Parkside Manor Seniors hoping to grow membership in 2026

Times Photo by Trevor Busch. LUNCH DATE: Local seniors enjoy some fellowship prior to the soup and sandwich meal on Nov. 26 at Parkside Manor.

By Trevor Busch
Taber Times
editor@tabertimes.com

With an eye towards enhancing membership among local seniors, Parkside Manor is hoping to raise more awareness about what the facility and the seniors group have to offer the community.

“I just got voted to be new president. So this is my first gig,” said Terry Beers, president for Parkside Manor Seniors. “It was brought up that we should bring you guys in (Taber Times) just to promote the senior manor here, where we play crib, we play whist, we have a bridge club, and we also do 31. And then we have dinners every second Wednesday of the month, and soup and sandwich on the fourth (Wednesday).”

Beers feels there could be a lot of seniors out there in the community that might be craving some fellowship and interaction. 

“Just to tell the seniors – we’ve only got less than 200 members. There’s more of us out there that we could enjoy everybody’s company. We have bingos and horse races and stuff like that, and like other senior manors, they promote casino trips. They go to Calgary, I guess Lethbridge is doing one of them.”

Seniors organizations are always looking for younger members to help take on some of the tasks that others now find too arduous.

“Promote the place, find more people, younger people. I took over as the past president is turning 80 this year. You know, like every place we have to find some younger seniors to do that heavy lifting, like setting up tables and putting them down again.”

Gladys Klics, treasurer for Parkside Manor Seniors, is on the same page as Beers. 

“More members, more attendance at our dinners. The facilities, because we rent them out, we do a lot of bookings. You know, it’s really increased.”

Past president Colene Bennett said maintaining the vitality of the organization is largely about awareness.

“We’re just trying to let the public know what we do, right? There is these things going on. So many of our seniors forget things, you know. So we tell them, and sometimes we tell them again and again, but they still forget. So, I mean, there’s nothing we can do about that, but the more we get it out there, what we’re doing, I think it’s going to help.”

“She has had two terms as president, so she knows everything,” joked Klics. 

Klics explained becoming a member isn’t difficult, and shouldn’t break the bank for seniors on a budget. 

“They just come in and say they’d like to be a member, and they pay $10 a year. We take their information down and their birthdays so that we put them on the birthday board. We have a phone number here (403-223-4247), they can phone and leave a message with our caretaker (Cara) and she will give them the information.”

There’s always something to keep people entertained at Parkside Manor throughout the year.

“The (regular dinner) is the second Wednesday of every month, we have soup and sandwich the fourth Wednesday of every month, and we have different card games during the week,” said Bennett. “And we have two big events here. We have a Christmas dinner first Friday in December. The Kinsmen used to do a Heritage Supper, but we have taken that over the last few years in conjunction with the Kinsmen. And so we have that during the first week of June, Seniors Week, and we have Senior Week activities here, too.”

For anyone who might be interested in supporting the group financially or providing a donation, they just need to reach out.

“They could contact one of us, or anybody on that board,” said Klics. 

The seniors group is all about fellowship.

“It’s just promoting friendship and kindness. We do try to give people a hug if they need one. We send cards and flowers to bereaved members. So it’s just to keep in touch and to protect one big family is what we want,” said Bennett. “It’s nice to go out and see how other people are living. It makes you feel better. Sometimes, you know, you think you have a problem. You don’t have one at all.”

“And to give seniors a place to come and be with other people, because we do have a lot of widows and widowers out here,” said Klics. “Give them the chance to dress up and come, wear that new dress, or that new coat.”

Beers welcomes anyone who would like to come experience what Parkside Manor has to offer for seniors.

“Just to come out – come out and see what we do. And even if they don’t join, they should come out and see what we do. They’re welcome to come anytime.”