June is Ontario’s Seniors Month!

This week marks the beginning of the 32nd annual Seniors Month in Ontario. To recognize the important role seniors have in communities all over Ontario, the government has declared this year’s theme, “Seniors Making a Difference”. They’ve also started promoting the hashtag #VibrantSeniors on social media. For example, if you’re posting something about your loved one on Twitter, don’t forget to squeeze it in!

Do you know someone over the age of 65 that has made a positive and lasting impact on our community? The Ontario government is currently accepting nominations for the Ontario Senior Achievement Award! The deadline is June 15th, so if you have a senior in mind that is regularly described as a compassionate and charitable humanitarian, don’t hesitate! The process is quite simple; we have outlined it below. 

First, we suggest that you look at this article, as it explains how to write a compelling nomination. They aren’t looking for something that just says your nominee is exceptional, they want to actually see how he or she is exceptional! Include specific examples of ways the person you have in mind contributes to her or his community in a positive way.

The article advises that the senior you choose should demonstrate these specific qualities:

• Encouraged and exemplified the virtue of good citizenship
• Enriched the lives of others, particularly those who are vulnerable or less able to help themselves
• Shown ongoing initiative, leadership and dedication
• Devoted themselves to sustained and selfless voluntary service
• Earned the respect of their peers and became a role model in their field

Second, when you are at www.ontario.ca/honoursandawards, make sure that you are choosing the correct “Medal and Recognition Program”, from the list of programs, entitled, Ontario Senior Achievement Award. There are about a dozen other programs, so to be completely sure about your choice, you can always just click here.

Third, make sure that you download the proper form. Once you have made your way to the Ontario Senior Achievement Award webpage, on the top right-hand corner there are links to the PDF files. We suggest you choose the online version.

Finally, click here (entries are now closed) when you are ready to submit your nomination. It will redirect you to the Ontario governments e-filing system. Alternatively, you can click the respective link on the Senior Achievement Award webpage (found in step 6).  

Each year up to 20 seniors are selected, through an independent committee that carefully reviews each nomination. The committee members are from the seniors’ community and are appointed by the Minister Responsible for Seniors. This year, in October, there will be a special ceremony held at Queen’s Park to honour the recipients. Now let’s show the government and Ontario how our Hamilton seniors are making a difference!