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Government of Canada helps seniors mentor youth in Richmond, B.C.
May 22, 2014 – Richmond, British Columbia – Employment and Social Development Canada
Seniors in Richmond will have new opportunities to engage with youth in their community thanks to the New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP), the Honourable Alice Wong, Minister of State (Seniors), announced today.
The Government of Canada is providing more than $33.4 million in funding for over 1,770 community-based projects across Canada. These projects, selected from the NHSP’s 2013–2014 call for proposals, will lead to a variety of new programs and activities for seniors.
The Chabad of Richmond is receiving more than $15,000 for its Hello Bubby, Hello Zaidy project through the NHSP’s community-based grants.
The Hello Bubby, Hello Zaidy project, a seniors-led mentorship program, will allow seniors to mentor students from grades one to seven in Jewish customs and skills through social and educational activities. The activities include culinary, cultural and artistic skills.
On May 13, 2014, Minister Wong launched the 2014–2015 NHSP Call for Proposals for Community-Based Projects, which will close on July 4, 2014.
Quick facts
- Economic Action Plan 2014 proposes an additional $5 million per year for the NHSP to support additional projects that benefit seniors.
- NHSP-funded projects help offset the challenges of our aging demographics, which is important since the number of seniors in Canada is expected to double in the next 20 years.
- Since 2006, the NHSP has funded more than 13,000 projects in hundreds of communities across Canada.
Quotes
“Our government is proud to work with organizations like the Chabad of Richmond, so that seniors can remain active and productive members of their community. This intergenerational project is a unique opportunity for seniors in Richmond to form new connections by mentoring school-aged children through social, cultural and educational activities.”
– The Honourable Alice Wong, Minister of State (Seniors)
“The New Horizons for Seniors Program funding has given us a big step up in our service to seniors in our community. It has allowed us to engage them in social activities and gives them the opportunity to share and pass on traditions to the younger generation.”
– Rabbi Yechiel Baitelman, Director of Chabad of Richmond
Additional links
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 in 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 community-based projects, pan-Canadian projects and pilot projects that focus on issues like social isolation and intergenerational learning.
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. These projects help community members to 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. These projects may be eligible to receive up to $250,000 per year for a maximum of three years.
Pilot project funding provides support to help address seniors’ isolation by establishing better social support networks and resources and initiating community interventions. It also supports intergenerational learning projects that help seniors develop new interests and share their knowledge and experience with others. These pilot projects are eligible to receive up to $100,000 of federal funding over a maximum of 24 months, which will be matched with funding from other sources. The first call for proposals for pilot projects was launched on October 3, 2013, and closed on November 13, 2013.
For more information on the NHSP, visit esdc.gc.ca/seniors