a half since the additional funding was launched, seven local community groups have submitted applications to the province.

According to Dickie, even more organizations have expressed interest in the program.

“We’ve had a number of other agencies and organizations requesting information to apply coming up here,” she said. “So, we’re expecting a few more.”

The spectrum of community groups that can apply for the grant is wide including organizations supporting mental health, seniors services, community volunteer work, and caregiver relief just to name a few.

Local municipalities such as the City of Medicine Hat, Town of Redcliff, and Cypress County are all accepting applications from interested non-profits.

“How can you provide a service that’s really needed in our community and how can you do that a bit differently?,” said Dickie. “Obviously, we have physical distancing so that needs to be considered. So, how can you still provide those mental health supports, provide those supports for seniors in our community in a different way?”

The City of Medicine Hat is also providing resources for vulnerable people in the community who find themselves struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic including a web page devoted to community resources.

A phone line has also been established for those residents who would like that person-to-person interaction.

“If somebody maybe doesn’t have the internet or just wants to talk to someone in person, they can call the community information resource line and get some assistance,” said Dickie.

The COVID-19 resource line can be reached at 403-529-8106, however will not be available on Good Friday.

Those interested in applying for the provincial FCSS emergency grant can visit the Government of Alberta’s website.