The Supportive Communities program is an initiative aimed at creating age-friendly communities where older adults can thrive and maintain their independence. The program focuses on enhancing community resources and services to meet the needs of aging populations, including access to healthcare, transportation, housing, social activities, and other support services.
By collaborating with local governments, nonprofit organizations, businesses, and community members, the program works to develop strategies that promote active aging and improve the overall quality of life for older adults in Maryland. These strategies include implementing community-based initiatives, advocating for policy changes, and providing resources and support to local organizations serving older adults.
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 among older adults, enhanced community cohesion, and greater awareness of aging-related issues.
Maryland Department of Aging Capacity Building Workshops
The Maryland Department of Aging, in partnership with Maryland Nonprofits, is offering free virtual workshops to build capacity within your organizations. Join us to learn, connect, and collaborate with like-minded individuals.
Organizations that serve the elderly in any capacity are encouraged to join these sessions. Everyone is welcome to attend, but these programs are particularly geared to those who work with, intersect with, or want to intersect with organizations that serve the elderly in our State. We look forward to seeing you there!
July 31, 10-11:30 AM
Increasing Volunteer Engagement: How to Recruit & Retain Volunteers
In this session, we will discuss best practices for volunteer management, including recruiting, training, and supervising volunteers. Practical tools and resources will be provided for nonprofits to steward their volunteer relationships. Register.
August 6, 6-7:30 PM
Grant Writing 201
This session will cover the sections of a grant proposal, how to access grant search tools and determine if funding opportunities are a good fit for your organization, and grant reporting tips. Register.
August 15, 1-2:30 PM
Innovative Board Recruiting: Cultivating an Effective and Engaged Board
This session is focused on assisting participants with seeking and confirming new, highly engaged, diverse board members and will include places to find board members, how to encourage board members to take a more active role, and questions about board composition and diversity. Register.
August 21, 10-11:30 AM
Strategic Planning: Organizational Direction and Strategic Priorities
This session delivers a practical, step-by-step approach to strategic planning that covers how to gather and analyze data you need to inform decision-making, who to involve at what steps in the process, and how to construct the necessary components of a strategic plan. Register.
August 27, 1-2:30 PM
Communications: Telling Your Story
This session will demonstrate the value of shaping your organization's story to emphasize your key differentiators (strengths, passions, and skills) and how to tell it to your most important stakeholders so you can meet your overall organizational goals. Register.
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 in Marginalized Communities
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.
MDOA FY24 Healthy Aging for Supportive Communities Grant Awardees
The Maryland Department of Aging is pleased to congratulate ten non-profit and local government organizations that have been awarded grants to promote resilience, social inclusion, independence, and overall community ll-being for older Marylanders. Nearly $283,000 has been granted under Maryland Human Services Code § 10-1101 and 10-1102 (FY2024).
"To win the decade, Maryland needs to be the best place to live and build a healthy life. That commitment extends from our youngest Marylanders to our oldest," said Gov. Wes Moore. "Our administration will continue to partner with non-profit and local government organizations to provide the best possible supports to older Marylanders and ensure we leave no one behind.”
Read the full press release at
https://aging.maryland.gov/Pages/PressRoom.aspx.
Banner Community - Baltimore City - $17,052
Objective: Incorporate intergenerational programs fostering connections between older adults and youth.
Impact: Bridges the generational gap, promotes mutual understanding, and creates a supportive
environment for shared learning and personal growth.
Bethesda Metro Village - Montgomery County - $4,845
Objective: Increase outreach to neighbors through targeted mailing and advertising.
Impact: Aims to boost the number of older adults participating and increase volunteer involvement.
City of Hyattsville - Prince George's County - $30,000
Objective: Community-driven initiatives addressing identified needs.
Impact: Focus on enhancing residents’ resiliency, social inclusion, independence, digital literacy, health,
wellness, and food security.
Link Generations - Howard County - $18,395
Objective: Establish a Link Generations program in Howard County.
Impact: Piloting at Arbor Terrace Fulton with student volunteers from Reservoir High School.
Medstar Union Memorial Hospital - Baltimore City - $30,125
Objective: Implementation of an evidence-based Peer Recovery Coach.
Impact: Aids residents with connections to substance use disorder resources, addressing the
community’s overdose rate.
Montgomery County Village Consortium - Montgomery County - $25,000
Objective: Expand the village concept in low-income and underserved communities.
Impact: Introduce the “Hub and Spoke” model, spreading staffing costs and supporting the development
of new Villages.
Neighborhood Companions - Baltimore County - $25,000
Objective: Provide reliable transportation services and companionship to Turner Station residents over 60.
Impact: Aims to reduce isolation and increase social engagement among older adults.
Prevention Of Blindness Washington DC - District of Columbia, Northern Virginia, Montgomery County, and Prince George's County - $22,500
Objective: Aging Eye Support Services Program empowering older Marylanders with vision challenges.
Impact: Offers continuing health education, improved connections, assistive technology training, and various support services.
The MD Umbrella Group - Prince George's County - $20,200
Objective: Recruiting and training villages in Prince George's County for healthy aging initiatives.
Impact: Focused on communities in Prince George’s County, targeting specific areas such as Gateway
Arts District, Port Towns, Fairmont Heights, Seat Pleasant, and Riverdale Park.
MANO- Maryland Association of Non-Profits Organizations Inc. - Baltimore City - $89,425
Objective: Organizational Technical Assistance (TA) for villages outreach and recruitment.
Impact: Utilizes Maryland Nonprofits' extensive network to conduct targeted outreach and recruitment for eligible nonprofits.
