Health and Community Services
April 13, 2011

Seniors on the Burin Peninsula to Benefit from Age-Friendly Grants

Funding through the Age-Friendly Newfoundland and Labrador Grants Program continues as two projects on the Burin Peninsula are the latest beneficiaries of the program. The Honourable Jerome Kennedy, Minister of Health and Community Services, today announced that the Burin Seniors Citizen’s 50+ Club and the Town of Fortune will receive grants.

“The projects funded through the Age-Friendly Newfoundland and Labrador Grants Program focus on the health and well-being of the province’s seniors,” said Minister Kennedy. “As our population ages, our government is committed to putting the supports in place to allow seniors to stay active.”

The Burin Senior Citizen’s 50+ Club is receiving $5,000 for a healthy aging program that will promote social inclusion and ways to reach isolated seniors.

“The ongoing investment in the Burin Senior Citizen’s 50+ Club reaches many of our seniors, providing a means of increasing their health and well-being,” said the Honourable Clyde Jackman, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture and MHA for Bruin-Placentia West. “I commend The Burin Senior Citizen’s 50+ Club for their dedicated work to reach as many people as they can.”

The Town of Fortune is receiving $10,000 to become a more age-friendly community. The town will engage in activities that include forming an age-friendly committee or team; evaluating community resources and assets; identifying community champions; determining challenges and opportunities; and, creating an action plan.

“This grant will provide a great opportunity for the Town of Fortune to identify and establish new ways of promoting the town as age-friendly and age-supportive," said the Honourable Darin King, Minister of Human Resources, Labour and Employment and MHA for Grand Bank. "The funding will enable the town to partner with the seniors to examine ways to create healthy and active lifestyle programs for those who have contributed so much to the growth of their town.”

First launched in 2010, the Age-Friendly Newfoundland and Labrador Grants Program is one initiative of the Provincial Healthy Aging Policy Framework that was launched by the Provincial Government in 2007. Grants are provided to incorporated municipalities, Inuit community governments and reserves, as well as seniors’ organizations and retiree groups throughout the province. In 2009-10, $200,000 was awarded to 10 municipalities and 13 seniors’ organizations.

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2011 04 13                                                                               3:05 p.m.