The federal government will be shelling out new funds to help people who are most at risk during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In an update Sunday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the government will be investing $7.5-million into Kids Help Phone, a national service that provides counselling and support for children and teenagers.
According to Trudeau, the money will go towards bringing on more counsellors and trained volunteers.
"They are there to listen, they are there to support you, they are there to make sure you know that you're not alone and help you and all of us through this," he said.
Trudeau also directly addressed the country's older population, revealing that $9-million will be contributed through United Way Canada to help seniors with a variety of tasks including health check-ins and grocery delivery.
"Even if they're safe and isolated, this is not easy on them," said Trudeau. "Maybe they're having trouble going out to get groceries, maybe they're feeling particularly alone, maybe they've already been isolated and this is just an extra degree of stress on them."
A total of $200-million has also been allocated for people experiencing homelessness or people dealing with family violence.
"If you can’t go home because it isn’t safe, or because you don’t have a home, we’re not going to forget you...Earlier this month we committed $200-million for shelters. If you need to get away from domestic violence or violence because of your gender, if you need somewhere to stay, there are places you can go and be safe," Trudeau said.
The prime minister also acknowledged charities and non-profit organizations that are struggling to keep up with donations during the pandemic. Trudeau said that announcements will be made in the coming days on how the federal government is working with these organizations to ensure they can continue operations.