MOUNTAIN VIEW COUNTY — Council has approved health funding totalling more than $46,000 for four groups, with plans to allocate an additional $18,000 by the end of 2021.
The move came by way of motion at a recent regularly scheduled council meeting.
Under the county’s health funding program, funds are directed to support health programs as well as services for enhanced and sustainable health care.
“Any allocated funding for health-care initiatives must have a direct benefit to residents of Mountain View County,” said Chris Atchison, director of legislative, community and agriculture.
“Projects and programs shall support health initiatives in a capacity such as promotion, prevention, treatment, continuing care, and/or rehabilitation,” said Atchison.
The county has budgeted a total of $65,370 for the program in 2021. In all, requests totalling $46,468 were received.
The Hope 4 MVC Kids Society has been allocated $16,950. The funds will be used to support families in medical need, including assisting with costs incurred if a local child is hospitalized, assisting a local child the needs adaptive equipment at home or school, or assisting a local child that requires home adaptations.
“Hope 4 MVC Kids has always had a focus on bridging the gap amongst the vulnerable population, and the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the need further due to a reduction in resources and funding opportunities,” he said.
The Olds and District Hospice Society has been allocated $15,000. The funding will go toward providing support for improved hospice palliative care within Mountain View County and specifically to offset monthly lease expenses on two hospice suites in an assisted living facility.
The Sundre Health Professional Attraction and Retention Committee has been allocated $10,000.
The committee will use the funds for health improvement activities in the community, including the retention and recruitment of health professionals. As well, officials will be visiting nursing students in Red Deer and Calgary university programs to encourage the undergraduates to pursue their health-care careers in rural Alberta and in Sundre in particular.
Sundre Volunteer Search and Rescue has been allocated $4,518. The funds will go toward purchasing medical and rescue equipment that will be used extensively by society personnel to assist the RCMP and other tasking agencies in disasters, evidence search and recover/rescue overdue, lost, injured, missing or stranded persons, as well as for educational purposes.
Council passed a motion approving the funding for the four community groups. In a second motion, councillors authorized administration to seek a second funding intake for the $18,000 remaining in the health fund for 2021.
Crime prevention funding approved
Meanwhile, councillors have also approved new funding for two local organizations under the crime prevention initiative grant program.
The program is intended to support local and regional initiatives as well as organizations that propose activities or events that have the potential to reduce the impact of crime within a large community area or throughout the county, said Atchison.
Olds Rural Crime Watch Association has been allocated $5,180. The funds will be used for crime prevention education through paid radio tips and paid newspaper articles and to support the callout system.
“The annual grant received by Olds Rural Crime Watch has been merged with the crime prevention initiative grant. Due to COVID-19, the application activities for crime prevention membership presentations were not able to be completed,” he said.
The Sundre Citizens on Patrol Association has been allocated $2,633. The funds will be used in member recruitment efforts.
“The association needs new members to maintain a regular standard of patrols and crime prevention,” he said. “COVID has been a big factor in deterring patrols.”
