Seniors Groups Come Together

(Golden, BC) Community Coordination's 'Bringing Seniors Groups Together' was a success with guidance from guest facilitator, Nancy Gale. Mrs. Gale brought out the issues and opportunities that Golden’s seniors and stakeholder groups are facing.

The Community Coordination project has been hosting a series of workshops and meetings, involving local groups and inviting guest speakers to share their experiences around collaboration.

As part of the Community Coordination project, led by Golden Community Resources Society (GCRS), over 100 individuals, who are involved with seniors groups, were invited the seniors-focused meeting on November 7 at the Royal Canadian Legion.  About 35 people attended the 3 ½ hour morning session.

The presentation started with an overview of the project, which is focused on having a Community Team in place by the end of 2013. This Community Team will need to have representation from Golden’s seniors and their respective organizations.

To help set the stage for the discussion, many groups and organizations presented on the seniors programs that they currently offer as well as challenges they have experienced. With the stage set, Nancy Gale, a very experienced facilitator from Williams Lake asked, “How can we work together to improve aging-in-place opportunities and the social well-being for those 55+?”

After a series of smaller group discussions, each group reported back on what they had discovered. In her closing remarks, Mrs. Gale encouraged regular future meetings to bring seniors groups together and for each participant to schedule a more in-depth conversation on this topic with someone they haven’t met.

Feedback from the participants was positive with many eager to set a follow up meeting date.

For more information about the Community Coordination project, a summary of the presentation and discussion, please see http://www.goldenloom.ca/seniors.html. And for those who missed the first meeting, but want to be invited to the next meeting, please contact Ryan Watmough at nonprofits.gcrs@gmail.com.

Photo Above: Barb Davies (left) of the Golden Food Bank Society explains the Food Bank's volunteer and support opportunities to the participants "Bringing Seniors Groups Together" meeting at the Royal Canadian Legion.