News release
The National Association of Nutrition and Aging Services Programs has announced 16 awards of nearly $50,000 in end of year grants to our members to address several distinct categories of need:
- Four grants to support diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives
- Three grants to address rising costs associated with inflation and supply shortages
- Five grants to support public-private partnerships
- Four grants to support congregate programs’ in-person reopening efforts
The 16 grants were awarded to programs in 14 states; the majority of these grants went to rural programs. An average of 79 percent of participants in each program are in the greatest social and/or economic need as defined by the Older Americans Act. 100% of participants in five of these programs are in greatest need.
Linda Miller, Chair of NANASP’s Board of Directors, said, “These awards are so indicative of member needs and resiliency—they always make such a little bit of money go a long way.”
Bob Blancato, NANASP Executive Director, said, “We are so pleased to award these grants. They include support for initiatives such as:
- Conducting a community needs assessment and equity scan
- Providing several programs some protection from inflation, especially from food and gasoline price increases
- Continuing and further developing several new and existing restaurant/supermarket partnerships developed during the pandemic
- Establishing a Latino Lunch Club
- Providing PPE and related supplies for congregate programs to reopen
- Providing buffalo meat to be served to Lakota elders in South Dakota
In total, NANASP has awarded more than $100,000 in member grants in 2021.”
Miller and Blancato also noted that all grantees were advised of the upcoming 50th anniversary of the Older Americans Act nutrition program and that they expect some of these local programs to be featured in the festivities.
The programs receiving funding from this initiative are:
- Catholic Charities of Fairfield County, Bridgeport, CT
- Center for Workforce Inclusion Labs, Silver Spring, MD
- Curative Connections, Inc., Green Bay, WI
- Goodwill Industries of Western NY, Inc., Buffalo, NY
- Homestead Nutrition Project, Hays, KS
- Meals on Wheels of Staten Island, Staten Island, NY
- Meals on Wheels of SW Michigan, Benton Harbor, MI
- Meals on Wheels People, Portland, OR
- Meals on Wheels Western South Dakota, Rapid City, SD
- People For People Meals on Wheels, Union Gap, WA
- REAL Services, South Bend, IN
- Rufty-Holmes Senior Center, Salisbury, NC
- Senior Friendship Centers, Sarasota, FL
- Six County Association of Governments, Richfield, UT
- Southwest Human Resource Agency, Henderson, TN
- TVCCA, Jewett City, CT