I organized two free River District Caregiver Cafés in September and October 2026, creating informal opportunities for people supporting older adults to connect, exchange experiences and share practical ideas. The two cafés were designed to address one of the less visible challenges of caregiving: isolation.
Both events were held at the Fraser Lands Church Banquet Room (3330 SE Marine Drive).
It was a much harder program to organize than I expected and much more expensive. There are no community venues in our neighbourhood. The community room at Romer’s now requires a food minimum of $1500. The Champlain Heights Community Centre has no available rooms in the evening. I ended up renting the room at the Fraser Lands Church, and it was $120 for 2 hours, as I needed to pay for the set-up time for the room. I also needed to pay a $500 deposit and buy $ 397 in insurance to be able to host in the venue. I wanted the space to be in the community so people could attend easily.
I promoted the events widely on Facebook, LinkedIn and on posters in the community. I had good engagement on posts, over 20 RSVPs for each session, but less than 1/2 attended, which was disappointing.
Feedback was very strong, and people want something like this to continue in our neighbourhood, but I can’t afford to continue it with this high level of costs.
1. September 15, 2026 — Sharing the Challenge
Theme: What do you wish you’d known?
An informal peer-sharing evening for people supporting an older adult, particularly those navigating caregiving responsibilities while balancing work and other commitments.
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An opportunity to share experiences and lessons learned.
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Space to ask questions and listen to others who understand the experience.
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An emphasis on connection rather than presentations or formal instruction.
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An optional bit of fun through the idea of adding some “bling” to the evening.
2. October 6, 2026 — Tech Solutions
Theme: Practical technology for caregiving
A show-and-tell evening exploring accessible, relatively low-cost technology that could make supporting an older adult easier.
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Sharing technology, apps and practical tools.
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Examples included sensors, playlists, apps and WhatsApp groups.
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Encouraging participants to share things they had tried or discovered.
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Exploring practical solutions rather than delivering a formal technology presentation.
