Above: Liette Beaulieu, Heritage Lodge’s new program coordinator, holds the Lodge’s hectic April schedule. Beaulieu is looking to have more interaction between the seniors at the lodge and the broader community. – Stephen Dafoe Photo
by Stephen Dafoe
Heritage Lodge’s new Program Coordinator Liette Beaulieu has had an opportunity to get her feet wet on the job since joining the facility at the end of March. With a full month of activities under her belt, she is now looking to increase the programming and the interconnection with the broader community.
“I would love to plug in the community a bit more and have the residents go out as well with more outings,” she said. “Those are my goals. Also, when we do have fundraisers at the Lodge, that the community is aware of it.”
Beaulieu said she believes the residents will enjoy a greater interaction in the community and with the community.
The program coordinator has worked at three Lodges within Homeland Housing (Formerly Sturgeon Foundation. This posting is her second position as a program coordinator. She knows the pub nights she has done elsewhere in the past were hits with the seniors as well as the broader towns she worked in. Beaulieu is looking to recreate the formula in Morinville.
“When we had pub nights, and we had the community, it was always the same people. So it becomes about building relationships. It might get them have more [Morinville] residents come out and enjoy us.”
Beaulieu said she would be finding out further what the residents like and don’t like to better serve them.
So far the Lodge has plans for Pub Nights, birthday parties, a visit from the Morinville Minstrels on May 9, the Sturgeon Unity Singers on May 23, and a presentation from Beltone Hearing Centres on May 24, and a sing along with Val and Ted on May 25, all of which are open to the community to attend. Additionally, Beaulieu is having a Mother’s Day event for residents and families.
She is hoping members of the public will come to the public events.
“It was so nice to see,” Beaulieu said of how things were at her previous post. “It kind of became a big family. It was always the same people. They’d come to chat. Sometimes they just came to see the people.”
Volunteers needed
Beaulieu said she would like to see more volunteers 18 and older to assist her with seniors programming at the lodge.
“We do need a criminal record check, and there are some forms that we do need,” Beaulieu said, noting three or four would be ideal. “There’s not a limit.”
Those interested in volunteering or for times and details on entertainment for lodge residents and community can contact Beaulieu at Heritage Lodge at 780-939-3212.
Visit schools.. have the kids more involved. Or the kids visit them..