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Seniors Centre Without Walls (SCWW) received $750 from SaskEnergy’s Share the Warmth Grant Program.
The grants are aimed at community organizations that provide tangible support to people in the winter months, such as clothing or food, as well as access to mental health support.
SCWW will use the funds for their telephone-based educational programming, which helps people in Saskatchewan over the age of 55 keep connected to the community.
“It’s all telephone-based. You don’t need a computer; you don’t need internet,” says Ronda Wedhorn, executive director with SCWW.
She compares it to a party line, where people used to be able to listen in on what their neighbours were saying. Wedhorn adds that it’s confidential, and no one can see your name or phone number. “As you get to know us, and come on the programs for a while, then people start sharing their names and more of their stories, and it becomes a really good support system for people that maybe don’t have a lot of support in the community.”
“Coming here is a way to meet a bunch of new friends, and we always say ‘it’s where friends unite out of sight’.”
She says that the calls will cover a number of different educational topics, and they will have different guest speakers on the calls.
“It’s not just for seniors who are feeling lonely and isolated, though those people are welcome to join too. It’s also just for seniors that just want to learn more about different topics.”
The programming will start in January, and you can either call Ronda at 306-690-3557, email her at rondascap@gmail.com.
SCWW is a registered non-profit organization that has been in operation since 2019, offering free programming to keep Saskatchewan seniors connected.
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