Social Capital

The Arlington Energy Masters program is a joint venture between three Washington, DC area nonprofit groups - Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment (ACE), Arlington Thrive, and the Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) – which aims to increase energy efficiency in Arlington’s low-income residences. Volunteers from the DC suburb are put through a 20 hour training course on what impacts a home’s water and energy usage and strategies to make homes more efficient. Once the training is completed, volunteers spend at least 60 hours in the community applying their knowledge to help lower energy and water usage in low-income apartments from throughout the county.

Inner-city Detriot may not be the first place one thinks of when looking to learn golf, but that is precisely where Renee Fluker founded her immensley successful Midnight Golf Program a dozen years ago. The program is a 30 week mentoring experience that not only teaches students about golf, but also about a number of essential life skills. The organization uses golf as a medium to teach children important life lessons, such as strategic thinking and how to deal with frustration and failure.

Age Friendly Cities

Rapidly urbanizing world populations are also rapidly aging. The number of people aged over 60 worldwide is expected to double from 11 percent to 22 percent by 2050 [i]. The need to adapt cities to meet the needs of an aging population is more important now than ever, and creating connected cities accessible for all ages is an integral part of responding to these demographic shifts. The World Health Organization (WHO) has been at the forefront of fostering responsible policymaking and networking related to aging in cities, and organized its Age Friendly Cities Project [ii] in 2005.

Founders Award for Civic Leadership 
 

James O. Gibson is honored for his leading advocacy in urban revitalization, community development, and race relations. His demonstrated commitment to social equity for more than three decades on issues ranging from civil rights to economic opportunity has provided critical progress for our country’s social fabric.

Four organizations and partnerships in the Richmond Region were each awarded a "JumpStart the Conversation" grant in August 2009. The winning projects exemplify the use of innovative ideas focused on creating livable communities for all ages and the theme of engaging community leaders for improving the livability of Richmond for all ages.

The Richmond grants followed the Aging in Place workshop held on June 17, 2009; titled Engaging Community Leaders in the Process: Creating a Livable Richmond Area for All Ages. 

 

Richmond Jumpstart Grants 

• Richmond Public Schools Educational Foundation, Inc. in partnership with Thomas H. Henderson Middle School and the Education Subcommittee of the Greater Richmond Chamber of Commerce
  To develop mentoring and enrichment relationships between students from Henderson Middle School and senior citizens from the surrounding neighborhood. As part of an expanding relationship between the school and its neighborhood, Henderson also wants to open its doors to the senior community in expanded venues for direct student contact, as well as, making school facilities available to senior citizens for evening events. 
• ElderHomes Corporation in partnership with Richmond Community Development Alliance
  To plan a one day bus tour of area housing for the purpose of educating community leaders about residential needs and housing issues that affect seniors. The tour will feature stops at various housing alternatives and focus on senior friendly community development.
• Senior Connections, The Capital Area Agency on Aging in partnership with United Way of Greater Richmond and Petersburg, AARP Virginia, the Richmond Regional Planning District Commission, the Greater Richmond Chamber, A Community Partnership 
  To develop a 2030 Age Wave Plan for the Richmond Metropolitan Region that will focus on the areas of Economic Development, Built Environment and Long-Term Care. The project will involve a year long process to identify ways to enhance livable communities, promote strategies for aging in place advocacy, increase community awareness, agree on ways to increase access to resource and determine action steps/time table for the development of the comprehensive 2030 Plan. The outcome will be a Toolkit for creating livable communities for all ages.
• Family Lifeline
  To host a series of Aging Education Seminars hosted by Richmond’s ElderFriends program that will help to decrease social isolation of seniors enrolled in program and increase knowledge of and access to community-based resources. Participants will include ElderFriends volunteers, elder citizens, and community partners. Each seminar will focus on a topic relevant to aging—Healthy Aging In Place, the Changing Community Demographic, Livable Communities for All Ages, etc.

Fourteen organizations and partnerships in the Wichita Region were each awarded a "JumpStart the Conversation" grant in August 2009. The winning projects exemplify the use of innovative ideas focused on creating livable communities for all ages and the theme of "Revitalizing Communities for All Generations."

As part of the Aging in Place Initiative, the Wichita Region was selected by MetLife Foundation, Partners for Livable Communities and the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging to host one of a series of dynamic national workshops highlighting the opportunity to improve livability for persons of all ages. The workshop, titled Revitalizing Communities for All Generations:  Visioning a Livable Wichita Region, was held on June 23, 2009.  

Revitalizing Communities for All Generations gathered key innovators and representatives from across the region to discuss a topic of great importance to Wichita. Workshop speakers and panelists focused their discussion on key areas for Community Housing, Intergenerational Opportunities, and Neighborhood Planning. In particular, participants considered elements that contribute to the Wichita Visioneering process. 

