St. Andrews and Area Open Door Program

GOOD MORNING! The next In person card distribution is Wednesday, November 18 from 3pm - 5pm at Wesley United Church. It will be outside. SOCIAL DISTANCING AND MASKS ARE REQUIRED! Please ensure you have all your receipts and are secured in a slip lock baggie or envelope with your name written on the outside. Thank you! We will see you then!

Important information for clients who receive the Guaranteed Income Supplement, Allowance or Allowance for the Survivor benefit Reminder to submit income information Dear friend, Employment and Social Development Canada and Service Canada would like to share important information with seniors who receive the Guaranteed Income Supplement, Allowance or Allowance for the Survivor benefit.... During the week of October 5, 2020, Service Canada sent reminder letters and Statement of Income forms to clients in receipt of these benefits whose income information for 2019 had not been received. These individuals received a ‘reminder kit’ requesting completion and submission of the Statement of Income form. The reminder kit contains: a reminder letter; a Statement of Income form and instruction sheet; and, a self-addressed return envelope. Each year in July, an individual’s ongoing entitlement to benefits is reviewed based on the most recent income information. Because of the pandemic, individuals who could not be assessed due to a lack of income information continued to receive payments and were notified by letter in July 2020 that income information must be provided. This special measure has ensured that clients who have not provided income information continue to receive their benefits uninterrupted; however this measure expires in December 2020. Clients who have not yet submitted 2019 income information should do so as soon as possible. Clients who do not submit their income information will not receive the Guaranteed Income Supplement, Allowance or the Allowance for the Survivor in January 2021. If community members or individuals within your network do not have access to the internet or face other barriers, the Service Canada Outreach Support Centre will ensure they get access to the critical benefits they need. Client can call the toll-free number 1-877-464-2657 or TTY: 1-833-719-2657 from 8:30am to 4:00pm Monday to Friday. Thank you, Spread the news: Please take a minute to ensure this message reaches as many seniors and the people who support them as possible. Please share it with your networks in whatever format works for you, such as social media, email or newsletter. For more info, visit: https://www.canada.ca//depart/economic-response-plan.html For regular updates, follow: Twitter: @ESDC_GC Facebook: Seniors in Canada

You can now request a test for COVID-19 online! Currently, this is the fastest way to get a COVID-19 test done. Once you have submitted your request to be tested online below, it can take up to 24-48 hours for the test assessment centre to contact you and schedule an appointment.... More information on self-assessment and the online link to request a COVID-19 test are at the link below: SELF ASSESSMENT & ONLINE COVID TEST REQUEST (copy and place the address below in your browser and you will be taken to the site) https://www2.gnb.ca//respiratory_diseases/coronavirus/coro Stay safe everyone!!

The gardening/farming season and now the harvesting season has come to an end. The volunteers and clients of St. Andrews Open Door have so many gardeners to thank! ~ A big thank you to Bantry Bay Farms who for another year were able to provide a weekly bag of produce to four of our families. ~ Two garden beds at St. Andrews Community Gardens were donated to the Open Door Program. We owe our thanks to all of those who helped tend our garden beds, and in particular a warm thank... you to Rika for supporting our program from beginning to end. ~ Our clients enjoyed an abundance of tomatoes thanks to SJDA’s Growing Project and their donation of all their tomato plants during school lockdown. ~ And finally to every single gardener who generously brought vegetables from their own private gardens to share with our community. The success of our program only continues because of people like you! Thank you for our fresh veggies!!