The frustration and disappointment of our seniors prompted a rally, held November 25 in front of the municipal hall.
After the third location in three years, we feel we no longer have a Sooke Seniors’ Drop-in Centre. We have so little to offer the seniors in Sooke with the location and hours we have available.
We were asked early in the year to put together a visioning document for the mayor and council to be used to put forward a Request for Proposal. Whether an RFP has been put together, we are not aware. Since being located in the community hall there has been no meaningful communication between ourselves and the mayor.
Our expectation following the rally is productive dialogue with the mayor and council, and that perhaps the event will have given some insight to the citizens of Sooke as to our goals.
Our visioning document is available to all interested parties. Please contact myself for an electronic copy, or printed version if you do not have access to a computer. This document is a detail of our vision for a community-based facility for all ages, and a detailed document of “All” the locations in Sooke we have visited, and the pros and cons of each.
The $25,000 we understand is now in a contingency fund toward construction of a facility in conjunction with grant monies from federal and provincial governments. It is my understanding, said grants can only be applied for if there is a property in place to put a building on. This is what we are aiming for, so that we can in fact apply for funding and help raise funds for a multi-purpose facility.
Many thanks to all who showed their support at the rally, we need all the support we can get. Sincerely,
Carol Pinalski
President
Sooke Seniors Drop-in Center