Crossfield council approved a bylaw governing the new Community Health and Wellness Committee during its regular council meeting Nov. 20.
and the committee will be responsible for identifying local individuals and families who are in distress.
“The primary goal of the committee is to help folks out who don’t know where to get help,” said Crossfield Mayor Nathan Anderson. “There are obviously programs out there provincially and federally that help take care of folks, but lots of people fall under the radar.”
Council will invite ten individuals to work on the committee. Six regular citizens, two members of council, a member of the Crossfield Fire Department and the Family and Community Support Services Coordinator will make up the committee.
“A couple councillors expressed a lot of interest in the committee,” said Anderson.
Anderson stressed that this committee was not approved to create social programming, but to link those in need of assistance with the people who can provide a hand up.
“Our motto is a hand up and not a hand out. We are not looking to construct social programs,” said Anderson. “We are missing the mark if we are trying to be prosperous as a town… while there are people who live in poverty, or borderline poverty. This is even for those who are not financially in distress, but someone who is physically in distress. It is to try and identify those people in a sensitive way.”
Anderson said it is important to include a member of the Crossfield Fire Department in the committee.
“They are one of our largest charitable groups in town, they do the food hamper program. They are very in touch with the people who are in distress,” said Anderson. “They are critical to the committee.”
Anderson hopes the committee will be full and ready to begin meeting by the New Year.
