FCSS hosts mental health awareness BBQ

By John Watson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Strathmore Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) hosted a free barbeque for the community in Kinsmen Park on May 13 with a goal of raising awareness for mental health.

A similar event was last hosted in 2019, prior to the onset of COVID-19 restrictions. Kiana Smith, committee member with the Strathmore Wheatland Addictions Team, explained the barbeque is aimed at celebrating and raising awareness for Mental Health Week.

“The Strathmore Wheatland Addictions Team has not been able to do any events yet due to needing more members on the committee, and just having COVID-19 restrictions (formerly) in place,” she said. “We have not been able to get into our community yet, but this is our start.”

The free barbeque also featured a bouncy castle for the kids, free entertainment, and tables set up by organizations in Strathmore that do work for mental health.

Smith explained the idea to bring back the mental health barbeque was brought up at a recent committee meeting, as something to do to recognize May as mental health month. 

“Something like this just hosts an environment to make friends and connections with other people and other organizations that others might not know exist in Strathmore,” she said. “It has been really great, especially for youth and older adult populations because there is not much to do on a Saturday in Strathmore. It is really nice for them to get out, which just improves mental health.”

Local support services for mental health in attendance at the barbeque included the Wheatland Youth Network, Kiwanis, Wheatland Crisis Society, Trellis, and Alberta Health Services. 

Shoppers Drug Mart also set up a table to distribute Naloxone kits and provide education regarding how to use them to any who were interested. 

“Strathmore FCSS is a resource hub for all the community partners in Strathmore,” said Smith. “If you are needing help with anything, we can point you in the right direction.” 

Though there is interest in continuing to host the barbeque on an annual basis, Smith explained the ability to do so will depend largely on available grant funding.

“The Strathmore Wheatland Addictions Team funded this … so it just depends on what kind of grants we get in the future, but it is definitely something that we would love to continue doing.”

Information regarding how to access mental health and addictions support is available through the Strathmore FCSS. Resources from any of the attending organizations at the barbeque are also available online.