Community Care Peterborough is expanding its Senior Connector program with $24,500 in funding through Ontario’s Seniors Community Grant Program.
The organization marked the launch of the program’s next phase on Wednesday (October 14) at its office at 185 Hunter Street East in Peterborough, where Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith joined Senior Connector volunteers as they gathered for training.
Smith spoke about the importance of human connection, face-to-face conversations, and practical community support for older adults, particularly at a time when many sources of information and services increasingly rely on technology.
Senior Connector is a peer-based program that trains older adult volunteers to help other seniors find trusted information, ask questions, identify next steps, and connect with local programs and services.
The volunteers meet seniors in familiar community settings, providing person-to-person assistance for people who may be dealing with social isolation, digital barriers, transportation challenges, uncertainty about available services, or difficulty navigating health and community support systems.
The program helps older adults connect with the services that best meet their needs, whether they are offered by Community Care Peterborough or another local organization.
The Senior Connector program was first developed as a pilot, with Community Care Peterborough saying the initial experience demonstrated the value of trusted local conversations between seniors and trained volunteers.
The new provincial funding will allow the organization to extend the availability of Senior Connector across both the city and county of Peterborough.
A key change in the new phase is a stronger follow-up and evaluation process. Community Care Peterborough found during the pilot that simply providing information did not necessarily mean a senior was able to successfully access the service or support they needed.
Senior Connectors will now be trained to follow up after an initial conversation, identify any barriers that emerged so they can help participants take the next step.
In background material provided for the launch, Community Care Peterborough CEO Danielle Belair said the provincial funding supports the organization’s broader goal of helping seniors remain safely and independently in their homes.
“We are deeply grateful for the provincial investment through the Ontario Seniors Community Grant Program,” Belair said. “This vital support reinforces our organization’s commitment to helping seniors age safely at home while remaining connected, informed, and fully supported by their community.”
Community Care Peterborough’s director of operations Catherine Pink said the peer-based approach can help seniors build relationships and participate more fully in community life, while also connecting them with practical information, referrals, programs, and services.
“We learned from the previous Senior Connector initiative just how valued this approach is,” Pink said in the program backgrounder, adding that the next phase of the program also includes a follow-up option to help ensure seniors’ needs and expectations have been met.
Returning Senior Connector volunteer Elaine said the program helps older adults become aware of services they might not otherwise know are available.
“Knowledgeable and welcoming, a Senior Connector is well prepared to offer information, answer questions, and share resources provided through a detailed training program,” she said in the backgrounder. “When a senior says, ‘Thanks for the help,’ a Senior Connector knows they’ve made a difference.”
A non-profit charitable organization, Community Care Peterborough provides services and supports intended to help seniors and adults with physical challenges remain independent and connected in their homes and communities across the city and county of Peterborough.
For more information about Community Care Peterborough, visit www.commcareptbo.org.
