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Local charity Richmond Cares, Richmond gives has joined the SHINE program, a province-wide initiative created to help seniors navigate housing services and access community supports.
Photo courtesy Richmond Cares, Richmond Gives
New initiative launched to help Richmond seniors find housing
Published 10:56 PDT, Tue July 4, 2023
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By offering a variety of Seniors Community Support Services, local charity Richmond Cares, Richmond Gives (RCRG) works to promote healthy, active aging, with the goal of keeping older adults independent and in their own homes for as long as possible.
For many seniors, however, the very idea of "home" is becoming increasingly unstable. A lack of safe, affordable housing, coupled with the rising cost of rent and the threat of eviction, means a growing number of older adults are at risk of becoming homeless.
To help address this issue, RCRG has joined the SHINE program (Seniors Housing Information and Navigation Ease).
Funded by the BC Ministry of Health and Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions, and led by the Seniors Services Society of BC, SHINE is a province-wide initiative designed to facilitate timely access to and navigation of appropriate housing services and supports for seniors.
“SHINE addresses key bottlenecks in the provision of housing, and the delivery of health and human services,” says Ed Gavsie, president and chief executive officer of RCRG. “By streamlining the process of finding and accessing community supports, the initiative will help older adults maintain a higher quality of life.”
Here in Richmond, the SHINE program will build on RCRG's Seniors Community Connections service, through which trained volunteers help older adults access community resources and apply for government benefits.
As a SHINE partner, RCRG will receive additional funding to assist seniors with housing navigation, and to connect them with a wide range of other supports, whether related to mental health, addictions, food security, financial aid, or another area.
“When it comes to information and referral, RCRG has longed served as a bridge, providing seniors with barrier-free access to Richmond's vast network of community services,” says Gavsie. “Until now, though, that bridge has been a single-lane footpath. With SHINE, it's poised to become a multi-lane highway, with the capacity to serve more seniors more efficiently.”
For more information on the SHINE program, which will be rolled out in the coming months, contact Carol Dickson, RCRG’s Manager of Seniors Community Support Services, at 604-279-7020 or cdickson@rcrg.org
Richmond Cares, Richmond Gives (RCRG) is a registered charity that serves as a hub for volunteering and giving. RCRG is also a direct service provider, operating a Child Care Resource & Referral Centre, the Richmond Christmas Fund, and a variety of Seniors Community Support Services. rcrg.org
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