Progressive Intercultural Community Services (PICS) CEO Charan Gill is often asked why he is so passionate about building a culturally-sensitive long term seniors home.
And each time, he has patiently replied, “so that our seniors can spend the last days of their lives speaking a language they understand, eating foods they know and smelling the fragrances they are familiar with.”
For the able-bodied these may not be the most important things in their lives, but for a senior who is battling multiple aging issues, the small pleasures of life go a long way in improving their quality of life.
And therefore for the last many years Gill has been passionately championing the cause of building a culturally-sensitive long term care home for seniors in the community of Surrey.
‘PICS was a trailblazer in conceptualizing and building the first multicultural-assisted living facility in Surrey. I was overwhelmed by the response that PICS received from the community and government authorities then, and I am sure we will be able to rally the entire community again for this project as well,” says Gill.
PICS recently acquired two acres of land in central Cloverdale for the purpose of building the long term care home. Gill and senior PICS staff members have already met with officials of BC Housing and Fraser Health who have been extremely receptive to supporting the project.
PICS’ proposed Long Term Care Home will be a 125 bed facility fully equipped to care for the elderly who need personalized attention in a setting which is familiar to them.
Surrey Memorial Hospital currently houses at least 150 South Asian seniors, and this facility when built, will not only ease the overcrowding at the hospital but will also save the government at least $1,000 per day, per senior.
“I am asking the entire community to help us make this project a reality. We need to raise $1 million by December to retain this land and I am appealing to the entire community to contribute” says Gill.
“It’s time to give back and do something for our parents who have spent their entire life caring for us. As they age and deal with multiple health issues, we need to make sure that they are safe, happy and in a place that is familiar to them. But this can only happen if we support this care home,” points out Gill.
To raise funds for the long term care home, PICS is planning a fundraising event on Friday, May 22, 2015, at Aria Banquet Hall in Surrey. A table of eight is for $1,000 and individual tickets cost $150. “Please make this home a reality. It’s time to give back,” says Gill.
Fundraising for the multicultural long term care home will continue beyond the May 22 Gala. If you wish to donate, please call 604-596-7722. You can also make a donation at www.pics.bc.ca.
