Fort Macleod & District Family and Community Support Services

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Fort Macleod & District Family and Community Support Services is a cooperative venture of the Town of Fort Macleod and the M.D. of Willow Creek.

Mission
Our mission is to facilitate preventative social services and community initiatives which contribute to the quality of life and family wellness in our community.

Location
The FCSS office is located in the Main Street Building at 258 - 24th Street.

Helping People Help Themselves
FCSS is one means by which local people can increase their sense of belonging in their community.  By assuming responsibility and working together people can create the conditions that foster social and emotional well-being in their communities.  The FCSS program is a municipal/provincial partnership, through which local people can develop services and perform activities to strengthen the family and community.

One of the key purposes of FCSS is to help people achieve a level of independence, rather than dependence.  When a need is identified, we not only want to address it but to help the people who see it as a need take independent steps toward solving the problem themselves.  We sometimes catch ourselves doing the very things that keep people from achieving their potential and addressing their own issues.
 
An integral part of many FCSS programs are volunteers.  Volunteer services such as coordination, recruitment, training and support are possible from our office.  Voluntarism is inherently valuable in that it allows us, as citizens, to contribute directly to our community, which in turn is linked to positive outcomes for individual volunteers.

Each municipality has unique programming needs and are best able to determine what its own needs are.

FCSS is available to:

• Run a project (workshop, presentation) when requested;
• Work cooperatively to plan projects;
• Provide assistance in planning and organizing programs, speakers, workshops;
• Provide information and referral services;
• Assist with grant applications;
• Assist in recruiting, training volunteers;
• Promote cooperation and coordination with other agencies;
• Provide funding to a group planning a preventive program.

We can help:

• Identify community needs;
• Develop new services to meet needs;
• By being a resource for ongoing operations;
• By being a source of information on available services in the community;
• Be encouraging community groups to work together for the betterment and well being of the community and its residents.

It is not the intention of FCSS to create programs that will run but, rather, to provide the resources and support to help independent groups develop and operate independent programs.  However, FCSS is within mandate to offer preventive programs within its operation that it sees fit to run for the benefit of the community.

The FCSS Board is appointed by the mayor and town council and is made up of interested community residents.  Current board members include: Ken Williams (Town Councilor), Phil Wakelin (M.D. Councillor),  Mary Anne VanderValk ( Chairperson), Marlene Bond, Angie Bourassa, Danielle Russell