Due to declining mobility, seniors tend to run in small social circles, but seniors’ groups are getting some help from the federal government to gain more reach in their communities.
Minister of State for Seniors Diane Ablonczy and Ottawa West-Nepean MP John Baird announced $15.8 million to help fund 842 programs Canadawide though the government’s New Horizons Program yesterday.
Around 18 organizations in Ottawa received funding through the program.
L’Arche Ottawa received $25,000 to create a calendar of events for seniors in the Ottawa West area.
“Right now, what you find is people who are with St. Richard’s Church only go to St. Richard’s Church events,” said Raphael Amato, the development officer with L’Arche Ottawa. “They won’t go to St. Maurice, which is less than a kilometre away, because they don’t know what’s going on.”
Amato said they hope to be able to distribute one-year calendars sometime around September.
L’Arche Ottawa is in the process of gathering events from different organizations that are open to people outside their parish, home or support group.
