KSCS launches new website

From addictions support to assisted living, every Kahnawà:ke Shakotiia’takéhnhas Community Services (KSCS) service has its own home on the organization’s brand-new website, which has been meticulously constructed over the last 18 months to ensure community members have easy access to the programs and initiatives they need.

“Right away we said ‘hey, this isn’t a renovation project, this is a complete revamp,’” said Tish Pungartnik, team leader of communications and public relations at KSCS. “We started from scratch.”

The new website build was led by Pungartnik and Katsi’tsaié:ri Paul, KSCS’s internal communications coordinator, who worked with a team of web consultants on the site. The rebuild was a long time coming, the old website having been out of date for some time.

“A lot of what KSCS offers wasn’t even visible before. Now, every program has a landing page, every department is represented, and the steps to access support are much clearer,” said Paul.

It was a priority to include a page for the Tsi Niionkwarihò:ten (Our Ways) Program, which offers cultural learning and wellness opportunities for community members. That page was entirely translated into Kanien’kéha by Sahawisó:ko’ Arquette.

“That’s a really big step, and we’re hopefully going to try and move forward with translating more and more on the website,” Pungartnik said.

Community members can now also access a detailed history of KSCS in the community, dating back to the early days of its inception in 1961, and the process of the community regaining authority over its social services by the 1980s.

“We did a lot of research, there was a lot of work, I think we worked on this every single day for the last year-and-a-half, so we’re really excited for the community to see it,” Pungartnik said.

Original illustrations by local artist Molly Huntington are integrated throughout the site, as well as photography by Akwesasne-based photographer Brooke Francis as well as photos from the KSCS team provide a portrait of the organization’s services.

Up-to-date annual reports and strategic plans are also easily accessible on the website, as well as a dedicated section for careers, internal operations, and services feedback.

Community members can also get in touch with the intake department via the website, helping to make the process more accessible for individuals who may be nervous or unable to reach out by phone.

“We really wanted our goal and mission to be better access to services,” Pungartnik said.

Executive director Derek Montour said he’s been delighted to see how the website has come together, adding that the way the website is designed makes it easier to add information and keep things up to date, for example via the calendar function that will be regularly updated with important dates of KSCS events.

“It’s a little bit more intuitive, and there’s different ways to realign it. It’s integrating our new strategic plan,” Montour said. “It allows the community member to find things more easily that they might be looking for. The website is a key front-line facing tool, and we’re providing a more fulsome service to our community.”

Pungartnik said that she and Paul were proud to see their hard work come to fruition with the website’s launch yesterday, having seen it grow from a sketch on a piece of paper to a thorough, professionally designed site.

“It’s really cool to see what we envisioned come to life,” Pungartnik said. “If it helps even just one community member, then I’m happy.”

The website is available at the same domain, www.kscs.ca.

[email protected]