Community Information and Referral Society (CiRS) is launching a compelling new means of bolstering awareness about what they offer.
CiRS delivers services to non-profit and community service organizations by managing and sharing information and on-line resources. These include an e-newsletter linking the non-profit sector to residents and professional development programs.
Located at 4728 Ross. St. downtown, their offices are described as a ‘community village’ which provides affordable office space for organizations as well.
Some of these include CASA – Plain Language Services, HELPING HANDS Home Support Services Ltd., Lifelong Learning, M.A.D.D., Alzheimer Society of Central Alberta and Northwest Territories, Special Olympics and the Memorial Society.
As Dawna Morey, CEO of CiRS explains, the organization is also a ‘go-to’ place for community information and services, helping residents access essential supports and services.
They also connect volunteers to various volunteering opportunities.
And although much of the non-profit sector is aware of the organization, staff are still aiming to reach further into the community at large.
“Our challenge is about branding ourselves, and getting our message out about what we do and who we are,” says Morey.
She’s hoping that a new slate of posters, some large and some in postcard size, capturing what CiRS is all about will help spread the message.
The posters show images of people in various walks of life with phrases describing their circumstances, such as ‘When Work Gets Hard 2 Find,’ ‘When It All Gets 2 Much,’ ‘When There’s Nothing to Eat,’ and ‘When There’s No One 2 Help.’
“On the back we say part of our mission is ‘Linking People, Places, Knowledge & Business making a stronger community’.
“People need to have access to information in order to have good choices so that they have access to services. If they don’t know where to go to get those services, they need to have a central place they can call. Maybe they have multiple needs.”
As Morey points out, staying financially afloat is a consistent challenge for non-profits, who actually have many of the same expenses that a for-profit organization would have.
“We have the same expenses as a profit-making company if we are going to be viable, and you have to invest in that.”
For more information, check out www.cirsonline.ca or call 403-346-4636.
mweber@reddeerexpress.com
