Empowering Communities to Meet the Needs of Aging Populations
The Supportive Communities program is an initiative aimed at creating age-friendly communities where older adults can thrive and maintain their independence by supporting local organizations that serve older adults.
Collaborating with local governments, nonprofit organizations, businesses, and community members, Supportive Communities advocates for policy changes that support older adults at the local level, and allocates resources to help them meet the needs of aging residents through access to health care, transportation, housing, social activities, and other supports.
Community engagement is also a cornerstone of the program, involving older adults, caregivers, service providers, policymakers, and other stakeholders in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of age-friendly initiatives that lead to improved access to services, increased social participation, enhanced community cohesion, and greater awareness of aging-related issues.
Maryland Department of Aging Capacity Building WorkshopsMark your calendars! Maryland Department of Aging in partnership with Maryland Nonprofits is providing free to the public virtual workshops to build capacity within your organizations. We encourage you to join us for this second workshop series to learn, connect, and collaborate with like-minded individuals and other nonprofit organizations in this field. We look forward to seeing you there!
- Board’s Role in Fundraising: Board Member Fundraising, Visioning, and Direction (Wednesday, April 30, 4-5:30 pm) - This training covers fundraising from a board member’s perspective and how the board and staff can work together to set and meet fundraising goals. Board members will understand the fundraising process, the roles and responsibilities of board members and staff, as well as the basics of donor cultivation. Registration zoom link
- Meeting the Moment: Impact of Recent Executive Orders on the Nonprofit Sector (Wednesday, May 21, 1:30-3:00 pm) - With shifting federal policies and evolving funding landscapes, nonprofits must stay informed and adaptable to ensure financial stability and program continuity. This session will provide an overview of recent federal executive orders and policy changes impacting nonprofit funding, including shifts in grant structures, regulatory changes, and the interconnected impact on us all. Participants will gain practical insights into how these changes affect the nonprofit sector and explore strategic approaches to strengthen financial resilience and sustain impact in uncertain times. Registration zoom link
- Increasing Services to Marginalized Older Adults: Leadership Mindset for Community Representation and Inclusive Engagement (Wednesday, June 4, 1:30-3:00 pm) - This training uses inquiry, compassion, and curiosity to equip leaders with the tools and strategies needed for greater community representation, equitable access, and inclusive engagement while staying mission-driven and community centered. This session lays the groundwork for holding future conversations within each organization to create places of shared prosperity. Program leaders will gain practical insights into how they can help strengthen their program, mobilize relationships, and increase engagement. Registration zoom link
Key Initiatives:
Miriam Kelty Aging and Senior Social Connection Hub and Spoke Pilot Program: This bill establishes the Miriam Kelty Aging and Senior Social Connection Hub and Spoke Pilot Program in MDOA. The goal of the program is to support villages that take advantage of operational proficiencies and existing systems, skills, and resources to expand services to more residents in the geographic region. MDOA must select the Montgomery County Village Consortium to implement the pilot program for a three-year period.
Village support and expansion projects: The Village concept provides a holistic approach to aging in place by addressing the practical, social, and emotional needs of older adults within a supportive community framework. It empowers older adults to maintain their independence, dignity, and sense of belonging as they navigate the challenges and opportunities of aging.
Aging in Place Grant Opportunity: This opportunity is part of the Department’s strategy to increase the resources and capacity for local Area Agencies on Aging, Senior Villages, and nonprofit organizations serving older Marylanders and their caregivers to provide high-quality services and supports, develop social connection and community engagement, and foster the cultivation of social capital, enabling older Marylanders to thrive in their communities.
Community For Life: is an innovative program developed by the Maryland Department of Aging to support older adults as they age at home. The program’s services are designed to prevent the predictable challenges of aging that can require admittance into a high level of care facility, such as a nursing home or assisted living facility.
MDOA Funds Aging in Place Programs 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."
Read the full press release
here.
Grant recipients include:
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Home Ports Village in Kent County - $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.
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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;
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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;
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Villages of Takoma Park - $26,000 to provide small home repairs and build their Village membership;
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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
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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.
