Learning Collaboratives have been an effective tool for Community Care Corps grantees. To promote even greater connection and collaboration, the June learning collaborative consisted of extended breakout group discussions where grantees shared their experiences and challenges, and the effective elements of their volunteer models that have helped them to successfully provide valuable nonmedical services and assistance to care recipients. Breakout groups were organized by topical focus areas so that grantees could participate in discussions that best suited their expertise. Conversation was abundant and many participants offered advice, tips and tricks to their fellow grantees. We are grateful for the knowledge and insight of our dedicated grantees and hope their wisdom will help organizations in the future develop successful models in their communities!

• Lori’s Hands, a Community Care Corps grantee serving communities in Delaware, Maryland and Michigan, is featured in newly published research about supporting homebound older adults and caregivers through service learning. Learn more about Lori’s Hands’ approach to service learning and evaluation by listening to a podcast episode with Executive Director Maggie Ratnayake and another featuring student volunteers.
• Arlington Neighborhood Village (ANV), another Community Care Corps grantee, was awarded the Arlington Cares Distinguished County Service Award. The award is given annually to an individual or group who has shown outstanding commitment and care to the citizens of Arlington, VA through volunteerism. ANV is a nonprofit membership organization that provides members with volunteer services to help them age in place safely and independently while remaining engaged in their community.

The 2022-2023 Community Care Corps application portal closed on July 8. We are so thrilled by the response to this year’s RFP! The grantees will be announced in September. We look forward to welcoming our next group of grantees in the fall.

• Earlier this month, a group of Community Care Corps grantees participated in a session at USAging’s 47th Annual Conference and Tradeshow in Austin, TX. The session highlighted Community Care Corps’ impact across the country, featured perspectives from grantees and provided an overview of the program’s mission and impact to date. As of June 2022, Community Care Corps grantees have served 14,097 care recipients, 1,725 caregivers with 5,103 volunteers!
• FamilyMeans, a current grantee located in Stillwater, MN, participated in a community panel discussion at the Public Health Center of Excellence on Dementia Caregiving Conference. Beth Wiggins, Director of Caregiving and Aging Services, shared valuable insight into the benefits of cross-sector partnerships and dementia-friendly communities, and how these initiatives positively influence the experiences of individuals living with dementia and their care partners

The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the importance of social engagement for older adults, adults with disabilities and caregivers in our communities. This is why engAGED: The National Resource Center for Engaging Older Adults and Commit to Connect are co-hosting a two-day Virtual Social Engagement Summit on August 2 and 3 to promote social connectedness across ages, abilities and communities. The Virtual Summit will bring together researchers and national, state and local leaders for interactive discussions on the current state of social isolation research and practical implications for your organization’s social engagement work. The Summit will also showcase local examples of engagement opportunities and creative solutions that address social isolation and spur ideas for replication at the local level. This event is free, but you must register to participate. Both engAGED and Commit to Connect are administered by USAging.

In honor of Alzheimer’s and Brain Health Awareness month, which is observed every June, our latest blog post focuses on dementia caregiving and features important information and statistics about the experience of caring for someone living with dementia. Catch up on previous blogs here!

Our grantees continue to produce videos showcasing the value and impact of the volunteer models they are using in their local communities. Visit the Community Care Corps Vimeo page to stay up to date with these exciting projects. While you’re there, be sure to watch our partner videos to learn more about each organization’s commitment to this very important work!

The National Alzheimer’s and Dementia Resource Center recently published a new resource—Dementia Training Resources for Professionals and Volunteers—to help increase the dementia-capability of organizations, professionals and volunteers. The resource also includes sections specific to various professional audiences.

• Young caregivers ‘exist in the shadows’ and offer crucial help (Los Angeles Times, May 31, 2022)
• UAB researcher awarded $3.14 million to examine mental health experiences of Hispanic and Latinx caregivers (The University of Alabama at Birmingham, June 16, 2022)
• Advocates spotlight hidden struggles of young caregivers (KTAR News, June 21, 2022)
• Oregon caregiving stories: How those caring for loved ones at home are coping (OPB, June 29, 2022)
• Investing in Caregiving: An Equitable Way to Reduce Inflation (U.S. News & World Report, June 30, 2022)
• For older LGBT caretakers, together can still feel alone against aging and illness (Los Angeles Daily News, July 17, 2022)