A pair of programs targeting seniors will be getting more than $40,000 worth of financial support from the federal government
The YMCA of Northeastern Ontario will be receiving $18,590 for a Digital Inclusion and Seniors Connections Opportunities project, better known as DISCO.
Seniors involved with the organization will participate in wellness and digital literacy workshops in order to promote social inclusion and participation.
"At the YMCA of Northeastern Ontario, we are committed to engaging our senior community and providing inclusive and equitable programs and services," said Helen Francis, President and CEO, YMCA of Northeastern Ontario in a release.
"We are thrilled to continue our work with Canadore College, The Village to reach more seniors in the region and scale our DISCO (Digital Inclusion Senior Connections and Opportunities) program. Receiving funding from 'New Horizons' means that we are able to collectively make a positive and lasting difference in the lives of seniors in our community."
Another $25,000 will go to Canadore College West Parry Sound Campus. That funding will go to the Forest School from the Lens of Seniors Project.
Seniors involved with the organization will participate in intergenerational forest education experiences, using social media and facilitated activities to promote social inclusion.
“Canadore College is dedicated to the communities we serve beyond the students in our programs. The Forest School From the Lens of Seniors Project. is one example of that," said George Burton, Canadore College President.
"Our West Parry Sound campus with its beautiful surroundings is the perfect location to offer this programming. The idea is to bring older adults together and return them to a sense of community that was lost to many people during the pandemic.”
Anthony Rota, MP for Nipissing-Timiskaming, believes seniors in the region deserve to have a wide range of opportunities to participate in.
“These two projects will accomplish that through the funding they receive through the New Horizons for Seniors Program. It is important to give back to our senior population when they have given so much to our communities,” said Rota in a release.
This year, the Government of Canada increased its investment in the New Horizons for Seniors Program to $60.8 million, funding over 3,000 community-based projects to support seniors across the country.
