Community groups to share $460K in grants to help connect seniors, combat loneliness

Some seniors who live in Upper Hammonds Plains, N.S.,are still reluctant to leave their homes, concerned that gathering with otherscouldexpose them toCOVID-19.

But a local seniors' group is hoping by offering activities closeto home, seniorscan be persuaded to attend events now that the group has the money to hold them.

"If they don't have family it may be their only outing," said Debra Lucas, president of the Seniors of Upper Hammonds Plains Club.

"It's very important for these seniors to get out and socialize with each other, talk to each other, have a coffee with each other."

The club is one of 37 community groups from across Nova Scotia that'sgetting a total of $460,000 to run programs designed to keep seniors active and healthy.It willuse its$5,000 grantto organize group fitness classes, crafts, paintingand cooking classes.

Gina Jones-Wilson, president of the Upper Hammonds Plains Community Development Association, said the last three years have been particularly hard on seniors in the community.

"It created a vacuum that we're trying to break," said Jones-Wilson. "Loneliness can be a big trigger for dementia, which is also a big part of that age group."

Jones-Wilson said getting programs up and running should help seniors "feeling comfortable to come back out and enjoy company."

"Someof them have come back out but there's some people that we're still working on," she said.

37organizations receive grants

Grants announced Wednesday include$3,000 for a program run by theCHArt Society short for culture, heritageand art in Colchester that will bring musicians to retirement residences andlong-term care homes. Halifax Regional Municipality is receiving $25,000 todesign senior-focused recreation programs and services for the next fiveyears.

Barbara Adams, minister of seniors and long term care, said the grants providesupport to community groups that usethe money to create new programs.

"These funds are essential to providing programs that otherwise would not happen," said Adams, who also noted there was value in simply bringing people together.

"It's a wellness check," she said. "It's people being able to see their neighbours that they haven't seen in a while and if somebody's not doing well the group itself is looking after them."

For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of.You can read more stories here.