Staff at the Lacombe-based Family Resource Network are gearing up to change locations.
They’ve been operating out of #4, 4725 - 49B St. since the spring of 2020, and in the coming weeks will be moving to a much bigger space at 4876 — 46 St., said Karen White, the Network’s coordinator.
There is also a second floor at the new location, and White said a kitchen will be installed there, too.
“That will enable us to do cooking activities with families as well,” she said, adding that overall, the new digs are double the square feet of the current location.
“It was fine at the beginning, but now we have seven staff members,” she said.
And as word has spread about the organization’s services, it’s just getting to be a busier place with the day-to-day programming.
“If you can imagine 12 to 14 families at a time sometimes,” she said, adding that there are also programs that run two Saturdays of the month as well.
“We do one where dads can come with their littles where they do an activity and then have lunch, and then on another Saturday of the month, we have an event where any family can come. That time isn’t so structured — it’s more for local families to meet each other. We serve muffins and coffee, and the kids play.
“So those would be among the main things that we do here.”
The Family Resource Network — which serves all of Lacombe County — offers a wide selection of services, from Baby Buddies, Preschool Pals, and Come Together (inter-generational) to Moms Matter, a special needs support group, and the Parent Cafe.
Registration is required for most programs.
Come Together runs at the Lacombe Hospital on the first Thursday of the month, and brings together folks from the network with seniors in long-term care for activities, singing, and crafts.
“The people there love to see the kiddos come to visit. We have a little girl who is learning to play the piano, so she will play a piece, and the kids do a little craft and sing songs. It’s a connection between the generations for sure,” she said.
“A lot of the people there don’t have grandchildren nearby so they love getting to see our littles, and they really look forward to that.” .
As mentioned, programming isn’t only for Lacombe, but for other communities including Alix, Mirror, Bentley, Blackfalds, and Clive.
The network launched in what couldn’t have been a more challenging time — the spring of 2020 — early into the pandemic shutdown.
Around that time the provincial government had closed down the Parent Link program and then rolled out the Family Resource Network as a revamped organization, said White.
It falls under the umbrella of McMan Youth, Family, and Community Services Association.
For White, it’s a particularly fulfilling line of work.
She pointed to comments on client surveys where folks express things like how they don’t know what they would have done without the network’s help and support.
“You see these families and all that they are going through, but all they need is some support,” she said, adding that an open house for the new location is planned for June.
To keep up to date with the Family Resource Network, find them on Facebook.
For more information, call 403-896-3408 or email karen.white@mcmancentral.ca.