July and August bring warm summer days and late nights. Summer is usually the time of year to slow down, catch up with friends and travel a bit. Or is it? Our CRNs have been making the most of the fair weather and connecting with their communities by hosting wildfire and extreme heat preparedness workshops and attending a First Nations elders’ gathering. Here are a few highlights from around the province.
Fire and Heat Preparedness
Williams Lake CRN, in partnership with Cariboo Chilcotin Partners for Literacy, Seniors Advocate and Women’s Contact, hosted a timely workshop early August to build cooling kits and answer questions about extreme heat safety. Handouts provided included resources from Fraser Health, Reach Community Health Centre and Health Canada. See the list of supplies to build your own cooling kit!
Revelstoke CRN helped prepare their community for summer heat and possible wildfires by including emergency evacuation planning information in their July newsletter. Featured in the newsletter were emergency management links on the city website, the evacuation meeting point, as well as guides for emergency planning such as the Home Preparedness Guides on the provincial government website.
Barriere CRN also hosted an Emergency/Evacuation Preparedness for Seniors event with guest speaker and community partner: Fire Chief, Ashley Wohlgemuth, of the Yellowhead Community Services Fire Department. The goal was to encourage seniors to understand the risks in the area and learn what actions they can take to protect themselves living in an area that is prone to wildfire. Attendees were given information on how to make a plan and emergency kits with items found around the home.
For more resources and information about hot weather or wildfire preparedness, read our latest News articles: Extreme Heat Preparedness and Improve Indoor Air Quality During Wildfire Smoke Pollution.
First Nations Elders Gathering
First Nations band members from around the province met in Vancouver August 15-16 for the 47th annual Elders Gathering. It is an event where Elders have the opportunity to mingle and nurture inter-social and community links with like-minded, like-aged individuals and their families. It is also a time for Elders to connect intergenerationally with young people and pass on wisdom and guidance. BC CRN staff were on-site in the exhibition and vendors hall with a table of information and resources to connect with event goers and spread awareness and education for the prevention of abuse, neglect and self-neglect.
Other CRN Summer Highlights
APNI (South Asian) CRN partnered with Vedic Hindu Cultural Society and hosted a Canada Day celebration at Shanti Niketan Hall in Surrey where a large group of participants celebrated with food and friendship.
New Westminster CRN created a podcast this summer about ageism. Ageism and elder abuse are interconnected issues that affect older adults and can have detrimental effects on their well-being by discrimination against individuals or groups based on their age, specifically targeting older people. The goals of the podcast were: challenge ageist beliefs and stereotypes, promote respect for older adults and foster intergenerational understanding and collaboration. Listen to the podcast here.
Late WEAAD Mentions
Marpole CRN participated in an event held in partnership with the Jewish Family Services of Greater Vancouver (JFS) and the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver (JCC). The participants were welcomed by the Director of Member and Guest Services of the JCC, and the WEAAD proclamation for 2023 (the first proclamation of WEAAD under King Charles) was read by MLA Michael Lee, who also addressed the audience. His speech was followed by an address by the BC Seniors Advocate Isobel Mackenzie, and the keynote speaker, Linda Yauk, from Seniors First BC, who delivered a presentation on “Everything you need to know about Elder Abuse”. The event was closed by the Seniors Community Outreach Coordinator for Jewish Family Services. Community tables at the event were hosted by the Marpole Oakridge Family Place, which also hosts the Marpole CRN as well as other collaborative agencies. The Marpole Oakridge Family Place produced a collection of resources in time for WEAAD 2023, called My Life Kit which were distributed to attendees. Inside the kit were decals, documents for identity and advance care planning and contact information for emergency responders. A resource list of key emergency numbers as well as information about the Marpole Oakridge Family Place and about the role of the BC Community Response Network.
Kensington Cedar Cottage CRN (new to BC CRN) hosted a Community Connection Fair for WEAAD this year. The number of seniors who attended the event was doubled than expected and two extra organizations: VanCity Credit Union and the Community Police Association showcased their programs. The Fair provided the opportunity for 13 organizations in the area to get together, connect, network, and collaborate. These organizations displayed and provided information, resources, programs, and services in many different languages including Mandarin, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Tagalo. More than 100 seniors from different cultural backgrounds attended the fair and they had the opportunity to learn about services and programs in the area and connect directly with service providers. Through the presentation from the BC CRN the participants gained a better understanding about the issue of abuse, neglect, and exploitation of seniors in the community. The event included a healthy BBQ lunch and entertainment for more than 100 seniors from the community. The activity helps seniors from many different cultural backgrounds to connect and socialize.
Visit our website to learn more about BC CRN or connect with your local CRN for more information or resources.
