SURREY — Seniors in Surrey will soon be called upon to share their skills and experience through a new Triple “E” Elder Bank.
Triple “E” stands for expert, entertainer and educator and the pilot project will let seniors tell their story and offer advice to younger people that have a similar interest or a career they wish to pursue.
It is a joint initiative between the City of Surrey and the provincial government, both contributing $300,000 over three years.
The city is also creating an elder co-ordinator position to develop a strategy “driven by the vision of seniors as an essential community resource.”
“The City of Surrey has always been an innovator in terms of citizen engagement,” said Surrey Mayor Linda Hepner in a release. “This program is going to take us to a whole new level by giving our seniors the opportunity to continue making contributions to their community in a meaningful way.”
Surrey-Fleetwood MLA Peter Fassbender said the elder bank will provide mentorship opportunities for seniors to “make an inspiring deposit in the future of young people.”
MLA Darryl Plecas, Parliamentary Secretary for Seniors, praised Surrey Coun. Barbara Steele, Fire Chief Len Gris and Dr. Martha Dow at the University of the Fraser Valley for getting the project off the ground.
“I hope this program serves as a future model for other municipalities and as the next step in looking at seniors as a valuable and often untapped resource,” said Plecas.