Welcome Dinner Fun!

Thank you to all the community partners, sponsors and volunteers who made Whistler Community Services Society annual Welcome Dinner such a success! For 5.00$ attendees had a great meal made by local businesses with local produce! Some were even lucky enough to walk away with some seriously-cool prizes from the Re Use It and Re Build It Centers. New comers had a chance to mingle with long-time locals as well as to meet other new residents that will be spending the season in Whistler. What a fun way to get to know your community and get psyched for the Winter. Bring on the snow!

New to Whistler? This week is for you!

Every year Whistler Community Services Society (WCSS) runs a week of events designed to welcome seasonal workers to Whistler. This was the idea of Jill Ackhurst, who felt that newcomers never met locals and needed to find a connection to their new community to understand it is a place that families live and work. She wanted locals to connect with these seasonal workers and introduce them to their own passion about Whistler as a place to live. This year WCSS Welcome Week events run from November 18^th to November 23^rd and offer many opportunities for locals and newcomers to get to know each other.

Pancake Breakfast, presented by the Rotary Club of Whistler Millennium on Monday, November 18^th is the first event of Welcome Week.  Everyone is welcome to enjoy pancakes and sausages from 10am to noon at the Whistler Village Fire Hall for only $3. All proceeds support Welcome Week events, so even if you aren't a newcomer please come out for a great breakfast.

Ski Movie Night, presented by the WCSS Re Use It Centre will be screening'Into the Mind' by Sherpas Cinema, winner of the iF3 Award for Best Editing and Film of the Year on Monday, November 18th, 7:30pm. With stunning cinematography and ground-breaking storytelling techniques, the Sherpas blur the lines between dream state and reality, and immerse you into the mind of a common skier as he attempts to climb and ski the ultimate mountain. Doors open at 7:30pm, Maurice Young Millennium Place. Get your tickets in advance at ‘Skiis & Biikes’ in Village Marketplace or Maurice Young Millennium Place for $5 and at the door if they haven’t sold out.

Whistler Volunteer Fair and Business Expo is a chance for local businesses and non-profit organizations to showcase their products, services and volunteer opportunities.  Locals and newcomers are invited to socialize at this event from 3:00pm-5:30pm in the foyer at the Whistler Conference Centre on Thursday, November 21^st. Entry is free of charge and if you visit all of the booths, you’ll have your name entered into a draw for prizes.

                                

Jill Ackhurst Community Welcome Dinner, presented by WCSS starts at 5pm at Whistler Conference Centre Sea to Sky Ballroom on Thursday, November 21st.  This event, featuring local foods cooked by top Whistler chefs from the major hotels and restaurants was the idea of Jill Ackhurst, former WCSS Board Member.  She thought a ‘welcome to the community’ dinner for the new workers would be great because she noticed that many young employees didn't know that there was a real community of local people and all they saw was the village and fellow workers. For only $5, this event gives you an amazing meal and the opportunity to sit at a table with a couple of local residents who can answer all your questions about Whistler. Tickets are being sold in advance at the Visitors Information Centre. If you would like to be a table host, please contact welcomedinner@hotmail.com. In 2003 Jill Ackhurst died of cancer at the age of 57. The world lost a wonderful person and the dinner honours and remembers her spirit.

WCSS partners with other organizations to put on Welcome Week which includes events such as: Complimentary Yoga Classes, Games Night, Stand Up for Mental Health Comedy Night, Film screening of “Ski Bums”, “The Pool Party”, Meadow Park Sports Centre Open House, and Women’s Self-Defense Workshop. For a full schedule of events please check out our website http://www.mywcss.org/pages/whistler-welcome-week.

Re-Use-It Price Comparisons, We're doing pretty good!

The Re-Use-It Centre has a couple of important goals our staff thinks about every day.  The first is to provide funding for all the great & important social programs run through Whistler Community Services Society (WCSS).  The second is to help create a sustainable community by recycling and keeping as much as possible out of the landfill.  In order to meet our first goal we need our prices to be competitive.  So off to the city we went to check out the other thrift & consignment shops - both for profit and not-for-profit.  Well as we happily discovered, we are the cheapest around!  That is great news for both our shoppers and for those we support in our programs.

