Senator Carolyn Stewart Olsen returned to her roots last Monday when she was in town to present the Sackville Seniors Club with a federal grant in the amount of $24,788.
Olsen, who was born in Sackville, was on hand with Tantramar MLA Mike Olscamp to officially announce the funding, which is part of the New Horizons for Seniors Capital Assistance Program.
New Horizons for Seniors is a federal funding program that helps organizations serving seniors replace out-dated equipment or pay for building repairs, enabling seniors to continue to lead active lives by participating in programs in their community.
Non-profit organizations that have been delivering community programs and activities for the last two years may apply. The program has helped 100,000 seniors in over 500 community projects last year alone and has given upwards of $300,000 to seniors in New Brunswick.
The grant was sought by Olscamp after meeting with members of the seniors’ club over concerns they had with their current facilities. The funding was used to renovate the meeting area in the legion into an area that could be more easily used by the seniors.
Improvements were made to the entrance and a new carpet and brand new kitchenette were added to make the area more functional and readily accessible for food-related events. A divider was also added to separate the bar area from the meeting room.
Senator Olsen described the grant to the local club as “a well-deserved helping hand.”
After the announcement, she gestured to the many improvements in the room and said, “I look forward to being invited back to activities held here.”
Olscamp said he was also looking into a New Horizons Grant for the village of Dorchester.
