Thursday, March 20, 2008

Announcing SCBCC's Own Newsletter

In addition to this news blog, SCBCC will be offering to its members and cooperating organizations a printed of copy of the Centre's newsletter - "The Senior Scene"

Celebrating the Holiday with Friends

Each and every year when the holiday season comes about, the Senior Citizens Centre is always prepared with electric lights, pitchers of hot tea, and a good dose of cheer.

The SCBCC is a non-denominational centre, which values everyone's cultural and spiritual paths. In this spirit, they celebrate Eid, Diwali, and Christmas with equal enthusiasm.
This year each event was marked by a free tea and afternoon of entertainment with items produced by the seniors themselves. When appropriate, small gifts were offered to the senior members and their families. These programs were accomplished by generous donations from the local business houses of Ba.

Other holiday activities included a visit to Ba Mission Hospital to ensure that no senior would feel neglected during the festive season. Each elderly inpatient was presented with a small token of appreciation, sponsored by a local housewares supply in Ba town.

The centre looks forward to the celebrations in 2008 and hopes to improve upon their successes of the past year.

Our GALLERY, where you can see just how much fun holidays at SCBCC can be.

The Newest Addition to SCBCC

This year, SCBCC would like to welcome Rabia Amzad as our new programs officer!



Rabia is a local resident of Ba from birth. She resides in FSC with her elderly father, her husband and son. When she is not busy with work, she enjoys cooking at home.

She has always had a keen interest in social welfare, specifically senior care. She is delighted at the opportunity to work with the elderly of Ba at SCBCC and looks forward to learning more about serving her community.

Even during her training, she has shown a real love of caring for her elders, learning from their lessons and offering a sympathetic smile as they tell their stories.
The staff of SCBCC have no doubts the Rabia will prove to be a wonderful addition to our family.

Sunita Singh Says Goodbye




On the 5th of March, the members of Senior Citizens Centre came together to wish their program officer of 6 years, Sunita Singh, goodbye. She leaves the organization to pursue a new life with her soon-to-be husband in Suva.

During her time at SCBCC, she gained a great deal of experience and exposure in the areas of social work and elder care. She designed and managed the offered programs at the Centre and always made sure they were up to a very high standard. She constantly strove to ensure that all members of the Centre were cared for and received individual attention from the staff.

In her words, she says that she "gained the respect and blessings of the seniors as she stayed amongst them and this really changed her life in a significant way."

She would like to thank the organizations like Women's Action for Change, Femlink, Women's Crisis Centre, FCOSS, etc... for offering their workshops and services to SCBCC. In doing so, she was able to learn a great deal and enrich her own life and her ability to serve others. Also, she prays that the Senior Citizens Centre will continue to flourish and always be able to provide services to the elderly of Ba.

Sunday, March 2, 2008

Annual Fund

This year, Senior Citizen Ba Community Centre officially launched its first annual fundraising campaign. In the past, the Centre relied on individual donations to generate vital financial support for SCBCC. This year, the organization is asking its community for help in raising funds before the end of April 2008.

“This annual fund will measure our organizations success in building awareness of elder issues and community support for senior citizens welfare,” said Riya Doherty, a volunteer with SCBCC. “It is critical that we meet our upcoming financial needs and I am confident that we will with the assistance of the generous spirit of Fiji.”

This campaign will be conducted each and every year for the purpose of raising money to assist in paying the non-profit organization's regular, ongoing expenses. The money it raises is most commonly used to offset an operational deficit incurred by running expenses such as rent, salary and programming needs. Gifts to the Annual Fund realize a wide variety of programs, including enrichment opportunities, educational workshops, monthly health clinics, and elder referral services.

The annual campaign accepts any denomination of charitable giving but also offers recognition for individuals and companies willing to support the centre more substancially. Donors giving at a certain level to the annual fund will receive a title noting their charitable gift. These positions are Friend of SCBCC ($100.00 - $499.00), Esteemed Friend($500.00 - $999.99), and finally a Benefactor ($1000.00 or above).

Thanks to the Annual Fund, the SCBCC will be able to support the elderly of Ba by providing access to health services, education, social gatherings, and financial opportunities. We will also be able to raise awareness within the community regarding elder issues and a senior's right to independence, participation, care, self-fulfillment and dignity.

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Position Available: Program Officer

Position Available: Program Officer

We are seeking applications from caring and compassionate individuals who have a strong interest in working with the elderly. This is a hand-on role and a successful applicant should possess and demonstrate the following attributes:

- The ability to interact with the elderly in a respectful and pleasant manner regardless of race, religion or creed.
- The ability to be a good leader - to be able to motivate, guide and teach others
- The ability to organize, plan and coordinate effectively
- The ability to think creatively using all the resources available

Minimum Qualifications

Language: Must speak Hindi and English. Knowledge of Fijian would also be benefical.

Education: A degree is not required for the position. Though preference will be given to applicants with experience and/or training in the fields of counseling, elderly care, program management, and general health issues.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

Lead or assist in social and recreational activities, outings and other programs as needed in a multi-disciplinary day program for the elderly of Ba.

Provide individual attention to participants as needed while maintaining an awareness of the entire group's needs and safety.

Act as an advocate for our aging members as they interact with various government and non-government entities.

Facilitate the development of new programs to appropriately address the needs of the current population of members

Participate in community relations/training events

To Apply:

Please apply in writing with a detailed CV, a letter of application and two referee letters to:

Via Email: Seniorcitizencentre@gmail.com

Via Post: Secretary
Senior Citizens Centre
PO Box 1747
BA, FIJI

Applications close on Thursday, 7 February, 2008

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Welcome

Welcome and thank you for taking an interest in Senior Citizens Ba Community Centre.

This blog has been created to announce news or showcase any of the activities being done at the SCBCC. Please feel free to comment using the link provided below the posting. We welcome any and all comments.