PAL Does a Lot For People in Waverley West

May 30, 2022

PAL does a lot for people in Waverley West

Winnipeg Free Press

By: Janice Lukes Posted: Wednesday, May. 18, 2022

On the third Wednesday of every month I attend the Pembina Active Living 55-plus coffee café at Whyte Ridge Community Centre (170 Fleetwood Rd.) to meet community members and talk about City of Winnipeg issues and opportunities. What a lively time we have!

PAL is an amazing organization that offers older adults a chance to socialize, have fun, and learn new things. PAL offers a broad range of programming opportunities whereby members can improve their health, knowledge, creativity and give back to the community. Some of these include yoga, dance, hiking, biking, bowling, golfing, and wild line-dancing classes. Creativity knows no limits with older adults and is expressed by many in the painting and craft club, and through the writing and gardening clubs.

There are also many volunteer activities which PAL organizes for members. Recently many members helped with the South Winnipeg Food Drive, they’ve supported Siloam Mission, and members are making gifts for those in need. There are summer adventures, many multi-cultural events and parties planned, all providing great opportunities to be active and socialize.

Sandra Sukhan, president of PAL, and the board of directors recently hired executive director Susan Fletcher, who is creating a spectacular fall lineup of activities. Now that people are more able to socialize in person, members can look forward to many new activities on the agenda.

PAL has an excellent relationship with Whyte Ridge Community Centre and is helping to improve the facility, including upgrades to the bathrooms, meeting rooms and kitchen/canteen. I am in discussions with PAL and the South Winnipeg Community Centre to enable satellite cafés so members can connect with other adults in the communities of Richmond West, Fort Richmond, and the newer communities of Bridgwater, South Pointe and Prairie Pointe.

I encourage you to check out PAL’s new website – www.Pal55plus.ca – to learn more about the organization. Consider popping by the coffee café, too. It is open every Wednesday afternoon from 1 to 3 p.m. and the really hot city topics are discussed on the third Wednesday of the month.