WELLNESS FACILITY RETURNS TO REGULAR PROGRAMMING

by Sonya Kuitenbrouwer

There’s a sense of normalcy returning at the Vancouver Friends for Life Society.

In April, a change to B.C.’s COVID-19 protocol made masks optional in most healthcare facilities. Now, after nearly three and a half years of balancing precaution and community, Friends for Life has made wearing masks optional.

“A lot of people were asking about it”, said Diane Pepin, executive director of the Vancouver Friends for Life Society. “I just looked at what the recommendations were, and masks are no longer mandatory in hospitals, so we decided to relax it.”

For the last 30 years, people facing life-interrupting illnesses like HIV/AIDS and cancer have been supported by Friends for Life. They provide services such as massage therapy, chiropractic care, yoga, and group lunches. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, providing care to immunocompromised individuals became more challenging.

Despite numerous changes in protocols during the pandemic, the staff and volunteers at Friends for Life worked to maintain a sense of community — while prioritizing the health and safety of their client-members. In-house meals became take-out lunches served outside, and many programs transitioned to online platforms, before eventually being offered in-person under reduced hours.

Now, a return to normal operations seems to be on the horizon. The house is open Monday through Thursday offering their regular programs, and with masks no longer required, weekly sit-down lunches are looking to make a comeback as well.

While indoor group meals have not been restricted by public health regulations for some time, Pepin says COVID-19 is no longer the biggest issue at hand.

“One of our dishwashers is broken. They have to be commercial grade because we’re dealing with people’s immunocompromised systems, and one of those costs about $8,000. We have a yearly fundraiser, and so we’ll try to raise the money for the machine then,” Pepin said.

The Friends for Life Society will holding that annual gala and fundraiser at The Vancouver Club on July 17. To learn more about Friends for Life, upcoming fundraisers, and how to donate or volunteer, please visit their website here.

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