Community Adult Learning Program (CALP) – 2021 -22 is our 37th year facilitating this program in Hinton and our 3rd Year facilitating CALP in Grande Cache

-               Non-credit foundational learning opportunities for adults

-               Funded by Alberta Advanced Education

Courses, learning activities, and information sessions are in the following categories and offeredthrough classes, or small groups, or one on one tutoring:

Adult Literacy Family Literacy

Community Capacity Building Numeracy

English Language Learning Basic Computer Skills Foundational Life Skills

-               We also offer Learner Support Services such as: Access to a safe and welcoming learning environment Access to, and assistance withbasic technology Information about post-secondary learning

Access to, and assistance with learning opportunities offered by a partner organization Mentorship toadult learners

Job search and/or resume support Assistance with forms

Assistance and referrals to newcomers Referrals to community supports and services

Employment Services for Persons with Disabilities and Multi-Barriered Albertans May 1-2018 – November 30, 2021 and December 1, 2021 – November 30, 2024

-               All clients are referred to HELP by Career and Employment Consultants at Alberta Supports,so we do not take walk ins or referrals from other organizations

-               Provide assistance in their job search, can go to work with them for support, match employers with clients.

-               Provide assistance to employers when they are employing a person with a disability.

-               All services are provided at Alberta Supports, however due to COVID, we have been providingvirtual services, as well as services in our office.

-               We were successful with our proposal to continue providing this service to Hinton for a three yearterm. However, it will be provided out of the HELP office, and only 60% of clients have to be referredby a CEC, the other 40% can be self referals.

-               Provide newcomers English Language Training, and supports while integrating into our community.

-               Classes normally run Tuesday – Thursday 9-12, however, due to COVID we have been workingmore one on one with students to help control the spread of COVID.

-               Weekly community outings to different places in Hinton and area.

-               Funded through AAE and other Grants and generated revenue

-               Currently see between 2-8 students every day

-               Funded through Alberta Advanced Education

-               Provide 100 hours of classroom instruction, extra one on one tutoring, all materials, fees for alltests plus one rewrite.

-               We were are allowed to put 40 students through the program from Sept. 2018 – June 2021, andfilled all of the spots.

-               Moving forward, we will continue to offer GED Prep through our CALP Program, however, people will have to pay, as it is not funded.

-               We are also a paper based GED test writing site since June 2021. We are looking at becoming a computer based site as well.

-               Funded through Alberta Justice and Solicitor General

-               A Gladue Report is a pre-sentencing or bail hearing report, prepared at the request of the judge, defense counsel or Crown Attorney. These reports contain recommendations to the court about what an appropriate sentence might be, and include information about the Aboriginal persons’ background such as: history regarding residential school, child welfare removal, physical or sexual abuse,underlying developmental or health issues, such as FASD, anxiety, or substance use.

-               Funded by donations, grants, and other revenue, most recently received funding for the next fouryears from the ARDN

-               Freddy’s Resource room is complete and includes:

■             Accessible Washroom and Shower

■             Washing Machine and Dryer

■             Kitchenette (microwave, fridge, coffee maker, tea kettle)

■             We provide food and beverages for clients while using the resource room.

■             Couch, table, etc.

■             Computer with access to the internet

■             Telephone

■             Television

Our hope is to build a trusting relationship with this vulnerable group, so we can help them first with their basic needs (food, clothing, shelter), followed by helping with their other needs, including social services and health care. Eventually, our goal is to get these citizens into permanent housing. We also havea generic mailbox set up, for people to use, which is already in use by a number of people. We always havefood available for them to take home as well, plus toiletries, some clothing, socks, mitts, toques, andunderwear.

This is funded through the Reaching Home federal funding, processed by the Rural Development Network. We are funded until 2024, and it includes having a dedicated Homelessness Coordinator positionto help support this population in Hinton.

In October, 2021 we received a grant to open a ‘Freddy’s Day Space’. This allows us to have more than one person in a supportive space at a time. We hired a cook to prepare meals three days a week, so ourclients can have a hot meal at least once a day. This space will be open October – April, so the cold winter months are covered.

-              Received a three year (plus 2) contract to provide FASD Supports and PCAP Services in May, 2021

-              This contract is for Hinton, Edson, Jasper and surrounding areas

-              We have three staff members dedicated to this contract, two in Hinton and one in Edson.

-              We rent a space in Edson in the Reflections building

-               Our commercial kitchen was completed in 2018

-               We provide food to people in need every day

-               Weekly food donations from Freson Bros and Opa’s Bakery to prepare food for our clients

-               We offer cooking courses throughout the year

-               ELL cooking classes are being developed so our ELL students can showcase their ethnic foods as well learn kitchen vocabulary and measurements

-               We received funding from the ARDN to perform a homelessness estimation count in Hinton in 2018and 2020

-                 Of 160 people interviewed, 121 indicated their housing was unstable in 2018

-                 Of 141 people interviewed, 91 indicated their housing was unstable in 2020.

-               With donations from the Rotary and Kinsman Clubs, we were able to purchase the Community Poverty Simulation

-               Community Action Poverty Simulation (CAPS) promotes a greater understanding of poverty. During the simulation, participants role-play the lives of low-income families from single parents trying to care for their children to senior citizens trying to maintain their self-sufficiency on assistance.

-               We provided this as a pilot once in Hinton, prior to COVID. Since COVID, we have been unable to facilitate this due to restrictions and safety.

-               Provide assistance with filling out AISH forms

-               Attend AISH appeals for client support

-               Provide newcomers assistance with Work Permit forms, immigration forms, language testing forms and appointments, permanent residency applications, navigation of systems, and Human Rights and Employment Standards complaints

-               Asist clients with banking needs

-               Asist clients with health care – appointment making, calling to remind them of appointments, arranging transportation for appointments, helping them understand forms, documents and filling outforms

-               Asist with subsidized housing applications and process

-               Help find rentals for clients

-               Emotional support, advice, lots of referrals to different programs, but also calling the program, setting up an appointment, and helping them get to the referral.

-               And anything else that we can help with that is a gap in services in the community.

Other accomplishments

Candace Pambrun won the Outstanding Customer Service award from the Chamber of Commerce in2016 for her work at HELP

Received 3 nominations in 2018 and 1 in 2019

HALS Chairperson Shirley Caputo won Volunteer of the Year in 2019 Candace Pambrunwon the Volunteer of the Year in 2020.

Deena Fuller received the provincial award for Excellence in Community Adult Learning in 2021.