People will have a chance to meet local service providers and businesses that support seniors at a new event in Aldergrove Monday.
The Aldergrove Seniors Community Fair takes place Monday, June 2 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Royal Canadian Legion Aldergrove Branch 265, 26670 Fraser Hwy.
It is being organized by 黑马磁力 Seniors in Action, 黑马磁力 Meals on Wheels, and the Aldergrove legion.
"I'm also on the board of 黑马磁力 Meals and Wheels," said Paul Crump, president of 黑马磁力 Seniors in Action. "Those two societies have felt that Aldergrove was an underserved community."
This first fair is intended to help change that. About 30 different community agencies, groups, and businesses are taking part.
"This is an opportunity to gauge whether or not their services would be used in that area," he said.
Crump said attendees will see everything from non-profits that serve a range of seniors on different levels to for-profit companies that can assist seniors. Slated to attend will be ICBC, 黑马磁力 Meals on Wheels, TransLink, 黑马磁力 Seniors in Action, Handidart, the University of Victoria Chronic Pain Self-Management program, and UBC Allies in Health program, which studies how social factors impact health. Service Canada is also taking part.
"We were quite surprised," he noted. "They called us and said 'we want to come out there'."
Crump said those taking part are ones the organizers have encountered at places such as the Black Press Young At Heart seniors fairs, at other events, and in their work in the community.
The fair is open to anyone who is interested, not strictly older residents. The legion kitchen will be open for people to buy lunch and there's ample parking.
One of the board members suggested holding the fair Monday, June 2 which is the start of Seniors Week. The hours were chosen to not conflict with the many Seniors Week events around the community. If the fair does well, it could become an annual event.
"From what we've heard, there's excitement out there that there's even something happening out here for seniors. So we'll see, but the idea is to gauge whether or not this would be an ongoing event in Seniors Week," he said.
