Cecilia Nasmith/Today’s Northumberland
On the heels of a string of New Horizons for Seniors Program grants for seniors’ services, Northumberland-Peterborough South MP Kim Rudd has announced an invitation for proposals for the program’s 2019-2020 year.
Rudd issued the call on behalf of the Honourable Filomena Tassi, Minister for Seniors.
New Horizon is a program of Federal grants and contributions with the goal of supporting projects that help improve the well-being and quality of seniors’ lives by fostering social inclusion and engagement in all aspects of society.
“The Government of Canada deeply values the contribution seniors make to our country,” Rudd said in the press release.
“We know that when seniors can fully participate in society everybody benefits.”
The MP’s press release also included some quick facts of interest, such as the news that seniors are Canada’s fastest-growing group. By 2030, its estimated 9.6-million population will represent almost 25% of Canada as a whole.
The New Horizons program’s community-based funding stream supports activities that address one or more of five objectives – volunteering, mentoring, expanding awareness of elder abuse, social participation and capital assistance.
Interested organizations can apply for funding under the program’s three national priorities:
· Preventing elder abuse and fraud, including measures to reduce crimes and harms against seniors.
· Supporting health aging in the community, and addressing dementia (including community supports and intergenerational housing).
· Counteracting ageism in the workplace to promote labour-market retention of seniors,
Community-based projects are eligible to receive up to $25,000 in grant funding, and up to $5,000 in small-grants funding is available to organizations that have not received funding in the past five years.
Since 2004, the program has funded more than 23,600 projects in hundreds of Canadian communities, representing a total Federal investment of more then $487.7-million.
The call for 2019-2020 proposals is open until June 21. For information on how to apply, visit
http://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/new-horizons-seniors.html.