Support the ACGA
Why support the ACGA?
There are many ways you can support the work of the ACGA. You can join us as a member, volunteer as a program facilitator or Committee member, or donate money or services. But you may be thinking to yourself - why should I contribute my time or money to the ACGA? Here are a few reasons:
We are not into "empire building".
We build the capacity of existing organizations and community groups to serve caregivers. That way we can save the burden and cost of administering a directly delivered province-wide program while still reaching Alberta's caregivers through organizations they already know and trust.
We value the practical expertise of caregivers.
All of our caregiver programs are facilitated by current or past caregivers because experiencing the caregiver journey is the only way to fully understand what caregivers deal with on a day-to-day basis. We provide an honorarium to volunteers for facilitating programs like COMPASS and the Caregiver Networks.
The ACGA is a hotbed of innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration.
We develop novel program models and work well with others because that is the only way we will acheive our vision. Right now, there is very little in the way of effective programs and public policy for caregivers. This is a sad state of affairs - as well as a golden opportunity to think outside the box (mainly because there is no box to speak of!). If you have a great idea, join our Board or one of our Committees to take it from dream to reality.
Caregivers are underappreciated in Alberta and Canada - but not in the US, UK, Australia, or many other countries!
We congratulate ourselves in Alberta for being ahead of the rest of Canada in terms of supporting caregivers. But what we have to offer pales in comparison with other jursidictions. We know that caregiving is coming onto the radar here and that it is just a matter of time before it is viewed along the same lines as child care and parenthood. Consider your contribution to the ACGA an investment with a guaranteed return.
Our numbers alone will convince governments that caregivers can no longer be ignored.
Based on national statistics, we should have approximately half a million caregivers in Alberta. Issues with far less impact dominate the political agenda. Caregivers have been invisible for too long. Healthcare discussions deal with human resources issues but neglect the unpaid bulk of care provided by families and friends. Labour market issues conveniently ignore the large number of caregivers who lose careers and income because there is little to no financial or employment support available. Join us so we can make sure caregivers are not ignored!