June 1st to 8th is BC Seniors’ Week!

BC Seniors’ Week is a time to recognize and celebrate the contributions that older adults make in our community.

Please see below for our special BC Seniors’ Week 2020 activities and programs!

Ballroom Basics and Creative Movement

Tuesday, June 2, 9:00AM – 10:00AM with Claire
Dance with Claire French through ballroom dancing basics and creative movement exercises. Gentle and upbeat!

Join the Zoom class by clicking here. (Meeting ID: 881 8081 6068, Password: 001036)

Head to Toe Exercise Class

Wednesday, June 3, 12:00PM – 12:30PM
This exercise class will focus on posture, alignment, core, and balance. Options for chair and for standing will be given. Make sure to have a sturdy chair to hold on to or sit on, and wear comfortable clothing that allows you to move easily.

Join the Zoom class by clicking here. (Meeting ID: 860 873 4629)

Live Pinata Making Workshop

Saturday, June 6, 3:00PM – 5:00PM
Let us craft together from home! Meaghan Kennedy will be hosting a pinata workshop live on Facebook, Instagram and Zoom. She will help guide you in making the pinata of your dreams! Join by clicking here.

You will need: 1 balloon, flour and water (in a bowl), newspaper or paper, scissors, tape, paints or markers, decorative items, fan or hair dryer, time, and imagination!

We will also be posting extra tips, tricks, activities, and recipes on our Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter pages! Make sure you’re following us on social media to be kept up to date.

Activity Book

We have created a fun activity book containing puzzles, riddles, colouring pages, and more! You can download the book or print it out here.

For April, we were not able to collect responses to our engagement question in-person. We posed the question to our online audience, however.

We asked: If you could have one superpower, what would it be and why?

One of our members said: “If I had one superpower it would be to introduce peace into every heart and mind, as there are so many restless and fearful people on this earth, who need to be calm and feel loved.”

Dear volunteers,

The West End Seniors’ Network (WESN) is grateful every day for everything you do to support older adults in our community.  Under ordinary circumstances, you are an amazing group of people who enable this organization to deliver a wide range of social, recreational, educational and supportive programs and services.

Of course, the COVID-19 pandemic is extraordinary.  Many of you have been volunteering for all of the last year, but perhaps you can’t volunteer in your usual way right now because you are staying safe at home or because our locations are closed to the public. And some of you are brand new to WESN, having offered your help during this challenging time.

But WESN volunteers are extraordinary too.  Regardless of how long you have been volunteering with WESN, your contributions mean so much.  The current circumstances have yet again highlighted how much of an impact you have, either because of what you are doing now in the face of this crisis, or how your absence is felt with some of our programs not running or while you prioritize your health.

This week has been National Volunteer Week, and we have been honoured to feature profiles of some of our volunteers through our social media channels and on a new Volunteer Spotlights page of our website (http://wesn.ca/volunteer-spotlights/).  Sadly, there are just too many of you to feature in a single week!  However, we would love to continue to profile you throughout the year.  If you are interested in sharing your WESN volunteering story with us, please complete this form online, email volunteers@wesn.ca, or call and leave a message at Barclay Manor (604-669-5051).

Tomorrow is when we would have held our annual Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon.  Of course, COVID-19 is preventing us from coming together to celebrate and acknowledge all of your incredible contributions.  However, when we can all come together again in person, please know it is going to be a PARTY!

On behalf of our members, clients, customers and Board of Directors, thank you!  You are making a tremendous difference in our community, and we deeply appreciate everything you do.

Sincerely,
Anthony Kupferschmidt
Executive Director, West End Seniors’ Network