COBDEN — Jancy Brown is pleased with the turnout at the Seniors Information Fair held at the Cobden Legion Saturday.
“We had 51 people,” she said. “We usually get between 50 and 100. So we’re pretty happy.”
She believes the weather had a lot to do with keeping people away. People went to the popular Taste of the Valley also being held at the nearby fairgrounds, but because it was quite chilly, they went home to get warmed up and never ventured out again.
However, the small number allowed many of those attending the fair to spend a few minutes one-on-one with each of the people who were manning the 15 booths.
The fair allowed area residents to see what services are available for seniors, Ms. Brown said.
Ms. Brown is from the Women’s Sexual Assault Centre, which organized the event. It may seem strange this type of agency would host a seniors information event, however, she doesn’t believe so. A while back, the agency received funding to do an elder abuse project. They created and produced a skit on various elder abuses, which included sexual assault and emotional and physical abuses.
“There are some insidious stuff that can happen to seniors and they need to know where to go for help,” Ms. Brown said.
While the funding for that particular project is now gone, the skit is available to be done by other groups at various programs, she added.
To host this seniors event in Cobden, funding was received and a call went out to various agencies that the information fair was going to be held.
It makes sense to hold it in a smaller community because people may not want to drive to the city, she said.
At previous fairs, there was a suggestion it be held on the weekend, she said. It makes it difficult to get the agencies out, because they don’t always have staff who can work weekends, she explained.
However, with 15 booths, Ms. Brown said it was successful, noting many of the fairs usually have less than 20 booths.
Those attending received a bag when they entered the Legion, which held a pen, a short survey and a crisis and support information card. They could then use the bag as they gathered pamphlets and other information at the booths.
Reviewing the survey forms, Ms. Brown said the average age of those who attended the Cobden event were between 56 and 65 years old
“That’s standard,” she said. “They are approaching the seniors age and are looking to see what’s available.
“Seniors are living longer and some are sharing their homes with their kids. The kids could be looking for information as well to help their parents.”
The information booths at Cobden included the Women’s Sexual Assault Centre, Nordixx Walking, Red Cross, Renfrew Golden Age Activity Centre, Carefor, Lifeline, Geriatric Mental Health, Assault Care Team, the Renfrew County District Health Unit, Metis Association, Renfrew County Seniors Games, Seniors Secretariat and the Francophone Community.
“There was a diverse spectrum of services displayed at the fair,” Ms. Brown said. “There’s a huge spectrum of seniors in our communities.”
There are seniors living at home, there are those in retirement residences, there are those sharing a house with others and some sharing a home with their children, she said.
Ms. Brown enjoyed being in Cobden and said those who attended the event seemed to get the information they were seeking.
The Renfrew Golden Age Activity Centre is hosting a Seniors Information Fair on March 24, 2016.
