South Cariboo residents are invited to the Age-friendly Planning Cafe in the Valley Room behind the Red Coach Inn in 100 Mile House on June 24 from 10 a.m. to noon.
The meeting is for seniors, as well as anyone interested in making a difference for seniors in the South Cariboo.
The District of 100 Mile House, which is represented by Councillor Ralph Fossum, and the South Cariboo Community Planning Council (SCCPC), which is represented by executive co-ordinator Lea Smirfitt, formed a partnership to enter the next phase of the Age-friendly BC community initiative.
The partners successfully applied for a second $20,000 Age-friendly Community Planning and Project (AFCPP) grant, which allows the initiative to broaden its scope to include the whole of the South Cariboo. It also provided some money for Smirfitt to be hired as the new Age-friendly Community co-ordinator on a part-time basis.
The first cafe clearly identified areas that seniors felt were important:
• Communication – a broad-based system to get the word out, bringing it all together, accessibility, information through e-mail/phone/newspaper/Well on the Way/social media/radio, etc.
• Food and nutrition – information on cost effective and nutritious foods, shopping, meals on wheels, meal planning and preparation, community kitchens and gardening initiatives.
• Active living – activities, recreation, arts and culture, learning, social connections, cross-generational activities, outdoor spaces and buildings, respect and inclusion of seniors, social participation, employment, volunteerism and ethnic diversity.
• Housing and supported living – housing, shopping, maintenance of house, snow removal, firewood and supports to allow people to stay in home environment as long as possible.
• Education and awareness – learning new skills, sharing knowledge and expertise, elder college, awareness of healthy living, access to available resources, Community Response Network (support for adults who are vulnerable to abuse, neglect and/or self-neglect), wills, power of attorney, advance care planning, “seniors” business development, safety, and safe-guarding personal information.
• Health care – navigation of, and access to, health-care systems, advocacy, caregivers’ support, and health and community support.
• Advocacy – navigation of and support to access “systems,” information, filling out application forms, legal information and financial information.
• Transportation – public systems, personal networks, community connections, driving skills and system design.
Smirfitt says the June 24 cafe is about providing information, input and expertise and ultimately forming solutions to each of the areas outlined above.
“We want seniors from the greater area to have conversation about their interest area to share information, build connections and get to know each other.”
Fossum says they want folks to discuss next steps, priorities and start thinking about
solutions.
He notes they will go over what seniors have told them during the earlier assessment process, and then get people into smaller groups so they can participate in areas they want to discuss.
Fossum adds the cafe is very much about setting up working groups.
“We want people’s names and to know if they’re interested in participating in an ongoing basis. Are you willing to do more? Are you willing to get involved?”
He notes they are looking for geographic representation – the go-to people – at the cafe from the pocket communities.
“There are some things the people will come to 100 Mile for, but there may be other things – a speaker for instance – we can take to the other communities.”
For the June 24 cafe, Smirfitt says they would like have people with some solutions and those who are willing to work on those solutions over a period of time.
For more information, call Smirfitt at 250-395-5642.
