Words & Photo SPCRN
Sidney is a community devoted to making the lives of older adults safe and welcoming.
The Saanich Peninsula Community Response Network (SPCRN) is a charitable organization that offers free education to local residents, working together to help keep seniors and vulnerable adults safe from abuse, neglect and self-neglect. For the past two decades, under their host agency, Beacon Community Services at SHOAL Centre, SPCRN, has offered workshops, seminars and info booths aimed at this purpose.
“We are not a reporting agency if someone suspects a senior is being harmed or exploited,” says SPCRN Coordinator Anna Hudson. “While we can provide the right contact information, our mandate as public educators focuses on providing knowledge to help people understand how abuse can happen, and how each of us can help stop or prevent it.”
SPCRN is one of 94 Community Response Networks throughout the province, covering some 265 communities, under the umbrella of BC Association of Community Response Networks (BCCRN), funded primarily through the Ministry of Health. The roster of educational programs includes: “It’s Not Right – Neighbours, Friends and Families for Older Adults”; “See Something, Say Something – Reducing Risk for Older Adults”; “Spotlight on Ageism”; and, more recently: “Introduction to Extreme Cluttering.” All programs are presented by trained facilitators and available for free to any organization, by booking through the provincial website (www.bccrns.ca).
SPCRN covers North Saanich, Sidney, Saanichton, Central Saanich and Brentwood Bay, and has partnered with numerous organizations such as Canada Revenue Service, Sidney/North Saanich RCMP, Crime-Stoppers, ICBC, BC Transit, Victoria Women’s Transition House, Family Caregivers, Sidney Lions Food Bank, local churches and other organizations. SPCRN also offers events and lectures ranging from computer hacking, scams, frauds and identity theft to safe driving, partner violence, food security, and other relevant topics for keeping our communities safe.
Every June 15, BCCRN encourages people to observe World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, by wearing purple to shine a spotlight on this very significant issue. The day was first introduced in 2006 by the United Nations in recognition of senior abuse being a global issue. On a lighter note, BCCRN also celebrates International Day of the Older Person, every October 1, which in Canada, is known as National Seniors Day, providing an opportunity to celebrate the contributions of seniors to our economy and quality of life.
This Year, SPCRN and SHOAL Centre will hold a free Hot Dog Lunch and Music event, Wednesday, October 1, to say “Thank You” to local seniors for all they offer! If you’re a senior, and want to attend, please call the Centre (250-656-5537) to register early; seating is limited. “It’s a fun way to express gratitude for what older adults add to the richness and fabric of our community,” says Anna Hudson, who can be reached at 778-677-4880 for more information about SPCRN.
