New Prince George Council of Seniors (PGCOS) executive director, Michelle McGregor, is part of the staff and program expansion for the local non-profit that operates programs, offers services and hosts events to enhance the lives of older adults, which are located at the Seniors Resource Centre at 721 Victoria Street.
McGregor’s most recent position was with the Prince George Community Legal Clinic hosted by the BC First Nations Justice Council and other positions included working as a Housing Manager, a Social Justice Coordinator and a Poverty Law Advocate.
Joining the team for the Council of Seniors still offers McGregor the opportunity to use her skills to help a vulnerable population but now it’s for those 55+.
“I have always had a passion for working with seniors,” McGregor said about switching career gears. “My first official job was working as a care aid in a retirement home back in high school and I loved it.”
It’s been a busy first two months for McGregor as she learns how the PGCOS Seniors Resource Centre works in the community and she quickly realized that expanding staff and volunteers to better serve the 55+ group in Prince George was important.
The Centre now has five staff members to offer more programs and services to those in need in the community and countless volunteers are helping to support their efforts.
There’s a new a provincially funded program called Better at Home, that assists seniors with housing information, referrals, applications and connections to community services.
Safe Seniors, Strong Community program funded by the United Way. The program offers seniors 65+ the opportunity to request volunteer help with grocery shopping, meal prep and prescription pick-up or receive a friendly check-in call.
And soon to be started is the friends and family, caregiver support program, which is also through the United Way. There’s even an information and resource handbook that covers topics caregivers struggle with the most, including housing, health care and the law.
Learning about the PG COS and the Resource Centre and all it has to offer has kept McGregor busy.
“It’s been a lot but it’s been really amazing,” she added. “The staff and board here are phenomenal. Their support has been incredible.”
In her past jobs she’s always been in hyper-drive always on the go-go-go, she explained.
“Now I have a different energy and my passion for this work is strong,” McGregor said.
The next big event is the Seniors Fair that takes place at the BCNE. Because of Covid-19 there hasn’t been a Seniors Fair since pre-pandemic so now the PG COS is going full throttle to put the information- and resource-based fair together. Seniors Day at the BCNE is August 18 and they are asking for exhibitors who are geared for seniors.
“We are also offering grocery shopping delivery and we’re just starting to implement light housekeeping and minor repairs,” McGregor said.
Those services will be offered on a sliding scale, she added.
The new Housing and Community Navigator, Lorraine MacArthur, helps with everyone who comes into the office for help.
PGCOS is hosting an Advanced Planning event on July 27 at the main branch of the Prince George Public Library where two lawyers will talk wills and estates.
“When I started in April we had one staff member and now we have five staff members and we’re going to grow some more,” McGregor said. “And everyone here is just amazing.”
For more information about PGCOS and its programs, services and events visit https://www.pgcos.ca/ or call 250-564-4888.
