Penhold Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) made history on Dec. 2 by extending its agreement with five other municipalities for 10 years.
The communities of Penhold, Elnora, Delburne, Bowden, Red Deer County and the City of Red Deer extended an already 40-year-old FCSS cooperative agreement to 2024, making their partnership one of the longest in Alberta.
“It was great to be one of the mayors present to sign off on the cooperative agreement with five other communities,” said Dennis Cooper, mayor of Penhold. “The FCSS program has grown from giving help to young people, to building capacity for programs and assistance, and now the FCSS actively serves to direct people with specific needs to where they can get help.”
Cooper added the FCSS program now encompasses the whole family. Its 40-year history includes many success stories.
“The programs provide support for residents of all ages in Penhold, Bowden, Elnora, Delburne, Red Deer and Red Deer County, helping them develop into good citizens and leaders,” said FCSS chair Kathy Sitter. “Each program has an overarching goal of prevention and the partnership allows the administration to be based out of Red Deer so the majority of workers can be boots on the ground in their own communities.”
Heather Klimchuk, provincial minister of human services, spoke to the audience via video and offered congratulations on their long-term relationship and agreement, while Ken Dropko, director of the provincial FCSS and community partnerships, noted the government views the Red Deer and partners FCSS partnership as a strong regional model.
“The fact that six independent municipalities have put social needs to the forefront, and have recognized that at a council level is significant,” said Linda Boyd, a supervisor with Red Deer's social planning department. “The real strength in the partnership is the fact that this is a 10-year agreement and we already have a long history of working together. We are building community.”
Cooper noted that with six municipalities working together, the expertise of each group allowed sharing within a formal framework, creating a true collaboration for the betterment of the region.
“It really is a win-win agreement for all six communities and Penhold is pleased to be part of it,” said Cooper. “With our growing community we will be able to meet the needs of our citizens in the long-term.”
Dennis Cooper
"It was great to be one of the mayors present to sign off on the cooperative agreement with five other communities."
