Northern Lights recipient – Project Joy

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Location: Spruce Grove, Alberta

Project Joy is made up of a group of dedicated volunteers who are changing lives during this pandemic. Based in Spruce Grove, Project Joy is using technology to help isolated seniors connect with friends and family members.

The organization is the brain child of Emily Jenks and is named in memory of her grandmother, Joy. Realizing the impact the pandemic was having on her community, Emily reached out to a local Spruce Grove seniors centre to ask how she could help. Emily discovered that the centre’s residents were not able to have any visitors; and while the care facility would normally have begun fundraising to purchase devices to facilitate online communications, COVID had brought an end to such efforts.

Reminded of a couple of older devices that she had at home, Emily also wondered if perhaps there might be others who might want to contribute their own unused cellphones or tablets. After a call out on social media, Emily was able to make the first delivery of 11 security-cleansed iPhones, iPads and Android devices. With Edmonton tech firm RJ Systems stepping up to donate IT expertise, volunteers offering up their own time and talents, and a number of area businesses providing additional support, Project Joy is connecting more and more seniors and their loved ones at a time when those connections are all the more precious.