News from Community Care Corps

January 2022

Our First Community Care Corps Symposium Was a Success!

In November 2021, USAging, a Community Care Corps partner, hosted a virtual Symposium to promote and elevate awareness of the Community Care Corps initiative and connect with stakeholders. The speaker lineup included federal and congressional leaders, researchers, grantees and other Aging Network experts on caregiving, volunteerism and the value and impact of non-medical assistance. Panel sessions featured fruitful discussion around key resources, on-the-ground experiences, lessons learned and tips for replicating innovative volunteer models. The two-day event concluded with a call to action to encourage attendees and grantees alike to continue developing and enhancing their volunteer models and advocating for lawmaker support for these critical programs. If you were unable to attend the Symposium, visit the Community Care Corps website for speaker information and the full agenda with recording links.

Stay tuned for a comprehensive report USAging will be publishing to capture the breadth of important information and key takeaways presented during the Symposium. 

Grantees Learning Together

Wondering how grantees are supported in this work? The Community Care Corps team coordinates quarterly learning collaboratives for grantees to gain insight and knowledge from industry experts and to connect with other grantees. Our first learning collaborative focused on how to access the new online document repository and how to navigate grantee communication. In addition to ensuring grantees were comfortable and familiar with how to access key resources, tools and information, the session included extended breakout sessions that allowed grantees to network with one another. The session concluded with a discussion of common challenges shared by grantees, such as volunteer recruitment and engagement, that will inform the content of our future learning collaboratives.

National Alliance for Caregiving Report on 2020 Survey

The National Alliance for Caregiving recently released Caregiving in a Diverse America: Understanding the Systemic Challenges Facing Family Caregivers in the U.S., a report based on results of the Caregiving in the U.S. 2020 study. The report highlights disparities in support, caregiving intensity, health and financial impacts among diverse caregivers. The report emphasizes the importance of considering culture and identity when facilitating access to programs, services and resources and tailoring support to meet the unique needs of caregivers. With much more work to be done, the report identifies key themes and areas of future research that are needed to meaningfully improve the caregiver experience. 

Grantees in the News:

• Good Shepherd Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers awarded Non-Profit of the Year in Berkely County, WV (The Journal, November 3, 2021)
• Jewish Family and Child Services of Philadelphia featured in article about pandemic stress and hoarding (The Philadelphia Inquirer, November 9, 2021)
• Dr. Pauline Boss, whose work is featured in Duet’s Finding Meaning and Hope workshops, honored as Caregiving Champion (Next Avenue, December 7, 2021)

Check Out New Storyvine Videos from Our Grantees

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

Community Care Corps Blog Series

Community Care Corps recently launched our blog series—an avenue for shining a spotlight on program developments, grantee efforts and stories from the field. The January blog post highlights key takeaways from the November 16-17 Symposium and includes insights from Paul Weiss, CEO of Oasis Institute. 

In Case You Missed It: 2020-2021 Grantee Snapshots

The Community Care Corps: Building Communities of Strength 2020-2021 Grantee Snapshots publication highlights the impactful and innovative work accomplished by the first cohort of Community Care Corps grantees. Each snapshot includes a program overview highlighting key efforts, integral partners and future directions. Check it out to learn more about the work of the 2020-2021 Community Care Corps grantees and explore how your organization can implement its own innovative models. 

Resources

• A new publication, Kinship Caregiving Options: Considerations for Caregivers, has been developed in partnership with the ABA Center on Children and the Law, Children’s Defense Fund and Generations United, with support from Casey Family Programs. The publication provides a broad, national overview of choices that may be available to caregivers, along with related considerations, to help caregivers make more informed decisions about pathways to pursue.