Sudbury's Parkside Centre expands Without Walls program to help people feel connected in their homes

The Parkside Centre in downtown Sudbury may have closed its doors to keep COVID-19 out but it is reaching out to members in their homes via technology to keep them connected.

More than a thousand members over the age of 50 are usually in and out of the space creating a hub of activity where people chat, take dance lessons, paint, exercise, quilt and stay active in all sorts of ways.

But when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the Parkside quickly shut down to protect its vulnerable population.

Now it wants to make sure members don't find themselves too alone, and it's using technology to put its programs online

Jim Spencer is the vice-chair of the board of directors.

Alone but not isolated

He says they've expanded the Parkside Centre's online program called Without Walls.

That program was initially created for people who weren't very mobile but wanted to feel involved in the community.

"Without Walls allowed that they could join and they could be part of the community from their own home. It included phone calls, it could be Zoom meetings, it could be conference calls. Anything along that line, projects such as Coffee Talk so they could at 10 o'clock in the morning, join a weekly discussion group to talk about things."

Spencer says about 15 programs are now included in the Without Walls platform including an online painting course. 

He says there will also be a live concert each Friday on the group's Facebook site.

For anyone over 50

"A lot of seniors are very active in the community," he says. "Those are not the ones we're worried about because they're already out there doing things being involved. But the world becomes smaller for a lot of people as they age and we attempt to just bring them back into the fold, get them out there. So that is still the mandate: to get people who are isolated back into the loop, if you will."

He's hoping that the technology doesn't keep people away and says many may easily join by going on Facebook.

For others, Spencer says staff can help members link up to the online programs simply by walking them through the process over the phone.

He says they can call the executive director at  705-673-6227 ext. 225 for help.

The Parkside Centre is also currently waiving its $45 membership fee so all older adults can access the programs.