Edmonton Garrison Military Family Resource Centre
Annual General Report April 1, 2020-March 31, 2021
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2020/2021 ANNUAL GENERAL REPORT
A message from your Board of Directors As we come to the end of yet another extraordinary year, I would like to acknowledge the hard work and resilience of the board and more importantly the management and staff who pulled together to ensure support to each other and to the families we serve. This caring, encouraging and energetic response to unexpected change has placed the MFRC in a position of trust in our community. We are pleased with the reaction of the community to positive, transparent and timely communications and necessary changes to governance, policy and procedures, which further support the MFRC vision of enhancing the strength and resilience of military families. The board of directors is rooted in the community, consisting of 51% family members of fulltime Canadian Armed Forces personnel and members of the veteran community. They bring local perspectives and firsthand experience to the table, helping to shape how we serve our families – “by families for families”. We are grateful to have a working relationship with approximately 70 partner organizations who assist the MFRC with advancing and supporting the interests of our families through the unknowns and unique challenges of the military lifestyle. Despite the unknowns of the coming year, the pandemic has not shaken our resolve to continue to serve our families with compassion, efficiency and safety. All the pieces are in place to provide a strong, creative and sustainable MFRC for families. — Kaet Corbould, Board Chair
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A message from your Executive Director The 2020-21 year was one full of adaptations and focus. The staff at the MFRC were resourceful and creative, as their focus on military families and their commitment to serving them never wavered. Over the past year COVID 19 closed some of our programs temporarily, sent a portion of our staff to work from home, and gave us changing regulations that had us think, then rethink, how to best serve our families as safely as possible. When MFRC staff couldn’t see our families in person, we adapted to move some of our programs online. New processes and procedures were developed that allowed the MFRC to serve families and keep them safe. The MFRC is very proud that we were able to keep delivering our services. Through the year we helped families with relocations, deployments and absences, mental health, transitions, child development, employment, special needs and much more. Thank you to the Board, staff and community partners who have made a difference in the lives of military families. — Roza Parlin, Executive Director
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2020/2021 ANNUAL GENERAL REPORT
Table of Contents Message from your Board of Directors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 3 Message from your Executive Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 4 Board and Staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 6 About the Edmonton Garrison Military Family Resource Centre (MFRC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 7 Funding and Fund Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 8-9 CHILD/YOUTH DEVELOPMENT & PARENTING SUPPORT Child, Youth and Parenting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 10 DEPLOYMENT SUPPORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 11 PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITY INTEGRATION Employment and Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 12 Language Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 13 Welcome Services, School Outreach, Information, Referral, and Outreach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 14-15 MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 16-17 SUPPORT FOR FAMILIES WITH SPECIAL NEEDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 18 VETERAN FAMILY PROGRAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 19 VOLUNTEERING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 20 COMMUNITY PARTNERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .p. 21 PLACEMENT STUDENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 20 SPONSORS AND DONORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 22-23
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Board of Directors Chair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kaetlyn Corbould
Ex-officio members
Vice-Chair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alan Markewicz
CWO Mark von Kalben, Base Comd’s Rep
Secretary/Treasurer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kim Earles
CWO Robert Clarke, 1 CMBG Rep
Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mireille Chamberland
CWO Allan Wallace, 408 Sqn Rep
Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . David Benaine
CWO Jules Bérubé, 1 Health Services Grp Rep
Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Samantha Maloney
MFRC Patron
Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jeffrey Fafard
J’lyn Nye
Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carlee Schaefer Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jacqueline Alderton
Edmonton Garrison MFRC Board Members as of March 31, 2021
Along with the Management Team and Coordinators listed below, there are a number of key staff who work towards supporting military families on their journey. The MFRC currently employs 42 staff. Executive Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Roza Parlin Deputy Director. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Natacha Drolet Business Manager. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Barb Booker Child Care Coordinator. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nancy Defer Community and Volunteer Development Coordinator. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Shannon Marshall Deployment Support Coordinator. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Allison Simmonds Mental Health Team Lead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Devon Travers Francophone Services Coordinator. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alexandra Riduet Program Manager. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brenda Davidson Senior Communications Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jodi Tauber Veteran Family Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carrie Thompson
Edmonton Garrison MFRC Staff list as of September 15, 2021 6
2020/2021 ANNUAL GENERAL REPORT
About the MFRC ABOUT US The Edmonton Garrison Military Family Resource Centre (MFRC) is a charitable, non-profit organization registered under the Alberta Society’s Act. The agency is also registered with Revenue Canada as a charitable organization. The MFRC is committed to enriching the lives of individuals and families in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) through positive action, education, and support. Absences from family support systems, difficulties during deployments, solo parenting or coping with an injury or loss are realities for military families: realities which can have a significant impact on family well-being. For 30 years, the MFRC has been committed to supporting military families as they navigate these unique challenges through programs and services that enhance the strength and resilience of military families.
