2021-04-28

Community groups making most of latest round of United Way funds

Residents of a special care facility in Chester can soon enjoy a trek down the streets of Paris, an African safari or a shopping binge at Toronto Eaton Centre. With new virtual reality (VR) technology on-the-way to Shoreham Village, maybe those who call the place home can do all three in one fell swoop.

"It provides a meaningful activity," Niki Rodenhizer, the 90-resident site's volunteer services and recreation manager, told LighthouseNOW during a phone call. "They can use their imagination and self-expression; there's a lot we can do with this particular program.

Thanks to a successful funding application to Lunenburg County's United Way, Shoreham Village nabbed $500 to help buy an Oculus Quest VR system. For Shoreham Village, it is a significant advancement to its previously-owned VR.

"This was a valuable tool prior to COVID-19, and now with all the additional restrictions it will be even more important," added Janet Simm, Shoreham Village's chief executive, via phone.

With the gear arriving soon, Rodenhizer said residents will be surveyed to see who is interested in VR and for whom it is appropriate. She said other ideas would be examined if the United Way application had not panned out.

Michael Graves, who leads the local United Way charity that recently announced six-figures worth of community organization allocations for 2019-20, is thrilled with all that the groups plan to do with the money. In terms of Shoreham Village, Graves said he hopes it inspires a broader program to bring VR tech to all long-term care homes.

"I honestly think it's going to be a huge success, "Graves told LighthouseNOW during a telephone chat, "and it's going to bring a lot of positives and opportunities for the seniors."

The South Shore's SchoolsPlus program receives just under $20,000 to target food insecurity among the Indigenous and African Nova Scotian population with a cultural cooking program.

"Almost one in four people in Lunenburg County live with food insecurity," Graves noted. "That's a huge number."

Linda Jensen oversees SchoolsPlus - youth and family support services - for the South Shore Regional Centre for Education. She said it was during a previous cooking-related program that the gap was highlighted.

"Many of our Indigenous and African Canadian students have lost connections with their traditional foods," she explained to LighthouseNOW during a phone call. "This will increase their sense of belonging and connection to their culture. We know these cultures are over-represented with things like diabetes, high blood pressure," and other health and social challenges, she said.

The program, which starts later this year and lasts several weeks, involves the distribution of slow-cookers, basic ingredients, recipes and access to online tutorials.

"We hope to deliver to 40 families," Jensen said.

"Students and families can be referred by any organization."

Another example of where the latest round of United Way funding went is the Family Service Association of Western Nova Scotia. The Bridgewater-based charity, which received $10,000 to tackle emergency housing, identified homelessness prevention as one its key focuses.

Graves said the money will be used to pay for stability for those who have no place to go, or a place to turn to for help. "These are people who are in dire need," Graves said.

To learn more about Lunenburg County's United Way, ask questions and to apply for funding, check out https://www.lunenburgcounty.unitedway.ca on the internet.