One of the biggest challenges we have at the Re-Use-It Centre is space.  Where all the other thrift shops we visited had an abundance of space to spread out and show everything off, we have to pack things in a little tighter.  That means you have to hunt sometimes for the perfect treasure!  Another challenge we face in Whistler that we are sure is a problem the other stores would love to have is the volume of donations we have to get through on a daily basis.  This is a big reason why we can keep our prices so low.  We have a very generous community that think about us when they are moving or cleaning house!  Thanks Whistler!  Additionally, our staff does a great job at managing this mountain of donations everyday so we can get all those great things onto the floor for you to enjoy.

Thanks Whistler for supporting our community charity.  You are important and are making a big difference in the lives of those who live right here and to the planet for keeping our little slice of beautiful life a bit more sustainable.

Cheryl Skribe, Manager:  Re-Use-It Centre, Whistler, BC

Comparison Shopping Trip to Vancouver:
Wednesday October 2nd, 2013 * Value Village, Wildlife Refuge are privately owned For-Profit stores.  Value Village & Wildlife Refuge rely on donations. **Sports Junkies is a privately owned For-Profit Store based on consignment sales only. *** RE-Use-It, Salvation Army & My Sister's Closet are Non-Profit Stores with 100% of the profits going toward supporting Charity.

Today is 'World Mental Health Day'...what does Mental Health mean to you?

For those of us here at WCSS that work closely with clients who live with mental illness it means being ready to provide nonjudgmental support, resources and referrals. A safe, confidential listening ear can go a long way in supporting someone while they navigate the Mental Health care system.  The current stats say about 20% of the Canadian population will personally experience a mental illness in their lifetime. Therefore, it isn't a surprise to outreach workers that the number one referral they make is to the Counselling Assistance Fund which provides low cost options for therapy. Unfortunately, many people feel shame about asking for help which often leads them to self medicate or wait to seek help which can have leave them in much worse shape.The stigma attached to mental illness needs to be changed and can only be done if everyone makes an effort to accept their family, friends and coworkers who may be faced with a mental health challenge.  So, on this day recognizing 'World Mental Health Day' please take a moment to consider how you can support someone in a nonjudgmental way.
Some resources on the web:
Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre - BC's information source for children, youth & families
Canadian Mental Health Association - fast facts about mental illness
Here to Help - mental health and substance abuse information

Ride for Dreams

Follow Dave on his 3000 km Bike Ride from Whistler, BC to California to raise money to help financially restricted youth in Whistler the opportunity to attend camp.

In partnership with Whistler Community Services Society (WCSS) http://www.mywcss.org and Comor Sports Whistler http://www.comorsports.com we plan to expand WCSS's existing Summer Camp Fund program. The program currently helps send kids to summer camp that wouldn't otherwise get to go. The goal is to expand it to a year round program to help kids with sports related goals (camps, coaching, traveling to contests,etc)

Along the way Dave will be blogging (written and video), and shooting lots of photos. These will be posted on his personal website: http://www.daveweale.com and in the updates section of this campaign. If you would like to support Dave and his efforts please visit http://www.mywcss.org/pages/donate.

Check out where he has been so far. Go Dave!

Whistler Village Beer Festival raises $5,000 for Whistler Community Services

Whistler Community Services was fortunate enough to partner with the Whistler Village Beer Festival this past weekend, and received a $5,000 donation. This money will go towards funding many of our programs such as our Counseling Assistance Fund, KidSport, Outreach Services, School Lunch Fund and many more. The professionalism shown by Liam Peyton, Harrison Stoker and all staff involved made the event a huge success and a lot of fun! Thank you from WCSS for the community support!

Enough is Enough!