2020 Military Family Appreciation Day
OUR STRUCTURE We are governed by a volunteer Board of Directors comprised of military family members, CAF members, and ex-officio members. The MFRC depends on the talents and skills of these dedicated volunteers to make guiding decisions. At least 51% of the Board membership must be civilian family members of full-time serving CAF personnel. Qualified staff from a variety of backgrounds direct and coordinate MFRC programs and services. MISSION The Edmonton Garrison Military Family Resource Centre supports military families as they navigate the unique challenges of military life through programs and services that enhance their strength and resilience. CORE VALUE STATEMENT Strong military families are the foundation of the Canadian Armed Forces.
2020 Annual General Meeting
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Funding The MFRC is funded through four separate but equally important sources: the Base Commander; Military Family Services (MFS), program fees/other; and fund development. BASE COMMANDER For the 2020/21 fiscal year, approximately 9% of the annual operating budget came from the Base Commander. This funding is directed to sitespecific and enhanced mandated services. MILITARY FAMILY SERVICES For the 2020/21 fiscal year, approximately 44% of the annual operating budget came from Military Family Services to provide the Military Family Services Program to Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and Veteran families. Military Family Services provides MFRCs funding to provide the Military Family Services Program (MFSP) to Canadian Armed Forces and Veteran families. This funding is provided for mandated services set out in the annual funding application submitted to MFS. This process ensures that all military families may access similar programs of consistent quality at any CAF base. These mandated services for 2020-21 included: • Personal development and community integration • Child and youth development and parenting support 8
2020/2021 ANNUAL GENERAL REPORT
• Mental health and wellness • Family separation and reunion • Veteran family support PROGRAM FEES AND OTHER FUNDING For the 2020/21 fiscal year, approximately 24% of the annual operating budget came from provincial funds as well as fees from user-funded programs and services. This funding is from fees collected directly from families enrolled in userfunded programs and services, plus provincial funding. FUND DEVELOPMENT For the 2020/21 fiscal year, approximately 23% of the annual operating budget came from funds raised through a variety of sources including donations, proceeds from the sale of yellow ribbon merchandise, and special events.
2020 Yellow Ribbon Masks
Fund Development Due to Covid-19 many of the regular fundraising events were cancelled, however there were some bright moments in the agency’s fundraising activities. The MFRC has had the privilege of working with several businesses and organizations to help raise funds and awareness of agency services. In response to the Covid-19 Pandemic, the MFRC created and sold Yellow Ribbon Masks to our community as a fundraiser. Thanks to everyone’s support, we sold 148 masks! Masks are still for sale at the front desk during regular business hours for $12. In February the Edmonton Opera partnered with the MFRC to offer a virtual gala: ATB and Creekwood Collections at Chappelle present The Valentine’s Gala.
Tim Horton’s Smile Cookie Campaign, who both chose the MFRC to receive proceeds from their events. As always, donations made by our sponsors and donors are critical to the agency’s ability to maintain the existing quality of much-needed programs. For a complete list of our sponsors and donors please see pages 22 and 23.
