Support Services

 

#Text4Hope

Text COVID19hope to 393939 to receive support from Alberta Health Services

 

211 and the Distress Line

Will continue to operate 24/7 without breaks in service 780-482-4357

​

Food Bank:

If you are in need of food during this time, please call the Client Services team at 780-425-4190. 

 

Boyle Street:

Those that come into centre with symptoms will be given an isolated space and a nurse will decide if testing is necessary.

​

Building Hope

Clients are not able to come into the space, but volunteers will be handing out bagged lunches, and emergency food. They will also be able to fill some clothing and hygiene requests.

​

 

Mental health wellness services either online or by phone:

​

Many people are feeling anxious as we navigate the uncertainty of the COVID-19. Here is a link to some resources that include meditations, stories, music, talks and more to support mental wellness for adults and children below:

https://www.calm.com/blog/take-a-deep-breath?utm_source=lifecycle&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=difficult_times_nonsubs_031720

 

Family Centre

• offering Talk-In Counselling over the phone or on their live chat on their website

• free first session

• will try to connect you to a mental health therapist as soon as possible

Call: 780-900-6423

Online chat: https://www.familycentre.org/counselling

Email: therapy-leads@familycentre.org

 

Momentum Walk-In Counselling 

• Online and telephone appointments available

• need to request an appointment by:

phone: 780-757-0900

email:

 

The Today Centre

• offering support for anyone experiencing family violence over the phone

• included: emotional support, safety planning, connecting to resources

• Phone: 780-455-6880

​

Gender-based Violence:

Funding for shelter’s providing sanctuary for those who cannot self-isolate at home will be boosted.

• $50 million, will be implemented in April and requires Royal Assent

• If you need to speak with someone at a shelter near you, call our toll free line at 1-866-331-3933

• Health Canada now provides a First Nation and Inuit Hope for Wellness Help Line

• Counseling is available in English and French, and upon request in Cree, Ojibway and Inuktut

• Call 1-855-242-3310 to access the First Nation and Inuit Hope for Wellness Help Line

 

Financial Assistance:

 

ATB financial customers

• Personal banking customers can apply for a deferral on their ATB loans, lines of credit and mortgages for up to 6 months.

 

Alberta Credit Unions

• Credit union members will have access to a variety of programs and solutions designed to ease difficulties with loan payments and short-term cash flow.

• Contact your credit union to work out a plan for your personal situation

• Banking Sector: Delay of 6 months on paying mortgages for hard-hit customers

• Banks in Canada have affirmed their commitment to working with customers to provide flexible solutions, on a case-by-case basis, for managing through hardships caused by recent developments.

• This may include situations such as pay disruption, childcare disruption, or illness. Canada’s large banks have confirmed that this support will include up to a 6-month payment deferral for mortgages, and the opportunity for relief on other credit products.

• Mortgage Default Management Tools: The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and other mortgage insurers offer tools to lenders that can assist homeowners who may be experiencing financial difficulty. These include payment deferral, loan re-amortization, capitalization of outstanding interest arrears and other eligible expenses, and special payment arrangements.

• The Government, through CMHC, is providing increased flexibility for homeowners facing financial difficulties to defer mortgage payments on homeowner CMHC-insured mortgage loans.

 

​

COVID-19: Managing financial health in challenging times: tools and resources

• Getting through a financial emergency

• What to do if you’re facing financial hardship

• Budgeting to know what to expect

• Having and maintaining an emergency fund

• Where to ask questions or voice concerns

• What to do if your branch closes

• Protect yourself from financial fraud

 

​

Tips on how to save money during isolation:

https://www.howtosavemoney.ca/coronavirus-canada-update?utm_source=Cyberimpact&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Financial-Empowerment-Newsletter-COVID-19-Emergency-Supports&utm_content=2020.03.19-4

 

For families still out of country:

Global Affairs Canada: Emergency Loan of up to $5000 for essential needs for Canadians who have no available source of funds to return home, Canada has announced the creation of the COVID-19 Emergency Loan Program for Canadians Abroad.

 

Eligible Canadians currently outside Canada and needing help to return home can contact the nearest Government of Canada office or Global Affairs Canada’s 24/7 Emergency Watch and Response Centre in Ottawa at +1 613-996-8885 (collect calls are accepted where available) or email sos@international.gc.ca.

Activities for Children!

(Check out our Facebook page for new activities each day!)

​

Instructional videos for easy crafts to do with children using basic, easy to find materials:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2vt_TPKQbZqVDEhCfcCqTjEwVYfj-q6Z

 

Live cams of different animals at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, or the San Diego Zoo:

https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/live-cams

​

https://zoo.sandiegozoo.org/live-cams  

 

Scholastic’s Learn At Home has lots of videos and activities, with a different theme for each day you are stuck at home:

https://classroommagazines.scholastic.com/support/learnathome/grades-prek-k.html

 

Story Time From Space has videos of astronauts in space, reading children’s books:

https://storytimefromspace.com/library/

Alberta Government Supports:

 

Emergency Isolation Support:

• This will be a temporary program for working adult Albertans who must self-isolate because they meet the Government of Alberta’s published criteria for self-isolation, including persons who are the sole care-giver for a dependent who must self-isolate because they meet the public health criteria, and who will not have another source of pay or compensation while they are self-isolated.

• It will be distributed in one payment installment and will bridge the gap until the federal emergency payments begin in April.

