Mannville AB, October 25, 2011 —Leon Benoit, Member of Parliament for Vegreville – Wainwright today highlighted the recent announcement of funding by the Government of Canada to help communities protect seniors from elder abuse.

The Honourable Alice Wong, Minister of State (Seniors), on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, recently announced that the government is seeking applications for elder abuse prevention projects under the New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP).

“Our government is committed to supporting the well-being of seniors and we are proud to assist organizations working to improve the lives of seniors,” said Minister Wong. “These projects will ultimately help seniors protect themselves from the many forms of elder abuse, including fraud and financial abuse.”

“We are delivering on our commitment to address elder abuse,” adds Benoit. “This funding will help community organizations raise awareness of the abuse of older adults and improve the quality of life, safety and security for seniors.”

On October 17, 2011, the program began accepting proposals for pan-Canadian projects that address elder abuse. Organizations with eligible projects can receive up to $250,000 per year in contribution or grant funding, for up to a maximum of three years. The application deadline is November 25, 2011.
“We pledged in the Speech from the Throne that our government will do more to support our seniors - such as combating elder abuse in all its forms and raising awareness of this serious issue,” added Minister Wong.
For more information about this call for proposals and the NHSP, please visit www.hrsdc.gc.ca/seniors or call 1(800)277-9914 - select “0” (zero) to speak with an agent.


Backgrounder


New Horizons for Seniors Program

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. Since its beginning, the Program has funded more than 8,500 projects in hundreds of communities across Canada.

The NHSP provides pan-Canadian project funding for networking, developing and delivering education and awareness activities, and creating tools and resources to help seniors protect themselves from elder abuse, including fraud and financial abuse. This funding can also enable community members to better recognize elder abuse in all its forms and to improve the quality of life, safety and security of seniors.

Pan-Canadian projects must have a broad reach and impact and can identify and share promising practices across the country, enabling replication on what has worked well to address seniors’ issues.

Through Budget 2011, the Government of Canada is investing an additional $5 million per year in the NHSP, bringing the Program’s total annual budget to $45 million.



For more information (media only), please contact:


Leon Benoit MP: (613) 992-4171 or (780) 763-6130