City Councils endorse March as "Community Social Services Awareness Month"

City councils in Victoria, Burnaby, Nelson, Cranbrook, Prince George, Kamloops, Richmond, Mission, Trail, Port Alberni, Surrey, Vancouver, Campbell River, Kelowna, New Westminster, Dawson Creek, Terrace, Duncan, Nanaimo, Courtenay, North Vancouver City and North Vancouver District passed the proclamation recognizing the importance of community social services in their communities.

Awareness presentations were done in Vernon, Castlegar, Coquitlam and Maple Ridge.

A number of events are being organized. Members and their families and friends are encouraged to participate:

Community Social Services include child care, employment and housing support for people with developmental disabilities, specialized services for immigrant families, services for First Nations families, support for women dealing with violence, substance abuse and addiction-related services, and much more. They provide a wide range of assistance to people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds.

These important services have suffered from government cutbacks and inadequate funding. Many of these services are stretched to the limits while others are closing down completely. With limited resources workers are finding waitlists growing and their caseloads increasing. Retention and recruitment are a problem for this sector due to the low wages and the deteriorating working conditions.

Throughout the province community social services will be celebrated. For more details on community social service activities planned for your area please visit: www.communitysocialservicesmatter.ca