Image: Compassionate Neighbours / A Chilliwack non-profit whose programs facilitate a variety of services for older adults in Chilliwack is launching a one-year support project for community living seniors centred around learning, cooking and social sharing.

By Mike Vanden Bosch

Senior support program

Chilliwack non-profit launches twice-monthly social, cooking and learning initiative for 55+ adults

Mar 10, 2026 | 2:02 PM

CHILLIWACK — A Chilliwack non-profit whose programs facilitate a variety of services for older adults in Chilliwack is launching a one-year support project for community living seniors centred around learning, cooking and social sharing.

Chilliwack-based Compassionate Neighbours says it’s excited to launch the Enhanced Social and Nutritional Support project through a generous grant from the Maplewood Care Foundation.

Compassionate Neighbours board president and acting executive director Connie Stam says older adult participants ages 55 and up, and volunteers who would love to support seniors, are invited to participate in the exciting new initiative. The program launches on Tuesday, April 14.

Compassionate Neighbours has partnered for the past 3 years with the Chilliwack Community Services social prescribing program in offering bi-weekly intergenerational cooking sessions on Saturdays from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for up to 12 seniors/session. The non-profit says the program is highly valued and enjoyed by both the seniors and the youth participating. This program will continue and will be expanded by adding this new initiative. Chilliwack Community Services will also partner with Compassionate Neighbours in seeking youth and adult volunteers for this new initiative.

Compassionate Neighbours has, over the past several years, held several highly successful 6-week cooking courses for older adults through the BC Centre for Disease Control, and these were also received with enthusiasm, Stam says. The facilitator who led these courses is highly regarded and she will be the instructor and facilitator for this new initiative.

Senior support program

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Building on the above-mentioned program and courses, Compassionate Neighbours is expanding, through the generous grant received from the Maplewood Care Foundation, to providing this new opportunity for 36 adults 55+ and for six volunteers. Couples are also welcome to register for this project.

Compassionate Neighbours will also support those older adults who do not drive, with filling out and hand delivering their HandyDART paperwork, and provide free taxi service to the sessions until their application has been approved.

This is a “one-year” project which consists of 23 cooking, learning, and social sharing sessions. These sessions will take place on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., beginning on April 14. By registering, the older adult would commit to attend all 23 sessions. The first 36 adults 55+ who register will have a spot. If there are additional registrants, Compassionate Neighbours will create a waiting list in case of unexpected circumstances that may arise in the life of one of the participating adults.

“Often older adults express that it is difficult to have the incentive to continue cooking nutritious meals once you lose your spouse or intimate partner and begin a new singles life,” Stam said. “There are also couples, after children are grown and have left the home, that find they have less motivation to cook for only two as it can be challenging to cook recipes for only one or two people. As we age, we often can be confronted with special dietary requirements because of living with chronic conditions. This adds a new level of challenge to our cooking experience.”

Image: Compassionate Neighbours / A poster about the upcoming program that begins on Tuesday, April 14 in Chilliwack.

This one-year project plans to use the book “Healthy Eating for Seniors” written by the Ministry of Health Services, and each participating senior will receive a copy of this book for their personal use. It includes some sessions to address cooking when living with heart health concerns or with Type 1 diabetes. Each session will include practical nutrition tips, preparing simple recipes, and facilitated discussions and socialization opportunities in a warm social environment where everyone learns and works together. This also fosters an environment for making new friendships as meals are prepared and shared together.

Volunteers will have the privilege of building intergenerational relationships with the older adults as they support them in the discussions and the preparation and clean up of the meals.

If you are an older adult 55+ and would like to know more or to register for this exciting new initiative, or if you are interested in being a volunteer for the project, please email or call Connie: neighbourhealth@gmail.com; 604-798-2023. Compassionate Neighbours would love to hear from you!