Toronto, April 17, 2015 /CNW/ - Seniors in Toronto will benefit from financial support to a local organization that helps reduce social isolation. The announcement was made today by the Honourable Peter Van Loan, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Member of Parliament for York–Simcoe, and Joe Daniel, Member of Parliament for Don Valley East, on behalf of the Honourable Alice Wong, Minister of State (Seniors).
Through the New Horizons for Seniors Program, the Iranian Women's Organization of Ontario will receive $25,000 for its intergenerational project to help seniors learn computer skills from youth, while writing their memoirs.
Under the New Horizons for Seniors Program, 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 New Horizons for Seniors Program has funded more than 13,000 projects in hundreds of communities across Canada.
Today's announcement is one example of what the Government is doing to help Canadians. To help hard-working families, the Government is also enhancing the Universal Child Care Benefit, introducing the Family Tax Cut and making improvements to the Child Care Expense Deduction and the Children's Fitness Tax Credit.
Quick Facts
- Economic Action Plan 2014 increased funding for the New Horizons for Seniors Program by $5 million, for a total of $50 million annually.
- Since 2006, $2.8 billion in annual tax relief has been provided to seniors and pensioners.
- Minister Wong 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.
- The Universal Child Care Benefit (UCCB) would increase from $100 to $160 per month (totaling up to $1,920 per year) for children under the age of 6 and parents would receive a new benefit of $60 per month (up to $720 per year) for each child aged 6 through 17.
Quotes
"Our Government is proud to support seniors in communities across Canada through lowering taxes and investing in meaningful initiatives such as the New Horizons for Seniors Program. By partnering with local organizations, we can help keep seniors active, engaged and informed."
– The Honourable Alice Wong, Minister of State (Seniors)
"Our Government recognizes the valuable contribution seniors have made to our society and the economy. By supporting projects like the one with the Iranian Women's Organization of Ontario, we are ensuring that seniors, including those in Toronto, maintain a good quality of life and can continue to be active members of their communities."
– The Honourable Peter Van Loan, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Member of Parliament for York–Simcoe
"Through the New Horizons for Seniors Program, our Government is partnering with the Iranian Women's Organization of Ontario to support seniors in Toronto. With initiatives like this one, we will continue to meet the needs of seniors, now and into the future."
– Joe Daniel, Member of Parliament for Don Valley East
"The Iranian Women's Organization of Ontario is grateful to receive New Horizons for Seniors Program funding, which will enable our community to cement a legacy of their settlement narrative in Canada through digitalized stories told by seniors and recorded by youth."
– Afkham Mardukhi, Chief Officer in Operations, Iranian Women's Organization of Ontario Board of Directors
Associated Links
Canada.ca/Seniors
Funding: New Horizons for Seniors
Economic Action Plan
Helping Families Prosper
Backgrounder
The New Horizons for Seniors Program 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 program, the Government of Canada encourages seniors to share their knowledge, skills and experiences to the benefit of others. New Horizons for Seniors Program funding is targeted to community-based projects, pan-Canadian projects and pilot projects that focus on issues such as social isolation and intergenerational learning.
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. Through the New Horizons for Seniors Program 2014–2015 Call for Proposals, over 1,850 community-based projects were approved.
Pan-Canadian Projects
Pan-Canadian projects provide support to help seniors protect themselves from elder abuse, including financial abuse and fraud abuse. These projects enable community members to better recognize elder abuse in all its forms and 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 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, 50 percent of which is being matched with funding from other sources, over a maximum of 24 months.
For more information on the New Horizons for Seniors Program, visit Canada.ca/Seniors.
SOURCE Employment and Social Development Canada
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