Happy May, Friends

I’m grateful to be able to see the gorgeous green that is the result of the blessing of the April rains. I am looking forward to seeing Brantford in all its well hydrated and early summer glory.  I am eagerly anticipating visiting the mature, lush trees along the banks of The Grand River as I enjoy the beauty that Brantford has to offer all those who venture outdoors.

It has been trying year for most and that’s saying the least.  During the last few months, I have been reflecting on the subject of care-giving as I wonder how all of the readers out there are holding up. Are you taking care of each other? Are you taking care of yourselves? I have been reflecting upon the ways that we try to take care of ourselves in these times. I am in awe of SKIP’s volunteers who sacrifice their time and energy to volunteer at Buzz Me and in doing so, help take care of the social needs of lonely seniors. Last month, we recognized our volunteers during  national volunteer week, but we acknowledge that one week is not enough to properly celebrate all the good they do.

It is the same with our community’s caregivers.

Throughout the last 15 years, SKIP has had the opportunity to connect with many caregivers who served in key roles within long term care and helped visits between seniors and kids run smoothly. These caregivers and coordinators are our heroes and truly embody service and compassion. As evidence of the vital role they play in our organization, last month both seniors and local students enjoyed a virtual meetup to celebrate the success of SKIP’s latest pen pal initiative. Without the efforts of those in the caring fields, collaborations like these just wouldn’t be successful.

In honour of folks like these, who give tirelessly everyday, SKIP wanted to recognize the vital role they offer the community by creating our first “Nominate a Caregiver Campaign”. This campaign seeks to shed light on caregivers in our community and to celebrate the formal and informal roles they are involved in From May 1-May 10, you can nominate a caregiver that you know for a chance to win dinner for two at a local restaurant. It is a thrill for us to honour those who immerse themselves in acts of compassion and care as part of their daily routines. It is our hope that they feel as cared for and loved as they make others feel.

This month, we will be releasing the first of our “SKIP SOAP BOX” series. This series of video interviews highlights individual senior stories and celebrates their wealth of experiences. Keep plugged into our website to catch this fascinating and heartwarming series as we find out together what those with a lifetime of experience would have us know.

For more information on our caregiver campaign, call 1-866-999-Buzz or log onto our website at www.goskip.org/caregiver-giveaway