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Volume 18, No. 9, December 2022
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As we wind down at the end of 2022
Community Links wishes you Happy Holidays
and thanks you for your membership.
2022 was Community Links 30th Anniversary year, and we wanted to celebrate the resilience of older adults and the organizations they serve and which serve them. Community Links has spent the last year reconnecting with its roots in communities; reengaging with community clubs and organizations, celebrating the Older Adults who live in our province, and trying to understand how Community Links can best serve the sector in its next 30 years.
It has been a big year at Community Links. Our staff has grown and we are working on exciting new projects to help us better understand what our province has to offer older adults. For the first time in its recent history, in 2023 Community Links will have Regional Coordinators who cover all counties in Nova Scotia.
To our staff we wish to welcome
Julia Kemp - Project Manager
Dawn Gallagher - Regional Coordinator- Yarmouth, Shelburne, Digby
Amy Coady - Regional Coordinator - CBRM
Phyllis MacLellan - Regional Coordinator - Victoria, Inverness, Richmond
If you would like to get in contact with any of the Regional Coordinators email info@nscommunitylinks.ca or visit www.nscommunitylinks.ca/contact-us2/
Join us to complete our roster of Regional Coordinators!
Community Links is Hiring a Regional Coordinator for HRM.
Regional Coordinators spark connections and facilitate collaboration among representatives of seniors’ clubs, senior-serving organizations, business, government and individuals who address and seek to enhance issues of aging well including physical and mental health, active living, social connection, transportation and appropriate, affordable housing; our regionally based Aging Well Together Coalitions offer members opportunities to learn, share resources and increase their impact.
For the full job description click here
Applications accepted until January 8, 11:59 PM
Please note Community Links' office will be closed December 24 - January 3.
This holiday season we hope you stay warm, enjoy the little things, and get to spend time with loved ones.
See you in 2023!
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Community Links 2023 Aging Well Calendar now available!
To receive calendars, send your request to info@nscommunitylinks.ca
or call 1-855-253-9355
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The past few years have been challenging for everyone in unprecedented ways including the current high cost of living.
There are many funding opportunities and benefits available for individuals and organizations.
For Individuals:
Home Warming offers no-charge energy assessments and free home upgrades to eligible Nova Scotians.
It’s important that people living on lower incomes benefit from energy efficiency and feel comfortable at home. That’s why Efficiency NS offers a no-charge energy assessment and potential upgrades to income-qualified homeowners.
If they discover that draft-proofing, insulation or other efficiency options can help make heating & cooling your home substantially more affordable and comfortable, they will install the upgrades at no cost to you.
For more information and qualification criteria visit https://www.homewarming.ca/
The Seniors Care Grant has been expanded to up to $1000, from a previous amount of $500, to include a one-time $250 Home Heating Assistance Grant and an additional $250 for Hurricane Fiona related costs. Anyone who has previously received the grant will automatically receive this support. Others who meet the eligibility requirements can apply for the grant.
Applications opened September 1, 2022.
This grant will be available to all eligible Nova Scotians 65 and older, including people who have already received the Seniors Care Grant and the Home Assistance Rebate Program in the past year. The grant is available for the cost of oil, wood, electricity, and other energy sources.
Eligibility Criteria include:
• You still reside in your home
• The property or lease agreement is in your name or includes your name
• You are 65 years of age or over
• You have an annual household net income of $37,500 or less
For more information go to https://beta.novascotia.ca/apply-help-household-costs-seniors-care-grant or email ContinuingCare@novascotia.ca with any questions
Heating Assistance Rebate Program provides direct payments to vulnerable individuals and families more funding to partner organizations working with people in communities.
Starting 30 January 2023, you can receive $1,000 if you qualify for the Heating Assistance Rebate Program. To qualify for the rebate, you need to pay for your own home (residential) heat and have a household income of $85,000 or less. You can apply from 30 January to 31 March 2023. You don’t need to apply for the rebate again if you already applied.
Find more information, apply online, or check the status of your application at:
www.beta.novascotia.ca/apply-heating-assistance-rebate-heating-assistance-rebate-program
Phone: 902-424-5200
Toll Free: 1-800-670-4357
The Property Tax Rebate for Seniors program offers eligible seniors a rebate of half of their property taxes, up to $800.
