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Barbecue fills bellies while filling crisis donation jar

Even the most self-sufficient individual can suffer a set-back that leaves them in financial crisis, leaving them with nowhere to turn.
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FCSS employees and volunteers barbecued hot dogs and hamburgers at the annual Crisis Aid Program Fundraiser Barbecue

Even the most self-sufficient individual can suffer a set-back that leaves them in financial crisis, leaving them with nowhere to turn for help and on the verge of losing their home.

It was to help bridge that crisis gap that the Stettler and District Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) started its Crisis Aid Fund several years ago, said FCSS Executive Director Shelly Potter.

Potter, who was named director in February this year, is not new to the organization but has worked with the FCSS since 1999.

She was running the show on Thursday, May 28 at the annual Crisis Aid Fundraising Barbecue, held on Main Street in front of the FCSS office.

"We're here today trying to raise community awareness, reach out to and be involved with our community, and raise funds for the Crisis Aid Program," Potter explained.

The scheme is a last-resort avenue available to people who find themselves on the verge of being homeless, Potter said, though it can also help with unexpected emergency situations like gas for medical trips, medical costs, etc.

"(The program) helps people in a crisis situation with a one-time monetary donation, gas cards, that type of thing," she elaborated.

The program's administrators, when someone is approved, can provide gasoline or grocery cards, or work with a tenant's landlord or utilities to make a payment.

The program is not funded under the programs offered by the FCSS, nor does it receive grant assistance from the federal, provincial or municipal governments, meaning the Crisis Aid piggy-bank is filled with the nickels and dimes raised through fundraising efforts like the barbecue on Thursday.

"We can't always help," Potter admitted. "We have very limited funds. What we raise (at today's barbecue), $500-$800, is a lot of money for us."

Members of the local community, church groups and daycares donated baking for the bake-sale that is part of the barbecue, and the baking just flew off the tables. By lunch time, the bake sale was down from three tables to one.

"We rely heavily on the community to run, and we're really grateful to them for how much they support us," Potter said. "We couldn't do this without them."

It can be tough for someone who is normally independent to go and look for help, and the program administrators are very aware of that.

"We're here to offer a hand up, not a hand out," Potter said. She emphasized that the nature of the program, which is a one-time help, is specifically designed to bridge a gap rather than be a long-term solution to financial instability.

"It's very stressful when you live hand-to-mouth, and are looking at having nowhere to live," Potter noted. "It's not cheaper to be homeless."

Recently, Potter sold her home and before taking possession of her new house had to live in a campground in her fifth wheel.

"To stay in the campground for a month was about $900," she revealed. "It's definitely not cheaper."

People who live right on the streets, have to buy food, access to showers and laundry, and find places to live. That can eat away at money faster than expected.

For more information about the Crisis Aid Program, to volunteer, or to donate, contact the Stettler FCSS at 403-742-2337.