Building communities of strength.
2026-2027 Grantees
This page highlights the impactful and innovative work to be accomplished by the upcoming cohort of Community Care Corps grantees.
Each snapshot includes a program overview highlighting key efforts, partners and future directions. Learn more about work of the Community Care Corps grantees and explore how your organization can implement its own innovative programs.
Aging Forward, in partnership with three local affiliates representing a wide range of communities, will implement a refined volunteer home repair program transformed into a rapid, preventive safety intervention. Trained volunteers will respond within 72 hours of triggering events, such as falls or hospital discharge, using standardized safety assessments and caregiver-prioritized task lists to deliver practical assistance. The goal is to reduce home safety risks, ease caregiver strain, and support older adults’ independence.
Allies in Aging is expanding caregiver support through a new program that strengthens education, peer connection, and navigation services across Yellowstone County. This effort builds on existing support groups and dementia education by adding a dedicated Aging Well Navigator and a trained network of volunteer peer supporters. The program will provide caregiver education, one-on-one guidance, and increased access to services in both Billings and rural communities. It also aims to reduce isolation, support caregivers in helping loved ones age in place, and create stronger community connections. Over time, this expansion will reach hundreds of individuals while establishing a sustainable, countywide model that combines professional support, volunteer engagement, and measurable impact for caregivers and older adults.
Aster Aging, in collaboration with A.T. Still University in Mesa, Arizona, will expand services through a new intergenerational social connection program, “Connect & Thrive.” The goal is to increase social cohesion, independence, and self-worth, empowering the growing solo ager population who lack support networks. A secondary impact is to enhance communication skills of future health professionals. The addition to our existing Neighbors Program of volunteer assisted transportation, pet support, and companionship will increase our ability to help isolated older adults age in place with dignity.
Board of Regents, NSHE, obo University of Nevada, Reno
Reno, Nevada
Sanford Center for Aging Community Services at the University of Nevada, Reno is expanding services for isolated older adults by directing volunteer-based companionship and transportation to family caregivers and care recipients. We will address a critical service gap by delivering direct, in-home, integrated support to both caregivers and care recipients. Caregivers will benefit from sustained emotional support, normalization, and reduced isolation, while care recipients will gain consistent, meaningful social connections that enhance their quality of life.
The Department of Community Services, through a broad continuum of community-based programs and initiatives, strives to provide quality, cost efficient services focused on protecting and enhancing the quality of life for children, families, older adults, persons with disabilities, and victims of family violence while cultivating partnerships to address the needs and interests of the community.
Central Community House will implement a volunteer-driven community support program across eight senior residential facilities in Columbus’ central city neighborhoods. Services include transportation assistance, wellness and technology activities, caregiver supports, and social engagement opportunities that reduce isolation and strengthen independence. The goal is to expand access to health-promoting supports and community connection for older adults. By delivering services within residential settings, the program is expected to reduce barriers, improve well-being, reduce social isolation, and increase confidence in participants’ ability to age safely and independently.
Caring Connections matches volunteers with older adults in Deschutes, Jefferson, Crook, and North Klamath Counties in Oregon for regular friendly calls and in-person visits. This no-cost service was built to combat social isolation and has expanded to include regional social events, offering seniors the chance to meet new people and discover common interests.
Open to anyone age 60 and older, our trained, background-checked volunteers often become trusted friends. Beyond providing social engagement, they flag emerging health or safety needs, offering peace of mind to families and caregivers. These consistent connections often result in deep, lasting friendships rather than just casual check-ins. By bridging the gap between isolation and community, Caring Connections ensures that our seniors feel seen, supported, and connected to their neighbors.
