SAN DIEGO FOUNDATION AWARDS $315,000 IN GRANTS TO SUPPORT AGE-FRIENDLY PROGRAMS FOR OLDER SAN DIEGANS

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Source: San Diego Foundation

October 19, 2021 (San Diego) -- The San Diego Foundation announced today that it has awarded $315,000 in grants to 11 nonprofit organizations leading local efforts to support and improve quality of life for older San Diegans. The grants fund projects ranging from initiatives to help homeless seniors to efforts that provide access to food, housing, medical care, dental services and jobs training for older area residents.

“With our partners, the Age-Friendly Communities initiative envisions a region where people of all ages are engaged, valued and afforded equitable opportunities,” said Katie Rast, Director of Community Impact at The San Diego Foundation. “Recognizing that in 2020 nearly a quarter of all San Diegans experiencing homelessness were over the age of 55, the most recent round of grantmaking reflects a regional strategy that includes housing, along with health and transportation to support equity in aging."

 

According to California’s Master Plan for Aging, aging adults throughout the state face economic precarities associated with high housing, health care and support costs. With nearly one-third of older Californians experiencing economic insecurity and struggling to afford basic needs, expanding access to services that support older adults is a critical need throughout the region.

 

Eligible organizations received a maximum of $30,000 per proposal. The $315,000 in funds will support 11 initiatives led by organizations who, in partnership with The San Diego Foundation, have demonstrated alignment with existing Age-Friendly municipal action plans.

 

ABOUT THE 2021 GRANTEES:

 

● Alpha Project for the Homeless - $30,000 to provide housing and wraparound services including emergency rental assistance, furniture, transportation, mobility devices and in-home care to low-income seniors. 

● Coastal Roots Farm - $25,000 for the Equitable Food Access and Social Inclusion Program to bring no-cost nutritious and healthy meals to older San Diegans. 

● Interfaith Community Services - $30,000 to provide safe and secure housing to seniors who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness. 

● Community Housing Works - $30,000 to support a pilot program to bring workforce development and training services to older San Diegans to help them secure part-time employment, achieve financial independence and decrease isolation. 

Full Access and Coordinated Transportation Inc. (FACT) - $30,000 to provide transportation options for Central and South County older adults. 

● Gary and Mary West Senior Dental Center - $30,000 to hire a patient coordinator to develop and implement patient outreach strategies and bring quality dental care to older San Diegans. 

● La Maestra Family Clinic Inc. - $30,000 to increase staff capacity to provide quality geriatric patient care to seniors in need. 

● PATH San Diego - $30,000 for a Community Care program to provide interim and permanent housing, case management and other health services to older San Diegans experiencing homelessness. 

● Pacific Educational Facility/Ramona Senior Center - $20,000 to deliver no-cost, nutritious meals to seniors who reside in North County, including those on American Indian reservations. 

● San Diego Housing Federation - $30,000 to bolster municipal advocacy efforts in preventing homelessness by implementing affordable housing policies for seniors. 

● Serving Seniors - $30,000 for a Homelessness Prevention Pilot Program to provide limited monthly financial support and case management assistance to low-income seniors who are on the brink of homelessness. 

 

About the Age-Friendly Communities Program

In partnership with Del Mar Healthcare Inc., The San Diego Foundation launched the Age-Friendly Communities Program in 2015 to address the region’s shifting demography and create more livable environments for people of all ages. The AFC program works directly with stakeholders and local governments to promote programs and systems-level changes that create more livable environments for people of all ages. The Age-Friendly Communities program is made possible by the generous support of donors, including catalyzing contributions by the Del Mar Healthcare Fund at The San Diego Foundation, and more recent gifts from the Diane Johnson Fund at The San Diego Foundation

About The San Diego Foundation

 

The San Diego Foundation inspires enduring philanthropy and enables community solutions to improve the quality of life in our region. Our strategic priorities include advancing racial and social justice, fostering equity of opportunity, building resilient communities, and delivering world-class philanthropy to realize our vision of just, equitable and resilient communities. For more than 46 years, The Foundation and its donors have granted more than $1.3 billion to support nonprofit organizations strengthening our community. Learn more at SDFoundation.org.


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