Microquest is no stranger to using technology to improve the lives of Albertans. From dr2dr helping to remove the fax machine from the referral process to Healthquest preserving the continuity of patient care with CII, our team is dedicated to developing technology to serve our community.

But our team’s dedication doesn’t stay within our office walls. Team members like Microquest’s own Steven Myers volunteer their skills and spare time to make the world we live in better for everyone.

In collaboration with the City of Edmonton and e4c, Steven helped develop YouCanBenefit, an online service providing “easy web access to information about a range of financial benefits and subsidies.”

YouCanBenefit

Over 100,000 people live in poverty in Edmonton alone. And while there are numerous financial assistance programs available for low-income individuals, researching and reading the myriad of information and requirements can be a daunting barrier to accessing those programs.

That’s where YouCanBenefit comes in.

By answering a few questions, individuals will be given a list of local, provincial, and federal benefits they qualify for.

YouCanBenefit will provide useful details about each benefit, including a description of the benefit, the eligibility requirements, as well as links to the benefit’s online application page.

“A lot of people really do need these resources, and they might be totally unaware they are even eligible,” says Myers. “Sometimes they just need a little bit of help, a little push, to accelerate their lives. This is one of the greatest ways to escape poverty.”

Award-Winning Solution

When you design something so easy to use, providing a vital community service, you tend not to go unnoticed.

Every year, Smart Cities Connect’s Conference and Expo highlight “smart IoT technologies and services companies serving cities across North America and the globe.” Part of this conference is the Smart 50 Awards, recognizing the best smart city projects.

Earlier this year, YouCanBenefit won the Smart 50 Award in the Community Engagement category.

That’s an incredible achievement for an awesome service designed by an amazing team member.

Congratulations Steven!