Hon. Alice Wong, P.C.

April 24, 2014 – Richmond, British Columbia – Employment and Social Development Canada

The Honourable Alice Wong, Minister of State (Seniors), today announced that seniors in British Columbia will share their life experience with school-age children through a community mentoring project.

The Minoru Place Seniors Society is receiving more than $20,000 in federal funding through the New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP). This Program supports projects led or inspired by seniors who want to make a difference in the lives of others and in their communities.

Through its Intergenerational Mentoring Project, the Minoru Place Seniors Society will provide local senior volunteers with an opportunity to mentor school-age children by offering them life skills sharing, cooking, painting and woodworking sessions. Seniors will be involved in every step of the project, including organizing and conducting intergenerational sessions aimed at connecting seniors and youth. Two hundred and fifty people are expected to benefit from this project.

Quick Facts

• Economic Action Plan 2014 proposes an additional $5 million per year for the NHSP to support projects that enable seniors to share their knowledge, skills and experiences with others. These projects also help communities increase their capacity to support seniors at a local level.
• Since 2006, the NHSP has funded more than 13,000 projects in hundreds of communities across Canada. NHSP funding is targeted to both pan-Canadian and community-based projects.
• In 2014, over 1,770 NHSP community-based projects across Canada were approved through the 2013–2014 call for proposals and received more than $33.4 million in funding.

Quotes

“This project is a unique opportunity for seniors in Richmond to reach out and connect with children in their local area. In a series of both artistic and practical day-to-day activities, seniors will share their knowledge and inspire these children to learn new life skills and discover more about their own creative potential. We are proud to work with organizations like the Minoru Place Seniors Society, so that seniors can remain active and productive members of their community.”

– The Honourable Alice Wong, Minister of State (Seniors)

“The Minoru Place Seniors Society is pleased to have received a grant from the Government of Canada’s New Horizons for Seniors Program to fund an intergenerational mentoring project. The project’s primary goal is to connect senior volunteers with school-age children, encouraging participation in educational and social activities. Seniors will have an opportunity to pass on valuable lifelong learning to the children and put to use skills and abilities they have. The project will create a cross-generational sharing of knowledge and allow children who may not have a grandparent role in their lives to connect with older adults in a positive and meaningful exchange.”

– Kathleen Holmes, President of the Minoru Place Seniors Society

“This grant will enhance the connection between seniors and children to encourage the development of community volunteer programs aligning with Council Term Goals. This project will utilize the talents and life skills of older adults while providing positive and meaningful interactions between the generations.”

– Malcolm Brodie, Mayor of Richmond, British Columbia

Associated Links

• New Horizons for Seniors Program
• Funding: New Horizons for Seniors
• Economic Action Plan 2014

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Contacts

Earl Maynard
Office of the Minister of State (Seniors)
613-716-5422

Media Relations Office
Employment and Social Development Canada
819-994-5559
media@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca
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Backgrounder

The New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP) is a federal grants and contributions program that supports projects led or inspired by seniors who make 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 experiences to the benefit of others.
NHSP funding is targeted to both community-based and pan-Canadian projects.

Community-based project funding supports activities that engage seniors and address one or more of the program’s five objectives: volunteering, mentoring, expanding awareness of elder abuse, social participation and capital assistance. These projects are eligible to receive up to $25,000 per year per organization in grant funding.

Pan-Canadian projects provide support to help seniors protect themselves from elder abuse, including financial abuse and fraud abuse. These projects can enable community members to better recognize elder abuse in all its forms and to improve the quality of life, safety and security of seniors. Projects focus on developing tools, resources and promising practices that can be adapted and shared across communities, regions or Canada and may be eligible to receive up to $250,000 per year for a maximum of three years.

Over 1,770 NHSP community-based projects were approved through the 2013–2014 call for proposals, for a total of more than $33.4 million in funding.

Funding Breakdown

The next NHSP call for proposals for community-based projects is anticipated to be launched in the spring of 2014. For more information on the NHSP, visit www.esdc.gc.ca/seniors