Photo © Courtesy of LA CENTRE
As our world shifts and adapts to life after a pandemic, so too do the ways we provide care for vulnerable seniors. For over 30 years, the LA CENTRE for Active Seniors has been developing and delivering socially engaging programs that promote health and independence for people aged 55 and over in Toronto’s West End community.
LA CENTRE invites seniors to get active, stay healthy, learn something new, and to stay connected. Through its services, LA CENTRE fosters a culture of respect, inclusion, and diversity to ensure that all seniors are welcome to engage and contribute to their community.
In March 2020, LA CENTRE suspended in-person programming and turned its focus to a more pressing matter for seniors—food security. Although the majority of the population was at risk of contracting the virus, senior were some of the most vulnerable parties; they needed support that would allow them to stay safe in their homes while still getting the supplies they needed, like meals and pantry bags.
Through strong community partnerships with agencies like Second Harvest, LA CENTRE has succeeded in delivering over 50,000 meals and pantry bags to seniors in Toronto’s West End community over the course of the pandemic. LA CENTRE continues to prepare and deliver 500+ pantry bags and prepared meals each week and credits this incredible accomplishment to the team of dedicated volunteers who worked tirelessly to provide essential food straight to seniors’ doors each week!
Even more impressive is that the majority of LA CENTRE‘s volunteers are seniors themselves, providing a space for peer-led programming and opportunities to contribute and have autonomy in their communities actively.
While food delivery has been LA CENTRE’s primary focus during the pandemic, they are now looking to resume their regular programming. After two years of physical distancing and lockdowns, the CENTRE knows first-hand the importance of meaningful social connections for a person’s quality of life. The pandemic has made it clear that seniors are vulnerable in more ways than just their health. Isolation is very difficult, and after so much time spent away from our loved ones and community members, we can all see how important socialization is for quality of life.
For their members, LA CENTRE is a place where connections are formed, friends are made, and individuals can contribute and be vital members of their community.
Turning a corner from COVID-relief, LA CENTRE and its members are excited for the return to in-person programming and to interact with each other face-to-face. Members have shared that they are most excited for the beloved Day-Trip activities to return this summer. LA CENTRE hosts annual sight-seeing trips to places across Ontario, like Niagara Falls, Toronto, and more.
LA CENTRE’s team is amazed and humbled that their funders have remained committed to supporting Toronto’s seniors and funding programs like the senior centre. With your help, they can continue to provide more than just health support for the West End’s senior population.
Join our community today by visiting lacentreforseniors.ca
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We aim to enhance the quality of life for seniors aged 55 and older through socially engaging programs that promote health, independence and community building.
