Explanation
BACKGROUND: This ordinance authorizes the City Clerk to enter grant agreements with various non-profit entities for their aging-in-place village programs. The entities are: (1) At Home by High; (2) Clintonville-Beechwold Community Resources Center dba Village in the Ville; (3) Central Community House of Columbus dba Village Central; and (4) Village Connections. The grant agreement for each not-for-profit entity will be for $12,500.00. This funding will be provided upfront to defray the cost of operations for each recipient. Spending may include the purchase of groceries and meal preparation/delivery services to combat food insecurity, for which Council deems this expenditure to be serving a public purpose; funding may also be spent on other types of programming and operating costs.
Each of these programs utilizes a member-driven, self-governing, grassroots model focused on developing a mutually supportive network for successful and healthy aging-in-community. The programs serve neighbors aged 50 and older. As the older adult population grows, there is a need for innovative approaches to service delivery. The Village Movement approach to aging is successful not only to ensure that older adults are able to age in their homes, but also in community. Older adults participating in these programs experience a more connected way of life, whether they are a recipient of services, a provider, or both. In order to generate a strong sense of community, the programs engage members in creating and coordinating the activities of the Village. Members have the opportunity to coordinate and attend social outings, volunteer for the Village organization or for other Village members, and act as advocates for other older adults.
Villages are well positioned to improve the health of the communities they serve. In the United Kingdom and the United States, roughly one in three people older than 65 live alone, and in the United States, half of those older than 85 live alone...
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