Special Fundraising Events Event
Amount
Yellow Ribbon Masks ATB and Creekwood Collections at Chappelle present The Valentine’s Gala
$1,776 $109,756
Frontline Celebrity Charity Golf Tournament
$2,298
Tim Horton’s Smile Cookie Campaign (Edmonton Garrison location)
$3,766
Presented virtually to viewer’s homes for the first time ever, the Gala was well received in Alberta thanks to Chorus Entertainment’s broadcast. The MFRC extends its gratitude to the donors, partners and performers who made the event possible, and to the Edmonton Opera for selecting us as a partner for such a great event. We also received continuing support from the Frontline Celebrity Golf Tournament and the 2020 Tim Horton’s Smile Cookie Campaign
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Child, Youth Development and Parenting Support
The MFRC’s child and youth programs saw many changes as health orders and regulations changed throughout the year. After public health orders closed all child care programs, the MFRC was able to bring back two of our licensed programs with Day Care reopening in June, followed by Playschool in October. These were important milestones as the MFRC was once again serving families with much-needed support and quality programming that promoted child development. In partnership with the Centre for Family Literacy, the Rhymes that Bind and COW Corner programs were offered virtually in the fall and spring. Other virtual programs included a Parent and Tot session, and Digital Citizenship which taught youth how to be safe online, and a series of storytime videos for families to watch from home. The MFRC looks forward to reopening other programs like Terrific Twos, Casual Care, and the Youth Centre, as public health regulations allow.
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2020/2021 ANNUAL GENERAL REPORT
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Ms. Britta and Ms. Tara have created a caring, safe, inclusive and joyful learning environment for the children to explore. The program has helped our daughter to grow in confidence, explore her independence, socialize with other children and nurture her curiosity. We love everything about it!
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CHILD, YOUTH DEVELOPMENT AND PARENTING SUPPORT
-Jill, Playschool parent
Program Attendance Playschool
36
Babysitting course
10
Home Alone
11
Health for Two
10
Rhymes that Bind
29
PJ Rhymes that Bind
10
COW Corner
23
Digital Citizen
3
Parents and Tots
2
Storytime videos (9 in total)
470 views
Deployment Support As Edmonton Garrison geared up for high readiness, families experienced multiple waves of separation through training, courses and deployments, both foreign and domestic. Showing their resilience and strength, the MFRC assisted families as they overcame obstacles like solo parenting when schools shifted to online learning, delayed reunions due to extensions and isolation requirements, and last-minute deployments. With family needs in mind, the MFRC created new programs to help people connect. In the fall we formed a partnership with a Base Chaplain to launch Love You, Talk Soon XOXO, a program designed to help couples keep their relationship engaged during a work-related absence. Sessions were held in-person and virtually. Knowing how challenging holidays are with a loved one if away, the MFRC offered famillies kits full of activities and resources for both Halloween and Family Day. For Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, Deployment partnered with Outreach to give parents with a partner away for work a package to lift their spirits. Private sessions of Road to Mental Readiness (R2MR) continued to be popular as each session was tailored to meet the specific needs and concerns of a family. Deployment also went virtual, producing two popular cooking videos that gave families tips
and tricks for handling absences, and a Storytime with Santa video produced in partnership with the Garrison Edmonton Community Library. • 45 families received MFRC support to submit applications for Support Our Troops funding that helps children stay connected with a parent that is away from home. • 1,086 individuals accessed deployment services. • 698 individuals submitted pre-deployment Family Information Forms. • 4,297 deployment-focused emails were sent. • 1,020 deployment-focused phone calls were made. • 22 Build-a-Bear gift cards were handed out.
