Community Foundation awards grants to programs serving seniors

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MONTGOMERY – The Community Foundation of Orange and Sullivan has announced the recipients of its 2022 Make a Difference grants. The Make a Difference Fund was established by the leadership of the Community Foundation of Orange and Sullivan in 2003 to meet emerging needs in the areas in which it serves and has awarded $10,500 to start 2023.  The money is being distributed to five nonprofit organizations that are addressing the needs of seniors and their caregivers in Orange and Sullivan counties.
“Senior citizens have long been an underserved population, and the pandemic intensified the social isolation experienced by many people in this vulnerable age group,” said Elizabeth Rowley, foundation president, and CEO. “Our distribution committee agreed it was timely to focus this year’s grants on nonprofits addressing seniors’ unique needs.”
Among the grantees is the Jewish Family Service of Orange County (JFS). The JFS Safety Net Program provides friendly visitor support throughout Orange County by trained volunteers to neighbors over 60 years of age. Organizers say volunteers enjoy helping their neighbors remain independent with a little extra help.  “Loneliness and declining mobility rob our senior neighbors of their dignity and independence,” said JFS Board President Janet Davis. “JFS Safety Net services help them feel supported, connected and valued. Our new collaboration with the Community Foundation will open our doors to more of the underserved groups we have been striving to reach.”

The full list of 2022 Make a Difference grantees are:
The Pine Bush Area Public Library
Project: The Happier, Healthier You series
$500 grant

The Pine Bush Area Public Library serves as a facility not only for borrowing books, etc. but also provides various other services through their Community Room, geared to seniors. The Happier, Healthier You program teaches seniors good sleep habits, laughter, healthy thinking, and healthy eating so they can build a strong immune system, help to age gracefully, age-proof a senior’s brain, and even how to become their own best friend. The program is presented by an 83-year-old young woman who has a Doctorate in Health and Wellness for older adults.

Liberty NY Rotary Club Foundation, Inc.
Project: Community Friends: Engaging Seniors
$4,000 grant

Community Friends engages seniors, lessens social isolation, and provides a sense of involvement with the community beyond their home or residence with the arrival of a personalized note and small gift monthly. This project focuses on engagement with seniors in the Liberty area who are homebound as identified by the office for the aging and in local nursing homes.

Jewish Family Service of Orange County NY
Project:  Safety Net
$2,000 grant

The Friendly Visitor Program is the heart of the Safety Net Program and the signature service of JFS.  The goals of the Friendly Visitor Program are to support frail seniors age 60+ and adults with disabilities to live independently, with dignity, and good quality of life. The main objectives are to help those in need of care (and their caregivers) develop a service plan that fosters independence, to assist with activities of daily living, and to provide opportunities for social stimulation and community inclusion.
To provide these services, JFS has developed a model that has allowed them to recruit and train 250 volunteers who assist over 500 clients annually. JFS has an ongoing and robust volunteer recruitment program, with bi-weekly virtual training sessions.

Town of Montgomery
Project: Seniors Independence Project (TOMSIP)
$2,000 grant

For over 15 years, TOMSIP has paired volunteers with seniors to help them remain living in their homes rather than having to relocate to institutional settings. Volunteers perform services such as giving rides for medical appointments and food shopping and help in their homes such as snow shoveling and keeping in touch with the town’s seniors, known as “Neighbors.”  Phone calls and visits are part of the program.

Association for the Visually Impaired
Project: AVI Senior Support Program
$2,000 grant

This program will provide social and emotional support for seniors who are blind or visually impaired by conducting wellness check-ins – both in person and by telephone — and offering support groups that connect them not only with a social worker but with one another. This will reduce social isolation and related emotional concerns such as depression and anxiety. Social connection improves the quality of life.
In addition, this program will provide low-vision tools such as CCTV, better lighting, and magnification tools that will directly improve quality of life.




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