October 1st is the International Day of the Older Person. This is why the CUPW Vancouver Local is asking members to donate to the 411 Seniors Centre in Vancouver BC.
The 411 Seniors Centre is a 40 plus year old organization offering a place for seniors to meet, play, learn, discuss, and get their concerns met. Pre pandemic they offered programs including:
- English for newcomers
- Current events discussion
- Ukulele
- Arts and Crafts
- Story telling
- Stand up comedy
- Chair Yoga
- Computer training
- Philippine Independence Day celebrations
The 411 Seniors Centre also runs a strong Information and Referral Program where seniors assist seniors on many issues. The 411 Information and Referral volunteers are similar to shop steward stewards for older people. The Information and Referral volunteers help seniors with applications for Old Age Pension, Canada Pension Plan, on housing issues, on applications for getting Pharmacare and much much more. This is free as is the annual income tax clinic for low income seniors.
Contrary to popular belief not all seniors have workplace pensions and many are struggling to make ends meet. Less than 37% of workers have workplace pensions. This means the vast majority of seniors rely on Canada Pension and Old Age Security payments in order to live.
In B.C. there are over 984,000 seniors. Of that amount a shocking 274,000 seniors rely on the Guaranteed Income Supplement. This is a monthly non taxable benefit to Old Age Security recipients who have a low income. In other words about 28% of seniors in BC are low income. The 411 Seniors Centre works with and for many of these low income seniors.
One major issue for seniors is affordable housing. With rising rents, many seniors are spending huge portions of their monthly income on rent. In fact 54% of seniors 65 and older in BC spend at least 30% of their monthly income on rent and utilities and 21% of seniors 65 and older spend at least 50% of their income on rent and utilities. This leaves seniors struggling to buy food, personal care products etc. It takes a very long time for a low income senior to get into senior affordable housing. In 2020 the average wait time for a senior to get into an affordable housing unit was 2.6 years. That’s a lot of time for the people who built our province to wait. The 411 Seniors Centre assists seniors to apply for and navigate this process. To make this situation even bleaker, the 2020 City of Vancouver Homeless Count found that 23% of the homeless population were seniors.
The 411 Seniors Centre is an organization doing important work to help seniors. We need to support them. Please celebrate the International Day of the Older Person by giving generously.
Join The Left Coast Labour Chorus from Vancouver, Canada, in a free May Day virtual concert celebrating the workers of the world. Saturday, May 1,2021 at 4 pm PDT
This exciting program will feature: the premiere of our first virtual choral piece, a new animation of the renowned Mouseland speech by Tommy Douglas, and a story from dismissed hotel workers in Vancouver.
Tickets: FREE at: https://bit.ly/3sJAZKP
In Solidarity
Kevin Biggs, Organizing Committee Director