This program provides volunteer-led, nonmedical support to reduce loneliness and social isolation among older adults and adults with disabilities through culturally meaningful engagement. Trained volunteers facilitate art and music activities alongside conversation circles that foster companionship, social connection, and relationship-building in community-based settings. These structured activities not only strengthen community ties but also provide family caregivers with time for rest and personal responsibilities, helping to reduce caregiver strain. By addressing language and cultural barriers, the program expands access to community-centered activities that support independence and overall well-being. Through consistent volunteer involvement, participants experience increased social engagement and a stronger sense of belonging.
El Dorado Connections/South Arkansas Regional Health Center
El Dorado, Arkansas
El Dorado Connections is a trusted volunteer center sponsored by South Arkansas Regional Health Center, recognized for its integrity, strong volunteer network, and steadfast commitment to senior advocacy. We provide free tax preparation for low-income residents, Medicare counseling, Senior Medicare Patrol fraud prevention, senior transportation services, and vital volunteer support for nonprofit partners. Through volunteerism, advocacy, and compassionate service, El Dorado Connections continues to strengthen the communities across South Arkansas.
ElderCircle was established in 1990 and has grown from a small collaboration of area hospitals to a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that serves thousands of older adults each year with the mission of empowering older adults so they can remain in their homes and communities. ElderCircle puts great importance on providing a quality living for all older adults with programming that supports all aspects of their health, lifestyle, and keeping older adults active.
The Ethiopian Eritrean Special Needs Community (EESNC), in partnership with African Communities Resource Center, provides support services to African families across the DC–Maryland–Virginia region. The program offers assistance with instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), vocational readiness training, supported volunteer opportunities, and family navigation services. Together, the organizations have built strong community trust, supporting hundreds of families, individuals with disabilities, and older adults. Through a team of bilingual volunteers, the program will serve older adults, adults with disabilities, and caregivers by reducing isolation, strengthening independence, and improving access to essential resources. This initiative ensures families receive linguistically appropriate, community-based support to enhance overall well-being and quality of life.
Famicos Foundation is scaling our Resident Volunteer Program within our senior housing communities in Cleveland, Ohio, delivering structured, volunteer-driven nonmedical assistance to older adults, adults with disabilities, and family caregivers. Trained resident volunteers and college interns will provide wellness check-ins, digital health navigation, appointment support, food distribution assistance, companionship, and respite support. Our goal is to reduce social isolation, ease caregiver burden, and strengthen aging-in-place outcomes. Forty volunteers will serve 360 older adults and adults with disabilities and approximately 105 family caregivers, increasing social connection, improving access to supports, and reinforcing housing stability and long-term independence.
HIRTA Helps connects volunteers with meaningful opportunities to support community members in aging in place, accessing essential services, and maintaining independent, healthy lifestyles. Launched in 2021 to reduce barriers to care such as transportation costs, medical procedure requirements, and limited ride availability, the program continues to expand its impact through transportation assistance, food support, and friendly neighbor services. Volunteer roles are flexible, allowing individuals to serve based on their own availability, with mileage reimbursement offered as funding allows. All volunteers complete background checks and required training before serving. HIRTA Helps services are available on a donation basis, helping ensure support remains accessible to those who need it most.
Iona Senior Services will expand its Age Well/Live Well Intergenerational Arts program in Washington D.C. to serve older adults in six city-run facilities where it operates dining sites. The program will match 48 young volunteers (ages 18–29) with 48 older adults for structured, arts-based enrichment incorporating visual, literary, and performing arts. Volunteers will receive training to lead engaging, creative activities during each visit. The goal of the program is to reduce loneliness and strengthen mental health and emotional well-being among older adults participating through sustained intergenerational relationships. This project is expected to increased social connection, cognitive engagement, and improved life satisfaction.
Korean Community Services of Metropolitan New York, Inc. (KCS) will implement the Volunteer Digital Care Navigator and Companion Program to provide structured, nonmedical support to older adults, adults with disabilities, and family caregivers in Bergen County, NJ. The program addresses social isolation, digital access barriers, and caregiver stress through culturally and linguistically responsive services. Trained volunteers will offer companionship, telehealth and digital navigation assistance, medical appointment support, and resource coordination. Participants will receive individualized service plans and consistent follow-up to improve well-being and independence.
