Final Seniors Social Meal Held as Seniors Council Seeks Funding for Next Year

Seniors gathered in the Billy Barker Banquet room on Monday, March 31, for the North Cariboo Seniors Council’s final Social Meal of the year.

“It’s our social meals to encourage seniors to get together and socialize, to come out, meet other people, and have a relaxing and fun time,” says Colleen Gauthier, President of the North Cariboo Seniors Council (NCSC).

Gauthier says the NCSC has hosted Social Meals across Quesnel and has hired local restaurants to cater to them. Monday’s meal was held in the Billy Barker Hotel and Casino’s banquet room as a “Grande Finale” to the year.

Over 40 seniors sat in the banquet room sipping coffee and tea, what Gauthier says is “about average” for each Meal. All the meals are organized and managed by the NCSC volunteers. From organizing catering, tickets, and driving to give seniors rides to and from the Meal.

It may be the final Social Meal “for a while”, according to Gauthier. The grant funding from United Way for 2024 and 2025 has all been spent. Without a timeframe when the NCSC will get funding to continue the meals program.

“We applied for a new social meals grant from United Way that will take us through 2025,26,” Gauthier says. “We applied for a little bit more, so we can hopefully do more for those people who are more secluded and confined to their homes. Possibly a Meal with the volunteers too.”

The Social Meals Program has been a major event for the NCSC and many seniors in the Quesnel community. Gauthier says the Council has seen an increase in seniors socializing since the Meals program began last year.

“Many of said to us, ‘I don’t leave the house very often, but I do now for this,'” says Gauthier. “Some have made friends from coming to these Meals, and come back to meet their new friends every time, and seniors need that. We have our fingers crossed that we’ll get the grant and can continue this program.”