Whistler Community Services was fortunate to participate in the Enough is Enough event at Whistler Olympic Plaza yesterday, to celebrate Ginny and Kerry Dennehy's 8000km cycle across Canada. Their journey to address to Mental Health Stigma was a huge success and the riders crossed the finish line to a large crowd of supporters.

The Kelty Patrick Dennehy Foundation is determined to combat premature deaths and the anguish many individuals and their families face when dealing with mental health issues. The organization aims to increase the quality of care, education and resources for those dealing with mental illness. Enough is Enough is a powerful yet positive message, empowering individuals and local communities to reduce the casualties of mental illness. WCSS was honoured to be involved with this inspiring event! For more information go to www.thekeltypatrickfoundation.org

Auction @ The Re-Build-It Saturday, August 31!

Be at The Re-Build-It at 11:55a.m. if you want a chance at these unique "Steamer Trunks"...See you then!

KidSport Whistler is still 'Strutting it's Stuff' in Whistler after 17 years

Kidsport Whistler is a local branch of the national KidSport organization which provides funds to children in Whistler and our neighbouring communities to help with sport registration fees. Thanks to numerous donations and the continuing support from the Whistler Blackcomb Foundation, we have been able to honour, the KidSport motto, “So ALL Kids Can Play” for 17 years in Whistler.
WCSS on behalf of KidSport Whistler, invites you to come out on Thursday, September 5th to the annual community fall registration and information fair at Myrtle Philip Community School from 5-8pm. The event is lead by the RMOW and brings together the local community and sports groups for a chance to share what they are all about.  Ashlin, a WCSS Outreach Worker will be at the KidSport table and is happy to answer any questions parents may have about funding support. In 2012,  55 children were given the opportunity to participate in a coached sport (22 male, 33 female) for a total disbursements of $14880. Kids participated in 10 different sports: Alpine Skiing, Baseball, Disabled Skiing, Figure Skating, Gymnastics, Hockey, Soccer, Swimming, Tennis and Luge.

KidSport Whistler was established in 1996 and became the first community model. There are now 35 KidSport™ BC organizations that followed our initiative in the communities such as Burnaby, Campbell River, Quesnel, Cranbrook, Kelowna, Mission, North Peace, Penticton, Vernon and Victoria. KidSport™ Canada is now our governing body with 175 community chapters nationwide. 

All kids should be given the opportunity to develop healthy lifestyles, no matter the financial, physical or language barriers that may exist! Staying physically active helps encourage children to maintain healthy habits throughout their whole lives. The challenges that come with playing sports also teach children valuable life lessons and skills including leadership, practice, hard work, dedication and self-confidence.

So join us at 'Strut Your Stuff' to celebrate the 17 years of continuing success of KidSport Whistler!

Ironman works with WCSS to Knockout Hunger

Whistler Community Services Society (WCSS) is excited to announce a partnership with the IRONMAN Foundation to launch a "Knockout Hunger Campaign". On Thursday, August 22, at 4:00 PM the IRONMAN Foundation and WCSS will be at Whistler Olympic Plaza to send approximately 50 athletes, with reusable grocery bags to be distributed to Whistler homes. Whistlerites are being asked to use these bags to donate non-perishable goods to the WCSS Food Bank. IRONMAN athletes will break out into teams so all areas of the community can be reached.  The Athletes will canvas the neighbourhoods of the community on their bikes. In the bag, residents will find a much needed food item list and a drop off location in their neighbourhood for the full bags.  The IRONMAN Foundation has a duty to provide "Service through Sport and a Commitment to the Community" and the Knockout Hunger Campaign is how they will accomplish this in Whistler.

The Whistler Food Bank served 2,539 people in 2012 and over 500 times it was children receiving help. The number one reason cited for use of the food bank was underemployment and most people only needed it 1-3 times over the year. During the summer months the Food Bank receives fewer donations and as the slow season approaches it is important to fill the shelves.  Many residents turn to the Food Bank to feed themselves and their families. Whistler Community Services Society (WCSS) works with community partners, members, funders and other non-profits to provide programs and services that support social sustainability in Whistler.

