Just over a year after the first health restrictions relating to COVID-19 were announced by the Province, the City of Burnaby’s Citizen Support Services is wrapping up a program which saw the delivery of over 20,000 frozen meals to Burnaby seniors and other vulnerable people in our community.
It’s just one of the many ways the Citizen Support Services (CSS) team has provided essential services to our community during the pandemic.
During regular years, CSS staff run programs for Burnaby seniors, designed to reduce social isolation and create connections within our community. With stringent health restrictions in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Citizen Support Services was challenged to find new ways to deliver services to Burnaby seniors in need.
From helping people place online grocery orders and making the deliveries, to making weekly check-in calls with isolated seniors, CSS staff and volunteers have helped Burnaby seniors navigate the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I am very proud of the way our department has risen to the challenge with resilience, commitment, hard work and most importantly — caring hearts,” said Michele Wilson, Administrator for Citizen Support Services.
Along the way, the department has received financial support from United Way and the Canadian Medical Association, as well as Burnaby City Councillors, who, in June 2020, voted to redirect 10 per cent of their yearly remuneration to Citizen Support Services to support the Frozen Meal program.
To learn more, please visit: burnaby.ca/citizensupportservices