TAMRMS#: B06
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Administrative Review FCSS Spring Grant - CIVC
Presented by: Connie Smigielski, Manager
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RECOMMENDATION(S)
recommendation
That the following 2017 FCSS Spring Grant be awarded:
St. Albert Community Information & Volunteer Centre (CIVC), $3,408 for a project to address Seniors’ Isolation.
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PURPOSE OF REPORT
Council directed Administration to do a review of the grant application submitted by the Community Information and Volunteer Centre; a FCSS Spring Grant requesting funding to deliver a project to address Seniors’ Isolation.
COUNCIL DIRECTION
On June 12, 2017, Council passed the following motions:
(CB-17-009)
That the CIVC portion of agenda item 7.3 CSAB Recommendations: FCSS Spring Grants be postponed pending an administrative review and return by the end of Quarter 3, 2017.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
On June 12, 2017, at a regular Council meeting, Counsellor Russell put forward a motion that Council not approve the application for funding for the FCSS Spring Grant, submitted by the St. Albert Community Information & Volunteer Centre until Administration undertook a formal review of the project.
STAKEHOLDER COMMUNICATIONS OR ENGAGEMENT
Administration contacted the Community Information and Volunteer Centre requesting they provide more detail and intended outcomes regarding the project they requested funding for; a project to address senior’s isolation.
In February of 2017, the National Seniors Council published a report entitled “Who’s at risk and what can be done about it? A review of the literature on the social isolation of different groups of seniors.” The report identified that in 2015, for the first time, the number of persons aged 65 years and older was approximately four times the growth rate of the total population. Of that population, an estimated 16% of seniors experience social isolation. Further, certain groups of seniors seemed to be at greater risk of social isolation than the general population of seniors. Health risks associated with isolation and loneliness have been compared to the well-established detrimental effects of smoking and obesity. The report proposes a number of approaches be made to address the issue including, raise public awareness of social isolation of seniors and promote improved access to information, services and programs for seniors.
The St. Albert Community Information & Volunteer Centre, on behalf of the St. Albert Seniors Working Group, put forward a proposal aimed at reducing isolation among seniors. The FCSS Spring Grant funding, if approved, would be utilized to raise awareness of this issue and to promote local St. Albert resources.
The key deliverables include:
1. The development of a brochure and newspaper ads to raise awareness.
2. Distribute brochures and $10-dollar coupons, for use at the St. Albert Seniors Association, to seniors. These coupons would be delivered through the Meals on Wheels program, Christmas Hampers, the Outreach Worker at the St. Albert Food Bank and Community Village, through Home Care, the St. Albert Elder Abuse Coordinator, Victim Services and the RCMP.
These strategies align with the National Seniors Council report as key approaches to reduce isolation among seniors.
IMPLICATIONS OF RECOMMENDATION(S)
Financial:
Total FCSS Spring Grant funds remaining available for disbursement in 2017 is $3,408, this is the total amount the St. Albert Community Information & Volunteer Centre is requesting.
Legal / Risk:
Grant recipients are required to enter into a grant agreement with the City, requiring them to utilize funds as specifically authorized and to report to the City in a specified time frame on the use of those funds. Failure to comply with these requirements may result in a demand to repay the funding or a refusal to grant funding in the future.
Program or Service:
None at this time.
Organizational:
None at this time.
ALTERNATIVES AND IMPLICATIONS CONSIDERED
If Council does not wish to support the recommendation, the following alternative could be considered:
That the funding request, as identified, be approved for a partial grant as per the direction of Council. The unallocated amount shall remain in the Preventative Social Services Reserve.
STRATEGIC CONNECTIONS
Council’s Strategic Outcomes and Priorities (See Policy C-CG-01)
Social Pillar - We are a friendly and inclusive community of passionate equals, where everyone feels a sense of belonging. We believe that community starts with the person next door.
We will pursue our vision by focusing on the following results:
1.3 Create opportunities for seniors to become actively engaged and supported through necessary programming, supports, accessible housing and continuing care options.
Report Date: September 5, 2017
Author(s): Connie Smigielski
Committee/Department: Community & Social Development
General Manager: Dale Bendfeld
City Manager: Kevin Scoble