To help residents weather the financial storm of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Town of Irricana has creatively used additional Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) funding it received from the Alberta government this year.
According to Chief Administrative Officer Ted Coffey, the Province granted Irricana an additional $35,000 in FCSS funds in May to support residents during the pandemic. In an unprecedented move, Coffey said, the government allowed municipalities to use the funds to address food supply issues.
“This was always strictly prohibited before,” he said. “We typically receive $38,000 to run various programs, and have year after year. But they granted us an additional $35,000 specifically for care of citizens during COVID.”
With the extra funding burning a hole in the municipality’s pocket, Coffey said the Town used the money to purchase and distribute food hampers to residents in need.
“I personally would take the Town credit card and go to the local grocery store to start assembling orders,” he said. “Sometimes I’d walk out of there with four or five shopping carts full of groceries, and then I’d head over to the butcher shop to get a whole bunch of meat from the butcher.”
Within two and a half months, Coffey said, hampers – each containing a month’s worth of food – had been supplied to 58 individuals from 16 different households. According to Coffey, all food purchases were made at either Irricana Family Foods or the Irricana Meat Market.
In addition to the hampers, Coffey said the Town also used the funding to purchase prescriptions that were “piling up at the pharmacy” because people did not have the money to pay for them.
“We stepped in and paid for the medicine on two occasions and got medicine to 29 individuals who couldn’t afford them,” he said.
Coffey added all recipients have remained anonymous and 87 residents have benefited from the initiative.
According to Coffey, the Town also printed vouchers called “COVID Cash” with a face value of $25. The vouchers were included in the food hampers at a rate of two per adult and one per child. The Town would reimburse any business $25 for each coupon they received.
The vouchers – which could be used for non-essential purchases like gasoline, personal grooming products, alcohol or cannabis – could only be redeemed at Irricana businesses with a minimum purchase of $20, Coffey said.
“I didn’t want the cash to leave town, and we had businesses that were on the line financially, so I thought, ‘Let’s get two birds stoned at once,’” he said, adding every business in Irricana agreed to accept the vouchers and the majority of businesses have redeemed COVID Cash.
Stanley Yi, owner of Cafe Plus in Irricana, said the COVID Cash vouchers have been a good way to help the local economy.
"They're a good idea for the local businesses, and very helpful in this situation," he said.
While the government’s amendment to the Family and Community Support Services Act to allow municipalities to disburse food using FCSS funds ended in mid-August, Coffey said the Town plans to continue supplying COVID Cash vouchers and medicine.
Considering the Town has only spent a third of its additional FCSS funds, Coffey feels the project has been a success.
“The Province has sent out a survey to see what municipalities had used the funding for,” he said. “Perhaps when collated and analyzed, they might re-allow food hampers.”
Scott Strasser, AirdrieToday.com
Follow me on Twitter @scottstrasser19
