The Volunteer Centre launched its newest initiative recently at the Evergreen Seniors Community Centre.
Twenty-two community members attended the launch of seniorsengaged.ca– a new online resource for seniors. Seniorsengaged.ca provides information about potential volunteer opportunities and is a ‘one-stop-shop’ for information related to resources and services for seniors, caregivers and agency staff.
The goal of this initiative is for seniors to have the information they need to actively engage in their community in meaningful ways.
“We believe that having an online resource dedicated to seniors, where information about essential services and opportunities for involvement is easy to find, will contribute to the ongoing personal growth of the senior population,” says Christine Oldfield, executive director of the Volunteer Centre of Guelph Wellington.
She also noted, “New cohorts of seniors, including new retirees, will be attracted to an online resource that they can access from multiple locations.”
Funded by the federal government’s New Horizons for Seniors program, the website was created by Pearl Street Communications, with support and direction from Volunteer Centre staff and a seniors advisory committee. Committee members represented seniors and staff from senior serving agencies. They provided invaluable feedback on the content, format and look and feel of the site, including the need for real photos of seniors from Guelph and Wellington. As a result, a photo shoot was organized with local senior volunteers sharing their image and stories of inspiration.
This website seeks to bridge the gap between organizations that could benefit from the volunteer involvement of seniors and those individuals and families who seek to connect to their community through volunteerism.
At the same time, the site seeks to connect seniors with the resources and services they need to remain active and engaged community members. This initiative’s dual purpose speaks to the understanding that to improve the lives of seniors people need to engage individuals and service providers for better outcomes.
