Connecticut Community Care recently received a $25,000 grant for an initiative to support older adults who struggle to afford food in the Danbury area. Food insecurity, or not having access to enough food due to a lack of money, transportation, or resources, is a serious issue that affects 7.2% of seniors across Connecticut and nearly 11% of Danbury’s population.
The grant to help the issue of food insecurity is part of a $1 million fund from the Tufts Health Plan Foundation to support “non-profits that are focused on health equity and the social determinants of health.”
Connecticut Community Care is an independent statewide nonprofit community organization that serves more than 15,000 older adults and people with disabilities throughout the state. CCC is the backbone organization for Age Well CT initiative and the CT Healthy Living Collective, which focus on programs to help older adults stay healthy and ‘age well”.
This past summer, the Age Well Community Council held their second community-wide summit in partnership with the United Way of Western CT, this year focusing on the topic of food insecurity in Connecticut and how it affects older adults across the state and in the Danbury area.
“We’re honored to be part of this impactful group of nonprofit organization grantees all dedicated to improving our communities,” said Molly Rees Gavin, president of Connecticut Community Care. “CCC’s commitment to healthy aging and strong communities is tremendously strengthened thanks to Tufts Health Plan Foundation and their vision for moving communities forward.”
The $25,000 grant will be used to support recommendations from the Age Well Community Council, which recently studied ways to help older adults with food insecurity.
The grant will support an awareness campaign, a peer-to-peer ambassador program for seniors, and will address the structural barriers that prevent older adults from accessing nutritious food. The grant will also be used to strengthen a falls prevention collaboration through the Connecticut Healthy Living Collective.
“These angel grants are a way of saying ‘thank you’ to Connecticut Community Care and other organizations addressing the economic and social conditions that influence the health of our diverse communities and helping them to keep up the great work they do,” said Tom Croswell, president and CEO of Tufts Health Plan.
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Age Well Community Council Food Security Summit
