A new federally funded program offered by the Sundre West Country Centre aims in part to not only build bridges between local boomers, but to also offer learning opportunities.
“The program is to support social participation through building relationships and friendships and learning new information and skills to overcome loneliness due to being single, recently retired, unintentionally unemployed, being isolated as a caregiver or recently moved and new to the community,” Joyce Wicks, chair of the advisory committee behind the initiative, wrote in an email.
Dubbed Lunch and Learn, the program launched just last month courtesy of a Horizons for Seniors federal grant, said Wicks, adding the funding provided seed money for the initiative that is geared primarily for baby boomers aged 55-74.
“Although all older adults 50-plus are welcome,” she said.
“The key objectives are to promote volunteerism among the younger generation of seniors and engage this demographic through mentoring and transferring of knowledge.”
The program is scheduled to run every second and fourth Wednesdays of the month from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. until May at the West Country Centre. The next event takes place Aug. 14.
“There will be a wide variety of educational topics presented by volunteer speakers followed by a complimentary lunch,” said Wicks.
Chef Derek Ralph, owner of Twisted Pantry, offered some tips on how to set up an appealing and appetizing charcuterie board on Wednesday, July 24 at the Sundre West Country Centre during the second Lunch and Learn session that was made possible courtesy of federal funding from the Horizons for Seniors grant. Simon Ducatel/MVP Staff
The first hour of each session features an informational presentation about a selected subject. Topics, which have so far included providing insight on local recreational opportunities such as trails as well as tips on preparing a charcuterie board, were originally derived from a needs assessment that was done during last year’s spring Explore Sundre Adventure and Home Expo, she said during an interview, adding about 75 people had responded to offer ideas.
Another survey was conducted during the July 10 kickoff event to confirm interest in certain topics being considered, she said.
With barbecue season upon us, the next session will explore the tricks of the trade involved in preparing smoked meat, such as the timing, spices and marinades, she said.
The lunches that follow the presentations in turn help to foster fellowship and relationship-building among those attending, which is a major purpose behind the program, she said.
Plans for upcoming sessions are lined up until September, and she said the committee intends to continuously evaluate each one in an ongoing effort to tweak and improve the program to as much as possible cater to people’s expressed interests.
Eventually, she hopes the participants will, through exposure to other groups in the community, get involved with organizations that appeal to them, perhaps even starting new spinoff programs at the West Country Centre.
The federal grant funding has facilitated the committee’s efforts to introduce new opportunities to further entice the local boomer demographic to get more involved with the centre’s activities, she added.
Sundre resident Maggie Brooks was among more than two dozen people who attended the July 24 program, which she called a great opportunity for people to gather as well as to learn.
Brooks wanted to pick up some tips on setting up a charcuterie board, including how to pick the right fruit and vegetables. She anticipates coming back for future sessions and looks forward to learning how to smoke meat.
“The food is free, come out and enjoy the people and meet new friends,” said Brooks, encouraging others to consider dropping by.
Rose-Marie Rutledge, who is also from Sundre, said, “Everybody has got to start somewhere to find an interest in something.”
The new Lunch and Learn program, she added, provides a chance for people to discover new interests they might not have even known they had.
“You might learn something that might interest you to do something different, something you didn’t know was out there,” she said, inviting people to expand their interests while along the way making new connections.