Program Attendance R2MR post-deployment session
37
R2MR pre-deployment session
3
Love You, Talk Soon, XOXO
17
Family Day take-home package
291
Halloween take-home package
156
Mother’s Day package
144
Father’s Day package
95
Cooking on the Fly videos
1,209 views
Storytime with Santa video
CAFconnection.ca/Edmonton
30 views
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Personal Development and Community Integration EMPLOYMENT AND EDUCATION The need for employment and education support remained strong as unemployment rates in the area stayed high. Military families looked for help navigating a competitive job market in the Edmonton and surrounding area. Support ranged from help updating their resumes, to tips and resources on how to improve their job search, to referrals to different employment agencies.
• 65 adults and 1 youth accessed employment information and referral services. • 23 adults and 6 youth accessed education information and referral services. • 18 families received MFRC support to submit applications for Support Our Troops education funding.
This year, the MFRC developed a new partnership with Equitek Employment Equity Solutions, who focuses on connecting companies with underrepresented demographics such as veterans. This opened more opportunities for our families to find professional or office work that can be more difficult to find in a tight job market. Individuals also looked to the MFRC for guidance on what schools and programs were available and how to apply, as well as what financial assistance may be available. The MFRC assisted 18 individuals apply for Support Our Troops education funding. This funding was used for recertification, training and further education.
2020 Daycare
2020 Orange Shirt Day
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2020/2021 ANNUAL GENERAL REPORT
Personal Development and Community Integration LANGUAGE SERVICES Language Services helps military family improve or maintain their second language skills, which helps families successfully integrate into their new community. The MFRC also helps connect Francophone families to Francophone services and agencies in Edmonton, through partnerships with organizations such as the Saint-Thomas Community Health Centre, Accès Emploi, Institut Guy-Lacombe de la Famille, the Association canadienne française de l’Alberta. The MFRC offers two training opportunities to CAF family members; French and English classes through the Language Research Development Group (LRDG), and Rosetta Stone® programs for self-directed learning. The ‘For the Love of French’ LRDG class again proved to be popular, with a full class running online. MFRC programming for Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day in June went virtual with great response. The MFRC created a video that had reached 58 people, an online trivia game reached 318 people, and 9 families signed up to do a family scavenger hunt.
• 9 Rosetta Stone licenses were issued. • 10 students attended online second language classes. • 19 individuals accessed language services. • 112 people watched the French storytime videos. • 276 people viewed the French Halloween craft video.
Program Attendance Second Language classes
10
Supper Club
5
Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day video Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day social media trivia
383 views 318 reached
Saint-Jean-Baptiste scavenger hunt
9 families
French storytime video
112 views
Holiday craft videos
340 views
To reach out to families at home, Language Services did a French storytime video, and two holiday craft videos demonstrating a Halloween and Christmas activity for families to do at home. 2021 Alberta Francophonie Month
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Welcome and Outreach WELCOME AND OUTREACH SERVICES Relocating to a new community is a big part of military life, and the MFRC is there to help families before, during and after their move. For families posted to Edmonton or for individuals new to military life, Outreach offers several services to help their relocation go as smooth as possible, including pre-posting packages, Posted to Edmonton information sessions and Military 101. Each of these services is customized to meet a family’s individual needs and questions. This year’s welcome packages were expanded to include pets on top of the single, family, youth, and baby packages already offered by the MFRC. This allows each individual a package specifically tailored with helpful information and a few small gifts. With COVID 19 limiting opportunities to meet people and integrate into a community, Outreach focused on programs that gave families a chance to meet one another including Virtual Coffee, Virtual Bingo, Name That Tune, and Walk, Talk and Connect. For Month of the Military Child, Outreach shared a video tutorial on how to paint a dandelion, which is the official flower of the military child.
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2020/2021 ANNUAL GENERAL REPORT
Outreach also partnered with Deployment to give military families fun activities to do together as parents searched for ways to entertain their children. Through the year, the MFRC organized holiday photo contests and made Halloween packages and Letters to Santa packages.