Wichita Jumpstart Grants 

• Visioneering Older Adult Alliance and the Central Plains Area Agency on Aging
  To develop and implement a south central Kansas media initiative which will include:  an informational sheet on important statistics related to older adults and livable communities that can be used to educate, a half-hour infomercial on livable communities that can be shown on area government channels and production of timely articles on livable communities that can be inserted into newsletters, regional newsletters or posted on partner websites.
• Via Christi Senior Services in partnership with Visioneering Older Adult Alliance and the Central Plains Area Agency on Aging
  To formulate an innovative series of four, focused informational programs designed to raise awareness and start discussions that will help all “age in place” in Wichita. 
• Senior Services, Inc. and the Central Plains Area Agency on Aging
  To produce a research paper of best practices for intergenerational programming at senior centers. The paper will include working models and evidence based programs from across the country on how to facilitate community collaboration, promote an appreciation for heritage, traditions and history, apply the strength of one generation to meet the needs of another, and increase community awareness about issues that affect both populations. The findings of the paper will be presented at a statewide senior center conference.
• Visioneering Older Adult Alliance and the Central Plains Area Agency on Aging
  To recruit and train people 55 years and better in advocacy skills.  Trained advocates will be able to more effectively communicate to elected officials, planners and board members about issues that are important to livable communities and aging in place.
• Paratransit Council, Inc. in partnership with 17 other members
  To establish a program that will expand awareness of transportation resources and promote the use of those resources in the tri-county areas of Harvey, Butler, and Sedgwick, Kansas.  An informational pamphlet will be produced as part of this outreach campaign.
• Visioneering Older Adult Alliance and the Central Plains Area Agency on Aging
  To continue the conversation about Aging in Place and Livable Communities by highlighting current efforts that are meeting with success in cities in the metropolitan statistical area. A half day, best practices symposium will feature presenters with innovative housing options, successful walkability efforts, award winning intergenerational programs and issues related to community development, i.e. downtown revitalization, parks, recreation and open spaces.
• Historic Midtown Citizen’s Association (HMCA), USD 259 and the Central Plains Area Agency on Aging
  To introduce seniors to volunteer opportunities at area schools and the school children to the rich opportunities that knowing older adults can provide.
• Wichita Independent Neighborhoods, Inc. in partnership with Visioneering Older Adult Alliance and the Central Plains Area Agency on Aging
  To develop a transportation plan for seniors that would utilize existing transportation providers, provide activity calendars, and develop a membership program to bring the program to completion.
• Senior Services, Inc. in partnership with the Wichita City Council and Active Aging Publishing, Inc.
  To provide education and forums for seniors to gain valuable knowledge and dialogue about what their needs are for a livable community. Through a series of forums and community planning sessions, seniors will be given the opportunity to express their needs for transportation in the community. As a follow-up to the meetings, a simple transportation brochure will be distributed to organizations that provide services to seniors written in English, Spanish, and possibly Vietnamese.
• Visioneering Older Adult Alliance and the Central Plains Area Agency on Aging
  To plan, plant and harvest a new community garden at the Southeast Senior Center near the Planeview Area – a low-income neighborhood in the City of Wichita. Funding will be used to develop a tool kit to get the garden started, purchase planting materials and supplies, soil tests, garden tools and to educate the community on the benefits of gardening.
• Wichita Homebound Outreach (WHO) in partnership with Visioneering Older Adult Alliance and the Central Plains Area Agency on Aging
  To recruit additional volunteers and create an intergenerational component for a local outreach organization that creates building relationships and socialization activities between neighbors in low-income congregate housing facilities. Educational materials would be created to distribute to churches and organizations in order to recruit volunteers. 
• Park City Pride Committee, Inc.
  To design and distribute a community survey to help establish criteria on future community oriented goals and public buildings.
• Asbury Park, Inc.
  To conduct focus groups with individuals aged 55-70 on what type of housing they want through the next years of their lives and educate them on universal design concepts.
• Visioneering Older Adult Alliance and the Central Plains Area Agency on Aging
  To conceive and produce a 30 minute DVD to inform viewers of the concepts of Livable Communities for All Ages and Universal Design that can be aired on city television stations and utilized by citizen groups, and staff members in trainings, presentations and discussions.

Nonprofit urban café creates opportunities for local residents in arts and culture and most importantly, in employment.

New Orleans, LA

A small community art project that developed into a wonderful, lasting resource for downtown New Orleans.

San José, CA

An arts organization teams up with a small, local business to create a central gathering place and cultural center within a struggling neighborhood.

Boston, MA

A nationally recognized apprenticeship program that empowers artists, giving them the skills and knowledge needed for a successful career in the fine or commercial arts.

Pittsburgh, PA

A multi-discipline and minority directed center for arts and learning that employs the visual and performing arts to foster a sense of accomplishment and hope in the urban community.

Holyoke, MA

A grass-roots organization that promotes economic, social, and community development through food and agriculture projects.

Providence, RI

An initiative adopted by the Providence Public Library that breaks down social, economic, and educational barriers by providing language training to non-English speaking families.

Seattle, WA

An 8 to 10 week course designed to provide older adults with self-empowerment through training in a number of different artistic media.

San Francisco, CA

A program designed to engage youth in positive social dialogue through publication, public performance, educational workshops and mentoring initiatives.

National

An organization that gives low-income families the tools to improve their lives by bringing them access to technology.

Queens, NY

A program that uses the rich cultural heritage of the community to engage and educate neighborhood youth

San Francisco, CA

A professional theater that actively seeks to educate youth from communities that have been historically under-represented in the theater industry.

Entrepreneurial American Community Award

For their success in supporting local artists, youth education mentoring and neighborhood transformation through their groundbreaking mural program.

Entrepreneurial American Community Award

For its spirit and risk-taking in the implementation of the Kalamazoo Promise, a tuition assistance program for the Kalamazoo residents.