Food and Grocery

The following supports are available for you and your family.

Worried about paying the rent? Financial Resources Available

Contents: ALBERTA/PROVINCIAL BENEFITS • FEDERAL BENEFITS

The following are resources available for our families in our community. The Alberta and Canadian governments are providing immediate financial relief to Alberta’s families.

Please note that Renter protections are in place during COVID-19. You cannot get evicted for non-payment of rent, rents cannot increase and late fees cannot be added for 3 months. It will be your responsibility to speak with your landlord to arrange for a payment plan. This is only valid for as long as we have a State of Public Health Emergency.

Alberta Provincial Benefits

Alberta Emergency financial assistance: Financial assistance for unexpected emergencies is available through the Emergency Needs Allowance. https://www.alberta.ca/emergency-financial-assistance.aspx

Eligible working Albertans can receive a one-time emergency isolation support payment of $1,146 if they:

• experienced total or significant loss of income as a result of having to self-isolate, or are the sole caregiver of a dependent who is self-isolating, and
• have no other source of compensation, such as workplace sick leave benefits or federal employment insurance benefits

Utility payment deferral: Residential customers can defer electricity and natural gas bill payments for the next 90 days to ensure no one will be cut off, regardless of the service provider: https://www.alberta.ca/utility-payment-deferral.aspx

Student loans repayment deferral Alberta and Canada: Implemented a six-month, interest free moratorium on Alberta student loan payments for all Albertans in the process of repaying these loans. Alberta Student Loan repayments will be paused for 6 months, beginning March 30, 2020. This is similar to what Canada has done as well – https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/corporate/notices/coronavirus.html

Federal Benefits:

Employment Insurance sickness benefits
Provides up to 15 weeks of income replacement for eligible Albertans who are unable to work due to illness, injury or quarantine (self-isolation).
One-week waiting period is waived for people in self-isolation.
https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/ei-sickness.html

Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) (launching April 2020)
Provides $2,000 a month for up to 4 months to workers without paid sick leave (or similar workplace accommodation) who are unable to work, sick, quarantined or forced to stay home to care for children.
https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/economic-response-plan/covid19-individuals.html#new_canada_emergency_response_benefit

Canada Child Benefit
Eligible parents will receive $300 more per child with their regular May CCB payment.
https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/corporate/notices/coronavirus.html

GST rebate increase
Provides low- and modest-income Albertans with a one-time special payment in May of up to $400 for single people and $600 for couples.
https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/economic-response-plan/covid19-individuals.html#increased_goods_services_tax_credit

Eased rules for RRIFs
The required minimum withdrawal from Registered Retirement Income Funds (RRIFs) will be reduced by 25% in 2020 in recognition of the impact of volatile market conditions on many seniors’ retirement savings.
https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/economic-response-plan/covid19-individuals.html#eased_rules_registered_retirement_income_funds

Do You Have Concerns About Your Child’s or Your Own Mental Health? 

Do you have concerns about the mental health of your child or yourself? The following are resources and supports available for you and your family.

• Alberta Health Services Helping with Tough Times Resource page: https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/amh/Page16759.aspx
  • Useful phone numbers:
    • Addiction Helpline – 1-866-332-2322
    • Family Violence – Find Supports – 310-1818
    • Income Supports – 1-866-644-5135
    • Kids Help Phone – 1-800-668-6868
    • Mental Health Helpline – 1-877-303-2642
    • MyHealth.Alberta.ca: List of Important Numbers
    • Toll Free Crisis Line / Distress Centres
  • Online Resources
    • Coping and Connection for Children & Families During COVID-19 (AHS)
    • COVID-19 and Your Mental Health (AHS)
    • Practical and Emotional Preparedness for a Pandemic (AHS)
    • Mental health and coping with COVID-19 (CDC)
    • Talking with children about COVID-19 (CDC)
    • Talking with children during infectious disease outbreaks (SAMHSA)
• Family Centre for Drop-in Counselling at their central office (#20, 9912 106 Street NW, Edmonton AB): https://www.familycentre.org/counselling/single-session-counselling
• Text4Hope:  An AHS service providing daily Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-based text messages written by mental health therapists. This is being made possible thanks to the provincial collaboration and funding by the Mental Health Foundation, Calgary Health Trust, the University Hospital Foundation, the Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation, and the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation. People across the province can  sign up for this free service simply by texting COVID19HOPE to 393939. These texts (over the next 90 days) will be designed to address negative feelings related to the global pandemic and reduce the number of residents who might experience symptom escalation requiring face to-face counselling. Written by therapists and counselors, the messages will change each day and be consistent for all recipients. Here’s the URL: www.ahs.ca/text4hope

Academic Supports for Kids

The following supports are available for you and your family.

• Scholastic Learn at Home
• Duolingo – Language Learning
• Edmonton Public Library: EPL From Home
• Free Tech Lessons – Up to Grade 12
• Khan Academy – IPad Learning App
• Kidzone Worksheets – Up to Grade 5
• National Geographic Kids
• Think Indigenous Online Education
• Story Time From Space
• Prodigy – Free Math Games
• Parents Guide to Google Classroom