BC CRN E-Connector Newsletter: December 2024

December 2024

Finishing a Year with Safety, Inspiration and Holiday Cheer

As 2024 nears its end, we are thinking about all the ways to stay safe: in our homes, our communities and online. Our features this month discuss intimate partner violence among older people, how to avoid scams and “phishing” during the holiday season, and the call to celebrate people with disabilities.

We also offer you inspiration. Daisy Au of the Chinese CRN is a dynamo with vision and creativity. Read how Daisy led the seniors she works with and helped them create an acclaimed stage performance. Daisy and other CRNs in the community give us great reasons to get up in the morning.

This month’s Tech Tips offers an exercise to help write holiday letters. This might be a fun activity with groups in seniors’ centres or with homebound folks.

As the holiday season approaches, we hope you take time for yourself while preparing for the festivities. The gift of time truly is the best gift of all.

TEAM MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Daisy Au, Chinese CRN Coordinator

Daisy Au vibrates with an unmistakable energetic passion when she talks about senior advocacy. Daisy is currently the Coordinator of the Chinese CRN as well as the Seniors Club Settlement and Family Services at MOSAIC, the CRN host agency. She holds unique insights and access to address the needs of older and vulnerable adults in the Chinese community. Daisy is also a member of the National Council of Community-based Senior Services (CBSS).

Learn more about Daisy

CRNs IN THE COMMUNITY

Learning Events and Community Connections Galore

Outside, October has flown by and November continues to darken and cool - even time itself took a fall back, but the number of learning and community events our CRNs hosted last month has certainly heated up.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

Development Evaluation Survey Coming Soon

Coming Soon! The survey for the 2024 Annual Developmental Evaluations Report on Community Response Networks (CRNs) in British Columbia is set to launch and will be emailed out mid to late January. This report will analyze data collected on CRN activities from the previous year as part of a multi-year developmental evaluation aimed at enhancing and strengthening CRNs across the province.

Please keep an eye out for the survey and make sure to complete it by the deadline—your feedback is essential for fostering growth, raising awareness, building allyship, and enhancing our organization’s internal capacity.

TECHNOLOGY TIPS

Let AI Start Your Writing Project

In the fourth part of our series on artificial intelligence (AI), we look at ways to use AI to help you write or create images like photos or drawings. We use the example of writing a Holiday letter to illustrate how AI works.

Get tips

FEATURED STORIES

Intimate Partner Violence: A Growing Concern for Seniors in Canada

Intimate partner violence affects people of all ages and it can look different at each stage of life. Seniors face unique challenges, often complicated by health issues, financial dependence and social isolation. This November, as part of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence, we discuss how domestic violence impacts older adults and how they, along with community support workers, can recognize signs, seek help and create safer environments.

International Day of Persons with Disabilities is December 3, 2024

The United Nations International Day of Persons with Disabilities is held annually on December 3 to “promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities”. At BC CRN, we celebrate our diverse communities and everyone’s contributions, including those with all levels of abilities. We work with our CRN partners to support persons with disabilities to participate fully in society by advocating for services, supporting service providers, and educating the broader community.

Online Shopping Scams: 6 Tips for Staying Safe this Holiday Season

Holiday shopping can be fun, yet stressful. Online shopping from home can make light of the work, but beware of fraudsters who make their best living this time of year. Read our tips to avoid online shopping scams this season to ensure you have a safe and fun holiday season.

SUBMIT YOUR PHOTOS, STORIES & IDEAS

We would love to hear from you! Use our new form to submit your event photos, stories, and ideas so we can share them with our BC CRN community.

SUBMIT HERE

UPCOMING EVENTS

Introduction to Extreme Clutter Online Presentation

December 3, 2024 | 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm PST

Clutter is formally defined as “a large group of usually unrelated or marginally related objects piled together in a disorganized fashion in spaces designed for other purposes (e.g. tabletops, floor, hallway).” The Introduction to Extreme Clutter program is designed to help people understand what clutter, hoarding, collecting and squalor are. Not everyone who collects or lives in clutter or squalor is actually affected by the Hoarding syndrome.

We're interested in hearing from you!

We welcome your feedback, story ideas and photos for consideration in a future edition. Email us at info@bccrns.ca.

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BC CRN acknowledges the generous financial support of the Province of British Columbia.

For more on the BC CRN and our free programs, visit us at | bccrns.ca.