We are pleased to announce that the orchestra has received $25,000 in funding courtesy of the New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP), a federal initiative that provides grants and contributions funding to organizations that help make a difference in the lives of seniors and their communities.

With the support of NHSP funding, the orchestra will continue to offer our Make the Arts Accessible to Seniors (MAAS) program to retirement communities in Mississauga, and will expand the program to Brampton, Etobicoke, and Oakville. The MAAS program aims to assist with social participation among seniors in retirement communities through collaborative efforts in promoting and attending digitally recorded MSO concerts. The NHSP funding will also subsidize the cost of tickets offered to 72 retirement communities for all concerts in the MSO’s 2023/24 concert season.

“Our Make the Arts Accessible to Seniors project aims to promote a sense of engagement and participation in retirement communities across the region.” says Eileen Keown, Executive Director of the Mississauga Symphony. “Through monthly virtual programming and the collaborative promotion of music, the MSO hopes to supplement the fantastic mental health supports offered to seniors by these wonderful communities”.

Through community organizations, the New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP) aims to promote volunteerism among seniors, hopes to engage seniors in the community through the mentoring of others, supports social participation and the inclusion of seniors, and provides capital assistance for new and existing community projects and programs.