Roses Life Women Centre in Penticton, B.C., is a space for local women and seniors to gather and heal in the South Okanagan.
The centre provides support for seniors, hosts healing and talking circles for those who have suffered domestic or racial abuse and learning for seniors who have suffered elder and cyber abuse.
“When I first moved here in Penticton, I couldn’t see people like me and people of colour and I had issues finding the support and that is how this idea formed,” said Roses Life Women Centre executive director Rosemary Mupambwa.
“Starting a project like this gives minority women and women that look like me a safe place to go to get services. And me being a senior as well and having retired from my corporate job I thought what else can I do to support seniors.”
The centre recently received a federal grant to help seniors break isolation and boredom post-pandemic.
Through the grant, Roses Life has been able to expand its support services as well as engage seniors in crafting and other activities.
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“To get them to go out for a reason, to make authentic friendships and also give them a sense of purpose,” said Mupambwa.
“It is really helpful for them to create the skills that they have forgotten.”
One of the crafting initiatives is providing knitting and crocheting supplies for women to create handmade toques.
Roses Life has since partnered with Penticton and District Society for Community Living (PDSCL) to donate around 100 handmade toques to those in need.
“We got together as a group and did a bunch of knitting and crocheting to donate out into the community to help everybody,” said Roses Life Women Centre senior craft director Suzen Lawlor Bey.
“Being Christmas time and just there’s a lot of people that are in need and just can’t afford to go out and keep warm.”
The toques will be a part of PDSCL’s giving tree next week and community members are invited to either take a present from the tree or donate one.
The giving tree will be outside of the Penticton and District Society for Community Living’s centre next week for the entire week.
“It’s extraordinary. I described it a few minutes ago as a sea of toques. It’s beautiful,” said PDSCL Program Coordinator Kathleen Estabrooks
“These sorts of initiatives are very needed. It’s cold, yarn is expensive. Things are expensive today, as prices are going up on everything – the more we can help our community and partner with our community members and initiatives to better our community that’s something that I dream of being a part of.”