The Burnaby and New Westminster seniors’ planning tables are mulling a future without funding as the United Way is scaling back money for seniors’ programs.
The tables involve gathering local seniors, at a grassroots level, to plan programs and activities they want to see in their communities.
United Way had to reduce $1.6 million in spending for seniors’ programs due to a decline in donations from the public. At the same time, the charity is focusing on its Better at Home program, which helps pay for services to help seniors live in their homes longer.
As for the two planning tables, they have secured “transitional” funding from July to March 2015, but after that, they will very likely be on their own.
“What has been suggested to us is transition funding is from July to March. One of our mandates is to develop a transitional and sustainability plan to go forward after that with our funding,” said gerontologist Mariam Larson, who’s paid to coordinate both tables in New West and Burnaby.
“In Burnaby for example, we have had an action planning,” she said. “We’ve just started that process. It will be a seniors’ driven process, it’s about what the seniors members want to do. … It may be about exploring other sources of funding,” Larson said.
Larson said the seniors would like the planning tables to continue, but what that will look like is unknown at this point.
If the groups decide they want a paid coordinator, then they will have to find alternate sources of funding, or they may decide to do everything with volunteer labour.
“It will continue to evolve,” Larson said.
The United Way’s Jennifer Young said they met with the seniors’ planning tables on June 12.
“Representatives from the planning tables were told that their applications for funding through to the end of March 2015 had been received and were being processed,” she said in an emailed statement. “The discussion also touched on the future – given changes in the senior sector and the establishment of Better at Home, are there new ways to operate the tables?”
In a past interview with the NOW, the charity’s CEO said no funding agreements are permanent.
“Contracts expire all the time; funding commitments expire all the time,” said Michael McKnight, United Way CEO. “I can never tell you that any organization will be funded indefinitely.”
On Friday, the provincial government announced another $2 million in funding for Better at Home, which is available in 46 locations across B.C., including Burnaby and New Westminster.
The Burnaby planning table is called Voices of Burnaby Seniors, and membership is open to any seniors or community groups and agencies wishing to get involved. In 2007, Voices of Burnaby Seniors published a survey on what local citizens, 65 and older, identified as important issues. (Housing, transportation and support services were among the main issues identified.)
According to Statistics Canada, Burnaby’s over 65 population increased from 25,955 in 2001 to 28,140 in 2006. That number is expected to rise as the baby boomers age.
For more on Voices of Burnaby Seniors, go to www.burnabyseniors.org.
