New coordinator moves Age Friendly Community Project into exciting phase
By Contributor
The Age Friendly Community Project is getting a new Project Coordinator.
The Age Friendly Community Project, a three-year local initiative led by Nelson CARES Society and funded by the Osprey Community Foundation and Columbia Basin Trust, has hired Corrine Younie to work with the community on this remarkable initiative.
Younie comes to the Age-Friendly Community project with 20+ years working in non-profit management, program development, and community engagement.
The Age Friendly Community Project is a colaboration by NCARES of an Advisory Committee comprised of local and regional service providers and community members to guide the project.
“We are extremely excited to be working in collaboration with the community,” said Jenny Robinson, Executive Director of Nelson CARES Society.
“The population in the area is aging and we need to put services and structures in place that can support existing and growing needs. This goal of this project is to build on what we have and find innovative solution for what is needed.”
Building on the findings of an earlier phase of the Age Friendly Community initiative has already gathered information through a process of community engagement, stakeholder consultation, and research, assessing seniors’ needs and the community’s capacity to meet them.
A collaborative model was developed and eight priority areas were identified, including: community support & health services; housing; transportation; social participation opportunities; outdoor spaces & public facilities; respect & social inclusion; communication & information; and, civic participation & employment.
This next phase of the project will now focus on distilling the priority areas and identifying pilot program/project that will be funded to: 1) enhance community capacity to address seniors needs; 2) build on existing resources; and, 3) make Nelson and Area more inclusive of and accessible to the growing 55+ population.
Nelson Ames, Chair of the Osprey Community Foundation Board says:
“Osprey is investing in a wide community collaboration in order to get broad input and support as we all work toward improving the lives of seniors in this community”.
