St. Albert city councillor Sheena Hughes is looking to develop a new awards program to recognize the efforts of seniors and non-seniors who volunteer their time to enhance the seniors' community.
Hughes submitted a notice of motion on May 19 to have council discuss such an awards program, although the motion has yet to appear on a council meeting agenda.
While council could make changes, Hughes' motion specifies the awards program would include two separate awards, one open to residents of all ages who “provide extraordinary volunteer services to seniors in St. Albert,” and the second to “seniors who provide extraordinary volunteer services in our community.”
Award recipients would be announced and acknowledged annually during Seniors' Week, the first week of June, Hughes' motion says.
“I would love to be able to just acknowledge what people do to help seniors and what seniors do to improve the quality of life of everybody here," she said.
Hughes said she doesn't imagine the seniors' awards would come with monetary or material prizes; however, those details would be finalized if her motion is passed by council.
“The more you recognize people, the more they want to help. They feel appreciated and acknowledged."
“What I'm also looking for is for the Seniors' Advisory Committee (to) be involved in the creation of the program and the selection process,” she said. “It will help define that committee better.”
The Seniors' Advisory Committee (SAC) and the Youth Advisory Committee (YAC), were recently asked to analyze and recommend change to the purpose and function of each committee. Both have struggled to feel useful as of late because of a lack of items to review on behalf of council.
The SAC, which recently finalized its recommendations ahead of council's scheduled discussion of the topic on June 13, is asking council for a minimum number of items to review each year.
Hughes said it's a step in the right direction for utilizing the committee more frequently, and would give the SAC some responsibility other citizen-based committees also have, such as the Community Services Advisory Committee (CSAC).