• We expect the program to be available for a simple online application through Alberta.ca next week and that funds will be deposited in the accounts of eligible recipients beginning at that time.

More information on how to apply will be available next week.

 

Transit

All Edmonton transit is operating on a Saturday schedule every day of the week until further notice.  People who have LAP and reduced price bus passes for March, can use them in APRIL.  No need to go and buy the April one.

 

• Holders of March low-income Ride Transit Program passes will be able to use their passes throughout April. Decisions about other transit passes are expected in the coming days.

• Pass Pick up: no longer at Recreation Centres and exploring options if needed

• Lowering rates options will be looked after March 30th by City council

 

​

Edmonton Public Libraries

Reamain closed. Check out their fun and educational Storytime Station videos. It's a fun way to develop kids' early literacy skills while at home.  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6667A6522073986E

 

​

City of Edmonton COVID-19 UPDATES:

 

 

​

Federal Government Student Loans

•  A six-month interest-free moratorium will be placed on all Canadian student loans

 

Alberta Government: Student loans repayment holiday

• We are implementing 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.

• Interest will not accrue during this period. This mirrors the approach of the Canada Student Loans Program.

• Students do not need to apply for the repayment pause.

• Borrowers may continue making payments during this period if they choose and this will not affect their eligibility to receive the benefit.

 

​

UTILITIES

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.

 

Direct Energy:

• If people need assistance, please call 1-866-420-3174 to explore flexible payment options, extend payment dates or answer other questions.

Government Benefits/Supports:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zD9Xig7rlMxtfDgolqhPB84pPsUSoPsVESr_wmcUywM/edit

 

EI CLAIMS: Employment and Social Development Canada:

 

Service Canada has set up a dedicated phone line for those who are employed who cannot work due to illness, injury or quarantine to set up EI claims due to COVID-19. 1-833-381-2725

• The one-week waiting period for EI sickness benefits will be waived for new claimants who are quarantined so they can be paid for the first week of their claim

• Establishing a new dedicated toll-free phone number to support enquiries related to waiving the EI sickness benefits waiting period

• Priority EI application processing for EI sickness claims for clients under quarantine

• People claiming EI sickness benefits due to quarantine will not have to provide a medical certificate

• People who cannot complete their claim for EI sickness benefits due to quarantine may apply later and have their EI claim backdated to cover the period of delay

 

Emergency Care Benefit:

• For Canadians who are not eligible for Employment Insurance.

• Will provide money every two weeks to workers who have to stay home because they are sick, in quarantine, isolation or caring for someone who is sick.

• The program will provide 14 weeks of benefits and will pay out at a comparable rate to what would be paid through Employment Insurance.

 

Emergency Support Benefit:

• This benefit is aimed at Canadians who lose their job and are not eligible for employment insurance, including people who are self-employed.

• will be implemented in early April

 

​

Income Tax Returns:

 

With COVID-19, all free income tax clinics that I’m aware of have either been postponed or cancelled altogether. The federal government has posted some options for people who have access to a computer and are able to complete their tax return online: https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/e-services/e-services-individuals/netfile-overview/certified-software-netfile-program.html

 

The Simple Tax program is a good option as it is free and the instructions are pretty straightforward.

 

Canada Revenue Agency personal tax helpline (1-800-959-8281).

 

Also keep in mind that the federal government has extended the tax deadline to June 1 due to COVID-19, so families have more time to file.

 

• All Canadians have until June 1, 2020 to file.

• Canadians owing this tax season will have until August 2020 to pay their tax bill.

• Canada Revenue Agency will temporarily recognize electronic signatures, effective immediately, to reduce necessity for taxpayers/tax preparers to meet in person and administrative burden, effective immediately. This provision applies to authorization forms T183 or T183CORP.

• Individuals who qualify for the CVIT programs can also use the File my Return Website information

• The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) will continue to offer this free service for the 2019 tax filing season to help eligible individuals with low or fixed income do their taxes.

• With the File my Return service, eligible individuals will be able to file their income tax and benefit returns simply by giving some personal information and answering a series of short questions through an automated phone service.

• File My Return is free, secure and easy to use. There are no paper forms to fill out or calculations to do.

• Individuals with questions about the File my Return service can call the CRA’s individual tax enquiries line at 1-800-959-8281.

 

​

CANADA CHILD BENEFIT

• Boost maximum annual Canada Child Benefit payments by $300 per child for 2019-20. The increase will be about $550 on average for eligible families.  Families will receive an extra $300 per child in their May payment.

 

​

GST Credit Supplement:

• Provide a special GST Credit top-up payment by early May 2020 for individuals and families with low and modest incomes.

• This will double the maximum annual GSTC payment amounts for the 2019-20 benefit year.

• The average boost to income for those benefitting from this measure will be close to $400 for single individuals and close to $600 for couples.

 

​

Homelessness:

• Funding for the government’s ‘Reaching Home’ program is being doubled.

 

​

Indigenous Communities:

The Federal Government will create a distinctions-based Indigenous community support fund to specifically provide support for Canada’s Indigenous communities.

 

​

For Seniors

• Reducing required minimum withdrawals from Registered Retirement Income Funds (RRIFs) by 25% for 2020, in recognition of volatile market conditions and their impact on many seniors’ retirement savings.

• This will provide flexibility to seniors that are concerned that they may be required to liquidate their RRIF assets to meet minimum withdrawal requirements. Similar rules would apply to individuals receiving variable benefit payments under a defined contribution Registered Pension Plan.