Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) approved the allocation of $60,000 to its Senior Relief Fund yesterday.
The Senior Relief Fund has been in place in the Six Nations community since 2011. In 2016, the SNEC passed a resolution to support the funding for the program to come from its Ontario First Nations Limited Partnership (OFNLP) funds, which are gaming revenues received from the Province of Ontario.
Alana Hill, acting director for Six Nations Health Services, says she hopes the Senior Relief Fund will be able to offer financial support to senior community members and to cover basic needs.
"What we're looking at is trying to provide some funding support to the seniors, just trying to meet some of their basic needs," she said. "At times, their utilities or rent gets behind, or housing improvements, and we want to make sure that their health and safety is met for their homes."
Hill says currently more than half of the funds for the fiscal year have been used and Six Nations Health Services are looking to refill the fund.
Jennifer Court, Director of Financial Reporting and Analysis for Six Nations of the Grand River, stated that in the first year of using OFNLP funding, which was 2015, the SNEC allocated $31,000 to the relief fund but, in subsequent years, the allocation amount grew to $100,000. Court shared that, currently, the SNEC has already allocated $50,000 to the fund and with the additional $60,000 allocated after Tuesday's meeting, the SNEC will have allocated $110,000.
She detailed that currently the OFNLP funds are enough to cover the Senior Relief Fund but if expenses continue to increase, council may need to look at other options to supplement the fund.
"From an OFNLP perspective, because we do have discretion over how we utilize the funds, I don't see an issue with us raising this to the $100,000-125,000 range for the coming years but if it were to exceed that, then we would have to look at other ways that maybe we would be able to supplement this program".
Court says that with the need for senior relief funding growing, the possibility of increasing the amount of funding the program receives on a year by year basis could be reviewed.
"As you can see, the more the program is being socialized and is being used, and as things are happening in society that are contributing to this, that the need is growing over time," she said.
"I would think that $100,000 would be reasonable to ask for at this time, seeing the way the trends have been occurring so far and then looking at building in additional funds in the future fiscal years as well," she added.
Hill stated that only minimal advertising and referrals were made in years past due to Six Nations Health Services knowing that a significant amount of funds would be needed throughout the community
Coun. Audrey Powless Bomberry says she believes advertising should be in place for the fund
"I'm of the opinion that I think that we should be advertising this. We should know our true costs of what our senior's need on Six Nations, not just if you're lucky enough to have a worker or if you're lucky enough to find out," Bomberry said.
Community members looking for more information on the fund can contact Kim Joes at Six Nations Home and Community Care by calling 519-445-0077.
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