Additional $10,000 Response Fund grant delivers more hope and hot meals to Penticton Seniors
Building on a 2020 Community Response Fund grant with the Valley First, a division of First West Credit Union Community Endowment, the First West Foundation Fund was able to grant an additional $10,000 to the Penticton Seniors Drop-In Centre Society earlier this year. The new injection of funds for the Better at Home program connects isolated seniors with a hot, nutritious meal and a friendly face. With continued support from the Community Response Fund PSDICS continues serving and connecting with seniors in the community.
2020 Funding Impact
When the PSDIC closed in the spring of 2020 because of COVID-19, we realized the hardship that many seniors faced by not being able to attend the Centre on a regular basis. So, with the Better At Home program we devised a plan to stay connected by providing hot, nutritious and affordable meals to those who wanted the service. We began on May 21, 2020 serving just 53 meals. The following week we served 78 meals and by mid-June we were serving 100 meals and we had a waiting list of another 100 people. To be responsive to the obvious need, we expanded to twice a week, 100 meals each serving 200 different seniors. To make this worthwhile endeavour possible we received community support and by mid-September our first $20,000 grant from the Community Response Fund was put into use. With those funds we provided 4,000 meals.
