It was a year of hitting milestones, seeing growth and making connections for the Pat Porter Active Living Centre (PPALC). Executive director Audrey Harder highlights the memorable events from the last year.
They hit 500 members, which Harder says has never happened before. Their members aren’t just seniors. Their youngest member is seven years old, and the oldest is in their 90s, as there is no age requirement to becoming a member.
"It's all about community. It's all about connecting with each other and all ages want to be together. I love watching the interactions between different ages,” Harder says.
Harder says they celebrated one year of Accessible Transit in February. They added weekend and evening rides to the program so people can access the service outside the 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. slot. She says the move was a huge and exciting jump for them.
Harder says they also partnered with Steinbach’s Country Classics Car Club to fundraise for their Medical Transportation Program. The program offers rides for people who need to get to appointments.
Brand-new programs popped up throughout the year too. Harder says they added Tai Chi, kids pickleball and moccasin classes to name a few.
“There was so many new programs that I can't even think of them right now. It's always adding more and always seeing that growth throughout the whole entire year,” she says.
Harder says Culture Days in March was a brand-new PPALC event. This year, they celebrated the Ukraine, the Métis and the Philippines. They hope to bring it back in 2024.
“That was amazing just to watch communities come together and gather and learn about each other,” she says.
They hosted multiple fundraising events throughout the year including their golf tournament, Christmas banquet and annual banquet in March, which Harder says was their most successful.
Harder says the Taste of Summer Charity Barbecue is another highlight of 2023. The team dressed up as food and celebrated with smokies in downtown Steinbach.
They also celebrated seniors during Grandparents Day and Seniors Month in October with Thanksgiving lunches, entertainment and soft-serve ice cream.
“The last year has been very influential in our thinking as an organization as to how to make sure people are valued in community,” she says. “That value is belonging. It's being heard. It's being listened to. It's being cared about.”
With files from Carly Koop.
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