COVID-19 UPDATE: Boys & Girls Clubs Big Brothers Big Sisters of Edmonton & Area
The Boys & Girls Clubs Big Brothers Big Sisters of Edmonton (BGCBigs) is taking the COVID-19 (coronavirus) seriously. The health and safety of children, youth, our community and our teams are of paramount importance to us. Our Pandemic Plan prioritizes the stability of services for our young people, families and staff.
Please see below for updates regarding our individual programs that have been recently impacted and what we are doing to adapt our programming during this time. Please also see below for resources available for our families at this time.
Resources for Families
The following are resources have been organized into the following categories and include resources and supports from our Province, Federal Governments, partner organizations and more as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. If you have any questions, our staff at BGCBigs would love to help you out to the best of our abilities, please send us a message here.
Food and Grocery
The following supports are available for you and your family.
Edmonton Food Bank
If you are in need off access to food supports, please visit https://www.edmontonsfoodbank.com/ or call 780.425.4190
Other Resources:
- Meals on Wheels
- Nonna Live: Italian Cooking Classes
- Kitchen Quarantine: Instagram Cooking Classes
- Bag Half Full: grocery delivery
- Fly and Fetch: grocery delivery
- Fresh Routes: grocery delivery for those in isolation
- The Organic Box
- Save on Foods Online
- Superstore PC Express
- Food Search Inc (Pickup/Delivery database)
- Edmonton Food Security Database
EAT WELL ON $4/DAY GOOD AND CHEAP Cookbook by Leanne Brown
Kitchen skill, not budget, is the key to great food. This cookbook is a celebration of the many delicious meals available to those on even the most strict of budgets. (Download)
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
Quick Links to Financial Resources:
- Alberta Emergency Financial Assistance
- Alberta Income Support Information
- Utility Payment Deferral
- Employment Insurance Sickness Benefits
- Canada Emergency Response Benefit
- Canada Child Benefit
- GST Rebate Increase
- Eased rules for RRIFs
- COVID-19 support for employers and employees
- Workers’ Compensation Board
- Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan
- Responses of Bank Institutions
- Mortgage Deferral
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)
- Useful phone numbers:
- 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
Personal Wellness Resources
- COVID-19 and Your Mental Health
- Practical and Emotional Preparedness for a Pandemic
- Talking with children about COVID-19
- Talking with children during infectious disease outbreaks
- Meditation and Mindfulness Exercises (adults & kids)
- Ideas for connecting virtually
- Five days of daily challenges—physical, creativity, kindness, brain
- Resources for Seniors
- Mass Gatherings
- COVID-19 & Pets
- Tolerance for Uncertainty: A COVID-19 Workbook
- Mind Control: Managing Your Mental Health During COVID-19
- Centre for Online Mental Health Support
- Cornerstone Online Councselling
Meditation / Mindfulness / Health & wellness Resources
- Free meditation and mindfulness exercises (adults & kids) (from Calm app)
- Nike Training Club app with free at-home exercises (Android & Apple)
- How to calm down in times of stress (from Mindful)
- Free mental health portal in Ontario (from Big White Wall)
- YouTube workouts for kids and adults (from YMCA)
- Ideas for connecting virtually (from Search Institute)
- Medical and mental health resources (from Well.ca)
- Information and suggestions for coping during crisis (from CAMH)
- Five days of daily challenges—physical, creativity, kindness, brain (from Jays Care)
- Five ergonomic tips for working from home (from Chris Mee Group)
- Yale’s most popular course is free online—The Science of Well-Being (from Business Insider)
Mental Wellness Moment, Dr. Nicholas Mitchell novel coronavirus (COVID-19)
There’s no shortage of news about the COVID-19 global pandemic and some of it you need to know. In his latest Mental Wellness Moment, Dr. Nicholas Mitchell — AHS Provincial Medical Director for Addiction and Mental Health — provides advice on how to strike a healthy balance between consuming the news you need and not getting overwhelmed by it.
Mental Health: The Pandemic’s Impact on Mental Health: Understanding the Trauma of Our New Reality
Dr. Andrew Bremness speaks on processing the trauma of the COVID-19 situation, and how best to safely cope.
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
Keeping Active
The following supports are available for you and your family.
- Free Footie: Live training sessions and chats with local coaches
- Glow Yoga Kids
- Alberta Active After School Activity Database
- Ever Active
- Yoga Ed
- BOKS FB Live Class
- Action for Healthy Kids (Game On Activity Library)
- GoNoodle: Good Energy at Home
- Playworks: Game Library
- Playworks: Virtual Recess (Facebook Live)
- 87 Energy-Busting Indoor Games & Activities For Kids
- ICAN Run Jump Throw
- Disney Dance Alongs
- Edmonton Sport Council
Program Updates
BGCBig Club Programs Resources/Updates
Clubs have moved online: Our clubs are creating online content and posting it to our social media in order to still communicate with club kids. Learn more: https://bgcbigs.ca/programs-for-kids/clubs/
At this time, each of our BGCBig Club run program sites are closed. We will be updating each of our club sites individually as we run programming with our partners and working thru how this will look over the next while. Our agency is exploring alternative ways of providing essential services to our clients, more information is to come.
Click here to read the full letter sent to Club and OST families (Sent March 17th, 2020)
BGCBig Community Based Matches Resources/Updates
Currently all in-person contact between our matches is suspended until April 3rd, 2020. The agency will not be approving any overnights between March 16th – April 3rd, 2020. We do want to recommend that matches continue to use technology to communicate and stay in touch. Please connect with each other (Skype, FaceTime, Phone, etc) to check in with each other as well as to discuss the current events. For a list of activity ideas, please see the linked letter below.
Click here to read the full letter to Community-Based Matches (Sent March 16th, 2020)
Resources:
In-School and Corporate Mentoring Programs Resources/Updates
As a result of this, all mentoring activities in schools will be put on hold until further notice. This includes our In-School-Mentoring programs and corporate mentoring programs.
Click here to read the full letter to our in-school volunteer (Sent March 14th, 2020)