Social Development

Adult In-home Care provides support for eligible disabled or frail adults, to help these valued community members maintain and increase independent functioning.

Services

• Homemaking

• Meals on wheels

• Adult day care (not including personal care)

• Prescription and mail pick-up

• Wellness checks

Elders needing help with outdoor jobs such as firewood, mowing and yard work can also access the Elders’ Helpers and the Beautification programs.

Service availability may vary due to COVID.

Basic Needs Assistance

Monthly financial assistance is provided for qualifying individuals and families to cover essentials such as food, clothing, and shelter. The amount depends on family size and make up, age, employability, shelter costs, and eligibility for disability and health benefits.

School Supplies and Winter Clothing

The Social Development Department runs the National Child Benefit program. This gives eligible families an allowance to buy winter coats and boots, and school supplies for children. Applications open in late July or early August.

The Training Employment Support Initiative (TESI) helps people develop the skills they need to enter vocational training, education programs, and employment. This support is available to anyone on social assistance.

Previous programs have included Introduction to Trades, Fashion Design, Cook’s Helper, and Heavy Machine Operator.

READ MORE

The health and wellness program aims to get people up and moving, while having fun. Typically, it assists with gym passes, dance, and swimming lessons. Learn more about our fitness centre and fitness programs here.

During the COVID epidemic, when the gym and group programs were closed, this program provided Fitbits to youth, elders, and close to 50 adults. This was paired with a friendly competition: the four Gingolx tribes—Wolf, Eagle, Frog, and Killer Whale—formed teams to see who could cumulatively get the most steps on their Fitbits.

Sea lions, salmon, and oolichan have nourished the Nisga’a people for millennia, playing a key role in the prosperity and culture of the Nation. This tradition continues today.

Each year the Social Development department funds fishers and hunters to harvest these key species. The harvest is distributed to community members to be canned, smoked, and processed. This way, traditional skills are passed on from Elders to younger adults and youth, and every household benefits.

In the early stages of the project, distribution of the harvest is targeted to the Elders and people on fixed income.

Read more about the significance and history of oolichan for the Nisga’a Nation here: https://coastfunds.ca/stories/the-saviour-fish-protecting-nisgaa-connection-to-oolichan/

Before the COVID epidemic, the Social Development Program ran workshops on topics like grief and loss, lateral kindness, dealing with trauma, and preventing family violence. Workshops will resume as the COVID situation allows.

This emerging program is in the creation stage. The vision is to have a shared garden with a greenhouse, where eligible community members can grow and harvest produce. In the early stages of this project, the main participants are Elders and people on social assistance.