Government of Canada invests in projects helping to keep East Vancouver seniors active, engaged and informed

VANCOUVER, April 8, 2015 /CNW Telbec/ - The Honourable Alice Wong, Minister of State (Seniors), announced today that seniors in East Vancouver will soon have new opportunities to keep active, engaged and informed. The Government of Canada has approved 13 New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP) community-based projects in East Vancouver, for a total of more than $226,000 in funding. These projects, approved through the NHSP's 2014–2015 Call for Proposals, will make it possible for seniors to play a major role in a wide range of local programs and activities.

Minister Wong made this announcement today at Kiwassa Neighbourhood House, which is receiving $25,000 in NHSP funding for its Food Culture Share Project. The project aims to offer workshops and classes that will engage and educate senior participants from different cultural backgrounds about nutrition and sustainable food practices.

Other East Vancouver projects being funded focus on educational, recreational and outreach activities that promote seniors leadership and participation, as well as help provide guidance and support to community members from diverse cultural backgrounds.

Quick Facts

• Under the New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP), up to $25,000 in grant funding can be provided to eligible organizations for community-based projects that are led or inspired by seniors.
• Since 2006, the NHSP has funded more than 13,000 projects in hundreds of communities across Canada.
• Economic Action Plan 2014 increased funding for the NHSP by $5 million per year, for a total of $50 million provided to this program annually.
• Since 2006, $2.8 billion in annual tax relief has been provided to seniors and pensioners.
• The Government of Canada launched the Government of Canada Action for Seniors report in September 2014. The report is a new information resource highlighting federal programs and services that can be accessed by seniors, their families and caregivers. It was created in collaboration with more than 22 federal departments and agencies. The report can be found on Canada.ca/Seniors.

Quotes

"I am proud of our Government's work to support seniors, and I am proud to work with organizations in East Vancouver that strive to enrich the lives of seniors through the meaningful projects they undertake with passion and resolve."
– The Honourable Alice Wong, Minister of State (Seniors)

"Kiwassa Neighbourhood House and the seniors we serve are especially grateful and honoured for the funding that we have been awarded through the Government of Canada's New Horizons for Seniors Program grant. The community-based, multicultural programming offered at Kiwassa brings together elders from all over the world to learn, interact and participate in leadership, life skills, health promotion and education programs and activities. Seniors involved in New Horizons projects are providing significant knowledge, experience and leadership, and their contributions deeply enhance the fabric of our local communities."
– Nancy McRitchie, Executive Director, Kiwassa Neighbourhood House

Associated Links

• New Horizons for Seniors Program
• Canada.ca/Seniors
• Funding: New Horizons for Seniors
• Economic Action Plan 2014

Backgrounder

The following organizations in East Vancouver are receiving funding as a result of the New Horizons for Seniors Program 2014–2015 Call for Proposals.

ORGANIZATION NAME	PROJECT SUMMARY	FUNDING AMOUNT
Kiwassa Neighbourhood House	The Food Culture Share Project aims to offer workshops and classes that will engage and educate senior participants from different cultural backgrounds about nutrition and sustainable food practices.	$25,000
YWCA Metro Vancouver	The YWCA Crabtree Elders Project aims to promote volunteerism by engaging seniors who will share traditional knowledge and teach arts and crafts to young children and their families.	$12,975
Frog Hollow Neighbourhood House	The Gathering Place: Outdoor Intergenerational Project aims to promote volunteerism by engaging seniors to participate in intergenerational fitness and recreational activities.	$12,333
Multilingual Orientation Service Association for Immigrant Communities	The Empowering Seniors Through Calligraphy project aims to enhance the well‑being of seniors from different cultural backgrounds by offering calligraphy classes that will address issues such as elder abuse and social isolation.	$15,547
Vancouver Aboriginal Community Policing Centre Society	The Elders Journey to Wellness Project aims to expand awareness of elder abuse by offering ongoing workshops and hosting the Elders Safety Awareness Fair.	$24,918
Canadian Mental Health Association – Vancouver-Burnaby Branch	The Beautiful Beginning – A Drama Group for Chinese Seniors project aims to launch a seniors' drama group that will perform plays in local centres and seniors care facilities.	$15,700
Beulah Garden Homes Society	The Three-Tier Outdoor Wellness and Garden Project aims to recruit seniors to oversee building an outdoor courtyard garden and games court to promote seniors' participation in growing and harvesting garden produce.	$25,000
Ray-Cam Co-operative Centre	The Open Doors project aims to boost access to centre activities like the medicine wheel program, singing and computer classes by installing an automated front door at the centre.	$4,100
Carnegie Community Centre Association	The Carnegie TV project aims to engage seniors in their media skills building project geared to producing local TV show episodes for its online portal.	$19,120
Light and Love Home	The Social Media and iPad Project aims to provide training that will promote seniors' interaction and boost their awareness of how technology can help them connect with their community.	$6,000
Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood House	The "Hi to Lay-Ho" Learning Through the Chinatown Classroom project aims to foster cross-cultural awareness and appreciation by teaching introductory Cantonese to non-speakers.	$16,250
Senior Chinese Society of Vancouver	The Seniors Help Seniors project aims to recruit senior volunteers who will mentor other isolated seniors in computer training, provide social visits, games, singing and participation in local outreach and promote awareness of public services through networking.	$25,000
Aboriginal Mother Centre Society	The Elders Sharing Traditional Knowledge project aims to engage seniors who will mentor others through weekly activities for community elders, mothers and children that will promote awareness and celebration of cultural traditions.	$25,000

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. Since 2006, the NHSP has funded more than 13,000 projects in hundreds of communities across Canada.

NHSP funding is targeted to community-based projects, pan-Canadian projects and pilot projects that focus on issues such as social isolation and intergenerational learning. Economic Action Plan 2014 increased funding for the NHSP by $5 million per year, for a total of $50 million provided to this program annually.

Community-based 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.

The NHSP 2014–2015 Call for Proposals for Community-Based Projects was launched on May 13, 2014, and is now closed. Over 1,850 NHSP community-based projects were approved through this call for proposals.

Pan-Canadian Projects
Pan-Canadian projects focus on developing tools, resources and promising practices that can be adapted and shared across communities, regions or Canada. These projects are eligible to receive up to $750,000 in funding for up to three years.

Pilot Projects
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 receiving up to $100,000 in federal funding over a maximum of 24 months, 50 percent of which is being matched with funding from other sources.

The next NHSP call for proposals for community-based projects is anticipated to be launched in spring 2015. For more information on the NHSP, visit Canada.ca/Seniors.

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SOURCE Employment and Social Development Canada

Justin Wood, Office of the Minister of State (Seniors), 613-852-3761; Media Relations Office, Employment and Social Development Canada, 819-994-5559, [email protected]