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Hand Me Down Project

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Hand Me Down Project

Milton Public Library

Health & Wellness | 2023

Innovation Synopsis

The project aimed to support healthy ageing and celebrate diversity and inclusion through intergenerational mentoring and engagement. Seniors in our community lead a variety of programming for local youth. The goal of the project was to share knowledge, support skills-building and encourage intergenerational dialogue and cultural exchange.

Challenge/Opportunity

  • Building community and reducing social isolation commonly experienced by individuals as they age, especially through the pandemic
  • Encouraging engagement with the often invisible skills involved in the products we use and consume– replacing the ready-made with the ready-to-make
  • Reengage community members with practical, tactical experiences, which have been lacking as a result of the pandemic, while bringing generations of community members together to participate in activities side-by-side
  • Addressing ageism

Key Elements of Innovation

  • Celebration of diversity and promoting inclusion, by facilitating programming run by Indigenous Peoples and members of racialized and newcomer groups.
  • Wide array of skills shared including:
  • Traditional tactile skills (sewing, knitting, cooking, book binding)
  • Soft skills focused on self-care (acupressure, tai chi, foot reflexology, qi gong),
  • Culture sharing (Basic Urdu language sharing, Indigenous program teaching about Truth and Reconciliation)
  • Modern skills (financial literacy, computer building)

Achieved Outcomes

  • The project saw a total of 22 programs offered, with a total attendance of 231 youth in the community
  • Strengthened partnership with Indigenous group Grandmother’s Voice
  • Established partnership with several key community members to repeat popular program offerings
  • Seniors who led programs felt valued by, and engaged in, their community
  • Positive participant feedback: “would love to do similar activities in the future”
  • Seniors were given creative control over their programs, ensuring authentic representation

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