Thank you to all our BC CRN Mentors, Coordinators and volunteers for your care and compassion of the older and vulnerable members in your communities. December was a very busy month of delivering education programs and making merry memories through preparing gift packages and hosting seasonal events for older isolated adults. Here are a few highlights from around the province.
Wrapping Up Awareness & Education
Many CRNs had educational program presentations and events into the month of December, here are a few to wrap up the year:
Golden CRN hosted an abuse awareness event for caregivers. Caregivers often dismiss the personal toll of caring for their family members and sometimes don’t recognize the treatment they receive as abusive. Attendees were taught how to recognize certain behaviors as abusive and were given tools and resources to help them.
Thank you to community partners: East Kootenay Caregivers Association.
Creston and District CRN presented a See Something, Say Something workshop to the Kootenay Employment Services who work with many marginalized and vulnerable people in the area. The staff at KES were taught how to recognize abuse and self-neglect and were given a package of resources to keep on hand.
The Bella Coola CRN Supper Club for vulnerable adults and seniors met mid-December and provided attendees with BC CRN information resources as well as a small presentation and resources from a Vancouver Coastal Health, Mental Health representative. The Supper Club is an initiative to combat isolation and loneliness by providing a friendly environment to meet and find support.
Thanks to community partners: VCH Mental Health Services, Bella Coola Community Support Society, Nuxalk Health Peer Support workers, Bella Coola Pastoral Charge, the Driver for BC Transit Community Bus (that runs later when Supper Club is on) who picked up and delivered participants to and from their homes for the event.
Sunshine Coast CRN put together a Rack Card mailout to 3000 households in the Halfmoon Bay, Pender Harbour and Egmont area with the help of local Canada Post offices and carriers. This was part of an initiative earlier this year to reach a larger number of residents along the coast and surrounding areas to increase awareness and provide resources for the prevention of abuse, neglect and self-neglect.
Thanks to community partners for the collaboration to revise the rack cards: Vancouver Coastal Health rep, Sunshine Coast Community Services rep, Community Living BC rep.
The More the Merrier: Holiday Events
The Logan Lake CRN Adult 60+ Angel Tree initiative successfully delivered 50 Angel Tree gifts to isolated seniors in the community. Their volunteer base has grown over the last couple years and have developed a deep sense of pride to be part of caring for the vulnerable members of the community. Numerous recipients have responded with very meaningful stories and gratitude for the connection and reminder that they are not alone and genuinely felt cared for.
Thanks again to Logan Lake Wellness Health & Youth Society, Better at Home, Hilltop Stampers, Ruth’s Baking, District of Logan Lake, RCMP, Logan Lake District Fire Hall, Emergency Services and Home Health.
Ashcroft-Cache Creek CRN hosted 20 seniors for lunch and holiday games. Santa popped in for a visit and delivered a gift to each attendee containing a pair of wool socks and gloves, along with some BC CRN resource information and promotional materials. One person commented how special the experience was to them as they hadn’t received a gift from Santa since childhood.
Thanks to Santa, Ashcroft HUB and Ashcroft Bakery.
South Okanagan CRN hosted the last ladies luncheon of the year with quite a few new faces in attendance. The luncheon is a place for the ladies to bond and build friendships. Many of the ladies express how much they look forward to the luncheons as they feel somewhat lonely most of the time otherwise.
Fraser Lake CRN hosted two sittings for Christmas dinner early in the month, as well as delivering meals to homebound seniors. Host agency Autumn Services provided a gift for the 100 attendees, and local business Fraser Lake Sawmill provided the food. Later in December, 150 local elementary school students made Christmas cards and delivered them with boxes of chocolates from the Sawmill to select seniors in the community. The children enjoyed meeting the adults and were rewarded with donuts and hot chocolate back at the school. They wrapped up the month with a community dinner on the 25th and a Brazil-themed potluck and karaoke night on the 31st that was synchronized with Brazil’s celebration 5 hours ahead of PST to fit in the party with most folks earlier bedtime.
Thanks to community partners: Autumn Services, Fraser Lake Sawmill, Fraser Lake Elementary School, Regional District Mental Health Addictions & Alcohol Advisory Committee, Decoda Literacy, and Fraser Lake Volunteer Fire Chief Joe Pacheco.
Coastal Coalition CRN
, in partnership with Westcoast Community Resources Society, distributed information and resources to vulnerable adults in the Ucluelet area during a free Christmas luncheon. The event was well attended by seniors, families, city workers, the Chamber of Commerce, children and many other community members.
Vancouver West End/Coal Harbour/Yaletown CRN provided an afternoon of festivities to over 200 seniors. The event included a sit down holiday lunch and dancing. Attendees enjoyed the opportunity to connect, socialize and celebrate together.
Thanks to community partners: Starbucks, Tukto Care Inc., Spencer Chandra Herbert MLA West End, Best Western Sands Hotel.
Beaver Valley CRN wrapped up a successful series called Wellness Wednesday. The weekly program started with 8-10 lonely and isolated seniors and grew to 42 by the close of 2023. Each week, attendees plan group activities, projects and fund-raising ideas over coffee and a hot meal. They host speakers and workshops, and their favorite activity is chair exercises. The community Paramedic frequently attends and offers wellness checks and health information. The success of the program has been evident, measured in the visible improved well-being of attendees who have formed friendships and now come out to community events more often. For the holidays, the group organized, shopped, packaged and delivered 180 Christmas gifts with resource information for seniors in the area, spreading Christmas cheer to homebound folks.
Salmo CRN served a sit down meal for 75 seniors and twenty-plus volunteers. 111 meals were delivered to those who couldn’t make it out. Each meal received came with a small handmade gift and card that were made by our Grades 1, 2 and 3’s from Salmo Elementary along with CRN resource and promotional materials about adult abuse and neglect.
Thank you to community partners: local #217 Legion and their Ladies Auxiliary, Nav-Care, Community Paramedics who delivered the meals in their ambulance, Salmo Food Bank, Columbia Power, and Better at Home Food Supports.
Explore our website to learn more about BC CRN or connect with your local CRN for more information or resources.
