Half a million a year to break
the loneliness of seniors
On Christmas Day, the Legault government announced funding of $ 500,000 per year to Les Petits Frères to break the isolation of seniors.
The minister responsible for seniors and caregivers, Marguerite Blais, made the announcement while attending
a Christmas dinner in downtown Montreal.
The funding should allow the organization to form new teams in Saint-Jérôme, Drummondville, Granby and Gatineau, in addition to improving
the Little Brothers' teams in Laval, Longueuil, Quebec, Sherbrooke and Trois-Rivières.
For Minister Blais, Les Petits Frères is one of the government's most precious partners "in matters of social geriatrics".
"Among people aged 85 and over, 50% say they suffer from loneliness and the work of the little brothers is magnificent, because it makes it possible to forge intergenerational links between the youngest and people over 75," said the Minister in interview with The Canadian Press.
With the support of more than 2,000 volunteers in 11 regions of Quebec, the organization supports more than 1,600 seniors,
whose average age is 84 years old.
Government funding aims to identify more than 1,800 new people and recruit more than 700 new volunteers.
"Studies show that across Canada, it is in Quebec that the isolation rate for seniors is the highest," said the minister.
Little Brothers have existed for 57 years. Thanks to twinning with volunteers, the organization allows seniors who suffer from loneliness to go out, receive visits and even sometimes go on trips.
The minister responsible for seniors and caregivers, Marguerite Blais, made the announcement while attending
a Christmas dinner in downtown Montreal.
The funding should allow the organization to form new teams in Saint-Jérôme, Drummondville, Granby and Gatineau, in addition to improving
the Little Brothers' teams in Laval, Longueuil, Quebec, Sherbrooke and Trois-Rivières.
For Minister Blais, Les Petits Frères is one of the government's most precious partners "in matters of social geriatrics".
"Among people aged 85 and over, 50% say they suffer from loneliness and the work of the little brothers is magnificent, because it makes it possible to forge intergenerational links between the youngest and people over 75," said the Minister in interview with The Canadian Press.
With the support of more than 2,000 volunteers in 11 regions of Quebec, the organization supports more than 1,600 seniors,
whose average age is 84 years old.
Government funding aims to identify more than 1,800 new people and recruit more than 700 new volunteers.
"Studies show that across Canada, it is in Quebec that the isolation rate for seniors is the highest," said the minister.
Little Brothers have existed for 57 years. Thanks to twinning with volunteers, the organization allows seniors who suffer from loneliness to go out, receive visits and even sometimes go on trips.