• 204 Family Welcome packages were distributed, 187 in English and 17 in French. • 237 Single Welcome packages were distributed. • 32 pre-posting information packages were distributed. • 31 Welcome Baby packages were distributed. • 64 Welcome Youth packages were distributed. • 248 Welcome Pet packages were distributed. • 44 individuals received a welcome call and 98 individuals received a welcome email. • 1 Maple license was issued. • 16 families received MFRC support to submit applications for Support Our Troops funding that helps families access clubs, activities and sports in their new community.
Welcome and Outreach When COVID hit, everyone was suddenly cut off from their community. In March, the MFRC encouraged families to take part in a neighbourhood window walk by putting images in their windows for others to find. Here’s a few that were shared with us:
Program Attendance Posted to Edmonton Military 101
12 2
Month of the Military Child video
23 views
Virtual Coffee
50
Virtual Bingo
137
Name That Tune Walk, Talk and Connect Crafty Connections Halloween photo contest Halloween packages Christmas photo contest Letters to Santa
3 27 1 55 180 28 200
2020 Christmas photo contest
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Mental Health and Wellness The MFRC provides military families resources that strengthen their social and emotional wellbeing, and build their resilience to the unique challenges they face. This is done by connecting with our clients to make sure they are heard and that their needs are looked after in a confidential and respectful manner.
higher emotional intelligence are better able to pay attention, are more engaged in school, have more positive relationships, and are more empathic. Through partnerships with Guthrie and other schools in the area, the team is able to connect with military children who need assistance.
This team offers relationship, personal, parenting and communication support to adults, couples and children of Canadian Armed Forces members as well as veterans.
Giving families the opportunity to learn at home, the team offered the Mental Wellness Challenge and the Mental Health Wellness Week videos. Those programs offered simple tips and strategies and promoted mental wellness in the community.
Families have access to a number of services, including short-term counselling and crisis support, as well as information and referral to other organizations to help meet an individual’s needs. To ensure COVID didn’t interfere with our ability to serve families, our team offered virtual sessions for our clients.
• 92 adult clients. • 7 veteran clients. • 57 youth clients. • 288 individuals accessed information and referral services.
The MFRC also offered a variety of programs that taught families how to manage stress and change.
• Financial support was accessed by 7 families.
Programming that taught military youth ages 7 – 17 ways to deal with difficult situations was popular. In our Coping Skills Bootcamp, Coping Through Creativity, Mindful Youth and Youth Calm and Connect courses youth learned various resilience and coping skills tailored to their experiences as having a parent who is in the military. In partnership with Guthrie School, the MFRC offered Emotional Intelligence Agency (E.I.A.), which focused on teaching emotional intelligence. Children with
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2020/2021 ANNUAL GENERAL REPORT
2020 Coping Skills Bootcamp
Mental Health and Wellness Program Attendance Coping Skills Bootcamp
13
Coping Through Creativity
10
Mindful Youth
7
Youth Calm and Connect
7
Emotional Intelligence Agency
74
Meditation Matters
7
Mental Wellness Challenge Mental Health Wellness Week videos
26 182 views
• 31 families received 619 hours of care through the EFCA program. • The cost of 4 return flights was covered through the EFCA program. • The cost of 1 flight was covered for casualty support. • 19 families were assisted in developing their family care plan.
EMERGENCY FAMILY CARE ASSISTANCE As families faced the challenges of COVID 19 many reached out for assistance. Military families are encouraged to have a Family Care Plan (FCP), but families can face situations too challenging for the FCP to support. To help with the impacts of COVID 19, Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services enacted the Emergency Family Care Assistance (EFCA) program in April 2020 to replace the Military Family Service Emergency Child Care Policy. The MFRC helped families navigate the new policy and determine if they qualified for support, and referred them to other avenues when needed. When families called Carrie Thompson looking for urgent childcare, she quickly saw that military families needed more options. She jumped to action, calling over 400 childcare providers to find ones that would be able to take military children for a few hours or a few days on short notice. Her diligence paid off, as she found 150 places she could refer families to.
2020 Meditation Matters
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Support for Families with Special Needs The MFRC helps individuals with disabilities, or caregivers of children, youth and adults with disabilities, with confidential support, information and referral to resources to fit a client’s needs.
