Stettler Crisis Aid already spent about $10,000 to help people in a financial crisis and they are tapped out.
Patrick Callin, community engagement coordinator for Family and Community Support Services, (FCSS) asked Stettler County to give them the $17,110 the county has in its FCSS reserve fund to use for Crisis Aid Management.
“Our program is suffering drastically right now,” said Callin. “We have been hit quite drastically than in previous years.”
Stettler County Coun. Les Stulberg said the FCSS isn’t allowed to fund the crisis aid program because FCSS is a preventative agency. He said the crisis aid is a last resort for people who have exhausted all other avenues.
“It’s a one time thing, it’s crisis aid,” said Coun. Stulberg.
Callin said people turn to the FCSS for help with such items as costs of medical appointments, subscriptions and paying utility arrears.
“Basically it prevents homelessness.”
Stettler County, during its regular meeting April 11, unanimously voted in favour of releasing their FCSS reserve funds for the crisis aid program.
Stettler County Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Yvette Cassidy told council that their FCSS Operating Reserve has existed since before 2006.
“There is no real indication where that money was allocated from before then. It has not grown or been added to in the last 12 years.”
Coun. Stulberg said releasing the money to the FCSS was a “perfect opportunity to fill a need and get the reserves off our books that hasn’t been used for 10 or more years.”