Notes From the Director's Desk: June Edition

Senior Corps, Notes from the Director's Desk

June 6, 2019

 

In this edition: The approaching NSCHC Exemption Period deadline; FY 2019 Day of Service Grants NOFO; Senior Corps Seminars updates; Celebrating LGBTQ Pride month; and more!

Dear Grantees,

This month contains several critical deadlines that I want to emphasize, so allow me to jump right into our content for June. On deck for this month

  • Reminder: the NSCHC Exemption Period expires in under 30 days
  • In Case You Missed It: The FY 2019 Day of Service Grants NOFO is now open
  • Senior Corps Seminars updates
  • Introducing my new monthly feature: The Elder Justice Corner
  • Webinar recording featuring US Surgeon General Jerome Adams and our ACL, California, and DC partners is now available 
  • Celebrating the contributions of our LGBTQ volunteers during Pride month

Reminder: The NSCHC Exemption Period Expires in Under 30 Days

If you have been waiting to start or complete your NSCHC rechecks during the Exemption Period, you are running out of time. Checks must be complete and adjudicated by June 30, 2019. Let me be clear: there will be no additional extensions. At the conclusion of the Exemption Period, CNCS will implement a new policy for NSCHC enforcement that will include a cost-based disallowance structure.

We want you to successfully complete your rechecks and we are encouraged by how many of you have used our resources to assist your work during this process. In case you missed it, last Friday we sent a reminder to all Senior Corps grantees containing a resources, tips, and reminders to help ensure that all your rechecks are complete and adjudicated before the Exemption Period expires.

Review Now

Thank you to everyone who has worked so hard to get this right. We appreciate all of your efforts and the feedback you have provided through this process. Let's make the final stretch count.


In Case You Missed It: The FY 2019 Day of Service Grants NOFO is Now Open

On May 22, 2019, CNCS announced the opening of the FY 2019 Day of Service Grants NOFO.

Our National Day of Service Grants offer the chance to be a part of national service and do something amazing with and for your community. This year’s grant opportunity offers more streamlined requirements, greater funding flexibility, and the freedom to design projects that will have the greatest impact for your community.

Two separate grant opportunities are available in the NOFO: September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance grants; and, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service. Interested applicants may apply for both Day of Service grant opportunities or just one. However you choose, act fast. Applications are due Wednesday, June 19, 2019 by 5:00 PM ET.

Apply Today


Senior Corps Seminars Updates

From May 8 - May 9, we joined over 200 of our grantees for the first of our Senior Corps Seminars, "Elder Justice and Independent Living." I would like to express my gratitude to all who joined us and made the event a success. In particular, I would like to thank the many presenters and plenary speakers who provided their time, knowledge, and experience to deepen our understanding of these important subjects. The Seminar was also an opportunity to hear from many of you about your ideas for how to improve our work on these subjects, including providing regular updates on common elder justice issues facing our communities.

If you were unable to join us in person, all presentation materials are now available for you to download on our event website. Additionally, all videos from our plenaries are now available to stream on YouTube. Click here for the plenary playlist.

We are rapidly approaching our second Seminar in Denver, "Building Our Future: Education and Intergenerational Programs." We are excited to join many of you for our largest Seminar of the year. Registration for this seminar is full.

Lastly, there are still a few spots left available for our final Seminar, "Senior Corps Responds: Senior Corps and The Opioid Epidemic, in Columbus, OH from July 18 - July 19, 2019. Don't wait, or you might miss out. Registration closes July 3, 2019.


Introducing My New Monthly Feature: The Elder Justice Corner

In response to the many suggestions we received at the Elder Justice seminar, I will be bringing you news each month from the elder justice community regarding current issues facing seniors and progress in fighting back.

This month's Elder Justice resources is the Senate Select Committee on Aging's "Fraud Book." In it, the Select Committee identifies the 10 most common scams currently facing our nation's seniors. This resource can help you identify common signs of elder justice issues that seniors in your community may be facing and how to intervene. In addition, the Committee maintains a wealth of additional resources on its website. Check it out today.


Webinar Recording Featuring US Surgeon General Jerome Adams and and our ACL, California, and DC partners is now available 

On April 4, 2019, I had the pleasure of joining U.S. Surgeon General, Jerome Adams, along with our partners at ACL, the County of San Diego, and our D.C. Foster Grandparent Program for a webinar titled "Intergenerational Connections Help Build Healthy & Prosperous Communities." During this webinar, we provided an overview of the role intergenerational programs play in building healthy communities, discussed the federal programs and initiatives that focus on boosting older adult community engagement, highlighted new research on the health benefits of volunteering, and shared how intergenerational programs promote community engagement in boosting resilience.

Watch Now


Celebrating the Contributions of our LGBTQ Volunteers During Pride Month

Each June, in communities large and small, we celebrate LGBTQ Pride and the indelible impact that LGBTQ Americans have on our country. Senior Corps proudly welcomes people across the LGBTQ spectrum to serve, so during Pride--and all year round--we embrace and express gratitude for the LGBTQ seniors who choose to serve with Senior Corps. Thank you!


Finally, the July Director's Desk newsletter will come to you after the 4th of July holiday. I wish you all a joyous, patriotic, and safe holiday. Let the 4th of July also remind us that Senior Corps continues in the our great national heritage of independence. Senior Corps programs across this country provide many Americans with a level of independence that they might not otherwise have in the absence of our volunteers. Whether helping a child learn to read and think critically, providing companionship and assistance to homebound adults, or helping senior victims of financial fraud, Senior Corps proudly continues our national spirit of independence in communities across America.

In service,

Deborah Cox-Roush
Director, Senior Corps

facebooktwitterinstagramtumblr