INNISFAIL -- The town has divided up $172,000 of provincial Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) funding for local non-profit community groups, with the winners being senior citizens and Chinook's Edge School Division.
At town council's Jan. 14 regular meeting funding recommendations were put forward through a report by Karen Bradbury, the town's community and social development coordinator.
Bradbury's report said the local FCSS Advisory Board met on Dec. 4 to make recommendations on where the provincial FCSS funding for 2019 should go in the community. The board agreed to hold back $2,000 for smaller requests that might come later this year.
Chinook's Edge requested $50,000 to offset the cost of three salaries for its Family School Wellness Program. The entire amount was recommended by the board and approved by town council.
The Lundgren Centre, formerly known as the Innisfail Seniors Drop-in Centre, requested $57,472 but received $39,000. Seniors also benefited with council's approval of a $6,680 request from the Innisfail Public Library for older adult programming.
"Those programs consistently provide service, as do all the programs, They provide service to a large group of residents as well," said Bradbury of the programs offered to Chinook's Edge and the Lundgren Centre. "They have been stable organizations with FCSS for a number of years."
Council also approved $24,460 FCSS funding for Red Deer's Big Brothers Big Sisters to continue youth programming in Innisfail. The Boys and Girls Club received the same amount. Both organizations had requested $31,500.
The Henday Association for Lifelong Learning made a request for $5,500, and council approved the entire amount. Red Deer Catholic Schools asked for $15,400 but was given $13,000, as recommended by the FCSS board.
The Lending Cupboard and Junior Achievement requested $5,500 and $3,500 respectively but the FCSS board chose not to award any grant monies to either organization in 2019.
Bradbury's report said all applicants would be contacted by either letter or email on council's FCSS funding decisions.
