AFNJ May 2022 eNewsletter

Welcome to Older Americans Month!

It's May, and that means Older Americans Month is here! We are so proud of all of the work that community leaders in Age-Friendly North Jersey do. Check out our special Padlet where you can share your events and see what others are doing for Older Americans Month. Additionally, this month's newsletter features some special accomplishments and lots of opportunities.

Let's Check Out New Developments:

AFNJ Blog

National Conference Spotlights New Jersey

Leadership on Age-Friendly Communities

Age-Friendly North Jersey Program Manager Althea Pestine-Stevens represented our alliance at the annual conference of the American Society on Aging, making two separate presentations - one on the benefit of having an age-friendly "superstructure" and the other showing the ties between age-friendly and dementia-friendly initiatives.

Read More on our Blog

With thanks to Althea-Pestine-Stevens, Emily Greenfield, and Colleen Diskin for their contributions

Let's Celebrate!

Congratulations to:

Westwood For All Ages, for having two programs selected for the engAGEd Social Engagement Innovations Hub

Age-Friendly Teaneck, for its host organization The Bright Side Family receiving a grant from Women United in Philanthropy for their new initiative to make the future more financially secure for older women

Ridgewood, Garfield, and Montclair for receiving Healthy Towns designation from the Mayors Wellness Campaign

Please share with us your accomplishments and awards so that we can feature them in upcoming newsletters!

Let's Recap

Our New Leaders met on April 26 for a brainstorming and networking hour. Local leaders shared where they are at in their age-friendly journeys and provided advice to each other based on their experiences. Participants appreciated the opportunity to learn about concrete steps they can take to get started and continue their age-friendly work from "groups that are just a little ahead of where we are."

Let's Meet

Wednesday, May 10, 9:30-11am

New Leaders Meeting

Leadership Structures in Age-Friendly Community Initiatives

Wednesday, June 8,

9:30-11am

Whole Alliance Meeting

Including Historically Marginalized Groups in Age-Friendly Communities

If you haven't received a calender invite, please contact Althea.

Let's Grow

Here are some upcoming opportunities:

The Bergen County Division on Senior Services is hosting a Public Hearing on the Needs of Older Adults on Thursday, May 12, in Hackensack. Call the Division to get on the schedule to provide verbal testimony (201-336-7446) or email Lorraine Joewono to submit written comments.

The Gladys Brooks Foundation is accepting grant proposals from libraries, educational institutions, hospitals, and clinics. Proposals are due by May 31. Click here for more information.

Applications are open for Transportation Alternatives grants. See NJDOT's information page for more details. Pre-application meetings are now mandatory.

Submit your innovations in senior living and aging services for a Mather Institute Promising Practices Award. Submissions are due May 20.

Share your Older Americans Month activities on our special Padlet. Check out events that others have shared, too - maybe you or others in your networks would like to attend!

Let's Learn Together

Upcoming webinars, workshops, and other learning opportunities:

Join New Jersey Advocates for Aging Well and PHI at their inaugural 2022 convening on Essential Jobs, Essential Care. This event is on May 23-24, and both virtual and in-person options are available.

Service providers and advocates: Register for Bergen County's Get Connected event on June 9.

It's a busy month at New Jersey Advocates for Aging Well! Register for their annual conference on "Building an Age-Friendly Ecosystem" (June 13).

Register for the NJ Planning and Redevelopment Conference (June 14-16) to learn about innovative planning practices and solutions.

Learn about ways to support older adults' mental health from the Mather Institute's report on autonomy, achievement, and affiliation.

Access and share this guide for preventing, recognizing, and address abuse of LGBTQ older adults from the National Resource Center on LGBT Aging and the FORGE Transgender Aging Network.

Check out our Padlet to view more articles, discussion posts, upcoming events, job opportunities, and other curated resources.

Let's Keep iLet's Keep in Touchn Touch

Community Bulletin Board (Padlet)
Subscribe to other communities' age-friendly Newsletters and Social Media
Roster of AFNJ Leaders and Partners of the Alliance (pdf copy!)
AARP Age-Friendly Portal
Overview of AFNJ Communications Platforms