The Foundation is one of five recipients to receive support in the second year of funding for Community AGEnda, a $1.3 million national effort to help towns and cities prepare for a growing older population

Miami, FL –Health Foundation of South Florida was awarded a $140,000 grant from the Pfizer Foundation and Grantmakers In Aging (GIA), a national association of funders, as part of a second year of funding totaling $1.3 million for Community AGEnda, an initiative aimed at helping American communities become more age-friendly, meaning great places to grow up and grow old. Health Foundation also received $10,000 from AARP, $10,000 from United Way of Miami-Dade County and $6,500 from HSBC to support this effort in Miami-Dade County.

Health Foundation will continue to promote older adult employment opportunities and will add age-friendly revisions and input from older adults to long-term county planning documents concerning land use, community health and design, transit and transportation and housing. The Foundation will continue its work on Safe Routes to Age in Place, which aims to make the East Little Havana neighborhood in Miami safer for walking and transit use, and will expand program offerings in 13 county parks that were chosen to become more age-friendly and will eventually develop into Wellness Support Centers for active adults 55 plus.

“Since 2008, Health Foundation has enabled more than 25,000 older adults in Miami-Dade County to age strong with evidence-based programs offered through its successful Healthy Aging Regional Collaborative initiative,” said Health Foundation of South Florida President & CEO Steven E. Marcus, Ed.D. He added, “This grant complements those efforts by enabling the Foundation to collaborate with community partners to meet the challenges of a rapidly growing population who prefer to age in place as opposed to a nursing home or long term facility.”

“Research tells us that most people want to grow old in the places that matter most to them, around family and community,” said John Feather, PhD, CEO of Grantmakers In Aging. “But that’s only going to be possible if all of us — regional planners, elected officials, citizen groups, philanthropies, industry and others — start thinking and taking action now to put age-friendly ideas into practice. Supporting age-friendly development is a natural role for local philanthropies because of their unique knowledge of the people and particular needs of their own regions.”

-More-

America is getting older fast. Today, 40 million people in the United States are ages 65 and older, and this number is projected to more than double to 89 million by 2050. Yet most cities, towns and regions are not preparing to take advantage of the opportunities — and meet the challenges — presented by a growing number of older adults.

“The aging of America’s population is one of the most important trends of the 21st Century, with tremendous implications for our future, our health, our economy and our quality of life,” said Caroline Roan, President of the Pfizer Foundation. “By partnering with Grantmakers In Aging, we believe we can promote health and wellness, advance the important national conversation around aging and help our communities take tangible steps to prepare for these huge demographic changes.”

National-local collaboration
Community AGEnda is providing a total of $750,000 in funding to five communities or regions, and will use an additional $550,000 to assess and support the local efforts and inspire similar work across the country. This work includes promotional activities and the development of planning, assessment and strategy tools and other practical resources, including an online searchable database describing the growing number of age-friendly projects in the United States. The project will also gather national and regional funders to spur greater interest in age-friendly community development.

  • Address transportation challenges for seniors in Atlanta, including neighborhood walkability;
  • Establish development incentives to create an age-friendly Lifetime Community District in Bloomington, IN;
  • Improve older-adult transportation and mobility options in the greater Kansas City area;
  • Develop plans and build capacity to implement age-friendly models in the Phoenix area.

What is an Age-friendly Community?
Nationwide efforts to make communities age-friendly take various forms. Often they involve physical environments — from safe outdoor spaces and accessible public transportation to affordable, well-designed housing. Other age-friendly initiatives tackle social needs: creating engaging cultural and outdoor activities, public services, and volunteering options. Each community will focus on their own local challenges.

About Grantmakers In Aging
Grantmakers In Aging (GIA) is an inclusive and responsive membership organization including all types of philanthropies with a common dedication to improve the experience of aging. GIA members have a shared recognition that a society that is better for older adults is a society that is better for people of all ages. For more information, please visit www.giaging.org.

-More-

About The Pfizer Foundation
The Pfizer Foundation is a charitable organization established by Pfizer Inc. Its mission is to promote access to quality health care, to nurture innovation, and to support the community involvement of Pfizer colleagues. The Pfizer Foundation provides funding and resources to local and international organizations that expand and improve global health strategies. In 2011, the Foundation provided over $16 million in grants and employee matching gifts to non-governmental organizations around the world. For more information please visit Pfizer.com.

About Health Foundation of South Florida:
Health Foundation of South Florida, a nonprofit grant making organization, is dedicated to improving health in Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties. By advancing health solutions, the Foundation makes a measurable and sustainable impact in ensuring access to affordable, quality health services for all residents. Since 1993, the Foundation awarded more than $95 million in grants and program support. For more information, please call 305.374.7200 or see their website, www.hfsf.org. For information on the Healthy Aging Regional Collaborative, visit www.healthyagingsf.org.

Grantmakers In Aging
Media Contact: Elliott Walker
Email: ewalker@aboutscp.com
Phone: 610-687-5495

Pfizer Foundation
Media Contact: MacKay Jimeson
Email: mackay.jimeson@pfizer.com
Phone 212-733-2324

# # # # #
Health Foundation of South Florida
2 South Biscayne Boulevard, Suite 1710
Miami, Florida 33131
Telephone: 305.374.7200 www.hfsf.org

 

Contact: Shari Gantman, Health Foundation of South Florida
Email: sgantman@hfsf.org, Phone: 305.374.9199