Service groups work toward a united front
A roundtable session featuring representatives from human services organizations in Lethbridge and across southwestern Alberta brought a number of different groups together to explore how to best provide their services to the communities they represent.
On Friday, The United Way of Lethbridge and South Western Alberta held the session at City Hall to identify challenges, discuss the issues communities are facing, and to take the first steps towards collaborative solutions
“I’ve been working hard to go to organizations and see what they do and help them see their own gaps,” said Trudy Carrols, executive director for The United Way. “When we receive grants and applications, we see that duplication.”
She said the role of The United Way is to be a helping hand to the groups offering their own helping hands to the community, in order to help them do their jobs better.
“If The United Way is going to be the United Way, we need to step up and do our part so that we can help organizations come together to be able to do that,” she said. “It’s just a ‘one plus one equals two’ equation. I think that equation, to help improve people’s lives, make so much sense.”
The session was also attended by political representatives at the provincial and federal level, including Lethbridge MP Rachel Harder, and John Barlow, MP for Foothills, Lethbridge East MLA Maria Fitzpatrick and Lethbridge West MLA Shannon Phillips — who made a brief appearance.
The MLAs and MPs were invited in order to provide an opportunity to hear from community groups about their concerns and to take part in discussions on how those concerns can be best addressed.
“We heard so many good things today,” said Harder. “I think there are definitely some very common themes.”
She spoke about the issue of mental health being a big concern in the province and the rising rates of people reporting mental-health issues. She said the reason is primarily due to the economy.
“We’re actually hearing stories of dealing with anxiety and depression,” she said. “(Children) are watching the parents struggle to make ends meet. They are watching their parents fight. They are watching family breakdown. All these things are the result of a lack of jobs and stability.
“In Lethbridge, we have seen a cutback in federal funding,” she said. “With regards to skills training, that means we’re not able to reach out to as many young people as we should. That means they are having a hard time entering the job market. That’s a problem.”
The issue, according to Harder, could be solved with a combination of funding supports but also a loosening of regulations in order to create a more supportive business environment to grow the economy.
“If businesses can thrive and help create jobs and job creation, it means that people have a place to go where they bring in an income and can provide for their families,” she said. “That’s important. That’s basic human need for the sake of dignity.”
Carrels said it is not just about increased funding supports, but finding a way to collaborate in order to make the most out of funding that is available.
“Funding always goes in line with offering services but until we understand what the problems are for each other there is a way to partner so we’re using that money more effectively,” she said. “Or maybe, together, we form a stronger lobby group in order to gain the funding that’s needed to address those rising challenges.”