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July 17, 2020
Mini-grant program refocuses on pandemic

To give communities the resources they need in this critical time, the Foundation board voted to direct 2020 Momentum Fund resources to support community resilience, retooling and rebuilding associated with COVID-19.

The Momentum Fund will continue to provide one-year grants of up to $10,000 to support communities in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island.

Letters of intent due July 24

Community organizations interested in submitting to our Policy and Advocacy grant program should do so by 4 p.m. on July 24.

Redefining age-friendly communities in Rhode Island

A new offering for older Rhode Islanders, the Virtual Community Center is a place to keep "our bodies healthy, our minds sharp and our spirits high," according to Catherine Taylor, the executive director of Age-Friendly Rhode Island, a Foundation grantee.

A wide array of activities--fitness and wellness, cooking and gardening, tech help, information and how-to sessions, classes, entertainment, games, social and cultural events, trips and tours--are available online.

Learn more
Springfield mobile market pivots to emergency food distribution

Access to fresh, healthy food continues to be a major concern in communities across the region.

Springfield's Go Fresh Mobile Market is addressing this need by delivering fresh produce boxes to older people at housing and senior center locations throughout the city.

This emergency food distribution program is a collaboration with Wellspring Cooperative, which is providing a location to store and sort the produce. The initiative is funded by Tufts Health Plan Foundation, the Trinity Health Transforming Communities Initiative, Beveridge Family Foundation and Health New England.

Springfield was the first community in the country to be recognized for being age-friendly, dementia-friendly and for having an age-friendly health system.
New poll shows ageism part of American culture

A new poll conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan shows more than 80% of older people commonly experience ageism in their daily lives.

"[Ageism] is one of the most socially condoned forms of prejudice and discrimination," said Julie Ober Allen, a research fellow at the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research. "There is no doubt it harms the health and wellbeing of older adults, yet we don't have enough data on how older adults experience it and how harmful it is."

Key findings from the poll:
  • 80% commonly experience at least one form of ageism in day-to-day lives
  • 40% routinely experience three or more forms of ageism--and these older adults were much more likely to have poor mental and physical health
  • 88% feel more comfortable being themselves as they get older
  • 80% have a strong sense of purpose  
"In addition to addressing everyday ageism in general," said Ober Allen, "we as a society should be especially careful about how ageist prejudices and stereotypes affect our response to the massive public health challenges of the ongoing pandemic."

Read more
New resources on ageism in the age of coronavirus

We just updated our COVID-19 resources webpage. Use it to find information and resources for older people, caregivers and nonprofit organizations from the WHO, CDC, state agencies and other trusted sources.

View the page
Tufts Health Plan employees raise $7,000 with Foundation match

The Tufts Health Plan team topped its fundraising goal, contributing nearly $7,000 to the Carroll Center for the Blind's 8th Annual Walk for Independence.

The event, held virtually this year, raised nearly $142,000 to support vision rehabilitation services. Umesh Kurpad (pictured), CFO of Tufts Health Plan and a member of the Carroll Center's board of directors, led the Tufts Health Plan team.
Spirit of giving continues

We may not be able to engage in volunteer activities in person, but the spirit of giving remains strong at Tufts Health Plan.

More than 75 employees participated in this week's virtual volunteer activity: making birthday banners for children who are spending their birthdays in hospitals or other health care facilities. The banners will be distributed through the Confetti Foundation.

Each child will receive a custom box with a birthday banner, party streamers, confetti, stickers/coloring materials and a book/activity/toy.
Shape your future

Everyone counts. Make sure you are counted.

Please complete your Census form. As of late June, only about six of every ten people had responded to the U.S. Census.

It's important. The information you share determines the allocation of more than $675 billion. This money goes to important programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Head Start and Medicare/Medicaid as well as first responders, schools, highway construction and more.

It's easy. Respond online, by mail or by phone (multiple languages available).

It's safe. By law, Census responses cannot be used by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), or other agencies.
 
Learn more about response rates and Census activities in your state: 
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