R.E.A.C.H. for Aging Well

Mon Sheong Foundation Kicks Off an Innovative New Project

Toronto, ON, February 13, 2020 – Yesterday, a crowd gathered at Mon Sheong Community and Volunteer Services Centre (Scarborough) to be a part of Mon Sheong Foundation’s Kick-Off Ceremony for a new collaborative project, R.E.A.C.H. for Aging Well. Announced in August 2019, the Government of Canada’s New Horizons for Seniors Program will provide approximately 1.8 million in funding to this project. Over 70 guests joined Mon Sheong including collaborative partners, politicians and members of the community.

As one of the 22 organizations across Canada and the only Chinese organization that received this funding, Mon Sheong will not only be working with collaborative partners, Alzheimer Society of York Region, Hong Fook Mental Health Association and Mon Sheong Community and Volunteer Services Centres, but will also act as the spearhead for this project. R.E.A.C.H. for Aging Well is geared towards increasing social inclusion of Chinese seniors over 55 years of age in the GTA, while raising community awareness. Built on the framework of Reciprocity, Engagement, Accessibility, Connection and Holistic (R.E.A.C.H.), the project will offer 160 programs in the next five years with an estimated 7,200 participations and will officially begin in April 2020.

David Cheng, Vice-President of Mon Sheong Foundation, said, “With global aging comes senior isolation. This can be triggered by loss of mobility, loss of aging friends and family members and even language barriers. These factors make it hard to form meaningful social connections in their daily lives. Funded by the Government of Canada, R.E.A.C.H. for Aging Well is a GTA-wide project that we are honoured to be spearheading. We are excited to be working with three collaborative partners to help Chinese seniors in our community feel welcomed and engaged.”

With performers coming from our collaborative partners embodying R.E.A.C.H.’s five dimensions of wellness: physical, emotional, social, intellectual, and vocational, audience members were charmed by the seniors’ performances and spoke at length to the organizers of this project for more information. Some highlights of the R.E.A.C.H. programs include:

Partners	Programs Offered
Alzheimer Society of York Region	Minds in Motion, Dementia Caregiver Support Group, Learning about Dementia
Hong Fook Mental Health Association	Fitness Groups, Leisure Clubs, Health Talks, Mental Wellness Groups, Tech Talk
Mon Sheong Community Volunteer Services Centre (Scarborough)	Tai Chi, Erhu, Guzheng, Musical Drama Group, Water Color Painting, Caregivers’ Stress Management
Mon Sheong Community Volunteer Services Centre (Downtown)	Qigong, Yoga for Emotional Balance, Fundamental of Tablet & Electronic Devices

R.E.A.C.H. for Aging Well will begin in April 2020. All programs are free of charge. Registration begins in March and the project invites all Chinese seniors, 55 and older, to take part. For more information, please visit www.reach55.com.