Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and the Age Strong Commission announced the recipients of its Creating Community and Reducing Social Isolation grant, a new City program designed to provide funding to nonprofit community organizations to create new or expand current programs inviting older adults to engage more for better physical and mental health. The City is awarding $360,000 in funding to 16 nonprofit community organizations.
The Creating Community and Reducing Social Isolation grants announced today range in size from $12,000 to $27,000 and will be awarded to the following organizations (alphabetical order):
- Boston Project Ministries
- Boston Public Housing Corporation
- Central Boston Elder Services
- Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation
- Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly/Boston
- Madison Park Development Corporation
- Maverick Landing Community Services
- Nigerian-American Multi-Service Association
- Operation P.E.A.C.E. Northeast
- Orchard Park Tenants Association/Saida’s Community Garden
- Somali Development Center
- The Urban Farming Institute of Boston
- Tzu Chi Foundation
- Urban Edge Housing Corporation
- Voice of the Tabernacle Multi Service Center
- Whittier Street Health Center Committee
The grantee cohort includes organizations specializing in aging, community development, housing, the faith community, and immigrant advancement. Proposed programs include Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation’s on-site, in-person wellness series educating residents about health risks and prevention; the Tzu Chi Foundation’s Home Buddy Project for homebound, Chinese-speaking elders; the Nigerian American Multi-Service Association’s “eating together is healing together” community meal series; and Urban Edge’s digital literacy program teaching older adults to use computers and the internet.
Age Strong convened a diverse group to review the grants from various sectors including the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Advancement, Mayor’s Commission on Disabilities, Mayor’s Office of Veterans’ Services, Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics, higher education, long-term care providers, and Boston’s older adult residents. In order to evaluate the impact of the grants, Age Strong has partnered with UMass Boston’s Gerontology Institute to facilitate all grantee data collection and program metrics.