Funding Provided by:
And generous donations from the community!
About Alix FCSS
HIstory of Alix FCSS
Alix F.C.S.S. 1980 to 1990
My name is Darlene Brown and I was the Community Director for 10 years. My main job was to promote, develop and operate programs that the community wanted and approved of. I worked under the direction of a Board and The Lacombe Town and County FCSS Director. Michael Henry Held this position when I began: Barb Jeffrey replaced him in 1983. My pay was never much, started at $9 and when I left it was $12 an hour. But at that time it was probably one of the highest paid positions for a woman in Alix.
During my Tenure as Community Director, I developed and operated many successful programs. These included: Home Care, Meals on wheels, Youth group, Moms and Tots, Time out for Women, Counseling, Seniors assistance, Christmas food hamper, Santa’s anonymous, Summer employment for students, various local public in-services, courses and workshops and Community volunteer coordination. I was available in the office 2 days a week where I could assist persons with form filling applications to various grants and other services. My hours were 28 a week as well as being available by phone full time for emergencies.Some of the emergencies were home fires, sudden death of a loved one, runaways and families with no income or food in the home for a length of time. Our Home Help clients averaged 22 to 28 and our meals on wheels client about 10 to 12. Average volunteers were about 60. We had an average of 100 and many times more youth that attended the activities that were planned and carried out by a group of 12 youth board members. I mainly gave the youth guidance and enforced the "great" rules that they wanted enforced at their activities. The Youth group was phenomenal. They had activities such as Monthly dances, each had a theme and they charged $5 for entrance: the age group was 13 to 17 inclusive. Youth came to these activities from as far away as Drumheller and Rocky Mt. House. Volunteer’s Chaperoned and the RCMP often did a friendly walk through. There was of course no liquor, cigarettes or drugs allowed, as well as no rough housing and no weapons. Pop and goodies were sold at the functions. Other Functions were Arm Wrestling competitions, Dance a Thons, Beach Parties, scavanger hunts, and picnics. Their board even offered some seniors dances with live old time music from a local band. These were also well attended. The profits were banked and looked after by the youth treasurer. The funds were used to pay for the upcoming functions as well as the youth made several donations to local community programs such as the one time Ambulance society, the Library, the Hall, sometimes just a family in need. Each year the board was elected. As a reward for their hard work, the board was treated to a special outing at the end of each year. The Alix hall was offered to the Youth group rented the Alix Hall for $40 for each function and in return the Youth were expected to keep it clean and to complete town spring clean up each spring. They did this with the help of parents and the FCSS board quite willingly. I contacted Alberta Environment dept. and they supplied T-shirts for all volunteers and the garbage bags. It always ended up being a fun day and the work didn’t seem so bad, the teens would say.
The Moms and tots group first started in the basement of the Anglican Church, then went to the kindergarten building and from there continued in the hall , again for a minimal fee in return for the mothers volunteering at different events.
I promoted, organized and offered many local workshops, these included subjects such as: Wills and Estates, Babysitting courses, Death, Dying and Grief, Understanding and coping with Mental Illness, Suicide Prevention and Dealing with Suicide, AADAC, the Basics of your Car, ( from a Local Mechanic, which was very well attended) and numerous others. We were fortunate in having Dog trainers in town who even offered Dog training for workshops.
I was expected to do home visits to each of the clients at least once a month. Working with me and under my supervision were 4 homemakers. They provided assistance to the home clients that included house work, yard work, shopping, and driving the client to appointments, ( for this, their was compensation,), personal assistance under the guidance of HomeCare and sometimes just visiting with seniors who were unable to get out and were alone. My Motto with my Homemakers was always " I would never ask them to do anything I would not do myself" and often I replaced anyone of them if they were unable to make their time slot with a client for any reason.
I also was expected, ‘and did so happily,’ volunteer with many services such as AADAC, Social Services, Child Welfare, Mirror Youth Group, the Ambulance Society, Big Sisters, Big Brothers, and numerous others. I also was the contact for battered women and children, I often picked them up and a designated place and drove them to a women’s shelter or a safe house. Sometimes I would meet a child welfare worker in a designated spot and the Child would go with them.
FCSS Board meetings were held once a month and as well I attended The Lacombe FCSS meeting once a month. There were always retreats and workshops to attend each year for further learning and training.
My years with Alix FCSS were wonderful and very rewarding. This was truly a Community program, which was accepted very well by the community.