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
