The Chestermere Coalition for Seniors is encouraging Chestermere residents to be a voice for seniors within the community with a member drive.
The Chestermere Coalition for Seniors began last year after a need was felt in the community to have a community-owned coalition for seniors.
“The ultimate goal for the coalition is to really be an advocate, and a voice for seniors in Chestermere, try to get feedback from them, and be a trusted body that they feel comfortable coming to,” said Chestermere Coalition for Seniors member, and Council Task Force on Seniors Supports and Services Sub-Committee member Al Kersch.
Previously an event was put on regarding what supports and services seniors in the community wanted, where 54 people attended.
“We thought that was a pretty good turnout. Right now, we need to get more of a reach out there with the coalition, so people know about us, can start to feel comfortable with us, and feel like we’re a trusted body and start to work with us,” Kersch said.
“That’s what the membership drive is all about, it’s to try to get people more active to our coalition and give it more credibility,” he added. “The more people on the senior level, the more voice we’re going to have in our community.”
Various groups within the community are involved with the Chestermere Coalition for Seniors, including the Chestermere Whitecappers.
“It was very important to include all of the user groups and partnerships that interface with seniors in our community,” said Chestermere Coalition for Seniors Chair, and Council Task Force on Seniors Health Sub-Committee member Leslie Racz.
“We’re trying to get more seniors involved in the community. It’s more to find out what seniors need,” said President of the Chestermere Whitecappers and member the Chestermere Coalition for Seniors, Michael Ball.
The goal of the coalition is to find out seniors need in the community, what’s missing in the community, and how the coalition can get information, services, and resources to seniors.
“I look at the Whitecappers as the core seniors centre. I can take the information from them, and give it to our committee,” Ball said.
He added, “It’s a fantastic group of people, it’s very much needed. I just hope that it really takes off. We’re really small, and I’d like to this grow.”
Currently, there are roughly 50 members. However, some members choose to be non-active and only receive emails and meeting minutes.
The Chestermere Coalition for Seniors will advise and pass along the information gathered on what seniors are needing to council.
“We would have a presence. We haven’t had anyone represent seniors in this community with a strong presence,” Racz said.
Moving forward, the Chestermere Coalition for Seniors will be working on pursuing different methods of communications for seniors to know what’s going on within the community.
“It isn’t just us taking information in and feeding it back to the community, we’re exploring different methods on how to do that,” Racz said.
“Since we don’t have housing, seniors will need to age in place, they will not only need their health needs met in the community, but they need supports and services in the community,” she said.
Along with creating more communication, coalition members will also focus on building a binder that identifies all of the senior supports and services that exist in Chestermere.
To provide seniors an opportunity to connect with services, or recourses Chestermere Coalition for Seniors Chair Sharron Matthewman will be available at the Chestermere Whitecappers centre every Thursday from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m.
The Chestermere Coalition for Seniors members encourage anyone to drop-in to the next meeting on Nov. 13 at 1 p.m. at the Chestermere Public Library.
“We’re a credible voice, and we’re very inclusive, all are welcome,” Racz said.
She added, siblings, children, and grandchildren will often attend the meetings on behalf of a senior in their life.
“You don’t have to be someone who has grey hair and is over 50, that doesn’t matter. It’s anybody interested in trying to address some of the senior issues,” Kersch said.
