Community Social Worker Special Edition Newsletter May 1, 2020 Issue #2 | Community Social Workers The City of Edmonton Community Social Workers are working hard to ensure Edmontonians are connected: to one another; their communities; and local resources. Contact information for members of our team follows. If you know who your local Community Social Worker is, please contact them directly as needed. If you are not sure, please contact 311. | Cheryl Heiland-Chaulk - Lauri Gilchrist - Lise Robinson - Marilyn Mclean-Bourgeois - Mildred Masimira - Nicole Magilton - Nor'Ali McDaniel - Pat Moffat - Shona Dick - Tricia Boonstra - Veena Khatri - | | Can't Afford Food? Call Edmonton's Food Bank at 780-425-4190 (Monday - Friday, 8:30 - 4:30.) They will assess your need, and refer you to a depot near your home. Please don't wait until you run out of food - it can take a few days for the hamper to arrive at the depots. Edmonton's Food Bank has sufficient supplies to meet the need. The Food Bank partners with 250 organizations. If you have received support from a community agency in the past, now is a good time to re-connect. That agency may be able to assist with emergency food help, your family's specific needs, or with benefit applications. For example, Islamic Family and Social Services supports families needing halal food. Edmonton's Food Bank 211 has a full list of food and community resources and can guide you to the best resource for your needs. Please click here for more details. | | Need a Food Hamper Dispatched? A collaboration with Edmonton's Food Bank, John Humphrey Centre and Elizabeth Fry Society. If you are low income AND over 65, immuno-compromised, or a single parent unable to pick up your food hamper, you can apply online for a hamper. Click on the link below to fill out the form OR if you need help with the form, call 780-421-1175. Food Hamper Delivery Form | | Need help getting a grocery order to your home? If delivery charges would make a food order unaffordable for you AND you're in isolation at home, there are options for free delivery for low income Edmontonians. Call 211 for the full list or check out three options below. If you can afford a delivery fee, many local grocery stores have delivery options. | | Bag-Half-Full YEG A service for the sick, elderly, self-isolating, and immunocompromised, with limited ability to go out for groceries. Order Form | Fresh Routes Edmonton Delivery for those in isolation or emergency situations. Please pay if you are able. If you are unable to pay there are a limited number of donated boxes. Delivery Request | Men in Kilts Grocery delivery focussed on those who cannot leave their home and do not have any other help with food access. Email Request | | Information for Seniors Senior organizations are working together to meet seniors' food and essential needs during this time. Call 211 for a full list of resources, including information on food hampers, meals, and grocery delivery services for seniors, including free options for seniors needing that help. Edmonton Meals on Wheels, in collaboration with the Age Friendly Edmonton initiative and other senior and cultural organizations, is addressing an identified need in Edmonton’s vulnerable community. Essential toiletries, such as toilet tissue and hand soap may be hard to come by at the grocery store. This difficulty is often compounded for isolated individuals, those with limited community support, illness, frailty or mobility challenges. The goal is to collect, assemble and deliver 1000 Donated Essential Toiletry Kits to be distributed to those in need. Referrals to this project can be made to the outreach or home support program at participating senior centres or directly to Edmonton Meals on Wheels by calling 780-429-2020 or by email at emow@mealsonwheelsedmonton.org For more information, check out Meals on Wheels' website. Meals on Wheels | Agency Update: Food Coordination in Edmonton Organizations wanting to assist with food access are encouraged to contact the Edmonton Food Bank's administration number at 780-425-2133 (ask for Judy) and explore options for supporting Edmontonians. Community Social Workers are working with many Edmonton organizations involved in helping Edmontonians access food during the COVID-19 crisis. Their goal is to ensure that food responses are coordinated, so that Edmontonians are not going hungry. If your organization is involved in food access and you are not connected to the Edmonton Community Coordination of Food Resources, please contact Sarah Patterson at sarah.patterson@edmonton.ca. | Want to help? Consider making a donation to, or volunteering at, an organization of your choice. Volunteer needs are changing almost daily, so you may want to check in on a regular basis with an organization of your choice. | Money Mentors We are all very aware of the numerous job losses and other changes that have accompanied COVID-19. Numerous people are facing huge financial changes in their lives. Money Mentors is an Alberta organization working on money concerns of all types. They have resources on their website that can help with