As the Town of Shaunavon prepares for their annual free garbage transfer this weekend, a local non-profit has taken it upon themselves to help out.  

This year, Age Friendly Shaunavon volunteers are driving to seniors’ houses and collecting garbage for them, free of charge. 

Vanessa Cruthers, Senior Resource Coordinator for the organization, said this is a first for them.  

“Age Friendly has just been in the works up until January,” she explained. "We finally put together a committee and I was hired in March, so it's our first time and we hope to make it an annual event. 

“We determined the need within Shaunavon; seniors either didn't have the capability to move bigger things out of their house, such as furniture or mattresses, or they just didn't have the equipment, like trucks, or trailers. So, we put together a team of volunteers to come and haul that away.” 

They’ll be hauling away garbage from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday, alongside the Town’s transfer that runs from the 26 through the 28.  

Seniors can phone Cruthers at (306) 294-7653 prior to the 27 to book a time slot for a volunteer to bring their items to the Free Garbage Transfer site. 

“There seems to be a huge demand in Shaunavon from our ageing population, our vulnerable seniors,” she said. “This is a need, and we were happy to be able to step up.”