Through a multitude of partnerships the Special Needs Coordinator connects families to workshops, events and information. Parent peer programs gave caregivers a way to meet other families dealing with similar challenges and create a support network. This year in addition to the information the MFRC usually provides, there was more interest in supporting young adults looking to connect with inclusive post secondary and employment options. The MFRC assisted families in applying for Support Our Troops funding for assessments and reassessments and extraordinary costs such as assistive devices, respite care, therapy and medical travel.
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Thank you so much for all your support and your listening ear. You have been an invaluable resource to me.
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-Ashley, special needs support client
2020/2021 ANNUAL GENERAL REPORT
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We just wanted to say thanks for all your emails you send our way we do read them and they are very helpful especially the survey. You are doing a great job.
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This is critically important support for military families, especially when they have relocated to a new city and province where there are different programs, processes and resources to navigate.
-Audri, special needs support client
Program Attendance Parent Peer Support
6
Parent Peer Connect
8
Inclusion Edmonton Workshop
5 families
Inclusion Alberta breakout room
6
Veteran Family Program The Veteran Family Program supports medicallyreleasing Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members and medically-released Veterans and their families. Families are offered programs and services that are designed to ease the transition from military to post-service life and highlight the resources available. Over the past year the MFRC has focused on building strong relationships with the CAF Transition Centre Edmonton and other community organizations including The Royal Canadian Legion, Operational Stress Injury Social Support, Veterans Service Centre, Veteran Association Food Bank-Edmonton, Forces@Work and Veterans Affairs Canada. The Veteran Family Program has helped individuals with questions big and small by connecting them to resources to help with their mental and physical health, counselling, housing, employment, education, bereavement, legal services and financial matters.
Carrie Thompson, Veteran Family Program Coordinator
• 92 families received resources, referrals and one-one-one support. • 26 new families connected with the MFRC for support.
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Volunteering As the MFRC was unable to hold community events and access to our building was for limited in-person services only, there were limited opportunities for volunteers to work with us during the past year. Some programs were still offered, including the MFRC’s partnership with the 408 Squadron to offer the Air Force Family Sponsorship Program, and the time Board members served. During the past year the MFRC strengthened ties with volunteer organizations to build our knowledge and community outreach. Work was also done in sourcing and selecting a volunteer management software that will help promote new opportunities once activities start up again. The MFRC misses seeing our dedicated volunteers and hope that one day soon we can all be back together again serving our community. • 30 volunteers with 82 hours 1,735 hours
PLACEMENT STUDENTS The MFRC hosted one student from the University of Alberta’s Human Ecology program, who spent 204 hours virtually researching community employment and playgroup virtual program coordinators, participating in the MFRC’s virtual programming, and attending an interagency group that is part of the Father Involvement Network Edmonton Regions Through a longstanding partnership with the University of Alberta, Community Services Learning program the MFRC hosted 4 groups of students from 2 faculties. The 3rd year Psychology students focused on programming for pre-schoolers, resulting in 9 programs focused on emotional growth and enhancing / developing social skills and friendships. The 3rd year Human Ecology students developed a program plan for supporting youth employment. This project work will be used to enhance MFRC programs and provide high-quality support to our families. For the 2021/2022 academic year, placement students will focus on deployment supports and father involvement.
