PORT HARDY, BC- The Better at Home (BAH) program has a new initiative on the go, and is looking for volunteers to help out.
BAH is a government-funded program managed through the United Way of the Lower Mainland, and brought to the Mount Waddington region through the North Island Crisis and Counseling Centre.
“It’s a program that offers seniors and elders 65 and older non-medical services,” said Tammy Minihan, the program’s coordinator.
“Examples of services would be light house-keeping, light home repairs, yard work, transportation, grocery pickup and pretty much anything that helps our seniors live independently at home as long as possible.”
Better at Home has launched a new sub-program, called Side-by-Side with Seniors. Minihan said the program focuses on yard work, especially as we approach spring and summertime.
“I’ve been out in the community and talking with seniors, and they have expressed how difficult it is to get their lawns mowed, and do those sort of things,” she said.
“It’s about getting families involved, sort of a families adopt a senior, someone close to them in their neighborhood and help them maintain their yard.”
Minihan noted it’s a great initiative to get the whole family involved.
“Lots of times (parents) don’t want to get baby-sitters to watch their kids while they volunteer, so this way we can get the kids helping, give them an example of volunteering and sort of a family project approach to volunteering and then providing a much-needed service. That’s sort of the idea.”
She explained that she wanted to engage the community in a more family-volunteer approach, and that’s how she came up with the idea for the program.
“Being a parent myself, sometimes it’s hard to volunteer if you need to get someone to watch your children, but yard work is something that can get the whole family outside, and have everybody engaged,” she said.
The program serves the entire Mount Waddington region.
Minihan said they are currently looking for volunteers in Port Hardy, Port Alice, Port McNeill, Sointula, Woss, Alert Bay, Coal Harbour and the First Nations in the region.
She said she has a list of seniors currently looking for assistance from volunteers.
Anyone looking to help out can contact Minihan through the North Island Crisis and Counseling Centre at (250) 949-8333.
