Media Release  
May 31, 2024  

Frog Hollow Neighbourhood House unveils plan to better serve seniors in North East Vancouver during B.C. Seniors’ Week (June 2-8, 2024).  

“I have learned so much since joining Frog Hollow Neighbourhood House but it was a shock to discover how comprehensively underfunded that seniors programs are in colonized systems.  If citizens knew how little of the federal budget is specifically allocated to seniors, they would be shocked as well.” said Norm Leech, Executive Director of Frog Hollow Neighbourhood House. According to BC Housing documents, people over 55 are the fastest growing segment of the homeless population.

Multiple crises have impacted seniors far more than other age groups. These include the pandemic, extreme weather events, inflation and now the housing affordability crisis. Seniors on fixed incomes have fewer resources to help them respond to all these complex traumas. The effects will have devastating impact on the mental, physical, emotional, and even spiritual health of seniors. Organizations serving seniors all want to do more, and we believe a small investment in a coordinated community approach can reap long lasting benefits to seniors and overall community health. Let us demonstrate our ability to coordinate resources across the neighbourhood and we will prove the effectiveness of our approach.

Frog Hollow Neighbourhood House has been supporting the Hastings-Sunrise community since 1977. Frog Hollow is currently delivering a range of programs specifically for older adults 50 years of age and older, including social meals, digital literacy tutorials, dance & knitting, friendly visits home delivery for those homebound seniors, information and referrals, and many more! For more information, please visit Frog Hollow Seniors Program.

“Investing in our seniors is an investment in the overall health and resilience of our community,” continues Norm. “Let us commit to providing a dignified, safe, and nurturing environment for our elders.”

Media contact: Susan Liu Woronko, 778-773-8697, susanw@froghollow.bc.ca  

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