OLDS — Town council has approved $110,000 worth of FCSS (Family and Community Support Services) funding for seven groups in the community.
Council also approved a recommendation from staff to set aside $10,000 for different asks, needs or projects that might come up during the year.
The Boys and Girls Club of Olds and area received the largest chunk of this year’s FCSS funding: $55,000. The remaining grants approved are: Chinook's Edge - Family School Wellness, $15,000; Mountain View Emergency Shelter Society, $10,000; Mountain View Moccasin House, $5,000; Olds & District Hospice Society, $4,000; YES (Youth Empowerment & Support) program, $20,000; Hope 4 MVC Kids, $1,000.
A town document notes that FCSS funding is split on a provincial/municipal basis, with the province providing 80 per cent of the money and the town kicking in the remaining 20 per cent.
Heather Dixon, the town’s lead community facilitator, noted that FCSS funding applications also to Mountain View County offices.
She said town staff work with county officials to make sure there’s no overlap in funding requests and that all applications meet the rules for FCSS funding.
Boys and Girls Club of Olds & Area (BGCOA)
The Boys and Girls Club continues to be one of the programs in our community that is not only highly visible, but highly needed, Dixon told councillors.
“They have 104 children currently on the waiting list for child care and they are working towards opening some more spots as you have heard through previous meetings," she said.
She also pointed out as reported earlier by the Albertan, that the BGCOA is working on opening a youth centre this year.
“Our department has been working alongside of them to see if we can make that happen,” she said.
Chinook’s Edge School Division Family School Wellness program
This group received its money for supplies, materials, and software.
Mountain View Emergency Shelter Society (MVESS)
Dixon said before last year, the town had only funded this group for advertising, promotion, volunteer recognition and training costs.
But this year is different.
"They have started new training that fits within the parameters of FCSS funding, so we're able to offer them a little more funding for them to run those programs that are accessed by a number of families in our community,” she said.
She said MVESS offers programming for children and adults, “so that’s a great add to our community.”
Mountain View Moccasin House (MVMH)
MVMH asked for funding for programs like teaching how to make traditional ribbon skirts or drums as well as other traditions and cultural practices.
The money allocated by the town is slated for supplies and programming.
Olds and District Hospice Society
The money this group receives will go toward costs for program promotion, volunteer recognition and training.
YES Program
Dixon said this group, that strives to improve mental health and empowerment for students, used to run only at the high school and junior high level but will now offer its services at the elementary school level.
Hope 4 MVC Kids
Dixon said the ask from this group was a new one this year. The money they’re getting is for volunteer recognition and training.
In regard to the $10,000 request, Dixon said that kind of money has been set aside in the past for things that might come up, like a request to fund a guest speaker at a school.
Coun. Heather Ryan noted that last year, YES received $17,000 and this year the recommendation was to give it $20,000.
She wondered why, and why Hope 4 MVC Kids, which helps cover medical costs for kids in the Mountain View County area, is only receiving $1,000.
Dixon said YES management does a great job of anticipating how much money the program will actually need each year and that can fluctuate.
Also, it’s Dixon’s understanding that an extra staff member has been hired as the program extends further into elementary schools.
Unfortunately Dixon said, FCSS regulations “very clearly” state that money can’t be provided things like transportation or medical costs, thus the lower amount for Hope 4 MVC Kids.
Deputy mayor Darren Wilson noted that last year, the town gave out FCSS grants to nine organizations. This year the figure is only seven.
He wanted assurance the town is scouring the community to make sure all organizations that could benefit from the funding are aware of that opportunity and apply for those funds.
Dixon said the town does indeed endeavour to make sure all eligible organizations know of the opportunity for FCSS funding.
She said one organization did not apply for funding this year and the other switched its focus on funding to be more literacy-related.
Dixon said it’s “stated very plainly” in the guidelines that literacy is not eligible for FCSS funds.
Dixon said one other group was going to apply for town FCSS funds but they didn’t fit the criteria, so chose not to apply.
“I think as a department, we’ve very in touch with the groups that we fund,” she said.
She said town staff are working very hard “to start finding out where those holes are that we might be missing.”
“So things are changing in a good way and (I’m) excited to see 2023, how FCSS is going to be able to really kind of serve our community a bit better than we have,” she said.
"I’m encouraged to hear the proactive approach relative to looking at Olds and putting a finger in the holes in the dike there,” Wilson said.
“Because again, that’s exactly where I’m trying to get to, is you don’t know what you don’t know.”
