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The Catholic Health Association of Manitoba (CHAM) is focusing on an upcoming project that is looking to bring teens and seniors together, combating loneliness in both groups.
"CHAM is kind of the conduit between the church and the health care facility, to make sure the health care facility that is a member of CHAM, continues to bring the Catholic health care to the community," says the CEO of CHAM, Gladys Hrabi.
CHAM is hoping to start a new project called 'Bridging Connections.'
"When I started this role, I thought, we have this existing project called Mission Assistance in Living. The project is designed to advocate to the government that we need to have universal mental health care and social services available to everybody. One of the things in the action items is addressing loneliness amongst seniors."
When Hrabi started working for CHAM, she made it her goal to advocate for people experiencing loneliness.
"We found out after the pandemic, it's not just the seniors who are facing loneliness, but also the youth. What's a better way to connect those two generations but to come up with a project that would really put them in the same space and continue that bond. That's what 'Bridging Connections' is all about."
Right now, this project is in its beginning phase, and CHAM is looking for people to get involved in helping plan and execute it.
"We're trying to find volunteers for our advisory circle. We believe that when you have a project like this, there should be ownership coming from the people who we're trying to serve."
Anyone interested in connecting with CHAM on the Bridging Connections project can check out their website. They are specifically looking for people aged between 16-21 or over 65.
"This isn't just a job, it's more of a calling. Morally and ethically, we should be doing something. They always say, if you want change, it's going to have to start with you. This world is very divisive. But one thing is always clear; there's always humanity in each of us."