For the majority of residents in Jasper the work done by Community and Family Services (CFS) often goes unnoticed, yet in times of trouble it鈥檚 often the first place residents turn to.
Whether it鈥檚 talking to an outreach worker, picking up food at the food bank, or simply enjoying a home cooked meal with 300 of your neighbours on a Sunday night in the dead of winter, CFS is the backbone of this community.
Making all of this happen is a team of dedicated professionals led by Kathleen Waxer, the director of the department for the past 30 years.
Under her leadership she has managed to successfully revolutionize Jasper鈥檚 human services, turning it into an inclusive, locally managed one-stop shop that has become the envy of the region, if not the province.
Unfortunately for the community she intends to retire in the not too distant future, leaving big shoes to fill.
To lessen the blow of her departure and ensure the long-term sustainability of the department, she recently put forward a proposal to council to consider creating a new management position responsible for social planning and community development.
The new position would essentially free her successor from writing time-consuming grant proposals, which CFS relies on to deliver the vast majority of its services.
According to Waxer, Jasper鈥檚 social planning and community development work has required an unsustainable investment of her time due to the unpredictable nature of contractual relationships, which constantly have to be renewed.
According to the municipality, the CFS department receives funding through an agreement between the province鈥檚 Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) and the municipality.
The municipality pays for the department鈥檚 overhead costs, such as the Community Outreach Services (COS) building on Patricia Street, while provincial grants pay for the salaries for many of the department鈥檚 frontline workers.
Recognizing that this is a big ask for a community on a tight budget, Waxer reassured council that the new position would have zero impact on the bottom line, thanks to a $25,000 increase in annual funding from FCSS and a $20,000 reduction in rent. The new position would also replace and augment the work done by the Jasper Community Team鈥檚 (JCT) coordinator, which is a contract position, allowing money to be reallocated for the new position.
Our community is fortunate to have the strong support system that we have and there鈥檚 no doubt Waxer鈥檚 role will be difficult to fill, but if adding this position can be achieved at no further cost to tax payers and it will ensure the long-term sustainability of the department it would be prudent to listen to her advice.
