Finding Home » Seniors

From Victims To Champions – A New North Shore Seniors Speakers Bureau

admin — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 19:46:25 +0000

Our first Finding Home™ seniors dialogue series on Elder Financial Abuse was with a multicultural seniors group. The dialogues were hosted by North Shore Neighbourhood House and John Braithwaite Community Centre. During the dialogues participants explored the meaning of home, ways family members can take advantage of seniors, and strategies to prevent elder financial abuse. Out of the dialogues they have started a phenomenal Victims To Champions Seniors Speakers Bureau and have already spoken at Seniors Day, North Shore Services To Seniors Coalition, North Shore police, City Council, and have several other speaking gigs lined up. In addition, they have created a flyer on ‘Tips on Personal Power’ for seniors and are currently working on a video project.

Applause for Victims to Champions Speakers on the North Side

Check out the Victims to Champions mural..

Click to enlarge

Download Posters HERE.

Read Related Blog Posts:

From Victims To Champions – New North Shore Seniors Speakers Bureau

Love Is Powerful and Precious

North Shore Seniors Share Stories And Share Home

North Shore Seniors Learn About Community Resources

Seniors Share 5 Tips on Moving Past Embarrassment

How To Spot A Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing

Recovering From Con Artists – Seniors Share Their Stories

Seniors Counsel for Elders Financial Abuse Awareness Dialogue Project

Building a Safety Net – Elder Abuse Prevention

Iranian River Party

admin — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 19:42:11 +0000

During Finding Home™ Iranian Seniors Dialogues at John Braithwaite Community Centre and the North Shore Neighbourhood House, dialogue participants shared stories about the meaning of home, how to live well together, and tips for newcomer Iranians on how to create home in Canada. Throughout the dialogues, participants expressed the importance rivers play in creating home for them. One dialogue participant broke into song about the Karoun River in southern Iran and told us that all human beings should see this river, because once you see this river you will know the love of the world. Consequently, we hosted their celebrating success event at a local North Shore river, where the seniors, sang, read poetry, danced, gave speeches and shared food. Now these creative and inspiring seniors are busy preparing for BC Rivers Day where they hope to share their love of rivers with the wider community.

Iranian Seniors Finding Home™ Dialogue Participants

See a Video Clip HERE

Download Posters HERE

Teaching Kindness & Caring Prevents Elder Financial Abuse

admin — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 19:42:58 +0000

During South Asian Punjabi Seniors Finding Home™ dialogues, participants identified raising their sons to be selfish is one of the root cause of elder financial abuse in their communities. They offer tips on how to prevent selfishness and greed from taking root by teaching kindness and caring to both boys and girls at an early age. Read more to learn about their tips and strategies….

South Asian Punjabi Seniors Finding Home™ Dialogue Participants

7 Tips To Teach Kindness & Caring …
•   Raise sons and daughters the same
•   Teach sons to work hard & earn their own money
•   Give sons jobs & chores
•   Encourage sons to show love & kindness
•   Stop treating men as gods
•   Praise boys when they are kind and caring
•   Read proverbs and stories to children about caring and kindness

8 Strategies To Prevent Elder Financial Abuse…
•   Start a cultural ceremony that celebrates girls’ long lives
•   Don’t give to people who don’t respect you
•   Keep your independence
•   Listen to your gut feeling & instinct
•   Don’t give in
•   Realize you can’t buy respect
•   Don’t set up joint accounts or joint tenancy
•   Make a will

Download Posters HERE.

Read Related Blogs:

How To Spot A Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing

Recovering From Con Artists – Seniors Share Their Stories

Seniors Counsel for Elders Financial Abuse Awareness Dialogue Project

The Art of Convening and Hosting Dialogues

Building a Safety Net – Elder Abuse Prevention

Love Is Powerful & Precious

North Shore Seniors Make Waves

admin — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:44:17 +0000

John Braithwaite Community Centre (JBCC) and the North Shore Neighbourhood House (NSNH) hosted Finding Home seniors dialogues. During the dialogues, seniors shared their experiences and generated practical tips about: moving from your home into a smaller place; the art of forgiveness; and how to find home within yourself. Throughout each dialogue, the seniors shared about the importance of gratitude in living through and responding to these everyday challenges. Highlights from each dialogue were turned into educational posters and are being distributed throughout North Vancouver as part of a larger strategy to create an age-friendly community.

