For the fourth year running, CUPE BC’s community social services workers are shining a light on our work and our services during the month of March. We know that every community, and many families and individuals in B.C., rely on the services we provide.
Community social services include child care, employment and housing support for people with developmental disabilities, specialized services for immigrant families, services for First Nations families, support for women dealing with violence, substance abuse and addiction-related services and much more. We provide a wide range of assistance to people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds.
These services make our communities healthier and safer.
Throughout the month of March, the Community Social Services Matter campaign is taking the message into the community. This is an important joint initiative of unions in the Community Social Services Bargaining Association (CSSBA).
Each year, the unions of the CSSBA approach municipal councils with a request that they designate March as Community Social Services Awareness Month. In 2010, nearly 40 councils across B.C. supported this campaign. To date this year, councils from Victoria, Colwood, Parksville, Port Alberni, Vancouver, North Vancouver, Coquitlam, Richmond, Kelowna and Kitimat have already passed resolutions or marked the month of March in some other manner.
CUPE’s community social services locals will be working with others to organize activities to raise community awareness in and around March. Some of these activities may be planned in your community, such as information booths and displays in public locations.
On Saturday, March 26, the campaign is producing a walk and rally in Victoria in support of community social services. And look for newspaper ads in publications across the province throughout the month of March.
- More information, and campaign material including a poster and a pamphlet, is available on at www.communitysocialservicesmatter.ca.