‘Tis the season for holiday get-togethers, but one local group of social butterflies works year-round to provide opportunities for residents to stay connected.
Irene Tripp and Shirley Lowrie have lived in the Bay Club apartment complex on Collier Street, near Barrie’s waterfront, for around four years and are members of the building's social committee.
The committee currently has seven members — six ladies and one gentleman — who organize and host a variety of gatherings ranging from games nights, a “wine and nibbles” social, a coffee meet-and-greet, bake sales, information nights with local law enforcement, and a chili dinner night, where one of the residents (a retired chef) made the dish.
All of these events are to raise money for their annual barbecue in July, but also serve as an important and fun way for residents to stay connected.
They also decorated the lobby and the activity room for each season.
“We have had a very full year,” said Tripp, who joined the committee shortly after moving into the building in September 2019.
The committee works as a team to create these special events, added Lowrie, noting the group boasts several members in their 80s, one in their 90s and one in their 60s.
“For us, the planning and doing the whole thing, it’s a lot, but we enjoy it. Doing this tree and the one downstairs, sure we get flustered, but it was a lot of fun. One of our dear elves that stepped in to help came down with eggnog and goodness,” Tripp told BarrieToday.
Most of the building’s residents are retired, and widowed, so hosting these events is a great way to get residents out of their units and meeting others.
“People can sit at home and not do much. If it’s organized, they love it,” Tripp said. “It’s a good feeling that we are giving our residents something to look forward to.”
Typically, the events are at capacity, noted Lowrie, telling BarrieToday their most recent wine and cheese night sold out quickly and they had people nearly begging to snag a bowl of chili once it maxed out.
“The sign went up and the 50 were (signed up) just like that. That’s how eager people are to come,” Tripp said. “It’s just a good feeling to get people out and enjoying themselves. They love the tree and we get a lot of comments on it.”
“It’s good for older people to get out … the only time we see each other is in the elevator, so it’s really nice,” Lowrie added when asked about the events and the experience working with the committee to organize the events.
“It’s a good chance to socialize,” said Tripp. “We are a good group here.”
