From food security and seniors services to housing supports and community programs, dozens of organizations work to help local individuals and families. Pincher Creek and District Family and Community Support Services wants to make sure those groups are connected.

The FCSS Interagency has been operating in Pincher Creek for years. Co-ordinator Lindsey Johnson says it promotes “the free exchange of information, concerns and solutions among human service organizations in the area.”

The interagency meets monthly online, with in-person gatherings in September and December. FCSS provides a followup summary after each meeting.

“These in-person meetings give everyone an opportunity to put names to faces, share resources and allow for some regional representation to come and meet our local organizations,” Johnson says.

The network includes about 75 representatives from about 30 local and regional non-profit human service organizations and agencies. Monthly meetings typically draw about 12 participants, with higher attendance at in-person gatherings.

Each meeting runs as a round table, with organizations taking turns to give updates and ask questions.

Those conversations have led to real partnerships, Johnson says. Through the meetings, organizations were introduced to a Lethbridge Family Services Link worker who connects residents 55 and older with benefits, housing and community services.

“There have definitely been connections made outside of these meetings,” she says.

Beyond individual partnerships, Johnson says the interagency plays a broader role in a small community, where knowing who to contact for a specific need can make all the difference.

The meetings do not have a single focus area, as each organization continues to work within its own mandate. Instead, she says the goal is to help organizations understand each other’s services and stay informed about community needs.

The interagency also helps organizations share information about challenges and emerging needs.

Johnson says discussions have helped highlight issues such as changing donation levels at the Pincher Creek Food Centre, the need for board members at the Pincher Creek Women’s Emergency Shelter, funding pressures facing local organizations and growing support needs among seniors.

She says the Pincher Creek Municipal Library has also stepped up by offering a free tax service for residents.

“We have a broad range of representations, but there is always room for more,” she says. “New organizations will bring a new message and be looped into what is currently happening in the Pincher Creek region. We all benefit from that growth.”

There is no cost for organizations to participate.

“This is a free meeting hosted by FCSS to give an opportunity to promote your upcoming events and programs or discuss any matters the organizations would like outside perspective on,” Johnson says.

The last meeting was held in June. The group takes July and August off and regroups in September for its next in-person session, at the Pincher Creek Multi-Purpose Facility.

Past in-person meetings have been hosted by Kootenai Brown Historical Park and Lethbridge Family Services at Lebel Mansion, with the location rotating based on which organization offers to host.

Organizations, agencies or groups interested in joining the Pincher Creek and District FCSS Interagency can contact Lindsey Johnson at fcss@pinchercreek.ca.