WAVERLEY: The call for applications for the Age-Friendly Community Grants program was officially opened on July 11 to much fanfare at the Waverley Legion.
Before a crowd of about 25 people—including past recipients and MLA Bill Horne—N.S. Seniors Minister Leo Glavine said the province is supporting several projects that help older Nova Scotians live safely, enjoy good health and stay involved in their communities.
The Age-Friendly Communities Grant supports projects which promote healthy, active living and make communities better places for people as they age.
“This grant program is one of the most important items to come from our seniors’ action plan, Shift, and continues to support the kind of projects that allow all Nova Scotians to age better in their communities,” said Glavine. “An age-friendly community is more inclusive for everyone.”
Glavine said the province provided nearly $375,000 in funding for 47 new projects in 2017-18. This included a $20,000 grant to the Legal Information Society of Nova Scotia to update the popular It’s in Your Hands guide for older adults and their families.
The guide includes legal information on a range of topics, from dating and new relationships, to avoiding scams and identity theft, to estate and pre-funeral planning.
“The It’s in Your Hands guide is unique to Nova Scotia and is our most requested publication,” said Heather de Berdt Romilly, executive director.
The grant is open to non-profit and community organizations, municipal governments, associations and universities. Successful applicants can include partnerships or collaborative projects. The threshold for funding has been increased to up to $25,000 per project.
Applications received on or before Sept. 30 will be reviewed in October. Applications received between Oct. 1, 2018 and Feb. 1, 2019 will be reviewed in February.
For more information and to apply, visit novascotia.ca/age-friendly-grant.
