|
Baltimore, MD - The Maryland Department of Aging announces $100,000 in grant awards to six Villages that serve historically marginalized communities to support aging in place efforts. The grants are offered annually as part of Longevity Ready Maryland’s efforts to increase the capacity of local organizations to provide high-quality services, improve collaboration between agencies and organizations, and foster social connection across generations.
"We know the majority of people want to live in the communities they've called home and invested in for years, maintaining their independence and dignity," said Maryland Department of Aging Secretary Carmel Roques. "These grants will support local efforts to enhance engagement and support Marylanders in their communities, especially in underserved areas that face additional challenges and barriers to living healthy and longer lives."
The department received more than 60 proposals from local Area Agencies on Aging, Senior Villages, and nonprofit organizations for FY25 Aging in Place grant funding. This year's awardees follow the Village model, where neighbors help neighbors by providing comprehensive support such as transportation, meal delivery, home maintenance, and social activities through member-driven volunteer efforts.
One of the recipients, Home Ports Village in Kent County, plans to use part of its $27,150 to fund a volunteer coordinator that will work to rebuild, revitalize, and bring on new members and volunteers to serve the needs of residents in their rural community.
"COVID-19 had a devastating impact on Home Ports’ membership and volunteer rosters, reducing each to a fraction of their pre-pandemic size," said Home Ports Executive Director Jeanette Jeffrey. "For many older residents living here, we are their only resource for transportation to doctor's appointments, pharmacies, and grocery stores. We also plan to increase our friendly home visits to help prevent isolation, a common problem in rural areas."
Kent County has a total population of about 19,000 residents, 48.6% of which are aged 50 plus, and Jeffrey notes that many older residents are lonely and lack easy access to critical services. "We want to support our residents to age safely and gracefully in their homes and to be vital members of our community, so they can live healthy and purposeful lives into their later years," she added.
Other grant recipients include:
-
Bradley Hills Village - $7,770 to fund two intergenerational educational programs, one where youth and older people conduct interviews with each other and one where they work together to plant trees;
-
The Asian American Center of Frederick - $14,080 to support ride-sharing app coupons to provide transportation to low-income African, Hispanic, and Asian American communities;
-
Villages of Takoma Park - $26,000 to provide small home repairs and build their Village membership;
-
Neighborhood Companions Village - $10,000 to establish a Village in the historic African American community of Turner Station—considered a food dessert—and start a new “Second Sunday Dinner” event to provide nutritious meals and combat loneliness and isolation among older adults; and
-
Montgomery County Village Consortium - $15,000 to further develop the Hub and Spoke Village Model, which takes an innovative approach to strengthening individual villages in underserved areas by consolidating efforts and sharing staff to be more efficient across villages.
To learn more about Supportive Communities initiatives or Aging in Place grant awards, visit Aging.Maryland.Gov. For more information on Longevity Ready Maryland, visit LRM.Maryland.Gov.
Media Contact:
Barbara Sigler
Communications Director
Maryland Department of Aging
Office: 410-767-4170
Email: barbara.sigler@maryland.gov
|