Foodworx

With the return of Crankworx Whistler we also have the return of Foodworx, run by Whistler Community Services Society (WCSS) as a food drive for the Whistler Food Bank.  One local business will be crowned 2013 Foodworx Champion, and at the Foodworx tent on the village stroll,  individuals will have the chance to win some really cool prizes while helping out the community! 

Local businesses are being asked to participate by trying to solicit the most amount of donated food from Friday August 9^th until Friday August 16^th. The business that donates the most food by weight will be announced in the local media as Foodworx Champion 2013 and will win a guided canoe trip for some of their staff, donated by Canadian Wilderness Adventures. Businesses that choose to participate can register or learn more by emailing a contact name, phone number, and businesses mailing address to Sara Jennings at foodbank@mywcss.org. Past winners include: The Gap (2009), Fairmont Chateau Whistler (2010), Delta Whistler Village Suites (2011), and Fairmont Chateau Whistler (2012).

At the Foodworx Tent individuals can donate food or money for a chance to win the prize of the day. The tent will be open in the village from Thursday, August 15^th until Saturday August 17^th.  Prizes are from various cafes and restaurants, mountain bike gear shops, adventure tours operators and the grand prize, Red Bull deck passes for the Red Bull Joyride. Stop by the tent with a non-perishable food donation or cash, learn about all the great programs run by WCSS and have a chance to win.

The Whistler Food Bank served 2,539 people in 2012 and over 500 times it was children receiving help. The number one reason cited for use of the food bank was underemployment and most people only needed it 1-3 times over the year. Foodworx was created to be a yearly event in conjunction with Crankworx to address a community need before the busy fall season. Let the friendly competition begin and help to fill the Food Bank shelves!

Everything Old Is New Again: The resurgence of the “Do It yourself “ movement

The term “do-it-yourself”  (dyi) has been associated with consumers since at least 1912 primarily in the domain of home improvement and maintenance activities. The phrase "do it yourself" had come into common usage (in standard English) by the 1950s, in reference to the emergence of a trend of people undertaking home improvement and various other small craft and construction projects as both a creative-recreational and cost-saving activity. Wolf & McQuitty (2011). Understanding the Do-It-Yourself Consumer: DIY Motivation and Outcomes. Academy of Marketing Science Review

 “Everything that is old is new again.”  I can not recall how many times I’ve heard my parents, dad specifically, tell me that one day the case of dust collecting jars in their basement from grandma’s basement will come in handy and that one day canning will be trendy again.  As I huff, and remind him that its been years since  the last time he or anyone in the family pickled, the jars still remain in the basement.  Now living many provinces away I chuckled to myself as my dad’s words of wisdom spoke truth as I have just bought a case of new jars to start canning. 

The DYI movement has brought a trend of crafting, vegetable gardens, food preservation, sewing, and general ‘fix it up projects”. For the baby boomers many recall making clothes for their children, growing a family size vegetable garden and canning in mass quantities.  With children out of the house, hobbies changed and change in appetite; the thought of canning in your senior years may come with a “been there done that” attitude. 

Whistler Community Services Society is offering a canning class, specific to pickled vegetables. Join us August 12th to participate in a fun, interactive canning class where participants learn to how to prepare pickled vegetables with expert canner Carolyn Morris. Participants learn about nutrition, seasonal canning and will meet like-minded community members.  Classes are held at 1519 Spring Creek Drive (Whistler Blackcomb Foundation Social Services Centre) at 6:30pm. Contact Sara at 604-935-7717 or email foodbank@mywcss.org to book your spot. Please sign up before 10am on the day of the class to ensure your spot.
 Pay online at our website www.mywcss.org for one class ($10) or 5X pass ($40).

