The Seniors Services Society is getting set for the Christmas season.
The society is hard at work on plans for the Be a Santa to a Senior program that it will offer in conjunction with its partner, Home Instead Senior Care. Starting Nov. 15, four businesses will be setting up trees where people can find the name of a local senior they can help over the holiday season.
Kelly Friesen, a program coordinator at the Seniors Services Society, said the society was able to delver more than 200 gifts to its clients last year and was a “huge” success. The society is hoping that, with the community’s support, it will be able to reach even more isolated seniors as part of this year’s program.
Be on the lookout for trees at four locations in the upcoming weeks: Thrifty Foods in Sapperton (270 East Columbia St.); London Drugs at Westminster Centre (555 Sixth St.) and at 7280 Market Crossing; and Your Dollar Store with More (811 Carnarvon St.)
Helping youth
A New Westminster organization has donated funds to two causes – and continues to work towards a bigger goal.
Rover Scout Merch in New Westminster, a division of the End2End Media design firm, has donated more than $400 to each of two funds – the Scouts Canada Brotherhood Fund and the No One Left Behind Fund, for a total of $858.40 donated to date. All of the proceeds have been raised from the sale of Rover Scout Merch products benefiting Scouting.
“Given the difficult economy, I feel that it’s important to give youth the opportunity to experience the adventure that Scouting provides,” said Kimberly McGilvray, project leader and lead designer for Rover Scout Merch. “I feel like these opportunities, which many youth will not otherwise have, provide young people with the chance to experience the leadership developing that Scouting provides.”
Rover Scout Merch has set a goal of raising $2,000 for each of the two funds during the next two years.
McGilvray, who runs End2End Media, is also a Cub Scout leader and Rover Scout with Scouts Canada’s 21st Burnaby Highlanders at SFU.
Friendly city
The City of New Westminster is a friendly place to do business.
That’s the verdict of the Vancouver chapter of Commercial Real Estate Development Association, which recently presented the city with a 2013 NAIOP Award for Municipal Excellence in the Most Business Friendly category.
“We’ve been working hard to create a business friendly environment in New Westminster, and this award is proof that we’re making good progress,” said Mayor Wayne Wright in a press release.
The City of New Westminster, which shared the award with the City of Abbotsford and the District of North Vancouver, received the award for implementation of policies to support the creation of new job spaces. NAIOP singled out the city’s decision to phase in a reduction of property taxes for light industrial users beginning in 2013.
Send Around Town ideas to Theresa, [email protected].
