Today, the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence, alongside the Honourable Robert Oliphant, Member of Parliament for Don Valley West, announced that Sunnybrook Veterans Centre will be awarded funding for two projects through the Veteran and Family Well‑Being Fund.
The first project – Vibrant Veterans: Yoga Therapy to Support Well-Being – will receive $130,000 to offer group and individual yoga sessions to Veterans. This project will support independence, increase mobility and improve overall quality of life. The program will also offer therapeutic yoga to family members facing caregiver burnout, as well as to staff members facing greater levels of stress and burnout from being on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The second project will receive $110,000 to help reduce the impact of mandatory isolation on frail, elderly individuals in long-term care. Sunnybrook Veterans Centre will design and implement an interprofessional approach to reduce the risks of isolation for Veterans and other seniors required to undergo a period of quarantine for medical reasons.
This year’s Veteran and Family Well-Being Fund recipients are focusing on issues affecting Veterans and their families during the post COVID-19 recovery, such as homelessness, retraining, employment, and health challenges, along with supporting equity-seeking groups such as women and LGBTQ2 Veterans. This support is made possible through additional investments in the Veteran and Family Well‑Being Fund in Budget 2021.
Since 2018, the Veteran and Family Well‑Being Fund has provided financial support to private, public and academic organizations striving to improve the lives of Veterans and their families through innovative projects, initiatives and research.
Quotes
“Just like it has for everyone else, the pandemic has had a real impact on our Veterans and their families. Sunnybrook Veterans Centre is one of a number of organizations across the country that are doing some exceptional work in providing some unique and much-needed support, and having visited Sunnybrook a number of times before, I’m proud that we’re able to continue working with them through the Veteran and Family Well-Being Fund.”
The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence
“Canada’s Veterans have proudly served our nation, and it’s our honour to recognize their dedication by providing the supports they need. Sunnybrook Veterans Centre plays an important role in this work every day, including through the Veteran and Family Well-Being Fund. I am thrilled that they can help us help Veterans.”
The Honourable Robert Oliphant, Member of Parliament for Don Valley West
“Our interprofessional teams care for some of Ontario’s most vulnerable residents, the Veterans of Canada’s Armed Forces who reside in our facility. This funding will enable us to implement active interventions to reduce the impact of the pandemic on our Veteran residents to support their well-being and quality of life. It will also help us to support overall well-being for families and staff members, who are reporting greater levels of stress and burnout from being on the front lines of the pandemic.”
Dr. Jocelyn Charles, Medical Director of the Sunnybrook Veterans Centre
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