Community agencies bundle forces in Smoky Lake

By Irene van der Kloet

Small towns typically have several community groups delivering services. Sometimes community groups aren’t entirely knowledgeable about each other’s mandate, resulting in gaps or overlaps in service delivery. Rachelle Amyotte, who recently became the Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) coordinator in Smoky Lake, took it upon her to get community groups together and discuss partnerships in Smoky Lake for enhanced service delivery. On April 27, several groups got together. The overall goal was threefold; The first goal is to increase awareness of agency priorities and mandates. The second goal is to support the proactive planning of initiatives and programs. The third goal is to raise awareness of community needs or themes identified. There is a tremendous advantage for community groups to work together; one of them has already been mentioned: cooperation to avoid gaps and overlaps in service delivery. Another, perhaps even more significant advantage is that they can identify programs where they can work together and apply for more substantial funding. Groups that collaborate can identify bigger goals to serve the community better. Thus, they will be more strategic in effecting a community impact. Participants in this initial meeting already brought up some great ideas to move this agenda forward. The next significant event will be seniors’ week in the first week of June. The idea is to have speakers address specific addictions and mental health issues. Evelynne Kobes serves on the Smoky Lake Seniors’ Centre board and points out the “Strawberry Tea” event at the seniors’ centre during seniors week on June 8. The community awareness day, which typically takes place in the fall, can be used to draw attention to the initiatives developed so far and possibly lead to new activities. Rochelle brings up the youth council in Smoky Lake: ”FCSS is there to enhance the activities for youth. The group from 12-18 more or less falls between the cracks at the moment as there is not much organized for them in town. I would like to see that changed. We are actively seeking to start a youth council with the ultimate goal to have a youth centre here to have a go-to place for this group.” The group agrees that they would like to see Smoky Lake become an actively welcoming community with many activities and programs for newcomers and immigrants. Program coordination will lead to bundling forces, enabling more programs to benefit the community. For example, the first Ukrainian refugees are expected in Smoky Lake shortly, and Smoky Lake Community Learning Council can support them with English Language Learning. The library can offer programs for the children, and Primary Care Network can help with healthcare, both physical and mental health. Upon finalizing the meeting, the group decides to stay in touch through a shared calendar on which they will plan significant events.