First, I would like to send a thank you to everyone in the community who are providing any type of support to others during this time.
When the centre was closed in March, our Community Connections Team worked together to find ways of supporting community members as the need arose. We discovered we were going to be very limited, as staff members were going to be temporarily laid off, and we didn’t know how long that was going to last.
In the first few days, many residents connected with us through the Timecounts program offering to volunteer to help individuals in the community. I think I can speak for the team when I say this made us very proud to be a part of this community. We hadn’t put out requests for help – they just came to us with offers, so we knew there would be a team of volunteers that we could access if and when needed to help support others in the community.
Initially, there were some matches made, which are still ongoing. For many others, the initial restrictions and concerns from COVID-19 were not having an immediate impact. Other individuals in the community may have family or friends who were making sure that they stayed connected, had food, and could respond to needs as they arose.
Others are, and continue to be, independent, managing on their own and continuing to be able to “take care of business”. “I’m okay, but I will let you know if I need some help”, “Don’t worry about me, I’m fine.”, are just some of the comments I have had from some seniors over the last month and a half.
It is wonderful that many are managing during these unusual, challenging, and difficult times. My concern is for those who don’t have family or friends to help, or who are not managing well by themselves but are concerned about asking for help. I could probably list more than twenty reasons why people don’t ask for help, starting with “I don’t want to be a bother” to reasons that may not make sense to many of you. These are the individuals that I worry about, especially if they are a senior. It is at times like this when people “fall through the cracks”.
Please, please, please, if you need help to get groceries, if you are a caregiver and are feeling overwhelmed and would just like a break on occasion and someone else to pick up groceries or talk to the person you are caregiving for, or if you just need someone else to talk to once in a while and don’t have someone to turn to, call the centre. We have volunteers who are willing to help. Reach out! We are here and we will do what we can to connect with you and find some support.
In the May Voice, Kate, our Executive Director, spoke about rethinking what “an act of community looks like”. Lisa (Community Planning) talked about “physical distancing – not socially isolating”. A definition of community I like is: “…a group of people who share something in common. You can define a community by the shared attributes of the people in it and/or by the strength of the connections among them.”
This definition embodies what I have observed time after time in the over 18 years I have been at HSCA. I have always been amazed at how you come together to help others in the community in times of need, from the flood, which had such as massive impact, to the day-to-day supports you provide to neighbours in ways too numerous to mention. This checks all the boxes in my book about making strong connections, and is more than just a location. I am proud to be a small part of a community that cares and connects in so many ways.
The longer we are impacted by this situation, even as some things slowly begin to “open” up and access to areas that have been closed to this point gradually change, it will be a long time before things return to normal…whatever that “new normal” will look like. As the situation continues to impact us, the ability of all of us to manage could change.
If you need help call or send us an email. If you are concerned about a neighbour and not able to help directly, call or send us an email, we will get back to you.
Connect with us and help us keep our community strong and connected!
Heather Ramshaw | Community Programs Coordinator | 403-283-0554, Ext. 248| [email protected]
Shaye Radford | Community Connections Coordinator | 403-283-0554, Ext. 247 | [email protected]
Debbie Olson | Seniors’ Connection Coordinator | 403-283-0554, Ext. 224 | [email protected]
