COCHRANE— Adapting to the ever-changing reality of the COVID-19 pandemic Cochrane Family and Community Support Services have pivoted their programming online.
Cochrane Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) have embraced innovation and creativity to adapt programs and ensure they are accessible to community members during the COVID-19 public health measures, said manager Kim Krawec.
“We have moved almost every single one of our programs and services remotely,” Krawec said. “We’re doing everything that we’ve always done but we’ve moved remotely onto a virtual platform or by telephone.”
They are starting to get busier she said and the phone has begun to ring fairly steadily over the past two weeks.
The innovation and creativity they have used have been an incredible success she said explaining that the FCSS team has been offering family support programming completely virtually, including parent education classes and support groups important. These are key programs, she said, because they help foster connections and combat the isolation some may feel during the pandemic.
She added that all child development support programs have been moved online including classes like storytime and crafts using the video-conferencing app ZOOM. At times classes have had more than 60 people attend.
FCSS also offers virtual programs for seniors including exercise classes to help keep seniors physically active and engaged with their community.
The biggest challenge Krawec said has been ensuring community members are aware they can still access the FCSS resources during the pandemic.
“All those supports are still available to them,” Krawec said. “We’re here to support them.”
FCSS gets direction from the Town of Cochrane Emergency Coordination Centre when it comes to the reduction or implementation of COVID-19 public health measures.
It will be a cautious and phased reintroduction of programming that takes place in person, Krawec said.
FCSS is about creating community and ensuring that Cochranites feel a connection and sense of belonging, she said, but this has been challenging to facilitate during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“One of the biggest challenges that we’re facing is making sure people still feel like that sense of belonging and connection,” Krawec said. “I think everybody misses some of that face-to-face contact."
Using science-based evidence and methodical planning The Town is getting ready to begin reopening facilities in the community while ensuring the safety of the public, said Emergency Coordination Centre emergency management director David Humphrey. The information they use to guide reopening comes from Alberta Health Services.
“We’re doing that in a very methodical manner to make sure we can keep the public and the community safe,” Humphrey said.
FCSS is busy working to decide what their re-entry will look like. he said.
“FCSS has done a tremendous job to continue to push out all of our programs for all of the people in our community that need that help,” Humphrey said.
It has been challenging for the public he said dealing with the changes to programming, but Humphrey said they will get up and running and public-facing when it is safe to do so.
It will be new an experience when FCSS is able to reopen their doors, he added because of the COVID-19 public health measures that have been introduced. He cautioned that measures will be adjusted based on the spread of the virus in the community.
“We’ll be able to offer a different style but person-to-person face-to-face contact with the public,” Humphrey said.
All measures taken will adhere to the provincial guidelines provided by Alberta Health.
“Once we think we have a good plan with all the bits and piece and everything we send that back to the manager at that facility and they go about making that happen,” Humphrey said.
COVID-19 has made it challenging to ensure people still feel that sense of community connection and belonging, Krawec said, because they are unable to be together physically until COVID-19 public health measures are lifted.
“It’s key for physical health, it’s key for mental health, it’s kind of key for everything,” Krawec said. “We’re working really hard to ensure that people still have the support and resources and that connection they need to thrive.”
For those interested in FCSS programming they can be reached at 405-851-2250.
Krawec said they want people to reach out for support and access the FCSS resources when they need them.
“Just because our door is closed doesn’t mean that we’re closed,” Krawec said. “We’re still doing everything.”