Here you will learn some up dated techniques, information about food preservation and be able to take home a jar for yourself.  All ingredients, tools and jars are provided.  No digging in the crawl space for the jars, caning rack, lids, caning funnel (which yes is different than your everyday funnel) and no need to hit up Costco for a commercial size vinegar.  This evening will include; instruction, to prep, preserve, canning and most important being able to take home the finished product. The ‘been there done that’ attitude should be demolished knowing that you will end up with a small amount of product and a single evening of time taken. Give canning a second try for all those baby boomers who swore off canning once finishing cases of jams, jellies, pickles and anything else that the garden yielded. If this date does not work for you WCSS will be hosting more canning classes in the fall including Zucchini Relish on September 9^th and Cranberry Sauce on October 28^th. For more updates please check our website www.mywcss.org. Happy Canning! ---SNAP-----

Hearing lasting a lifetime

The sense of hearing provides protection from our environment and is one of the important parts of the way we communicate. As one ages there are changes to all physical aspect of your life including hearing. While I’m not a doctor or hearing specialist that can speak to those changes  I do work with seniors and have experienced the challenges that older adults face when hearing loss is present.  WCSS recently invited Audiologist Amy Koza to the 55+ Drop In to provide a presentation about hearing health and audiological care in the Sea-to-Sky corridor.  Topics included signs, prevention and treatment of hearing loss, as well as recent advances in hearing aid technology and the current state of audiological care in BC. Amy offered 2 free Hearing Screening for those 55+ at Whistler Community Services on Monday June 24 & 28th.  These screenings were so successful they both booked out and Amy saw a total of 24 individuals. In an effort to increase everyone's knowledge about hearing loss, Amy has shared the following signs and symptoms to look out for: You often ask people to repeat themselves, have difficulty understanding people, or find that they mumble.  It is not uncommon to miss hear people or offer some insight into a conversation when the topic has already changed but when it becomes more constant there may be hearing loss. Secondly, if you have trouble hearing in a noisy environment, a crowded room offers too much sound and it’s difficult to hear the person speaking in front of you.  A way to off set this is to find a quite corner where the background noise is lower.  Another sign is when people complain the television is too loud. If you suffer from hearing loss you are less likely to notice the height of the volume until there is either a loud bang within the TV program or someone else enters the room and comments on the volume.  If you or someone you know is experiencing any of the above occurrences it is probably time to seek assistance. Family doctors are a great resource or if you'd like to hear about audiologists in the area, please contact me and I can pass on the info (snap@mywcss.org, 604-902-0865). 

Let The Bidding Begin!

Let The Bidding Begin!

One of the most “unique” donations to grace the bay doors of The Re-Build-It Centre this month is a custom made Syl Ray 9 ½ ft. sailboat made by a local company in Surrey. The boat is in excellent condition (it floats!), includes the mast and sail. The sail suffered a little damage in storage over the winter from a “furry invader”, but can be easily repaired.

Here’s how it works:

Come by The Re-Build-It Centre anytime during open hours 10am-5pm 7 days.

Attach your bid to the boat with your name and phone number (must beat previous top bid).

Bidding closes at 12:00pm, July 31/2013.

The lucky person who provides highest bid will be contacted by phone at 12:01pm, July 31/2013 and given to the end of our business day to collect and pay for his/her prize.

If payment is not received by the end of our business day (5:00pm), the next highest bidder will be contacted until the boat is collected.

Good luck : )

WCSS at the Whistler Multicultural Festival

Fun last Friday at the Whistler Public Library! A great turn out for food, musical performances, crafts, martial arts and demonstrations from many different cultures. It was a great event to welcome and experience the cultures of Whistler and get involved in something new and fun! Thanks to the Whistler Multicultural Network and the Whistler Public Library for involving Whistler Community Services in the celebration.

To learn more about the Whistler Multicultural Network visit http://whistlermulticulturalnetwork.com/

Wahoo Walking Wednesdays!

