Greater Napanee’s Senior Outreach Services (SOS) 55 Plus Activity Centre received $50,695 in funding from the Ontario government to help local seniors stay connected during the pandemic.
Hastings-Lennox and Addington MPP Daryl Kramp made the announcement on Tuesday. The grant is broken into two parts: $42,700 for 2020-21 operations and maintenance as well as a grant of $7,995.
“This is a local organization which has helped multiple generations of local seniors stay in touch and engaged for many years and that says a lot about the community it serves,” said Kramp in a release. “These funds will be important both as they operate now and as they look forward to resuming their important in-person community roles.”
This year’s investment will focus on virtual programs such as teleconferences, online videos, one-on-one phone calls to help seniors stay connected from home, and support projects such as interactive telephone-based group programming for socially isolated seniors and people with disabilities. Also included are online educational programs such as tax clinics, technology assistance, health and wellness, and COVID-19 information.
Raymond Cho, Ontario’s minister for seniors and accessibility, says the past year has been especially challenging for seniors.
“Given the social isolation that COVID-19 has brought to many seniors, it is important that we look to programs that will keep them safe and connected,” said Cho in a release. “Our government’s investment in Seniors Active Living Centres helps older adults stay virtually engaged with their friends, family and communities while combatting social isolation during the pandemic.”
This year’s ongoing funding has supported the application of safety control measures against the spread of COVID-19, and provided more remote and virtual programming.