West Hants meal program receives $10,000 provincial funding boost

A program that helps seniors stay healthy and active in West Hants has received $10,000 in provincial funding.

Hants West MLA Melissa Sheehy-Richard announced Oct. 19 that the Station Learning Farm Society is receiving the funding for the Meals to Heal program through the government’s Age-Friendly Communities Fund.

“The Meals that Heal program is such an important program in our community,” Sheehy-Richard said in a news release. “This funding will ensure the program continues to support food security and ensure our local seniors stay healthy.”

Meals to Heal started in January 2026 after completing a successful six-month pilot.

Participants can receive up to six frozen meals a week, plus healthy snacks.

The food is prepared by trained chefs at the Station Food Hub in Newport Station and are delivered by volunteers once a week. There is dietitian oversight to ensure the meals are suitable for people with a variety of medical conditions, including heart healthy and diabetic options.

Claire Miner, the program co-ordinator for Meals to Heal West Hants, said officials with the organization appreciates the support as it allows them to provide “medically tailored meals to community members in West Hants who are experiencing severe or chronic health conditions.”

Miner said the goal of the program is to help participants improve their health, quality of life, and food security.

“Many of our participants are seniors and our program provides meals designed for their medical conditions along with weekly connections with our volunteers as they deliver meals to participants throughout West Hants,” she said.

“We greatly appreciate the support of the Government of Nova Scotia and would also like to acknowledge the continuing support of our partner, the Station Learning Farm, and their help to sustain the Meals to Heal program.”

Meals to Heal was one of 44 organizations to receive the provincial funding for 2025-26. More than $389,000 was provided. The news release noted part of the funding included two provincewide organizations: Veterans Emergency Transition Services (VETS) Canada, which received $20,000, and Recreation Nova Scotia, which received $10,000 for its work in helping support healthy lives for seniors across Nova Scotia.

Applications for the 2026-27 Age-Friendly Communities Fund close on Nov. 19.

Applications are open to eligible registered not-for-profit community organizations, municipalities, Mi’kmaq band councils, universities and not-for-profit post-secondary institutions, and schools applying through a regional centre for education or the Conseil scolaire acadien provincial. Individuals and businesses are ineligible.