Since 1994, Partners In Care (PIC) has utilized a distinctive time/service exchange model rooted in the values of reciprocity, social capital, and equality to support the needs of older adults seeking to age in place. Volunteer drivers in the Ride Partners program provide door-to-door transportation to non-emergency medical appointments, pharmacies, grocery stores, and other essential destinations. Mobility Bus services are available for those needing additional physical accommodations. Repairs With Care deploys skilled volunteers to perform home maintenance, safety modifications, and basic repairs. The Member Care program delivers individualized support, resource navigation, advocacy, and social engagement opportunities designed to combat isolation. PIC will utilize this grant to expand our current services; recruit and train college-level volunteers to multi-generational volunteer corps; and increase our program evaluation capacity.
Independence by Design is a volunteer support network that combines community-based engagement, virtual companionship, and structured respite programming to increase independence for adults with Autism/IDD or aging related needs while reducing family caregiver stress. Particular emphasis is placed on aging family caregivers who experience the dual challenge of managing age-related needs while continuing to provide daily care for an adult child or family member with Autism/IDD. Many older adults and adults with disabilities face barriers to independence that everyday technology can help remove, yet setting up devices, enabling communication features, and building digital confidence frequently fall to family caregivers, adding to their stress and burden. Volunteers provide practical assistance with tools participants already have, building user confidence and reducing caregiver burden while increasing independence.
Seniors in Service of Tampa Bay will expand and refine our Senior Disaster Services for seniors aged 60+, adults with disabilities, and family caregivers who live alone or feel socially isolated in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco Counties. Currently implemented in specially targeted high-risk senior communities, we are adding new targeted audiences while addressing other potential disasters besides hurricanes. Empowering additional seniors with improved support from trusted volunteers will increase impact, improving ability to age in place.
The Special Needs Support Center will expand its Adult Advocacy Program to create a structured, volunteer-driven nonmedical support program for adults with disabilities and their family caregivers in New Hampshire and Vermont. The program will provide trained volunteers to assist with navigating housing, transportation, benefits, and preparation for medical appointments. This initiative builds on SNSC’s existing advocacy services to strengthen independence, reduce unmet needs, and ease caregiver burden. By formalizing this support network, SNSC will improve access to essential resources and help individuals maintain stability and engagement in their communities.
Vietnamese American Community Center of the East Bay (VACCEB) provides a culturally relevant wraparound program in Alameda County for hard-to-reach seniors facing language and access barriers. Our goal is to reduce social isolation and unmet needs among 540 linguistically isolated seniors and caregivers by providing integrated assistance. This $180,000 initiative strengthens community-based support, ensuring elders facing language and transportation barriers age with dignity. Our holistic approach creates pathways to self-sufficiency, improving well-being and fostering deeper social connections for under-resourced community members facing language and access barriers.
The Village to Village Network (VtVN) is a membership-based organization that brings Villages together to share best practices for enabling older adults to live independent, healthy, purposeful lives with connections to their communities. The Network provides expert guidance, resources and support to help communities establish and maintain thriving Villages, and we champion the Village model at state and national levels as a best practice for healthy, vibrant aging.
The Volunteer Chaperone Program is an innovative program that goes beyond traditional transportation services by offering true door-through-door support that includes companionship, guidance, and nonmedical assistance throughout the entire medical visit. This comprehensive approach addresses a critical gap for individuals who can secure a ride but lack someone to accompany them inside, especially during procedures requiring follow-up instructions or recovery support. The program also incorporates robust volunteer training in trauma-informed care, practices that support people with disabilities, and safety protocols, ensuring high-quality service. By engaging intergenerational volunteers and leveraging practical, ready-to-use tools, the program creates a scalable, community-driven model not currently available in the region.
