Seniors, Wellness and Social Development
June 11, 2015
The following statement was read today in the House of Assembly by the Honourable Clyde Jackman, Minister of Seniors, Wellness and Social Development:
Streamlined Grants Program Benefits Applicants
Mr. Speaker, I recently announced that the Department of Seniors, Wellness and Social Development has realigned its healthy living, recreation and wellness grant programs to be administered under a streamlined program called the Community Healthy Living Fund.
Mr. Speaker, this realignment brings together funding from a number of grant programs available to communities and organizations and processes them much more effectively through a single application process. The Community Healthy Living Fund is a one-stop shopping approach to grants and will minimize the need for organization staff and volunteers to complete multiple applications.
The $2.2 million Community Healthy Living Fund will now serve as the single entry point for applications, replacing such programs as the Seniors Recreation Grant Program, the Provincial Health and Wellness Grant Program, the Age-Friendly Newfoundland and Labrador Organization Grant Program, and the Community Recreation Support Program.
I want to make it clear, Mr. Speaker, that there is no reduction in funding available for community programming as a result of this realignment. All organizations eligible for previous programs are eligible to apply under the new streamlined program.
Mr. Speaker, this new approach is also aligned with our Provincial Wellness Plan, our Recreation and Sports Strategy, the Provincial Healthy Aging Framework, the Provincial Strategy for the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities, and the goals and objectives of our Poverty Reduction Strategy. Initiatives funded through this program will help build community capacity and improve access to wellness, recreation and healthy living initiatives for all individuals and families, regardless of circumstances.
The establishment of the Community Healthy Living Fund is just one example, Mr. Speaker, of how the Department of Seniors, Wellness and Social Development has been able to take initiatives that had previously resided in multiple departments – and bring them together under a single, cohesive department focused on common goals.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage community organizations to visit the Department of Seniors, Wellness and Social Development website for more information on the Community Healthy Living Fund, and to review the guidelines and application process. We have a lot of work to do, together, to improve the health and wellness of our population – and it starts with support for initiatives at the community level.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
2015 06 11 2:00 p.m.