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AFNJ Blog

Inclusive Communities Program Dovetails with Age-Friendly Work

An inclusive community doesn’t stop at removing physical barriers; it creates a welcoming environment for all. New Jersey’s Inclusive Healthy Communities Grant program supports local leaders to make policies, systems, and environmental changes. There are many ways in which this effort led by the NJ Division of Disability Services aligns with the age-friendly movement.

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With thanks to Jackie Kates, Kate Kelly, Jennifer Walker and Colleen Diskin

Let's Celebrate

Work Begins on Senior Housing/Age-Friendly Hub in Teaneck 

The Bright Side Family, which leads the Age-Friendly Teaneck initiative, celebrated the groundbreaking for a new 40-unit affordable senior apartment building at a Nov. 2 ceremony. The five-story building will have ground-floor community space to serve as an age-friendly hub of health, wellness, and social engagement programming for tenants and older adults throughout Teaneck.

Age-Friendly North Jersey Submitted Written and Verbal Testimony at the Department of Human Services Budget Listening Session

A special thank you to the 33 AFNJ participants who co-signed the written testimony, and to Colleen Diskin for delivering verbal testimony. You can watch the entire listening session here; Colleen speaks from 11:40-14:42.

Together, we can amplify what we have learned from community leadership to make an impact throughout New Jersey.

If you have exciting news to share, such as awards received or presentations given, please contact Althea (althea.ps@rutgers.edu), so that we can feature your accomplishments in an upcoming newsletter.

Seeds grants are available from Community Heart & Soul for resident-driven community engaged projects. This opportunity is especially relevant for communities with less than 30,000 residents. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. 

More information here.

Emergent Rapid Response Organizing grants are available from Emergent Fund. 

Applications for creative, community organizing efforts that respond to timely issues are reviewed on a rolling bases. More information here.

Two webinars of note will be taking place on November 18:

• 12:15pm: Webinar on the role of service coordinators during the COVID-19 pandemic hosted by the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard

• 1pm: Webinar on social engagement and mental health hosted by engAGED 

• Check out AARP's Equity By Design series, which has a new case study on Universities as Age-Friendly Partners in the built environment. Click here for the written brief, and click here for a recording from the October 25 Virtual Spotlight.

• In partnershp with New Jersey Advocates for Aging Well, PHI has put together Five Opportunities to Invest in New Jersey's Direct Care Workers.

• Read NCOA's article on how senior centers can reach the "hard-to-reach-" older adults.

• ASA's Generations Journal has a lot of great new content this month, particularly around end-of-life care. Some highlights include The Power of Intergenerational Connection, Does Faith Flourish or Falter at the End of Life?, and Prioritizing Health Equity in Palliative and End-of-Life Care.