As a long-time supporter of Brock University and the Niagara region, TD Bank Group (TD) responded to the increased need of both physical and sociological support for seniors in our community. Through a multi-year grant, TD has invested in Brock’s SeniorFit program, offered by the Brock-Niagara Centre for Health and Well-Being.

The SeniorFit program, designed for Niagara residents 55 and older, works to enhance the quality of life across the lifespan by promoting and supporting a healthy lifestyle. The program focuses on exercise for seniors and those with other chronic conditions to improve strength, mobility and independence, while also enhancing confidence and self-esteem.

Manning the program and working directly with seniors are Brock students from Kinesiology, Health Sciences, Therapeutic Recreation, Nursing and Gerontology programs. In addition to promoting physical and mental well-being for seniors, while providing Brock students a unique experiential learning opportunity, SeniorFit also supports intergenerational interactions that benefit both the senior and the student.

As expected as we emerged from the pandemic, the unique SeniorFit program has increased in popularity, with more seniors needing or wanting assistance, programming and social interaction. The grant from TD will help the Brock-Niagara Centre both assess and expand the program to better serve seniors in the region.

Primarily, a full needs assessment will be completed to identify other potential areas for growth, while a research project will be conducted to evaluate the positive impacts the Centre’s programs are having on its members.

“TD’s generous funding provides a secure foundation for what has become an important resource to the community,” said Faculty of Applied Health Sciences Dean, Peter Tiidus.

Additionally, the grant allows the Centre to expand its SeniorFit program across the region using satellite locations. By bringing programming where the people are, we remove barriers to accessibility for seniors and thus expand awareness and opportunity for seniors to work to reduce the occurrences and severity of chronic conditions and illnesses.

With expanded locations comes expanded program offerings and staff. More student-staff mean more one-on-one experiences for SeniorFit members, ensuring an individualized program is created based on each member’s needs.

“This donation from TD is allowing us to do things we always wanted to do, but weren’t able to do without this funding,” shared SeniorFit Director Kim Gammage.

Thanks to TD’s support, the expanded locations and offerings, and the assessment and research that will take place, Brock anticipates SeniorFit to continue to grow quite quickly, furthering its benefits for students and seniors of Niagara.