Shannex Cares Announces Community Spirit Grants Recipients 

Our journey of supporting seniors started 35 years ago and just over a year ago, we launched Shannex Cares, our community giving program. The program enables us to build strong connections between the people who live and work with us and the greater community. Through Shannex Cares, we are proud to associate ourselves with like-minded elder allies in the community to influence real change and make a difference in the lives of seniors.  

Today is Giving Tuesday, a day dedicated to making the world a better place by encouraging people to give back in whatever ways they can. It’s the perfect day to announce the most recent group of recipients of our Shannex Cares Community Spirit Grants which offer funding for organizations to support projects and initiatives within our focus areas of seniors’ wellness, seniors’ active living, and seniors’ social connections.  

Congratulations to each of the following organizations for being awarded a $2,500 Community Spirit Grant to support more seniors in their community. 

• Meals on Wheels Fredericton offers nutrition, learning sessions and socialization opportunities for seniors. Our grant will help more seniors, people with disabilities and members of the Sitansisk First Nation community participate in their weekly community meal program. 

• Moncton Lions Community Centre delivers fitness, creativity, social, and health and wellness programs for seniors at their center and in nursing homes in the Greater Moncton area. Our grant will enable them to purchase the required equipment in order to deliver their programs. 

• The YMCA of Greater Saint John will convert a room at the Irving Oil Field House into a senior’s hub which will include an office area, a meeting place, a cardio corner, a reading nook, and a social circle. Our grant will support the room conversion and enable more seniors to have access to activities that support their physical and mental health. 

• The Stepping Stone Senior Centre in Fredericton offers daily seniors programming and organizes day trips for interested seniors, particularly those experiencing social isolation, troubled times, and who are not able to visit places for whatever reasons. Our grant will offer more seniors from the area the opportunity to participate in healthy aging programming and socialize during a variety of outings. 

• The Lucasville Community Association offers programs for seniors which include fitness, social and cultural events. Our grant will help them extend their Coffee House program where many seniors regularly gather to socialize. 

• The Portapique Market offers a weekly market greens program for seniors. Our grant will help sponsor seniors living with diet related illnesses and provide them with an opportunity to socialize, create a meal together and participate in movement activities that are adapted to the physical needs of each participant. 

• The Sackville Seniors Advisory Council helps seniors with isolation and depression, and also provides them with a sense of worth through programming and activities including knitting, crocheting, grief support, mental health, friends gathering groups and weight loss sessions. Our grant will help them replace old furniture to provide comfortable seating to clients when they attend their programs. 

• Operations Kindness started off as a great idea and helped 50 seniors in the community benefit from having a full meal on Christmas Day last year. Our grant will help the group of volunteers grow this initiative and deliver up to 300 meals to seniors this year. 

• The Alzheimer Society of Durham Region provides support to people living with dementia and their family and care partners. Our grant will help support their Comfort Companions Program which provides robotic pets and dolls that are designed to bring comfort and companionship for those living with dementia. 

Congratulations to all the recipients! We look forward to working with you to help more seniors live their best lives. The next round of Community Spirit grants will open this spring. 

Read more about the Shannex Cares Community Spirit Grants.

Meet the Recipients