By MPC Foundation
MPC Foundation is a grassroots, community-based Alberta registered charity whose primary mission is to address seniors’ social isolation by creating social hubs online or in community spaces where seniors can learn, stay fit and healthy and build supportive networks. By doing so, seniors gain access to resources and opportunities to stay physically, mentally and socially healthy, thereby contributing to their efforts to age well in the community for as long as possible.
MPC provides free online ZOOM courses and regular in-person events for seniors and older adults in the community. From English classes taught by experienced instructors to weekly information sessions from providers such as Alberta Health Services, MPC’s classes provide a focal point for seniors to get together every day for a variety of pursuits. Of all the classes that MPC offers, the English Conversation classes are the most popular. Across six classes of varying levels of proficiency, participants are sorted based on their current English language levels and accommodated accordingly to find the best fit. Most of the seniors that we serve are immigrants or newcomers who eagerly attend class once a week, motivated by a desire to be able to function normally in Canadian society. They look forward to receiving lesson notes every week, participate eagerly during lessons and are happy to be assigned homework. Some of our teachers go the extra mile by having their lessons recorded and uploaded to our YouTube channel so that participants can review the lessons during the week.
As a small charitable organization, budgetary concerns limit our ability to provide more English learning opportunities for these eager learners. Currently, we are able to offer once-a-week classes to about 55 seniors who spend 1.5 hours learning English. There is demand for more and we can only meet that demand with the help of volunteers or more donations. To meet this demand, we hope to strategically expand our English learning department. Towards this goal, we hope to be able to offer classes to these seniors twice a week, with the same duration of 1.5 hours each time. Secondly, we hope to find the resources and support to develop senior-focused, practical English lessons that they can put to good use on a daily basis. Examples include developing modules of six-week classes, each module targeting a facet of life that affects them. This could include such topics as English for Health, English for Women’s Health, English for Dental Visits, English for Gardening, and others.
While the pandemic has changed many facets of life for many of us, something good has also emerged from all of this. Seniors have embraced online learning and socialization like never before and with that brings exciting possibilities for participants and volunteers to be able to contribute from near and far. The need is great but the resources are few. With your assistance in whatever form possible, we can all make a difference in the life of a senior in need.
Reach out to us to have a conversation. Call 587-480-7373; email (info@mpcfdn.ca) or visit our website (https://www.mpcfdn.ca).