Kathleen – safe and connected
Kathleen found herself isolated after her husband passed away. Your act of local love changed that.
After her husband died, Kathleen found herself alone and lonely. Isolated in her Burnaby apartment, she worried about her health and well-being. Thanks to your act of local love, that’s changed.
Kathleen is no longer one of 25,000 Lower Mainland seniors who say they have no one to talk to.
“My husband passed away and I didn’t have much to do. It’s nice to come here,” Kathleen says. “I feel welcome and the people are nice.”
Help for isolated seniors
“Here” is a United Way Active Aging program a 20-minute walk from Kathleen’s home near Central Park. The program helps seniors who are isolated because of a lack of family support, or language, financial and mobility barriers that make it difficult to connect with others. The program helps address seniors’ isolation, an unignorable issue in our communities.
Now, Wednesdays and Fridays between 10 AM and 1 PM, Kathleen takes part in free recreational, arts and crafts and educational activities. Her favourite: singing! She also enjoys a weekly hot meal for $6. Potential spot to add outcome statement here or in this paragraph if available.
But Kathleen benefits from so much more than just the activities and nutritious food. She has connected with fellow program participants and friends, Dorothy and Sharon, who have become essential to her life.
Three-in-five of those who take part in community-based seniors programs (75%) say they receive companionship, while majorities also say they benefit from mental stimulation (69%), connection to the community (63%), exercise (56%) and social support (51%).
Friendships, a vital benefit
When 66-year-old Kathleen was being “demovicted” – her apartment being torn down and redeveloped – her friend, Dorothy helped her find a new home, supporting her through the move. Knowing that someone is in her corner, caring for her made the world of difference – helping Kathleen maintain her dignity, self-confidence and independence.
Kathleen isn’t the only one benefitting from these programs. Across the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley thousands of seniors are improving their quality of life. Our community partners notice amazing changes in the seniors they serve. Seniors enjoy increased physical activity, socialization, and knowledge of community resources; they’re even more politically and socially engaged.
United Way Active Aging Programs like this one are pillars of our community. They act as the centrepoint of our neighbourhood-based strategy to tackle isolation – for residents of all ages – living in a community. This is how United Way is maximizing your gifts, 100% locally.
“Dorothy, she’s been a good friend to me,” Kathleen says.
Everyone can benefit from an act of local love. Thanks to you many more seniors like Kathleen will now have that opportunity.
Because of your generosity, we can all be proud of the communities we call home.
Thank you!
Since 2015, the Active Aging Research Team (AART) and the United Way British Columbia (UWLM) have been working in partnership to provide community grants that reach diverse communities and that build capacity to promote older adult physical activity, social connectedness, independence – and health.
