After just two short weeks, it is obvious how successful re-opening the Sechelt Seniors Activity Centre has been. With almost 800 current members—many of whom have visited since our October 4th re-start—comments have been extremely positive.
Participants in everything from Poker to Ping Pong, from Memory Café to Carpet Bowling, from Yoga to Ukulele, and a growing list of other activities, agree—it is great to be back. Volunteer co-ordinators for activities already underway are to be commended for their efforts. Kindness shown to volunteers as we adjust to entry protocols and the generosity of spirit shown in joining in our new “button” program make one proud to be a member of such a warm and welcoming group of caring individuals.
Of course, smiles are obvious (even if hidden behind mandatory masks), as so many members have renewed their enjoyment of sharing lunch in the dining room with other members—once again able to fully partake in Emily’s fine cooking. All the volunteers who have navigated the new protocols allowing members to engage in this way are owed a tip of the hat and a sincere thank you.
The professional expertise of Life member and former board member Kit Artus, whose humour and kindness carried the mood through much of the closure period, was drawn on extensively as we developed protocols allowing us to safely serve frozen take-away entrées even at the peak of the first and second wave.
It has taken many volunteer hours to bring the Centre back into operation, and will take many more now with the increase in workload resulting from demands to meet BC Public Health regulations.
At the front door, volunteer “traffic cops” have done yeoman work in ensuring the safety of everyone who enters by checking QR codes, affixing the now infamous “green dots” and recording who comes and goes—all while maintaining a positive, courteous, friendly and at times humorous approach.
Our new manager, Lori Stemmler, has co-ordinated the re-opening, adjusting and developing systems and procedures that allow us all to feel valued, welcome and safe. The commitment and skills she has demonstrated in building these systems has been nothing short of exceptional. We are all very fortunate to have her on board as we manage the many changes that are now a part of operating a public assembly facility. Her work in securing grant funding has allowed us to open much more quickly —bring back and adding activities that on their own, don’t pay fully for the cost of running them.
One member comment that recurs is how fresh and clean the facility looks—for which we can thank Jim Coffin, our custodian of many years. During the shutdown, he undertook many long-needed updates, and as we re-open he manages the extra workload and more demanding schedule—even under very uncertain and difficult circumstances—often making suggestions for improvements before anyone else notices the need.
A special thanks to the few volunteers who were busy at the Centre during the months of closure. Just because activities were not running, doesn’t mean nothing was happening. The ongoing tasks of maintaining the Centre in tip-top shape took daily hours of volunteer time—much of it by Chris Kane (your president) and his partner Peter Coombs. Cupboards had to be emptied (cookies just don’t last 2 years in storage apparently), furniture moved, files sorted and old gear disposed of. The vision Chris has shown is evident not only in his creative sign writing, but in the resulting physical changes we see at the Centre now that it has reopened. Even this past weekend, the office needed a quick reorganization and who was there—Chris and Peter to move desks and get everything ready for Monday.
Extra administrative reviews were also undertaken, with new computers finally coming on-stream thanks to the work of treasurer Tony Stroud and his IT crew. Board members, long past their usual term, continued to work hard to develop protocols for interim re-opening, in the period before Lori came aboard.
Margaret Boyd has continued her fine work to ensure interior space is adorned with tasteful and appropriate décor and volunteer Bob Maveety has been hard at it to keep up with her requests to put up pictures, move bulletin boards, paint this and that as well as install new doors to the dining room while completing other “to-do” items on an ongoing basis.
As we move into this new environment, keep in mind that we are all human, we all make mistakes, and at times we may not agree with one another, particularly as we encounter challenges. Kindness and courtesy should be our mantra. We can never know the weight that others carry in their daily lives. Starting and ending our interactions with a smile and a kind word can make all the difference when someone is feeling that weight—so, even though you may have suffered during this pandemic, please try to remember that we are all in this together and are doing our utmost to make life better. Be thankful. Many are not as fortunate.
