Alicia Bailey, Indigenous Seniors Resource Coordinator with the Portage Community Revitalization Corporation (PCRC), is calling for more volunteers to help older residents with yard work and snow shovelling in Portage la Prairie.
She explains that the program is part of an effort to help seniors age in place by keeping them in their homes as long as possible. Tasks include mowing, raking, weeding, and, as winter arrives, clearing walkways and driveways.
“We probably have five seniors that need help every single week, and that kind of alternates,” says Bailey. “We get an influx of it when people’s grass is about a foot long, or when we get half a foot of snow, then everybody needs help on the same day.”
How the program works
Bailey says anyone interested in volunteering can get involved in several ways.
“You can either go into our youth hub and fill out the youth volunteer registration there,” she notes. “Or you can come into PCRC and ask for me, do it through our building, or you can even just call us at PCRC and ask for the Indigenous Seniors Resource Coordinator, and I can help you with it.”
The schedule is flexible, and Bailey adds that the program is especially well-suited for high school students looking to earn volunteer credits.
“It would be totally dependent on them,” she says. “Right now it would be probably an hour or two of volunteering a week, and then that will just kind of increase as we get more snow, more leaves, that kind of thing.”
While the focus is on youth under 18, Bailey notes that this helps simplify the process by avoiding the need for criminal record checks.
Immediate need for volunteers
At the moment, Bailey says she only has one volunteer and is looking for at least five more.
“We want to keep people in their homes for as long as they can,” she adds. “Things like yard care are a big one when people aren’t as mobile as they used to be. They are very grateful.”
She continues that seniors in Portage la Prairie have responded positively to the program.
“When our summer students and our green team went over there this summer, everyone took advantage of that and they really enjoyed having their yards cleaned up,” Bailey says. “And then the friendly visiting that goes along with it as well.”
How to get involved
Bailey encourages anyone interested to reach out as soon as possible.
“Right away, whenever they want to start, we can get it going,” she says.
Volunteers can sign up through the Portage Youth Hub or call Bailey directly at 204-240-7272. She can also be reached by email at a.bailey@portagecrc.com.
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