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2020/2021 ANNUAL GENERAL REPORT
Community Partners Developing strong relationships with community partners helps the MFRC reach our vision of resourceful and resilient families. Though this is not an exhaustive list, it demonstrates the breadth of agencies and organizations we connect with to support military families. The MFRC also works closely with the Edmonton Garrison Units and Agencies. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
1 CMBG Units, Family Support Representatives 3CDSG Ability4Good Accès Emploi Association canadienne française de l’Alberta Alberta Health Services Alberta Health Services Health for Two Program Alberta Health Services – Mental Health Intake Base Chaplains Base Mental Health BGS Career Ventures Calian Carepros Centre for Family Literacy Centre for Family Literacy – Learning Disabilities Child and Family Services Conseil Scolaire Centre Nord Dolphin Child Development Centre Edmonton Autism Edmonton Chamber of Voluntary Organizations Edmonton Garrison Community Library Employabilities Equitek Fable Child Care Center Families First (Fort Saskatchewan) FPFA - Federation of the franco parents of Alberta First Choice First Aid Forces@Work Gateway Association Glengarry Child Care Society Global Aware Care Getting Ready for Inclusion Today (GRIT) Guthrie School
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Health Promotion HomeFront Secure Inclusion Alberta Inclusion Edmonton Inclusive Education Canada Institut Guy-Lacombe de la Famille Laura’s Dayhome MCG Careers (Fort Saskatchewan) The Montessori Daycare Nurse Next Door On Site Placement Services Operational Stress Injury Social Support Prince’s Trust Entrepreneurial Program PSP Recreation Edmonton Radiate Counselling Centre The Royal Canadian Legion Saint-Thomas Community Health Centre Scholastic SISIP Financial Strongest Families Sturgeon Family Support Sturgeon School Division Support our Troops Today Centre Transition Centre Edmonton University of Alberta – Community Service Learning University of Alberta – Heroes in Mind, Advocacy and Research Consortium (HiMARC) Veteran Affairs Canada Veterans Association Food Bank – Edmonton Veterans Service Centre Volunteer Alberta We Can Food Basket
CAFconnection.ca/Edmonton
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Sponsors and Donors Covid-19 made the last year one of the most unpredictable in the Edmonton MFRC’s 30+ years of operations. These have been challenging times for everyone, and that impacted our fundraising efforts. Looking to the future the MFRC will still need to adapt to new realities and the support of our sponsors and donors is critical to the MFRC’s ability to maintain the existing quality of much-needed programs.
Premier Sponsors • Edmonton Opera
Gold Sponsors ($25,000 +) • EPCOR Utilities Inc. • The Dianne and Irving Kipnes Foundation
Bronze Sponsors ($5,000 to $14,999) • Servus Credit Union
Valentine’s Gala in support of the Edmonton Opera and the MFRC. Yellow Ribbon Supporter ($1,000 to $4,999) • Blush Lane Organics • Allen Carter • Commissionaires Northern Alberta Division • Alan Markewicz • Pods Adventure Ltd. • Tim Hortons (Smile Cookie Campaign) • Westlawn Funeral Home
2020 Frontline Celebrity Charity Golf Tournament
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2020/2021 ANNUAL GENERAL REPORT
Sponsors and Donors Donors ($100 or more ) • Thomas and Pamela Acheson • James Belovich • Leola J. Brost • Cecelia Clarke • Teresa Corbould • EECOL Electric Corp. • Kathryn Ivany • Natalie Kenrick • Ladies Auxiliary Royal Canadian Legion BR 86
Drew Simpson, Tim Hortons
• Dale Nordin • Les Price (Sunbest Fruit) • Royal Canadian Legion 37 • Robert & Carol Snyder • Jack & Ann Wright • Diane Zinyk
Special Thanks To: • Charities Aid Foundation of Canada • Namao Pet Planet • Paypal Giving Fund
Namao Pet Planet donation
Thank you to the individuals and corporate sponsors for their generous support of the Military Family Resource Centre during the 2020 – 2021 fiscal year! Every effort has been made to ensure recognition for all sponsors and donors who contributed this fiscal year. If any errors or omissions have occurred; please contact MFRC Fund Development at (780) 973-4011 ext. 6328.
CAFconnection.ca/Edmonton
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Military Families:
Strength Behind the Uniform
PO Box 10500 Station Forces, Edmonton, AB, T5J 4J5 Phone: 780-973-4011 ext. 6300 Fax: 780-973-1401 Email: information@mfrcedmonton.com CAFconnection.ca/Edmonton
