Palgrave United Community Kitchen kicks off Seniors Month with free programs

May 27, 2021 · 0 Comments

By Rob Paul

With June right around the corner, Palgrave United Community Kitchen will be kicking off Seniors Month by providing free programs to those who are 55 and over going forward through their New Horizon for Seniors Program.

As part of the United Nations’ Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021-2030), the Palgrave United Community Kitchen wants to improve seniors’ quality of life and reduce the social isolation that has become a part of the new COVID-19 reality by providing a new opportunity to engage and mentor seniors in the Palgrave Village.

The UN’s Decade of Healthy Ageing is a global collaboration, aligned with the last ten years of the Sustainable Development Goals, that brings together governments, civil society, international agencies, professionals, academia, the media, and the private sector to improve the lives of older people, their families, and the communities in which they live.

With populations around the world ageing at a faster pace than in the past, the demographic transition will have an impact on almost all aspects of society which is why the UN is working on raising awareness and prioritizing the ageing population for the next decade with many confronting multiple barriers that prevent their full participation in society says the UN.

The Palgrave Community Kitchen is an outreach initiative of Palgrave United Church and was Caledon’s first Peel Health-certified community kitchen. It’s committed to providing the community with opportunities for cooking, creating community, and caring for creating through environmental sustainability.

With the UN spotlighting these issues and the Town of Caledon focused on becoming age-friendly, Palgrave Community Kitchen saw an opportunity to become a part of the initiative and it’s built around their slogan “Bee Well, Bee Safe, Bee Cause, Bee-Long.” The programs are focused on enjoying one another (Bee Long); taking care of one another (Bee Well); and working together to make Caledon a great place to live and work (Bee Cause).

Seniors will “Bee Long” by participating in programming beginning June 1 that will run through February 28, 2022. As COVID-19 protocols allow, activities will move inside during the late fall and winter.

The New Horizon for Seniors Program invites adults who are 55 and over to attend free virtual programs and activities at Palgrave United Church starting June 1. Pre-registration and health screenings (following Peel Public Health Guidelines) are mandatory for the programs.

Deeping Community is a new weekly program they will help seniors “Bee Well” and safe with outdoor activities along the Caledon Trail (Nordic walking) and in the church’s backyard (gentle chair yoga) while following Peel Public Health COVID-19 guidelines.

Deeping Community will support the Town of Caledon’s Healthy Aging strategy by ensuring adults 55 and over are socially integrated in their own community (the Village of Palgrave) with accessibility for persons with disabilities (elevator) and it will encourage and support intergenerational opportunities with the White Birches Day Program and younger adults and youth in the community.

The Seniors’ STAYCATION schedule includes many free actives like the Summer Solstice Scavenger Hunt (June 20-27); monthly virtual bingo—a bingo card for June will be sent upon registration and at the beginning of each month—with a coffee/tea award; a virtual Arctic tour with Cory Trepanier—participants can join him for a virtual intimate evening going from Caledon to Canada’s Arctic (July 21 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.); and Palgrave Forest Bathing (walking meditation) that will run July 14 at 10 a.m.

Other free virtual programs and activities being offered by Palgrave United Community Kitchen through their New Horizons for Senior Program Eating for Longevity Cooking Classes, the Birds and the Bees Pollination Party, Palgrave Pie Club, and more.

To register or for more information, call 905-880-0303, email [email protected], or visit their website palgravekitchen.org.