The Cariboo Family Enrichment Centre (CFEC) received a $15,000 grant through the Prince George Community Foundation (PGCF) as part of the Government of Canada’s $350 million Emergency Support Fund (ECSF) in response to COVID-19.
The application was approved by the South Cariboo Community Enhancement Foundation (SCCEF) and will be used to obtain more technology for staff. That way they’ll be able to reach clients while they have to physically distance.
“We’re also able to purchase sanitary stations, like sanitary hand dispensers for the front reception areas.”
A lot of the technology at the CFEC is quite old, according to Pettman, so they didn’t have very many cameras or laptops with cameras in them so they’ll be able to supply staff with those items so they can do Zoom meetings with clients.
Additionally, they’ll provide some staff with cellphones so they can work away from the office more efficiently.
“A lot of people don’t have high-speed internet to do Zooming so the other people we can reach through phone calls and texting.”
The CFEC building is open but not to the public where people can just walk in, according to Pettman, adding they have a greeter at the door for people who have appointments.
“We’re very grateful for the opportunity to do this and to continue to offer services through the pandemic and I think that we’re in this for a little bit longer than we realize so it’s really good to be able to secure the technology so that we can have that long term care for all of our clients,” he says. “We’re very excited of course.”
Mindy Stroet, director of development at the PGCF, says they felt this was a really important project to support the work that they’re doing in the community which is “really vital.”
“This, we felt, will go a long way in helping them to help even more families in your community.”
So far the CFEC was the only application from the South Cariboo.
“We’re approving applications on a weekly basis so we’re encouraging applicants to submit it as quickly as possible. We know that this program across the country is oversubscribed. We still have funding remaining so if there are qualified donees, registered charities who are interested in applying they can either let the (CFEC) know or let me know and get their application in as quickly as possible.”
She said they were really glad to be able to support the initiative and to partner with the SCCEF and Community Foundations of Canada, which was echoed by SCCEF spokesperson Lisa De Paoli.
