Children and families aren’t the only ones needing help during the holidays. The Burnaby Christmas Bureau also makes sure vulnerable seniors are taken care of come Dec. 25.
The bureau has a seniors’ sponsorship program, where seniors are matched with people who buy re-quested food and gifts for Christmas. The volunteers then deliver the items to the seniors before Dec. 25.
Take Kelly Roschat and Christine Quan for example. The two work at Zeemac Vehicle Lease in Burnaby, and they are spearheading the company’s efforts to sponsor a family of four and two seniors this year.
“We really wanted to find a way to reach out to the community and help those in need,” Roschat said.
Staff has raised about $700 so far, and Zeemac will also contribute to the fund.
Roschat and Quan, along with company president, Andrew McFarlane, will buy the items the seniors requested. As part of the program, Roschat gets the seniors’ phone numbers, and someone from the company contacts them to find out what they need, be it gifts, basic necessities or food. Zeemac is also responsible for delivering the items before Dec. 25.
“They’re often alone or their families are away. It feels great to know they are not forgotten,” Roschat said. “We’re very, very humble to be able to help them out.”
According to Burnaby Community Services, the organization that facilitates the bureau, more than 3,000 Burnaby seniors aged 65 and older experience isolation, and one in five female seniors live in poverty.
“We began the seniors’ sponsorship program four years ago. Since then, we have seen a dramatic in-crease in the number of applicants,” said Stephen D’ Souza, executive director for Burnaby Community Services. “We have been overwhelmed by seniors looking for support and are really appealing to the community to consider including a local senior in their holiday celebrations.”
On top of sponsoring seniors and a family, Zeemac is also running an Angel Project to collect gifts for the bureau’s toy room. To get involved and sponsor a senior, call 604-299-5778 or visit www.burnabycommunityconnections.com.
