K KSSS Kootenay Social Support
● Registered Canadian Charity

Helping older adults in the Kootenays stay connected, supported, and independent.

Through social prescribing, KSSS connects older adults across 24 rural BC communities with trained volunteer navigators who walk alongside them — building trust, finding resources, and standing by as needs change.

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Charitable status since 2025 · Tax-receipt eligible donations
A member of the KSSS team, ready to help
24 communities ~26,000 km² of rural BC, served by 7 staff and 130 volunteers
Past 12 Months

The reach of social prescribing in the Kootenays

Behind every number is a neighbour, a volunteer, an hour of conversation, a ride to an appointment, or someone simply being there.

280
Unique clients supported

Each one matched with a trained volunteer navigator for person-centred support.

4,500+
Hours of direct service

Phone calls, home visits, accompaniment, advocacy, and regular check-ins.

3,300+
Support actions completed

Practical, social, and emotional support delivered across the region.

130
Trained volunteers

Neighbours giving their time, skills, and presence to support older adults.

190
Active clients

Older adults currently receiving ongoing support in their communities.

24
Communities served

Across approximately 26,000 km² of the Kootenay region.

The Challenge

When health or distance narrows the world, connection shouldn't be the thing that goes.

Older adults across the Kootenays face interconnected challenges — social isolation, declining health, frailty, poverty, and limited access to practical support. In rural communities, these pressures sharpen with distance, sparse services, and difficult transportation.

In the Regional District of Central Kootenay, 26.5% of residents were aged 65 or older in the 2021 Census, compared with 19% nationally. Among those aged 65+, 17.7% were living below the Low-income Measure after tax.

When mobility changes, the social networks that have sustained people through their lives can quietly disappear — and with them, the confidence to ask for help, navigate services, and stay independent.

17.7%
of older adults (65+) in Central Kootenays living below the Low-income Measure
26.5%
of Central Kootenay residents aged 65 or older — nearly 1 in 3

"Demand continues to exceed our capacity, with waitlists in communities throughout our service area."

What we do

Social prescribing: the role of a volunteer navigator

Social prescribing connects people to non-clinical sources of support. In our model, trained volunteers do more than signpost — they walk alongside older adults, week after week.

01

Consistent, person-centred support

A trained volunteer takes time to understand each older adult as a whole person — their history, relationships, what matters to them, and where they want more support.

02

Strengthen social connection

Volunteers help rebuild the social ties that make life feel like life — re-engagement with friends, family, community groups, faith communities, and neighbours.

03

Identify community resources

From transportation to meals, primary care to housing, benefits to recreation — volunteers help clients find and access what's already there, often hidden in plain sight.

How we're different

A regional team-based model for rural Canada

Rather than replicate the urban social-prescribing model in a rural landscape, we're testing what an established approach can become when it's structured for a 26,000 km² region.

01 — INTAKE

Client intake and assessment

Warm, unhurried conversations to understand each person's situation, goals, and the kind of support that would help.

02 — MATCH

Volunteer matching

Careful pairing of clients with volunteers whose skills, language, community, and personality fit the relationship that needs to be built.

03 — TRAIN

Volunteer training

Substantive preparation — boundaries, communication, navigating rural services, and the realities of working with older adults.

04 — SUPERVISE

Ongoing supervision

Regular debriefs, coaching, and clinical-adjacent support — because complex situations need a professional network to draw on.

05 — COORDINATE

Community coordination

Strong relationships with health authorities, municipalities, primary care, and dozens of community organizations across the region.

06 — EVALUATE

Outcome measurement

Surveys informed by Healthy Aging Index criteria, plus qualitative interviews — to understand the outcomes behind the numbers.

A member of the KSSS team, photographed in a warm, welcoming setting
130 volunteers across 24 communities
Our People

7 staff. 130 volunteers. One promise to every older adult we serve.

The KSSS team is small but far-reaching. Seven staff conduct intake, train and supervise volunteers, coordinate with health and community partners, and travel across the Kootenays to be where older adults need them.

Around them, 130 volunteer navigators give their time and presence. Our regional team-based model lets staff draw on diverse skills and experience while giving volunteers a reliable professional support network — especially important when needs are complex and local services are limited.

  • Staff7
  • Trained volunteers130
  • Communities served24
  • Region covered~26,000 km²
  • Population reached~75–80,000
Your gift at work

Where your donation goes

KSSS funding supports the staff time and travel required to keep social prescribing working across this large, rural region — and to take more older adults off our growing waitlist.

✓

Client intake & assessment

Unhurried, person-centred conversations that start the relationship off right.

✓

Bringing more older adults off waitlists

Greater capacity means accepting more neighbours who are waiting today.

✓

Recruit, train & supervise volunteer navigators

Careful onboarding and ongoing supervision — quality of support depends on quality of training.

✓

Volunteer support & problem-solving

Regular debriefs, coaching, and a professional network for complex situations.

✓

Consistent service across dispersed communities

Travel, technology, and infrastructure that let one team serve 26,000 km².

✓

Outcomes evaluation

Surveys and qualitative interviews to understand what actually changes for older adults.

Give once, or give monthly

Both forms of giving are essential — one-time gifts seed new capacity, monthly giving provides the stability that long-term support for older adults depends on. Donations are processed securely through our donation partner at westkootenaynavcare.org.

Donate →
Our growth

From one staff member to a regional team — in five years

Our growth is itself evidence of the demand: more older adults need this every year, and the model is built to scale.

2019 — Programme founding
Staff1
Population reached~11,000
Annual budget~$50,000
Charitable status—
→
Today — KSSS, est. 2025
Staff7
Population reached~75–80,000
Annual budget~$440,000
Charitable status✓ 2025
Common questions

Donor FAQ

The practical questions supporters most often ask.

Is KSSS a registered charity?

Yes. The Kootenay Social Support Society received charitable status in 2025, opening additional opportunities for long-term community investment and giving donors confidence that their contributions are stewarded responsibly.

Will I receive an official tax receipt?

Donations are processed through our partner donation page at westkootenaynavcare.org/make-a-donation/. All qualifying donations are issued official tax receipts in accordance with CRA requirements.

Can I give monthly as well as one-time?

Yes. Monthly giving provides the reliable funding that long-term support for older adults depends on. The donation form at westkootenaynavcare.org offers both one-time and recurring monthly options.

Where does my donation actually go?

Your gift funds the staff time, training, supervision, and travel required to deliver social prescribing across rural BC — and to expand the number of older adults we can support from our waitlist.

How do you measure impact?

We track changes in well-being, social connection, community engagement, confidence accessing resources, and ability to maintain independence — using surveys informed by Healthy Aging Index criteria, volunteer surveys, and qualitative interviews.

Can I support KSSS in other ways?

Absolutely — gifts of securities, legacy giving, corporate matching, and in-kind support are all welcomed. Reach out via the contact details on the donation page and we'll be glad to discuss what works best for you.

An invitation

Your donation is a hand on a shoulder — and an older adult in the Kootenays who isn't alone this week.

Help us take more neighbours off the waitlist and keep social prescribing free, person-centred, and within reach across rural BC.

Donate to KSSS →
● Registered Canadian charity ● Secure donation form ● One-time or monthly