Senior Power 2015 a success

Sharon McLeay
Times Contributor

 

Laughter and chatter filled the Hope Church foyer on Sept. 11, where a good turnout for the 2015 Senior Power conference kicked off. Various agencies had set up booths, manned with knowledgeable staff, giving area seniors good information on lifestyle choices. Some of the booths were: WFCSS, Strathmore FCSS, the Strathmore Library, Alberta Finance Consultants, Wheatland Lodge, the Happy Gang, Office of the Public Guardian, Bridging the Gap and Wheatland Lodge.
The two speakers were Mel Foat and Kris Penmann. Foat gave a moving account of his journey through sudden blindness and introduced his seeing-eye dog Walker, then gave demonstrations of Walker’s skills and discipline.
Penmann, a peace officer with Wheatland County, walked seniors through the many ways scam artists were trying to take money from the public and gave tips on how seniors can protect themselves.
Wheatland Family and Community Services launched their Seniors Resource handbook and gave copies out to the audience.
“We tried to think of every kind of service seniors could use and need and included them in the handbook,” said Lynn Walker, WFCSS coordinator and MC for the conference. Walker kept the program light and fun by interspersing presentations with jokes that seniors could share with their friends.
A hearty soup and sandwich luncheon was cooked and served by Bridging the Gap staff.
The afternoon left time for visiting and breakout group sessions,with the topic of giving back to the community and brainstorming services that would be beneficial to seniors in the Strathmore Wheatland County area.
“We want to get feedback from you and provide a way to have your voice heard,” said Walker.
Conference feedback forms were also provided for guests to contribute evaluations of the conference. Gift bags filled with discounts and goodies were given to the first 50 people attending; and door prises and gift draws were made for donated goods from sponsors of the conference.