I was lucky enough to get a chance to fill in for our Seniors Needs Action Planner for our Wednesday Walking group for the last two weeks. What a great way to start the morning! A group of seriously fit 55+ and I got to chat and cruise the valley trail for some great views and great conversation. Lucky for me we split into several groups so we could walk at our own pace (some of those walkers are speedy)! If you are looking for some fresh air and some fresh faces join the 55+ walking group that meets Wednesday mornings at 9:00am. Visit our SNAP page on our website for more details. 

What is a Community Kitchen?

Community Kitchens class in action

Community Kitchens (CK) is a fun, interactive cooking class where participants learn to how to prepare healthy, delicious meals on a budget.  If you come to a CK you will learn about nutrition, seasonal eating and will meet like minded community members. Not a bad deal for only $10!
Next week we have 2 great classes planned. On Monday, May 27th Tracey Higgs; chef and holistic nutritionist is teaching people how to make Pork Marbella (tenderloin with prunes, capers & olives). The best thing about Tracey's classes is her obvious passion for food. She shows you how to cook with love and can answer practically any question on nutrition.
Then on Wednesday, May 29th raw food chef Sarah Uy is going to teach participants how to make Vanilla Pudding with Berry Aspic. The focus on this class will be using the ingredient agar agar. What is agar agar? Come to the class to find out:)

What our participants are saying about the classes:

• Talya, Just wanted you to know that I took two young ladies from Japan, who live with me, to the Community Kitchen. We made a delicious Chorizo and white bean soup with Matt Prescott. It was great to see Yuko and Hiroe interact with all the friendly people, learn some great cooking techniques and experience our culture and community. They have already bought all the ingredients to make the soup again at home tomorrow! They are so excited! Thanks! Kate Linton
• I really appreciate that you offer this service, thank you so much!
• Carolyne was an excellent teacher and hope to do more courses in the near future.
• Sarah`s classes are awesome.  I love learning about raw foods.

Classes are held at 1519 Spring Creek Drive (Whistler Blackcomb Foundation Social Services Centre) at 6:30pm. Contact Talya at 604-935-7717  to book your spot. Please sign up before 10am on the day of the class to ensure your spot.

 

Watch for our canning classes this summer and fall!

http://www.mywcss.org/pages/community-kitchens

Getting to the Doctor On Time- or at all

I'm sure all of you know at least one person who hurt themselves this winter and found themselves scrambling to get around. Last year WCSS had 22 requests for long distance drives through our volunteer based 'Helping Hand' Program. Helping Hand is a program that can help in more ways than just driving- food prep, light housework, new parent support, senior support are some examples. For the this blog post, I'm going to focus on the driving. Getting to a doctor/specialist appointment in Vancouver can be a big problem. Even if you own your own car, many procedures require you to leave with a friend. For many Whistlerites asking a friend to take a day off work and drive to the city and back feels like an imposition. For some, there isn't a friend who even has a car and/or the means to skip a day of work. Thankfully, due to the ongoing funding source of the Re Use It and Re Build It Centres WCSS has some money available to cover costs for volunteer driver's gas. And even more thankfully, Whistler has some dedicated volunteers who will drive people to these essential appointments (big shout out to Carleen Leidal and David Oakes). Unfortunately our dollars at WCSS can only stretch so far and we can't offer this service to residents of neighbouring communities. And truly, as Whistler grows with more permanent residents we're uncertain as to how sustainable the program is long term.

So, what to do? Well, over the past year this issue has been brought up in the Sea-to-Sky Corridor and representatives from health, social services, nonprofits, First Nations, and community groups have had multiple meetings to discuss our perceived needs as service providers on behalf of our clients. The trouble is, while we all agree that there is a need, we are not sure how big it is and if given certain options, would people in need of health transportation even want the style we've discussed? Realizing before we can really come up with solutions, we need to research the facts. In comes, Vancity with some funding for a researcher. Margaret Forbes in consultation with the Sea-to-Sky Health Transportation group designed an online survey to find out what is going on for people.

