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Sooke seniors’ bus needs volunteers

The bus takes seniors on day trips to Victoria and up-Island
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The Sooke seniors’ bus has been used by residents for more than 30 years, but lately has been struggling to find the necessary help it needs to keep going.

The bus takes seniors (those over 50 years of age) on day trips to Victoria and up-Island, allowing them to socialize and participate in fun activities such as shopping and wine-tasting.

One Sunday a month they also do a Supper Night Out at different restaurants.

“I think there is a need for it. Seniors that get out live longer, so it’s great for them to go and have lunch or go shopping and talk to each other,” Kay Forde, president of the bus service, said.

Forde, who has been volunteering for the senior bus since 1984, said the board is searching for more volunteers, as there are only four of them who run it and they are starting to get burnt out.

“We are just looking for some fresh ideas, whether it be new trip ideas, or different ways to raise money. We need help thinking of ways to keep it going,” Forde said.

The bus used to receive funding from the government, but no longer does and relies solely on donations and fees from the seniors.

“A lot of seniors can only afford to go on one trip a month or so because it can get quite expensive, which is too bad,” Forde said.

She hopes the bus service can continue, but is afraid that it won’t for much longer if they don’t find more volunteers.

“Until we get a senior centre, there isn’t a lot of other options for seniors to get out and mix with each other,” Forde said. “The people who use the bus every Friday would really miss it if the service went away, so I hope we can get some more people involved.”

To become a volunteer, or for more information about the seniors’ bus, please call Iris Wilson at 250-642-6209 or Kay Forde at 250-642-4662.