Heartfelt Lunches in Richer connects seniors
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The first monthly Heartfelt Lunch aimed at connecting seniors to entertainment, culture and each other is set for Jan. 28 at the Richer Young at Hearts Club.
There is free transportation for people in Paradise Village and the Villa in Ste Anne. Anyone else who needs a ride or has dietary needs is encouraged to reach out as soon as possible to the RM of Ste Anne office at 204-422-5929.
Entertainment and presentations will vary widely. Food is catered by local Richer restaurants.
For the first event, Musée Dawson Trail Museum is presenting an exhibit of artifacts. Food will be catered courtesy of Dericas Restaurant.
“And then for February because it is surrounding Festival du Voyageur and Louis Riel Day, we’re planning on having a Metis theme,” said RM of Ste Anne’s Nadine Vielfaure.
“The goal is to have a fiddler with exhibits of Metis art.”
She said there is a long list of local collaborators who made this possible, including Richer Community Club, Richer Métis Local, Richer Recreation Committee, Richer Young at Hearts Club, and Seine River Services for Seniors.
A $9,955 Age-Friendly Manitoba grant got things rolling on creating something to bring seniors together in a fun way, but the RM still needed a more concrete idea of what they should do with the money.
“We sent it off to all our different non-profits and asked them if they had ideas, and Dan came up with this one, reached out to all the different stakeholders and got everyone on board with this fantastic idea,” said Vielfaure.
Dan is Dan Guetre, a man-about-town well known in Richer for spearheading events.
“He’s such an amazing community advocate,” said Vielfaure.
For now, events are planned every fourth Tuesday until May 27. Vielfaure said the hope is to keep things going every month after that as a permanent community fixture if the funding is available, especially during winter months.
Transportation can expand to other areas if there is a demand. While there is no charge, people are asked to donate $5 to help cover the costs. There is also a 50-50 draw at each lunch, which runs 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
And while it is geared to seniors, everyone is welcome. More presenters and entertainers are also invited to reach out to the RM.
Anyone wanting to help volunteer can reach out to the RM as well via email at general@rmofsteanne.com or by calling the office at 204-422-5929.