Creating Community for a Lifetime
Update Report May, 2005

in this issue

Join Us!

CCFL Update

CCFL Core Council

The Big Picture


 

Join Us!

For a complete listing of all upcoming CCFL meeting dates click here.

If you would like to help build an elder-friendly community in Kent County, contact Nora Barkey, CCFL initiative coordinator at (616)222-7012 or nora@aaawm.org.

Check out the CCFL initiative website at www.community4alifetime.org


Creating Community for a Lifetime Sponsors


Ensuring Kent County is a community that optimizes quality of life, independence and choice for older persons and all residents through collaborative planning and community action.


  • CCFL Update
  • Work groups are diligently going through their process of creating recommendations. Many are in full swing, with others, such as Social & Civic Engagement and Community Based Services, starting soon. Read on for a complete update on the progress of each work group.

    Affordable Housing and Home Modification Work Groups

    The Vision to End Homelessness is developing community recommendations that ensure the sufficiency and adequacy of housing in Kent County for all populations. Click here for more information.

    Caregiving Work Group

    CCFL is working in concert with the Caregiver Resource Network to develop recommendations that address support for elder caregivers. Click here for more information.

    Transportation Work Group

    The Kent County Emergency Needs Task Force Transportation Subcommittee created time on their agenda to discuss the needs of older adults and to develop recommendations. Click here for more information.

    Awareness of Services Work Group

    The CCFL Awareness of Services work group is addressing elder knowledge of services - especially for those who are isolated, of low income, or people of color - in order to ensure all elders can access needed information and available resources. Click here for a complete update - including meeting information and resource links.

    Social and Civic Engagement Work Group

    The CCFL Social and Civic Engagement work group is addressing the desire of older adults to maintain connections, to remain active through volunteer or paid activities, and to have opportunities to share their experience, creativity and wisdom in order to ensure that Kent County benefits from the contributions of older persons. Click here for more information.

    CCFL Meeting Dates

    For a complete listing of all upcoming CCFL meeting dates click here.

  • CCFL Core Council
  • April Core Council Meeting

    On April 21, Core Council members reviewed the progress of the first five work groups. Discussion also took place regarding a Fall community event to celebrate older adults and report on the progress of the Initiative. For more information, contact Kate Luckert at 454-1751.

  • The Big Picture
  • Safe At Home

    According to Michigan's state plan for aging services, "As the growth of Michigan's aging population continues to exceed available resources to address the corresponding demand for services, a full range of affordable home- and community- based care options are needed to contain costs, facilitate consumer choice, and support caregivers." With its recent "Safe at Home" program, the South East Senior Housing Initiative (SESHI) in Baltimore, MD has taken the concept of providing aging in place housing options to new levels. Read more...

    City, Suburb and Town: Diversity in Aging

    Because of the high concentrations of people, much planning for services for the aging tends to focus on urban areas with "satellite" efforts extending beyond the city limits. A recent report for the New York State Office for the Aging's long-range planning effort, Project 2015, provides some important considerations for Creating Community for a Lifetime. According to authors John Krout and Robert Maiden, "...older people living in rural, urban and suburban areas differ on a number of important indicators of quality of life and experience aging in different ways." Read more...

    Boomer News

    National Media Campaign Seeks Boomers as Community Volunteers

    At last year's CCFL Community Forum, speaker Marc Freedman cited various surveys which indicate that, as they approach retirement age, baby boomers express a high level of interest in participating in meaningful work - whether it's in a paid or volunteer position. Now Freedman's organization, Civic Ventures, is one of seven groups participating in a $1.7 million national media campaign to promote healthy aging, reshape cultural attitudes toward the older years, and encourage boomers to share their time, skills and experience. Read more...

    Learning Opportunities Calendar

    Click here for a listing of upcoming forums and conferences throughout the State of Michigan.


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