11 hours ago
B.C. seniors' centre grapples with booming demand, tight budget
A seniors' centre on British Columbia's Sunshine Coast says it's struggling to stay afloat, despite surging membership.
The Sechelt Seniors Activity Centre bills itself as a 'home away from home' to its community.
For just $40 a year, members get access to a place to come socialize or play a game, to take an inexpensive class or to get a meal.
'Everything is fairly low cost … things like yoga classes, fitness classes,' centre president Richard Wood explained.
It's been a major hit.
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Wood said the activity centre's membership has surged to 2,000, doubling in three years.
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One of the most popular services it provides is food — both hot lunches and frozen meals to go.
Head cook Emily McPherson started freezing meals more than a decade ago on the request of one client who had come to rely on the centre.
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'In 2013 when we used to close the centre for lunch over the summer, one of the guests who was coming every single day for food, she said, 'Well, what am I gonna eat?'' she said.
Demand for the service surged during the COVID-19 pandemic and has become even greater amid the rising cost of living, Wood said.
'There might be a single pensioner on a pension that isn't rising, food prices are rising astronomically, they can't afford to go buy all the ingredients to make a recipe,' he said.
'With our frozen foods, we've got probably 25 different recipes.'
Income disparity has become a real issue for seniors, not only on the Sunshine Coast but across the country. Retirement for some means just scraping by, and a recent report from B.C.'s seniors advocate found that one in four British Columbian seniors' incomes are below the poverty line.
The centre operates on a budget of about $650,000 and just broke even last year.
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They own their building, but still have to deal with property taxes and the cost of maintenance and upkeep.
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'The big deal is that we receive no guaranteed yearly funding, we don't have any government handouts, etc. … we have to raise all the money ourselves,' Wood said.
'All the volunteers we have are the only reason this place works at all,' Added McPherson. 'That's a huge cost savings that we're able to pass on as food savings for our membership.'
Lunch is typically packed, with hot meals going for $12 and frozen dinners priced at $6 to $8.
Last month, they sold nearly 2,500 of the frozen meals, but the rising cost of food has forced them to get creative to cover the bills.
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They've recently started trying to run monthly online 50-50 draws, with half the purse going to cover their food program.
But Wood admits there are challenges with the draw — including savvy online seniors fearing it could be a scam.
But until they can secure a more stable source of funding, it's keeping the lights on — and members with tummies full and smiles on their faces.
'We just want to make it a joy to be here, and if somebody just needs to get out of their house because they are feeling lonely, they can come here,' he said.
'So if we can get people in here enjoying a $12 meal, but then meeting people and it turns into a conversation, that's what the seniors need.'