To qualify for the rebate, seniors need to meet eligibility criteria, including:
-- 2021 municipal residential property taxes are paid in full
-- their name is included on the property taxes
-- they receive or are eligible to receive the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) or Guaranteed Income Supplement - Allowance from Service Canada.
Applications are open until December 31, 2022. Applicants who received the rebate last year will receive an application by mail.
Applicants will also be able to apply for the Heating Assistance Rebate Program on the Property Tax Rebate for Seniors application. You can receive up to $1000 if you qualify for the Heating Assistance Rebate Program.
For more information visit Property Tax Rebate for Seniors: https://beta.novascotia.ca/apply-property-tax-rebate-property-tax-rebate-seniors
Personal Alert Service
The Personal Alert Assistance Program provides financial assistance to eligible, low-income seniors over the age of 65, and to Nova Scotians age 19 years or older living with an acquired brain injury.
The program provides up to $480/year to reimburse for the purchase of a personal alert assistance service.
To receive funding for personal alert services, you must:
- Be 65 years or older, or 19 years or older with an acquired brain injury.
- Be a Nova Scotia resident with valid Health Card.
- Live alone and have an annual net income of less than $26,165.
- Have a history of recent falls.
- Use a cane, wheelchair or walker.
- Have a requirement for Home Care Service that will extend beyond 90 days.
- Sign an agreement with the Department of Health and Wellness.
Find more information and register at www.novascotia.ca/dhw/ccs/personal-alert-service.asp
For Organizations:
For the Good of Our Community Fund – accepting applications until December 22, 2022
Launched in Fall 2021, the For the Good of Our Community Fund, is a pillar of the NSLC community investment program, awarding one-time grants of up to $20,000 to Nova Scotia non-profit organizations through partnerships with our suppliers.
Eligibility Criteria:
• Applicants must be a registered charity or non-profit organization that works to support communities within Nova Scotia
• Organizations must be working to address areas of critical community need within Nova Scotia
• Projects and initiatives should be aligned to one of NSLC's community investment focus areas
• Preference will be given to organizations working on projects and initiatives that promote inclusivity and provide strong benefits to equity seeking or other underserved groups and communities
Accepting applications for the 2023-2024 fund until December 22, 2022. Download the Application Form.
Shannex Community Spirit Fund 2022–2023 Guidelines
The Shannex Cares Community Program provides a framework that allows it to influence change and make a difference in the lives of seniors.
It supports programs and initiatives that create visible and meaningful opportunities for elders to be seen, heard and valued for their wisdom and talents and seek to dispel myths that seniors are disengaged with the world around them.
Through Shannex Cares, the Community Spirit Fund offers funding for projects and initiatives that support its focus areas of:
• seniors’ wellness
• seniors’ active living
• seniors’ social connections
Go to https://shannex.com/shannexcares/ for more information and to apply.
To see program guidelines click here
To apply for funding, you must be:
• an employee of Shannex, Parkland or Faubourg du Mascaret
• a community-based non-profit organization, registered charity, or registered association
Applications will be accepted until 11:00pm AST on December 31, 2022.
Community Needs Grants
The Canadian Women’s Foundation is now accepting proposals for Community Needs grants. Approximately 25 grants up to a maximum of $20,000 each will be selected.
The aim of the Community Needs Grants is to provide short-term support for organizations doing gender justice work, with a focus on smaller grassroots organizations, to meet a range of immediate needs. Applicants may apply for funds to cover existing program costs, to pilot new initiatives, to undertake timely policy or advocacy initiatives, to support organizational capacity-building or professional development, to build networks, and/or to cover operational and administrative expenses.
Applications accepted until January 26, 2023
For more information visit www.canadianwomen.org/grants-community2022/
Community Services Recovery Fund
Community Foundations of Canada alongside Canadian Red Cross, and United Way Centraide Canada have been selected to distribute funding to help a broad and diverse range of charities, non-profits and Indigenous Governing Bodies adapt and modernize, so they can support pandemic recovery in communities across Canada.
The Community Services Recovery Fund is a one-time investment of $400 million that will help charities, non-profits and Indigenous Governing Bodies to acquire the tools they need to adapt and modernize so they can better support pandemic recovery in communities across Canada.
