ST. PAUL - With the nearby Alberta Supports office still closed to in-person services at the St. Paul Provincial building as of last week, County of St. Paul and Elk Point FCSS Director Janice Fodchuk says her department is feeling the effects of an increase in the number of people who need crucial supports.
At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic this spring, "it was just crazy," says Fodchuk. It was a juggling act to help people find new ways to deal with things. She offers an example of a man who used to have a family member travel from outside the region to help clean his home, but due to COVID, that was no longer a possibility. So, the FCSS department stepped up and helped find a cleaner that would do the work.
She describes many of the situations as "crisis" cases, and while that may be a strong word, if the situations aren't dealt with efficiently, they do in fact become a crisis.
A situation with a senior lady who couldn't afford food after her son was laid off from his job due to COVID, is another example Fodchuk provides. Or, there's the family with three children who faced a similar situation when both parents lost their jobs. Another situation involved a homeless senior man, who no longer had a place to shower when the public facilities he used were all closed down due to the pandemic.
"It probably has been one of the busiest years for me as the director," says Fodchuk, referring the amount of urgent needs she is helping out with.
Another heart-wrenching story saw a woman fleeing from an abuse relationship. The lady ended up in Fodchuk's office. She didn't even have basic necessities.
So, Fodchuk attempted to help by reaching out to get the woman access to some of the emergency funds that had been made available. She tried to call the 1-800 number provided, but was told to wait on hold for an hour, which only created more frustrations.
Fodchuk says she has run into a number of issues when dealing with some levels of the provincial government - specifically with a lack of understanding toward how things work in rural Alberta.
In one instance, the Minister of Community and Social Services office responded to Fodchuk. But, she had to explain to the staff member that many people who live in rural Alberta do not have access to a computer, Internet, or even a reliable phone.
"Out of 20 serious cases, one had a computer and Internet," says Fodchuk. "The rest have no computer. They might have a cell phone, but it's pay-as-you-go and they are not going to wait on hold."
Another situation saw Fodchuk calling Alberta Supports to request someone check on a man living in a mobile home within the County of St. Paul. The man was an AISH client, but no one knew if anyone had checked in on him or if the man even had access to food. It was the county's bylaw officer that brought the concern forward to Fodchuk.
After not receiving any help, Fodchuk turned to the RCMP to request a wellness check on the man. While it turned out the man was fine, Fodchuk was frustrated by the lack of attention given to the situation. She's also unsure if any follow-up has been done in the mean time.
As Fodchuk relays the stories, she brings up a 57-year-old man who has a disability that she's come to know after a few phone calls.
It was a concerned neighbour who connected Fodchuk with the man. After two weeks of trying to get the man help financially, "he still has nothing." Late last week, because of the efforts of some of the County of St. Paul's own staff members and the Fodchuk family, a vehicle filled with clothing, food and dog food was going to be delivered to the man.
When Fodchuk initially tried to refer him on to the proper supports, the man was unable to comprehend what his next steps should be. He only called Fodchuk back when he ran out of food - again.
"Nobody under my watch will starve," says Fodchuk. In one recent phone conversation, Fodchuk asked the man if he had enough flour to do his baking, he said yes, but then relayed that his oven was no longer working. So, Fodchuk found a used oven, and was having it delivered to the man.
Fodchuk says it's time the Government of Alberta "open its doors" and serves people who can't access or don't have the capacity to manoeuvre the online system.
Put simply - the people most in need are low income, some have limited capacity, and rural Internet access is an issue.
But, in all the frustrations, there is some light. One thing that Fodchuk says she's realized is that rural neighbours do care. In the case of the 57-year-old man Fodchuk has been helping, it was the neighbour that came forward and had been offering food to the man when he was hungry.
When Fodchuk mentioned that she thought it was a great gesture, the neighbour simply replied, "That's what you do for your neighbours."
According to the Government of Alberta website, "Alberta Supports Centres have suspended in-person services until further notice."
A request to speak with someone from Alberta Supports was not received by LakelandToday's deadline.
