Departments Fund Safety Program

Seniors in the province will benefit from a new safety program and other projects thanks to more than $710,000 in grants from the province.

The departments of Seniors and Justice are funding the Senior Safety Grant to help develop and enhance safety programs, improve communication between seniors and police, fund safety coordinators, and encourage more programs between seniors and young people to promote respect and positive relationships between generations.

This year, $270,000 will be awarded under the program. The Department of Seniors is contributing $220,000 as part of The Nova Scotia Elder Abuse Strategy: Towards Awareness and Prevention, and $50,000 from the Department of Justice under the crime prevention strategy, Time To Fight Crime Together.

"This grant is another step government is taking so seniors can live safely and feel comfortable in their communities," said Carolyn Bolivar-Getson, Minister of Seniors. "Reaching this goal took a lot of teamwork by government and people in communities throughout the province."

"Prevention is a cornerstone in the efforts by the department to fight crime and make communities safer," said Justice Minister Cecil Clarke. "Government, community groups and individuals have to work together and this grant program is a perfect example of that."

The Senior Safety Grant fulfills commitments made by the departments of Seniors and Justice to support programs to allow seniors to live in safe and supportive environments.

The Department of Seniors is also calling for new applications under the Positive Aging Fund and the Age-Friendly Communities Program, which were announced in February to support the Strategy for Positive Aging. The amount now available for grants under each program, is $220,000, double what it was earlier this year.

The Positive Aging Fund helps non-profit groups create and promote projects for seniors with a focus on health, well-being and community participation. Grants of up to $10,000 are available and 100 per cent of project costs will be covered.

The Age-Friendly Communities program helps municipalities ensure their services and structures are more accessible to seniors so they can have a healthy, active lifestyle.

Since they were announced about $281,000 for 44 projects has been awarded from both programs to applicants.

"The success of these programs has made us realize how necessary they are for seniors and communities," said Ms. Bolivar-Getson. "We are making more funds available so the number of programs can be increased and more Nova Scotians can be served."

More information on the grants and application forms are available on the Department of Seniors website at www.gov.ns.ca/scs or by calling toll-free 1-800-670-0065.