Funding from the Community Services Recovery Fund will enable charities, non-profits and Indigenous Governing Bodies to invest in their own organizational capacity to:
- adapt the way they deliver services to support the needs of their staff and volunteers;
- buy equipment such as computers and software;
- create new ways of working, such as developing new fundraising approaches;
- provide support for staff and volunteers, such as staff training, supports for mental health and wellbeing; and develop plans to receive funding from diverse sources.
The application process will launch on January 6, 2023. For more information visit www.communityservicesrecoveryfund.ca.
Canada Summer Jobs
Canada Summer Jobs application intake is open until January 12 2023
Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) provides wage subsidies to employers from not-for-profit organizations, the public sector, and private sector organizations with 50 or fewer full-time employees, to create quality summer work experiences for young people aged 15 to 30 years.
For more information about eligibility criteria or to apply go to https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/funding/canada-summer-jobs.html
HelpAge Canada is making Start-up Grants available to support new Men’s Sheds across Canada!
Recognizing the value of Men’s Sheds in promoting men’s health and wellness, micro-grants of up to $1000 are available to assist with the start-up costs of new Men’s Sheds in Canada.
These Start-up Grants are available to groups of two or more men or to community organizations interested in starting a Men’s Shed in their community.
Go to www.helpagecanada.ca/mens-sheds/ or email menssheds@helpagecanada.ca for more information
Engage and Change Lab Action Research Initative (CLARI) are teaming up to connect community groups with researchers and fun the research you undertake together.
Find a 2 pager of information HERE - Applications accepted until 4 projects are confirmed.
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Nova Scotia Housing Needs Assessment
The Housing Needs Assessment is one of the recommendations from the 2021 Affordable Housing Commission Report and is intended to further understanding of the needs of Nova Scotians. The Housing Needs Assessment will provide data and information on current and projected housing needs for each of the 49 municipalities in Nova Scotia. It will help identify gaps in current and projected housing requirements, and ensure that future investments close those gaps. While some municipalities have already completed their housing needs assessment, this is not the case for the vast majority.
This information will be invaluable to all levels of government, private sector, and community housing partners as they work to collectively improve the housing situation in Nova Scotia in both the short and long-term. The results will not only inform the number of housing units that each community needs, but also the type of housing that needs to be built.
The data and information collected will also be used to inform the development of two new Housing Strategies: the Provincial Housing Strategy, as well as the Student Housing Strategy, which is focused on housing for post-secondary students studying in Nova Scotia.
Go to nshousingneeds.ca to complete the survey
Survey closes December 31st at 11:59pm.
The Government of Nova Scotia is developing a food and beverage strategy that will help improve access to and increase the production of healthy, local food. Food production, access and awareness affects all Nova Scotians. You can share your feedback to help inform the food and beverage strategy.
The plan includes a public input guide, a website, social media, and media buys to promote participation in the survey, located at: https://novascotia.ca/food-and-beverage-strategy-engagement.
The survey is open until December 23rd.
It will also be posted in French this week and there is an option for individuals to complete it by phone or get other help in completing the survey by contacting foodstrategy@novascotia.ca or Agriculture’s toll-free number 1-800-279-0825.
The Province is asking diverse groups to share their experiences in order to improve Nova Scotia's healthcare system.
The Department of Health and Wellness and health system partners have launched an online survey to collect feedback from communities that might have experienced systemic racism and discrimination in the healthcare system. This includes Indigenous people, African Nova Scotians and people of African descent, racialized groups, 2SLGBTIQA+ people, those with disabilities, immigrants, refugees and historically underrepresented populations.
"We know every Nova Scotian should receive the same quality of healthcare, but we also know they don't. Systemic racism and discrimination impact the care people receive," said Brian Comer, Minister responsible for the Office of Addictions and Mental Health, on behalf of Health and Wellness Minister Michelle Thompson. "We need to hear more about the experiences of people from diverse communities in our health system to make the necessary changes to provide better care."
The survey can be found at Health Equity Framework for Nova Scotia | Engage for Health (engage4health.ca) and will be open until January 27.
Information from the survey will be used to develop a health equity framework to help improve the system, both for diverse groups who use it and staff.
COVID-19 UPDATES
Stay up to date with Federal and Nova Scotian information and updates on COVID-19 and please, wear a mask, wash your hands, and stay safe.
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