Caledon Seniors Centre celebrating ‘Seniors Month’ with line-up of virtual programs

Written By ALYSSA PARKHILL

The Caledon Seniors Centre has transitioned to online programs to keep seniors together and active amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

June marks Seniors Month, and the Caledon Seniors Centre has announced a virtual Speaker Series to celebrate. They have partnered with the Government of Ontario, as well as the Older Adults Centres' Association of Ontario (OACAO) and Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility (MSAA) to hold an eight-part series with a variety of topics for seniors. The series is sponsored by Sorrento Retirement Residences, Seniors Centre Without Walls Program and Brenda Alderice from Downsizing Diva. 

Some topics include ‘Why Choose Retirement Living in post COVID-19 World', held by Sorrento Retirement Residences, and ‘Sorting Your Stuff' with Brenda Alderice from Downsizing Diva.

The Caledon Seniors Centre has been in constant contact with seniors in recent months, assisting them with whatever basic needs they require during the pandemic. This includes shopping, check-in phone calls, and a large number of online resources for them to participate in.

“Our website is updated daily with COVID-19 information and all the online programs that are available,” said Caledon Seniors Centre manager, Beverley Nurden. “We do email back on team webinars available on different topics like elder abuse or financial abuse, anything that comes from the library. Just anything that would be pertinent that a senior would enjoy joining in.”

During Seniors Month, the Caledon Seniors Centre will be hosting other telephone programs, such as meditation circle, gardening information, what to read next at the Caledon Public Library and even Caledon celebrity quiz show and its very own iteration of Price is Right. 

Many of the virtual programs will continue past Seniors Month into the busy months of July and August for the seniors, as way of continuing their Classic Café program, only in an online format. The Classic Café is a service provided for seniors to come together for social, educational and recreational activities and needs. 

“What we would normally have in one month, we would have our Classic Café program. We have nine speakers this month, for Seniors Month, and through July and August, we're hoping to have four more each month,” said Leah Taylor, from the Caledon Senior Centre Satellite Program. “It's just a way of making the Classic Café virtual.” 

The Caledon Senior Centre website is jam-packed with online activities and programs for seniors to keep busy while isolating at home. They continue to take instruction from the provincial government and continue to plan on the gradual reopen of the recreational centre.

“We're looking at how we can run programs at the centre and how we can get people in and out and keep social distancing and how we can adapt our programs to that,” said Nurden. “We're in the planning on how we intend to open. The safety of seniors is paramount.”

Each Speaker Series session will begin at 10:00 a.m. and run for 30 to 45 minutes. Registration is required before the speaker session which can be done by emailing csc.satellite2018@gmail.com or calling (905) 951-6114. 

For see the full schedule for the virtual programs and Speaker Series in celebration of Senior's Month, please visit caledonseniors.ca.