A number of Airdrie’s social agencies will benefit from an injection of $391,578 by the Provincial government into the coffers of the Family and Community Support Services (FCSS). An additional $10 million of FCSS funding province-wide was announced Sept. 18, 2015. Airdrie City council approved the allocation of a portion of this additional funding at its March 21 meeting.
Council approved a total of $248,872 for seven different agencies for 11 programs. The agencies include the Boys and Girls Club of Airdrie (BGCA), the Airdrie Food Bank, North Rocky View Community Links and the Airdrie and District Victim Assistance Society.
An additional $145,000 was previously approved Jan. 18 for community research conducted by the City of Airdrie.
Denisa Sannass, executive director of the BGCA, said she was thrilled to hear the organization had been approved to receive the additional funding.
“It’s absolutely fantastic. We’re thrilled that we’re provided with the opportunity to expand our programs and pilot some initiatives that will really have a significant impact on our children and youth,” she said.
The BGCA will receive a total of $69,669 for four programs, including their Good to Great and French Immersion programming.
According to Clay Aragon, social planner with the City of Airdrie, funding requests totaling $338,069 were received by the application deadline of Feb. 19, however, some of those applications either did not meet the program criteria or a portion of the application did not qualify for funding.
Projects receiving FCSS funding must be preventative in nature, providing individuals or families opportunities to help themselves.
The applications were reviewed by the Community Services Advisory Board (CSAB) and weighed against the qualifying criteria. The result was the recommendation presented to council March 21.
One of the groups which will not receive all the funding requested is Peer Mediation and Skills Training (PMAST), based out of Calgary. Aragon explained that of the $53,000 the group had requested, only $17,353 qualified under the FCSS criteria.
The component of PMAST’s application that does qualify for FCSS funding will be used to raise awareness and educate youth about bullying and its impact.
“The recommendation of administration is to only fund the awareness component of that project, which is the preventative part,” Aragon said.
Council unanimously endorsed the recommendation of staff and the CSAB.