the current financial circumstances people are finding themselves in. From financial questions to budgeting courses and tips. Money Mentors Website | Momentum MOMENTUM is a Calgary based agency that shares financial planning information and provides employment help. They have developed a number of webinars to support people during this time, including information on how to access government benefits. Momentum Webinars | WECAN WECAN uses bulk buying power to provide its members with an order of meat and fresh produce at a reduced cost. You pay for the order the first week of the month, and pick up on the third week of the month - it is designed to help you when you're running low. Memberships are $5.00. For more information, visit their website. WECAN Website | Community Gardens Community gardens are a source of food security, support wellness, and promote a sense of neighbourly connection. In order to operate community gardens, support neighbourhoods, and stay safe during COVID-19, the City has instituted community garden requirements and guidelines. These requirements and guidelines apply to permanent and temporary community gardens located in open spaces, including those on parkland, right-of-way, community league licensed land, as well as private land leased by the City. Edmonton - Community Gardens | Simple Recipes Leanne Brown offers her cookbook Good and Cheap as a free PDF online. Good and Cheap Cookbook Telus has created a recipe book for the Edmonton Food Bank, Easy Recipes that Warm the Heart. Easy Recipes that Warm the Heart Recipes in each of these cookbooks are simple recipes with simple ingredients. Many ingredients are items commonly received in hampers from The Edmonton Food Bank. | Community Resources 211 Alberta has compiled resource lists to support people in finding accurate information during COVID-19. Many services are changing rapidly in response to COVID-19. For the most up-to-date information 211 Alberta has, please check the 211 Alberta - Resources for Covid-19 in Alberta, as their regular website search tool may not accurately reflect services at this time. (For local resources, ensure you select the Edmonton and Area sheet.) You can also reach out to 211 by phone, text or chat: dial 2-1-1, text INFO to 211 or visit www.ab.211.ca and click “live chat.” Translation services are available. If you are a community partner in the Edmonton area and are modifying your services during the pandemic, please email database@ab.211.ca to keep your information up to date. | Seeking Community Updates The Community Social Workers would like to hear from you. Please let us know about community experiences people are expressing. We want to know if there are gaps and difficulties for people that could be addressed at a community level. Please contact the Community Social Worker you normally connect with (listed at the beginning of the newsletter), or call 311 for the appropriate contact. | Financial Empowerment Newsletter The City of Edmonton compiles a regular electronic newsletter called Earn, Save, Build. Due to COVID-19, the newsletter reflects the current emergency supports being provided by the Federal, Provincial, Municipal and private sectors and other related financial information. Issue #12 Released April 30 Subscribe on City's Website | Food Resource Coordination | Edmonton Community Coordination of Food Resources The following organizations have been coordinating food efforts in Edmonton and/or providing the information contained in this newsletter. Thank you to these community service organizations who are working to make food accessible to Edmontonians during this crisis. | Edmonton's Food Bank United Way of the Alberta Capital Region Boys and Girls Clubs Big Brothers Bigs Sisters of Edmonton & Area Edmonton Seniors Coordinating Council Jasper Place Wellness Centre/Food4Good Multicultural Family Resource Society C5/North East Community Hub E4C Bent Arrow | Edmonton Chamber of Voluntary Organizaitons Free Footie The Family Centre Meals on Wheels Multicultural Health Brokers REACH Edmonton Norwood Centre Alberta Health Services Bag-Half-Full Elizabeth Fry Society Age Friendly Edmonton Arts on the Ave | Action for Healthy Communities SAGE Islamic Family and Social Services Association Fresh Routes Drive Happiness John Humphrey Centre for Peace & Human Rights University of Alberta WECAN Food Basket Society North East Seniors Association Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers | | Subscription You may be receiving this newsletter because you are subscribed to one of the Community Social Workers' regular newsletters. In this case, you will also receive any future editions. Alternatively, this newsletter may have been forwarded to you by a Community Social Worker or other community contact. In this case, please use this subscription link to become a subscriber and receive any future editions. This will only subscribe you to our Special Edition Newslettter, which is currently focused on updates related to services during COVID-19. It will not subscribe you to our regular community newsletters. Subscription Link | | | | |