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Gordon Bell sees huge turnout for Access Fair, Fall Fiesta

September 27, 2022
Citizen's Bridge were one of many organizations on site to help people obtain their birth certificates, health cards and other important documentation.

Gordon Bell High School recently hosted families and neighbours for an extremely well-attended community evening.

The school held several events at once on Sept. 22: its annual Fall Fiesta barbecue and meet the staff event; a free Community Access Fair that connected local residents with invaluable identification and banking information; a school awards ceremony in the multipurpose room; and a Clothes Closet in the school cafeteria that gave students and families new and gently used clothing. The event also had information tables in the hallways for community organizations such as: Bear Clan Patrol; The Link: Youth and Family Supports; Huddle Broadway; the Winnipeg Police Service Auxiliary Cadets; a Winnipeg Regional Health Authority public health nurse and more.

“Here at Gordon Bell, we are mindful of the needs of our community and we really want to respect our families’ time; we know they are very busy. So we’ve tried to provide the opportunity have everything under one roof,” said guidance counsellor Sandra Vieira. 

GORDON%20BELL%20ACCESS%20FAIR%20005%202022%20SMALL.jpgHuddle Broadway was among the many community organizations present.

Access Fair

For the Access Fair, Gordon Bell partnered with Community Financial Counselling Services and Youth Employment Services (YES) to help families and residents obtain important documents such as birth certificates, health cards, Indigenous status cards and social insurance numbers, as well as the opportunity to set up bank accounts and RESPs to claim the Canada Learning Bond.

Community Financial Counselling Services is a nationally accredited, non-profit credit counselling agency. 

Ms. Vieira said the school was inspired to host the Access Fair after seeing a similar event in June at Huddle Broadway, a drop-in centre used by Gordon Bell students.

The Access Fair drew a considerable interest from the Gordon Bell community and beyond.

“I was delighted and so thankful that as a school community, we were able to partner with so many organizations to provide key essential services that are needed by the young people and families close to the school and from so many different parts of the city,” said Principal Vinh Huynh. “From the opening at 4 p.m. right to closing at 8 p.m. participants and organizers were busy and engaged in accessing these services.”

GORDON%20BELL%20ACCESS%20FAIR%20001%202022%20SMALL.jpg“The main goal is to reduce the barriers that exist for people to obtain ID and claim the Canada Learning Bond.  We do this by providing multiple services in a community space that is accessible, inviting, and empowering,” Ms. Vandale said.  

Essential identification

Organizers said many people often lack essential identification, which can complicate their lives in many ways.

“Not having ID is very common, as the costs and requirements to obtain ID are a huge barrier for many people," said Madeline Vandale of Community Financial Counselling Services.

“This impacts their ability to access basic financial services, gain employment, and claim education grants, like the Canada Learning Bond.  Having ID opens many doors, and we recognize that need.”

Ms. Vieira added that many students do not have bank accounts, which can make it difficult for pending graduates who are pursuing bursaries and scholarships.

“Our graduates have to have a Social Insurance Number, especially if they are receiving a scholarship or getting an award, and they also need to have a bank account in order to deposit that money,” Ms. Vieira said. “A lot of students are missing these important documents.”

As transportation can be a financial and logistical issue for many in the local community, having a one-stop event is a way to address that barrier. Organizations such as Service Canada, Assiniboine Credit Union, Citizen’s Bridge, Indigenous Services of Canada, RBC, Scotiabank and SEED Winnipeg were on-site for the event.

“The main goal is to reduce the barriers that exist for people to obtain ID and claim the Canada Learning Bond.  We do this by providing multiple services in a community space that is accessible, inviting, and empowering,” Ms. Vandale said.  

Ms. Vandale said future events were in the works to meet the demand.

“As the demand is evident, there will be more of these events popping up at several schools, especially in the spring.”

Further information

If any schools are interested in hosting a similar event, they can reach out to Madeline Vandale at madelinev@cfcs.mb.ca or Victoria Verhoek of Youth Employment Services at vverhoek@yesmb.ca. In addition to events, Community Financial Counselling Services and Youth Employment Services Manitoba offer one-on-one assistance with no-cost birth certificates, Social Insurance Numbers, and RESPs for families looking to claim the Canada Learning Bond. Educators, students, and families can contact Ms. Vandale or Ms. Verhoek for more information or visit https://cfcstaxes.com/canada-learning-bond .

Fall Fiesta Gallery:

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