Supportive Communities

This opportunity is part of MDOA’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 foster community engagement, enabling older Marylanders to thrive in their communities. MDOA has awarded $261,173 to 11 organizations in FY26 grants to help older adults in Maryland live healthy, financially secure, purposeful, and socially connected lives in their own homes and communities. The grant awardees in FY26 include:

• Learn more about ​​​Home Po​rts (Kent County): Received $45,000 to provide transportation and social programs for older adults in rural areas.
• Learn more about Yad Yehuda (Montgomery County): Received $40,000 to create a support network for older Orthodox Jewish widows to help reduce social isolation.
• Learn more about Laurel Advocacy and Referral Services​​ (Prince George's County): Received $40,000 for its "LARS On the Go" program, which provides mobile food delivery, care coordination, and a community garden.
• Learn more about Maryland Nonprofits​ (Statewide): Received $30,000 to help other nonprofits better plan for future challenges in serving older adults.
• Learn more about Live Together, Inc. (Allegany County): Received $21,075 to create a county-wide master plan for aging services.
• Learn more about St. Mary's Outreach Center (Baltimore City): Received $20,000 to provide comprehensive support, case management, and social activities for low-income older adults in the Hampden-Medfield area.
• Learn more about Making Change, Inc. (Howard County): Received $15,971 to offer financial and housing counseling to low-income older adults.
• Learn more about Worcester Commission on Aging (Worcester County): Received $15,000 to support local Village projects, including caregiver support programs.
• Learn more about Tamarack Triangle Village​​ (Montgomery County): Received $13,080 to help start a new neighbor-driven volunteer network that allows older residents to age in their own homes.
• Learn more about Winter Growth, Inc. (Howard & Montgomery Counties): Received $11,546 to develop interactive online resources for caregivers in partnership with Empowering the Ages.
• Learn more about Chesapeake Housing Mission (Lower Eastern Shore): Received $9,500 to build wheelchair ramps and make homes safer and more accessible for low-income older adults.

A neighborhood or housing development where a large percentage of residents have aged in place, meaning they've lived there long enough to become predominantly older adults. These communities aren't specifically designed for older people but evolve as residents age in place or younger residents move out. ​MDOA has awarded $1.3 million in state funds to 7 community-based organizations to provide programming, service coordination, and community support to concentrated areas where low-income older adults face problems of declining health, isolation, financial hardship, and language barriers. NORC encompasses three complementary projects—Elder Abuse Prevention, Holocaust Survivors Program, and Traditional NORC (the aging-in-place concept)—each tailored to meet the specific needs of older adults across the state of Maryland.​ FY26 grantees include: 

• Learn more about Jewish Community Services (Holocaust Survivors Program): $325,000
• Learn more about Jewish Community Services Millbrook (Traditional NORC): $125,000​
• Learn more about J​ewish Social Services Agency (Holocaust Survivors Program)​: $325,000
• Learn more about Jewish Social Services Agency Coming of Age Program (Traditional NORC): $225,000
• Learn more about City of Hyattsville Aging & Wellness Services Program (Traditional NORC): $150,000
• Learn more about CHANA Balt​​imore Inc. (Elder Abuse Prevention)​​​: $75,000
• Learn more about Hebrew Home of Greater Washington, Inc (Elder Abuse Prevention)​: $75,000

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. Learn more about the Montgomery County Village Consortium and the Miriam Kelty Hub and Spoke Pilot.

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.​

Resources for Villages

• ​Sign up to join Maryland's Village Directory and stay in the loop on funding announcement, news and resources to help your village thrive!​

• A Simple Guide for Village D​ata Collection - PDF provides guidance and resources to help Villages expand their data collectio​n capacity​
• Village to Village Network​ provides resources and support ​for Village members​
• Washington Area Villages Exchange​ offers resources and support for DC-area Village members​​​

AARP's Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities are designed to be more livable, and better able to support people of all ages. It is a designation that is reserved for communities and states who are doing the ongoing work to support the 8 Domains of Livability, and currently includes eight communities across Maryland, including 

• Baltimore County
• Calvert County
• Carroll County
• College Park
• Howard County
• Hyattsville
• Montgomery County
• Salisbury

If your community is interested in taking steps in becoming part of the Age-Friendly Network, learn more by visiting The Program Cycle: AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities.

Tamarack Triangle Village, Inc. in Silver Spring received $29,486 to map out local neighborhood resources and create a three-year plan to grow their neighbor-to-neighbor volunteer network and keep older adults connected.

• MDOA Priority: Reducing social isolation through targeted community connectedness.
• Rationale: Reviewers emphasized the solid plan and achievable nature of the proposal, appreciating its asset-based strategy to ensure long-term sustainability.

Chinese American Parent Association of the Baltimore Community received $20,202 to create an AI-powered app called Community Connect that pairs low-income Mandarin-speaking older residents with college students to help them navigate health care using Mandarin translation tools.

• MDOA Priority: Advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion through culturally-responsive models.
• Rationale: Reviewers appreciated the innovative integration of technology-savvy college students and noted the high potential for scalability among non-English-speaking communities.

Neighborhood Companions Inc. in Turner Station (Baltimore County) received $15,202 to bring different generations together to fight loneliness through community spaces like shared gardens and monthly Second Sunday Suppers.

• MDOA Priorities: Reducing social isolation, operationalizing the Village model, and recruiting multigenerational volunteers.
• Rationale: Reviewers praised the approach as a highly solid proposal for incorporating strong partnerships in building Village model capacity.

Resilient Health Communities, Inc. in Montgomery, Prince George's, and Charles Counties received $14,702 to run a public Brain Boost Boot Camp that uses proven mental exercises—like reading aloud, quick math, and writing—to help older adults keep their minds sharp.

• MDOA Priorities: Supporting aging-in-place and targeted cognitive support.
• Rationale: Reviewers appreciated the well thought out and detailed plan using evidence-based practices that align with LRM goals.

Friends of Calvert County Seniors, Inc. received $10,202 to give low-income older residents financial help to get off waitlists for critical dental care, helping to stop severe infections before they cause bigger health problems.

• MDOA Priorities: Affording longevity/financial security, supporting a local longevity ecosystem, and health/wellness support.
• Rationale: Reviewers commended the plan's straight forward approach in addressing severe dental infections that could lead to life-threatening complications.

Vietnamese Americans Services, Inc. in Montgomery and Anne Arundel Counties received $10,202 to expand a local Senior Club that offers complete, language-friendly support, including health care guidance, English classes, and transportation.

• MDOA Priorities: Reducing social isolation and ensuring equitable, culturally responsive care.
• Rationale: Reviewers applauded the plan as an extremely well-written proposal with a strong return-on-investment that efficiently targets historically underserved populations.