To celebrate the seniors’ achievement, the dialogue participants hosted a community-wide Finding Home dialogue on Seniors Day at John Braithwaite Community Centre. The theme of the dialogue was about the importance of gratitude in creating home. In particular, all the seniors present shared their gratitude towards JBCC and NSNH staff and volunteers for all their work in providing quality programs for seniors and how crucial both community centres and neighbourhood houses are in creating a sense of home for older adults. One senior explained, “Neighbourhood Houses are my family.”

Recently, the seniors who participated in the Finding Home dialogue series have been invited to present their posters and findings to the City of North Vancouver’s interagency meeting. In addition, an invitation from a local school to talk with youth about the art of forgiveness and values for a bully-free world are in the works. Keep an eye out for these North Shore seniors as they make waves in their own lives and communities.

North Shore Seniors Say Gratitude Creates Home - Graphic Facilitation by Cheyenne Dyer

Moving From A House to One Bedroom

admin — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 21:02:20 +0000

During Fining Home seniors’ dialogues at John Braithwaite community centre and the North Shore Neighbourhood House today, seniors shared experiences of moving into a smaller place. One dialogue participant shared his story of having to move from a house to one bedroom after a recent health and financial crisis. He had no time to adjust to the change or decide what to keep and what to let go of. For him, it was a traumatic experience to discover his most cherished momentos had been given or thrown away. Together the group brainstormed how to find a sense of home in a smaller place. Drawing on past experiences as a student, living on a boat or as a traveler they generated new solutions for this present day challenge.

Active Aging Symposium

admin — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 21:16:18 +0000

Finding Home shared a booth with Seniors Services Society at the Ministry of Healthy Living and Sport Active Aging Symposium in Vancouver. We asked visitors what creates home for you? Visitors to our booth then put together a collage of what creates home for them. They then posed for a photo in front of their masterpiece and we turned the photographs into a slideshow. To view the powerpoint of this interactive booth, Click here

Seniors Share Tips About De-Cluttering Our Minds

admin — Thu, 21 May 2009 21:47:00 +0000

Seniors at Kitsilano Neighbourhood House gather once a week for Finding Home Dialogues. Each week, they choose their Finding Home priority need and I custom design a dialogue around that theme. Today’s theme was How To De-Clutter Our Minds. Dialogue participants shared reasons for a cluttered mind such as feeling overwhelmed, covering up sadness, having inner chatter about the past, or being critical of yourself or others. After generating many strategies to de-clutter your mind, they decided cultivating self awareness and learning to celebrate yourself is key.

United Way Impact Session

admin — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 21:48:46 +0000

When Finding Home took its first steps, the United Way of the Lower Mainland . was one of the very first funders. Now, three years later, the United Way invited me to present Finding Home in an impact session to their staff. I invited Frieda Hogg, a participant in a recent Finding Home seniors dialogue series from Seniors Services Society , to present with me. Frieda shared stories about what home has meant to her through war-time, the depression and now as a senior. Afterwards, we all went out for a celebratory lunch.

Seniors Food Forum – Meals For The Future

admin — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 21:48:13 +0000

I was invited to give a keynote address today at the Forum for Seniors Food Service Providers hosted by The Centre for Health and Community Partnerships at Douglas College. Using the Rattlesnake Lessons for Change metaphor we explored what is the nature of the current change process with regards to seniors and meal service providers. We then explored everyone’s memory of a good meal in small groups. Each small group synthesized the common elements that create a good meal. It was interesting that not one small group identified the details about food as an element that creates a good meal. Things like good conversation, good company, and a beautiful environment were the majority’s experience of what creates a good meal. In addition, we explored the transitions that most seniors undergo that need food service providers and what best supports them during these, often difficult, times. In exploring these themes new ideas began to be generated about what is needed to enhance seniors food services. For a final report, contact The Centre for Health and Community Partnerships. To learn about our keynote addresses contact us

Finding Home Goes To Ottawa

admin — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 21:50:48 +0000

Human Resources and Social Development’s (HRSDC) Director of social policy and Director of Emerging Trends invited Finiding Home to give a presentation in Ottawa at HRSDC’s Friends of Social Policy meeting. This monthly meeting convenes 40 director generals of various federal departments. After a 20 minute Finding Home presentation a discussion about a potential national approach were discussed. While in Ottawa I met with seniors related funders and directors about taking the How To Spot A Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing (link to blog post below) dialogue model on a regional level.
Coincidently, Barack Obama was visiting Ottawa the same day. Apparently, people began to gather outside the Parliament buildings at 4am to get a glimpse of the US President as he walked in the door. One of the banners that could be seen in the crowds read “Maybe We Can!” Oh the Joys of being Canadian!