With cautious optimism the Kerrisdale Community Centre Society and centre staff continue in our efforts to open more doors at the centre. The caution comes from our awareness that the numbers of Covid-19 cases in the greater Vancouver area are starting to rise; the optimism comes from our awareness that many people are anxious for the centre to reopen and are willing to participate safely.
Our outdoor summer programming for adults and children attracted many participants but suffered from the impacts of fire smoke in the air followed by more than a week of rain. As a result, many program activities were cancelled. These programs will run to October 9th.
Our Seniors Centre is now offering a combination of dine-in lunches (maximum 32 people per seating) and take-out lunches (maximum 50 participants) for seniors over age 55. Participation has been growing steadily as local seniors become increasingly aware that nutritious hot lunches are again available at the Kerrisdale Seniors’ Centre. Menus and schedules are available at kerrisdalecc.com/seniors-lunch-program or by pick up at the centre.
A broad array of seniors’ programs are now underway including Osteofit, Move to Music, Joint Works, and Core Conditioning. The snooker and pool tables are now available for use. Preregistration either on line or by phone is required. More programs for seniors will begin after Thanksgiving.
This fall we will be offering a combination of in- person and online programs. Centre staff has succeeded in bringing back 114 in person programs with registration starting 9am on October 15 and programs starting October 19. Unfortunately, because of Covid-19 controls, the number of participants in each program will be limited; you will also be asked to complete a short health questionnaire on entering the building. Please visit kerrisdalecc.com for pricing, schedules and to register for these in person programs.
Our new selection of online programming will offer an alternative. The Society’s Communications Committee has risen to the challenge to develop and coordinate this new service. Visit kerrisdalecc.com/programs-registration to register for any one (or more) of the wide selection of online programs for seniors, adults and children being presented by some of the centres most popular instructors.
Kerrisdale Earthquake Emergency Preparedness (KEEP) is a community group sponsored by the Kerrisdale Community Centre Society. Prior to Covid this group was active in making local residents aware of earthquake risks, response opportunities, and communication needs. While not an earthquake, this group rose to the challenge of Covid-19, a different community emergency! Working with a UBC intern, KEEP coordinated with the Kerrisdale Business Association (KBA) to undertake a business resilience assessment, the purpose of which was to identify business challenges and best practices that our local businesses experienced. You can read the final report HERE.
If you have passed by the community centre over the past few weeks you will have seen Park Board painters busy at work. The exterior painting project is a culmination of several months of consultation between the Park Board and the Society’s Building Maintenance Committee. We expect paint application to be completed by the middle of October. Work on new signage will hopefully start shortly thereafter.
Sincerely,
Robert Lockhart, President
Kerrisdale Community Centre Society