Three Squamish-based organizations are sharing a $25,000 federal grant to run a drop-in for senior-aged women who speak English. The aim of the weekly drop-in is to provide a comfortable place for these women to pick up the language skills they might otherwise lack, and connect with people in Squamish and the amenities to which they're entitled.
"It's an issue of isolation here," said Chief librarian Maureen Painter. "They said they wish they had a place where they could come in their own time."
Howe Sound Women's Centre, Capilano College and the Squamish Public Library jointly applied to Ottawa's New Horizons for Seniors Program for funding to start the drop-in, which opens its doors on Thursday (March 15) at the library. The grant is part of a $1.7 million payout to seniors-based ventures around British Columbia and is meant to encourage seniors to actively participate in their communities.
Painter said older women from the Indo-Canadian community would likely gain the most from the drop-in, though she emphasized that senior women from any non-English-speaking family in Squamish are welcome to take part.
She said many elderly women cannot even go to the store or bank because of their lack of English. Emergency situations or even taking a bus is a challenge many feel they can't risk without help, but would if they could communicate better.
Gurjit Johal runs the ESL (English as a Second Language) preschool program at Valleycliffe Elementary. She said the idea for the drop-in itself originated with the grandmothers and caregivers who were bringing their grandchildren to her weekly preschool mornings.
"The grandmothers would sit in and pick up a few words here and there, then one lady said to me 'why don't you do something like this for us?'" she said. "It's going to mean a lot to these women."
Johal said part of the isolation for these women stems from having grown-up children working long hours in the service industries in Whistler.
"The come home and they have no time for the seniors because they are tired or have other things that need doing," she said.
Johal added that she hoped to bring them together with other seniors in Squamish, allowing them to mingle and share experiences on everything from health and childcare to cooking.
She would like to see the program transferred to a larger venue, like Totem Hall, if they get enough women taking part. But she said visiting the library would be a breakthrough for many of them.
"A lot of them have never been to the library, some cannot read. But even if they don't read, they can take out videos," she said."Plus many don't know the library carries a Punjabi newspaper. Ninety per cent of them don't know where The Chief office is, where Cap College is. These are everyday things we take for granted."
"I think it's going to be a great program," said Painter. "We're initially expecting 15 or 20 people, but there could be more."
Painter said the Howe Sound Women's Centre made the application on behalf of the other two organizations but that all three were equally responsible for setting up the drop-in.
The funding will ensure the drop-in stays open for the remainder of 2007, and Painter hopes this is just the start of a long-term commitment to ESL (English as a Second Language) training for older women.
"Cap College will also train volunteer tutors and anyone interested in helping," she said.
The first training session will take place on Wednesday, March 21.
