MINTO – The Mapleton Seniors Centre for Excellence asked council for its annual grant of $10,000 on Feb. 4.
Seniors health services coordinator Helen Edwards presented council with an update on programs, events and feedback from participants.
“We use our $10,000 to support our ACE program coordinator, which stands for active, connected and engaged,” explained Edwards.
The purpose of the centre is to keep seniors active, connected and engaged in the community, officials say. They do so by creating programs and activities catered to seniors, including:
- exercise programs;
- dining programs;
- themed Zoom sessions;
- coffee groups;
- a writers’ group; and
- wisdom series workshops.
The seniors’ centre also creates and publishes a newsletter, Heart and Soul of Wellington, which includes upcoming events, submitted stories from seniors, jokes, recipes and educational tips.
“Isolation is a dreadful, dreadful infliction on our seniors … we certainly need to connect them and you do a marvelous job of doing that,” deputy mayor Jean Anderson said to Edwards.
Mayor Dave Turton asked town treasurer Gordon Duff if there is room for the funding in the 2025 budget. Duff replied, “We do have it in our budget and it was supported by everyone unanimously.”
Council will vote on the funding at a future meeting.
