Peggy Revell
With an eye to save money in their upcoming budget, the Rainy River District Social Services Administration Board opted to end funding the newly-launched 2-11 services.
“My thinking at the time is, [RRDSSAB], our municipal offices, Northern Affairs, already provide these services,” said La Vallee Reeve and RRDSSAB chair Ross Donaldson, at yesterday evening’s monthly board meeting.
“The staff here are well aware of all these programs and are able and willing to help people with it, and it’s a duplication of services,” he added.
The former RRDSSAB had allocated $13,800 a year for the program, which is also funded by other organizations and the province.
RRDSSAB CAO Donna Dittaro noted to board members that there was no formal contract with the 2-11 program, but the funding came from a board resolution.
While the current board has cut the funding, they will still pay the $2,300 they were billed for January and February, leaving $11,500 in savings for the board.
The money being put towards the 2-11 program by DSSAB is 100 percent municipal dollars, Donaldson noted.
As well, he added, the Kenora DSSAB had also been expected to help fund the program, but has yet to.
The information services was officially launched just this past October, with residents being able to dial “2-1-1” or visit www.211north.ca which would connect them with a certified information and referral specialist who can direct them to any social, community, health and government service the person may need.
Having one place to go to get information “seemed like a good thing,” commented Chapple’s RRDSSAB representative Rick Neilson, who was for the resolution at the time.
“I guess my question here would be how does this impact the program? Does it kick the feet out from underneath a program that’s just getting going?”
“We’re not taking something away that people have become accustomed to,” he added.
“It’s a lot of money to come up with,” added John Callan representing the unorganized areas in Rainy River District Central, reiterating what Donaldson said about other programs and places being able to direct people to where they need to go.
DSSAB isn’t the 2-11’s sole funding source, as the Ontario government committed more than $13 million over four years for the Ontario 211 Services Corp. to expand the 211 hotline province-wide by 2011-12.
As announced in the province’s 2008 “Poverty Reduction Strategy Report,” the government will also provide $4 million annually to maintain the 211 service in the province.
As well, funding comes from various other programs including Citizenship and Immigration Canada and the United Way.
