Seniors can now access important and useful information through a three-digit phone-in number, 211, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
But while the Seniors Help Line is a free, confidential and multilingual service, it's not much good to its target market without a handy reminder of the number.
Enter a new initiative from the Peninsula's oldest rotarian organization – the White Rock Rotary Club – utilizing one of the most low-tech of all household gadgets, the humble, but useful, fridge magnet.
The Seniors Help Line magnet was launched last week at the White Rock Come Share Society's South Surrey offices.
Brainchild of members Linda Sinclair and Don Jones, the free Rotary Wheel-shaped magnet is a partnership between the club, the BC 211 service, and the United Way, a major sponsor of the help line.
"Dialing 211 helps link people rapidly and easily to the services they need, avoiding the stress and confusion of searching for programs and services," Sinclair noted in a release promoting the magnets.
"We are happy to be partnering with BC 211 to help seniors in our community and beyond find social, community and government services."
Both retired, Sinclair and Jones were looking at volunteer options involving seniors. They found that while many services existed to help seniors cope with everything from avoiding abuse, overcoming isolation and staying at home longer, connecting with the providers could be confusing and overwhelming.
"We found it was not easy for seniors to seek the help or advice they wanted and needed," said Jones in the release.
"Looking for a simple way to access all these valuable services that are available, Linda and I did some research, found BC 211, paid them a visit and things snowballed from there."
The magnets are currently being distributed through numerous churches and organizations on the Peninsula, including Sources Community Resource Centres, Come Share, Fraser Health, the Kent Street Activity Centre, and the Canadian Association of Retired People.