Kitscoty, Alberta —Seniors living in Kitscoty can anticipate new opportunities to participate in and contribute to their communities thanks in part to Government of Canada funding for Kitscoty and District Seniors’ Centre’s local project.
Leon Benoit, Member of Parliament for Vegreville-Wainwright, made the announcement today on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, and the Honourable Diane Ablonczy, Minister of State (Seniors).
“The Government of Canada is committed to improving the lives of seniors, and is proud to support local organizations with the same goal,” said Leon Benoit. “This project will encourage seniors of Kitscoty and area to contribute their skills, knowledge and experience for the benefit of the entire community.”
“Today’s seniors know the importance of being active and staying involved in their communities,” said Minister Finley. “The New Horizons for Seniors Program is just one example of how we are helping seniors make a positive difference in their own lives and in those of the people around them.”
Leon Benoit made the announcement at Kitscoty and District Seniors’ Centre, which received $24,500 in funding for its “Kitscoty Centennial” project. The project will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Village of Kitscoty. Seniors and youth groups from the community and surrounding area will work together to organize and host three different events and as a result build a stronger relationship and social participation between the generations. “This is a terrific project for which the Kitscoty and District Seniors deserve a lot of credit,” noted Benoit.
This project was one of 797 projects that received a total of $15.9 million in funding through the 2010-2011 Community Participation and Leadership component of the New Horizons for Seniors Program. These projects encourage seniors to continue to play an important role in their communities by helping those in need, providing leadership, and sharing their knowledge and skills with others.
Through Budget 2010, the Government invested an additional $5 million per year in the Program, bringing this year’s funding to $40 million. This additional funding will support projects that encourage seniors to volunteer and mentor other generations, as well as initiatives that aim to increase awareness of financial abuse.
The New Horizons for Seniors Program helps to ensure that seniors are able to benefit from and contribute to the quality of life in their communities through their social participation and active living. Since its beginning, the Program has funded over 7 000 projects in hundreds of communities across Canada. Last year alone, more than 100,000 seniors in over 500 communities throughout the country were involved in projects funded by the Program.
For more information about the Program, please visit www.hrsdc.gc.ca/seniors.
Backgrounder
New Horizons for Seniors Program
Across Canada, the New Horizons for Seniors Program helps ensure that seniors are able to actively contribute to and benefit from the quality of life in their communities.
The Program offers three types of funding to organizations:
- Community Participation and Leadership funding (up to $25,000 in funding per project): This funding supports community-based projects across Canada. The projects encourage seniors to continue to play an important role in their communities by helping those in need, providing leadership, and sharing their knowledge and skills with others.
- Capital Assistance funding (up to $25,000 in funding per project): This funding helps non‑profit organizations that need to upgrade facilities or equipment used for existing seniors’ programs and activities. It enables seniors to continue to lead active lives by participating in existing programs and activities in their communities.
- Elder Abuse Awareness funding (up to $250,000 in funding per project annually, over a maximum of three years): This funding helps non-profit organizations and coalitions raise awareness of the abuse of seniors at a national or regional level. Through this funding, new educational and awareness resources about elder abuse will be available to improve the quality of life, safety and security of seniors.
For more information on the Program, or upcoming calls for proposals, please visit www.hrsdc.gc.ca/seniors.
