New York State Office for the Aging Director Michael Burgess announced that his agency has awarded $490,000 in State grants to not-for-profit organizations and local governments to support the creation of communities in which older adults can successfully age in place. Family of Woodstock, Inc., a local human service agency that provides services throughout Ulster County and surrounding areas is one of the 15 grant recipients across the state.
Director Burgess announced the local award at the “Woodstock 40 Years Later: Peace, Love and Aging” program hosted by Ulster County Executive Mike Hein and the Ulster County Office for the Aging earlier today.
The grants will provide funding for innovative programs and activities that support and enhance opportunities for community participation in planning and creating aging friendly neighborhoods. More than seventy applications were received reflecting a wide variety of exciting and innovative projects.
Since its inception in 1970, Family of Woodstock has become a major provider of human services in Ulster and surrounding counties. The agency started in response to the impact on the town of the legendary rock festival held 40 years ago this summer. The Family of Woodstock, Inc. project will organize and undertake a planning process that will lead to development of a community empowerment plan that will lead to the implementation of innovative strategies, programs services or activities to enable successful aging in the community.
In announcing the award, Michael J. Burgess, Director of the New York State Office for the Aging said, “Forty years ago Woodstock brought people together from across the state and nation to witness a great festival of music. Now, forty years later, the community is coming together to plan for the successful future of residents in the area, so that they may remain in their homes and community of choice as they grow older.”
The impetus for the Family of Woodstock project comes from a newly formed group, “Staying in Place,” comprised of skilled, experienced older adults who initially participated in the Senior Recreation Program established in Woodstock. The group will partner with other local civic, social service and arts organizations to design and put in place a comprehensive support system that will allow older adults to not only continue to live in their homes, but continue to be contributing, active participants in their communities. The goal of this collaboration is to create and maintain a non-profit membership "village," similar to more than one hundred such communities which exist nationally as part of a movement to make mixed age neighborhoods safe and comfortable places in which to grow old.
In November of 2008, NYSOFA held the “Empowering Communities for Successful Aging—Housing, Neighborhood Supports and Services” conference. Experts at the conference provided many examples of innovative approaches that have been used in their own neighborhoods and regions to support aging in the community. Some involved the development of specific services or combination of services, while others focused on infrastructure such as ensuring that there are adequate sidewalks connecting residential areas with commercial areas so older adults have the ability to walk for needed services and social outlets.
The State Office for the Aging is leading a new community empowerment initiative to assist communities in planning for and addressing the needs of the rapidly increasing older population. Community empowerment is a process that enables people to collaborate and act on issues that they define as important, which affect their lives and communities. The grant program, and the award announced today are important steps in advancing this work in communities across the state.
Contact:Gail Myers - (518) 364-5659
