By Pepper Parr
September 12th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Burlington Member of Parliament Karina Gould had a busy week. Everywhere she went federal money was being handed out – all for needed community based interests – but it did have just a hint of – is there an election on the horizon to it.
Earlier in the week there was $5 million for transit over a three year time frame.
Karina Gould, Burlington MP and a member of the Liberal Cabinet, announcing federal finding for seniors.
Last Friday Gould, who is a Cabinet Minister, announced an investment of $65,600 in Burlington. These funds will support projects delivered by community organizations to help seniors during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Support for these projects is being provided by the Government of Canada’s New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP), which fosters social inclusion and engagement of seniors by encouraging them to share their knowledge, skills and experience to stay active and engaged.
Michelle Murry. on the left, with Minister Gould at the funding announcement at the Halton Industry Educational Council.
The Halton Industry Education Council is receiving $21,000 for their project expanding online safety and technological literacy for seniors.
With this funding, HIEC will be able to expand their program to include more seniors in Canada and allow seniors to stay connected with their families, feel confident in accessing online supports and information, reduce social isolation and positively impact their mental well being.
Halton Food for Life is receiving $20,000 for their Supporting Seniors Through Accessible Food Provision. Food for Life delivers fresh food bags each week along with accessible meals for seniors who are in self isolation at home, ensuring access to healthy food to seniors across Halton during this difficult time.
The Centre for Skills Development is receiving $24,600 for their Better Together program which is designed to improve the quality of life of seniors during and after the COVID-19 Pandemic. Seniors will be able to attend workshops on how to navigate social media to stay connected, participate in home exercises and engage in conversations regarding mental health, nutrition and exploring wellness.
These projects announced today are funded through an additional investment of $20 million in funding through the New Horizons for Seniors Program.
Organizations will receive up to $25,000 in funding to offer immediate COVID-19 relief or recovery activities to seniors. The projects will include activities such as:
• promoting computer literacy and virtual activities, such as exercise classes, among seniors;
• supporting the delivery of food and medication or personalized monitoring of seniors by phone or by videoconference;
• assisting seniors with essential activities, such as visits to the doctor;
• hiring staff to replace a loss of volunteerism capacity due to the outbreak;
• providing information to seniors regarding how to care for themselves in light of experiences relating to the pandemic; and
• providing training on disease prevention, use of personal protective equipment.
Projects were selected based on equitable distribution of funding across the country, after consideration of active projects taking place in communities. Projects focusing on vulnerable populations or serving rural and remote communities were prioritized.
These additional projects will help ensure as many communities as possible across Canada have projects aiming to reduce seniors’ isolation within the community, improve their quality of life and help them maintain a social support network during the pandemic.
Background:
The New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP) is a federal grants and contributions program that supports projects that empower seniors in their communities and contribute to improving their health and well-being. NHSP funding supports community-based projects and pan-Canadian projects. The projects are led or inspired by seniors who are making a difference in the lives of others and their communities.
Through the NHSP, the Government of Canada encourages seniors to share their knowledge, skills and experience to the benefit of others. The objectives of the NHSP are:
promoting volunteerism among seniors;
engaging seniors in the community through mentoring of others;
expanding awareness of elder abuse, including financial abuse;
supporting social participation and inclusion of seniors; and
providing capital assistance for new and existing community projects and/or programs for seniors.
Since the NHSP was launched in 2004, more than 23,600 projects have been funded across Canada. Further to the Budget 2019 investment of an additional $100 million over five years, and $20 million per year ongoing, the Government of Canada will be supporting even more projects.
Community-based projects
Community-based project funding supports activities where seniors are engaged, connected and actively involved in their communities. Organizations are eligible to receive up to $25,000 in grant funding, and small grants of up to $5,000 are available to organizations that have not received funding within the last five years.
Burlington seniors at a Transit workshop discussing their specific needs. Burlington MP Karina Gould looks on.
As part of the 2019-20 NHSP community-based call for proposals, organizations were invited to apply for funding under the NHSP’s three national priorities:
preventing elder abuse and fraud, including measures to reduce crimes and harms against seniors;
supporting healthy aging in community, addressing dementia, including community supports and intergenerational housing; and
counteracting ageism in the workplace to promote labour market retention of seniors.
Burlington has, on a per capita basis, one of the largest senior populations in the province.
