Unison, for Generations 50+, and the Unison Kerby Centre is Calgary’s oldest and largest senior centre.
We value our senior community and want to help them with everything from seniors subsidized housing to giving them a place where seniors can enjoy fitness and activities.
But beyond that, we have very specific values that we put together in recent years: values that show off exactly what Unison is all about.
We have six values, ranging from Empowerment, Compassion, and Collaboration to Respect and Aging.
But the sixth and final value we want to talk about today is inclusivity: the idea that Unison embraces the diversity of all people.
No two seniors are alike. Serving everyone means everyone: regardless of race, gender, sexuality, income level or anything else.
It’s not uncommon to have someone walk into the centre looking for help and have trouble with a language barrier: usually followed up by finding one of our amazing, diverse staff members to help translate.
There’s nothing more important than being understood, especially when you’re trying to get assistance.
Which is why we partnered with Bridge to Oasis on promoting Elder Abuse Awareness in the Black community within Calgary.
We have so much information about the topic of elder abuse, and what an important topic it is.
We need to help communicate what elder abuse is, how devastatingly common it is and how people can access vital services to get help.
How can we do that effectively when many times, the people we’re trying to serve might not be able to read or understand the materials we have?
So of course: we had to make new materials!
We translated all of our elder abuse brochures and pamphlets into a huge host of languages: Akan, Hausa, Kiswahili, Igbo, Yoruba and Nigerian Pidgin English, just to name a few!
This program is very important because Elder Abuse in the Black community is a subject people often would not want to talk about due to culture and shame.” says Kemi Anjorin-Ohu, community case worker with the Unison Elder Abuse Shelter. “Elders would rather be silent about it than seek help.”
Unison is proud to help partner with Bridge to Oasis to help spread awareness in a way that is understanding and thoughtful of the different experiences of people of colour in our seniors community.
"People within the Black communities appreciate Unison, for Generations 50+ for being the first organization to address elder abuse in the Black community from a culturally sensitive lens.”