Just over $100,000 in federal funding is helping local seniors stay involved and engaged in their communities.
Anthony Rota, MP for Nipissing-Timiskaming, announced five organizations are receiving money from the New Horizons for Seniors program.
“As we come out of COVID, seniors have gone through a very difficult time. There was some loneliness, isolation and that’s something that we want to make sure the programs are there to get them involved,” he says. “And if there’s any abuse we want to make sure that’s nipped in the bud as well.”
$25,000 in funding is going to Near North Palliative Care for a Seniors Connected – Adult Day Program while over $24,000 is going towards grief, bereavement and wellness programs at Nipissing Serenity Hospice.
“Programs such as yoga or pet therapy,” says Bernadette Lindsay, fund development coordinator at the hospice. “All of our programs, we rely very heavily on all of our volunteers and professionals within the community to help us. Whoever can step up and help us with either grief counselling, whatever programs we can develop with their help, that is what we are slowly starting to do.”
Other groups receiving funding include:
- $18,800 for a victim services empowerment project at Victim Services of Nipissing District
- $16,667 for North Bay Pride to fund events for LGBTQ2 and who identify as seniors
- $16,667 for Unicorn Feather Community for a program to avoid online, phone and romance scams
