Lac La Biche County's Family & Community Support Services (FCSS) will be hosting a Summer Kick-off event on June 30, as they invite everyone to in-person summer programs.
Program staff will be at Lac La Biche's IGA and Independent Grocers that day, handing out information and details about their back-to-summer fun plans.
FCSS offers a variety of social support programing to all ages of residents in the community.
Despite restrictions from the COVID-19 pandemic, some FCSS programming did continue over the last year. Many programs were re-thought to bring a virtual presence to families and program participants. Some online events included virtual bingo games for youngsters and teens, as well as several online instructions for art projects and games. Seniors have also been kept involved with online painting classes and computer classes.
Anita Polturak, Lac La Biche County's Manager of Family & Community Support Services is pleased to begin offering more in-person programming again.
“Through FCSS, people can find support for anything from new parents attending Baby Talk or Art in the Park, families attending Junior Teen Family Nights, teens attending Chill Zone, seniors joining Coffee Connection or getting their taxes done – which is for low income seniors only for this specific program,” said Polturak, adding that community service supports are also part of the department's mandate. "The Community Access Service provides low-cost transportation for people to all points within the County. The Family Resource Network is another part of our family support offerings. The child-minding service allows people to utilize Bold Center amenities while their young children are cared for in by well-qualified staff.”
The FCSS grant program also provides funding for initiatives or programs planned by community agencies.
“FCSS provides resources for volunteer development and supports community development initiatives that improve or enrich the community’s social wellbeing. FCSS acts as a support for addressing social issues by providing staff time and expertise,” said Polturak, “For example, FCSS played a key role in setting up the Little Sprouts Day Care, the Lac La Biche & Area Family Violence Program, and is currently working closely with the Transitional Housing Task Force. By engaging individuals and families and working with community agencies, all the work FCSS does engenders a healthy, vibrant community.”
With more in-person programming just around the corner, Polturak is proud of the way the FCSS staff, the organization's volunteer-driven board of directors and the community handled the last year of virtual and remote programming.
“Staff worked quickly to pivot programming from in-person format to virtual. They have been creative in seeking program offerings that would be interesting and engaging in a virtual setting. They have created thousands of activity packages for people to pick up for the virtual programs," she explained. "Staff spent many hours connecting with individuals to make sure they were doing okay, giving people an opportunity to talk to someone or connect them to vital resources.'
For more information on events that FCSS is planning in the coming months, visit the digital links in the online version of this article at www.lakelandtoday.ca.