It is our hope that the online survey will be distributed widely to people who may be impacted by this issue. Please share this survey with your networks, family and friends as the more people who fill it out, the more comprehensive our information will be. This survey will remain active until May 31, 2013.  The online survey can be accessed at:

http://fluidsurveys.com/s/Sea-to-Sky-Health-Transportation-Need-Survey/

If you'd rather to a pen & paper survey, Margaret can get one to you if you email her at  s2s.htsurvey@gmail.com or call 604-902-3647.

If this blog has inspired you to become a volunteer driver with the WCSS Helping Hand Program, please contact Melissa Deller- helpinghand@mywcss.org or 604-902-0865. WCSS is always recruiting for extra drivers and the commitment is really based on your schedule.

Drug and Alcohol Education in Whistler

These kids have a lot of knowledge! As a new member to the WCSS Outreach team, it has been super exciting to be involved with the youth in Whistler. One of my new roles is getting into the classrooms to teach our Healthy Choices program. Some of the topics we cover are: decision making, bullying, acceptance, nutrition, drugs and alcohol, toxic chemicals and risk management.

Every time I have a chance to work with these kids I am blown away at how intuitive they are. Some examples are: one grade four student was very keen to educate his classmates on the efforts large corporations make to market sugary products to children. Right!? At the high school, students are quite aware that Whistler has a unique demographic and they are mindful of what that means for access to substances.

My favorite thing about this program is that it does not tell youth what decisions are right or wrong, rather; it equips them with the knowledge and critical thinking skills, which allows them to make their own choices. Empowering these kids with the information and confidence to think independently is very important to me, and the best news is, it can be really fun!

There are so many stories that get missed; a cup of coffee with the SNAP coordinator can provide an opportunity for these stories to be heard.

There are so many stories that get missed; a cup of coffee with the SNAP coordinator can provide an opportunity for these stories to be heard.

Growing old is not an easy task. Society inundates us with the benefits of one’s youth and only offer ways to “turn back the clock on aging”, not embrace the aging process and normalize it. As one ages there will be losses of physical abilities, friends, partners, independence and list can go on.

Having support can make the difference in how one manages the challenges they face as they age. As the Senior Needs Action Planner(SNAP) my role offers outreach services to those 55+. What is outreach and why do we need it in such a small community where everyone knows everyone? Outreach workers provide a confidential non-judgmental listening ear with the knowledge of the local resources and support that one could access in their time of need. Some examples of situations or conversations that are common in an outreach role are, grief support, caregiver support, and helping one navigate the health care system. This role can be viewed as ‘the connector” to resources.

Why does a cup of coffee make such a difference? In some cases the older population do not have the same social connections as they once did. It can be that the cup of coffee might be the only social outing that individual has in a week. Social Isolation among seniors is difficult to identify, and more common than people want to recognize. That cup of coffee connects an individual with resources they might not be aware of, such as a being matched with a volunteer for weekly coffee or a walk.

Here are 2 examples of the experience I have had as the Seniors Outreach worker. A daughter called me from out of town, to inquire about her parent living in Whistler. She was unaware of what was available in Whistler and wanted to know how she could start a conversation about the possibility of moving into a retirement home, assisted living, or nursing home. Hard stuff, as an outreach worker, I was able to provide the differences between all the housing options, and some resources on each style. When you are equipped with information, making decisions is less overwhelming and easier to express to the one you love.

Another example of how a Seniors Outreach worker can help is when I was approached by an older adult whose main caregiver was leaving town which would result in them being alone. This situation was causing them to feel worried as they were uncomfortable being alone. They shared their concerns and together we created a plan that would help them feel confident, supported and manage for the time they were living alone. When I met with this person at the end of their time alone and we discussed the past week they were so grateful they were successful I received a big hug.

Each day can bring a new challenge in outreach. April 2012 to April 2013 I have had 154 meetings with seniors in Whistler. Most often the cup of coffee offers a space to speak, a comfortable area to discuss a challenge that someone is facing. Many times I’ve been able to support seniors, as they are unaware of resources available for their health care and support.