Volume 15 | Issue 48 | December 2, 2020
Generations This Week
News for Advocates of Children, Youth and Older Adults from Generations United
Generations United in the News
  • Texas Monthly ran an article on grandparents raising grandchildren during COVID19. The piece highlights our 2020 State of Grandfamilies report and quotes our longtime Special Advisor Ana Beltran. Read the article.

  • The Baytown Sun ran a press release on an artificial intelligence-powered COVID-19 check up that has the potential to save thousands of lives by assessing personal COVID risks. The piece mentions Generations United among the coalition partners on this project. Learn more.
Work Anniversary
We congratulate our Office Assistant Mary Harris, who celebrated 5 years with Generations United. We recognized Mary and other staff with work anniversaries at our September board meeting. You can join us in celebrating Mary by emailing her.

Stay tuned to see who we announce next week.
A Huge Thanks to Our Members and Supporters
We thank Mary Bissell who gave in honor of the Grandfacts fact sheet update. We also thank Luke Williams who gave in honor of Those who it helped. Donate to help us unleash the potential of an "age-amped" society. If you're an organization, join us!
Join Us for Generations United's 2021 Virtual Global Intergenerational Conference
While we won't be able to celebrate in person, our biennial international conference will be packed with opportunities to network, share best practices, learn about the latest research and connect with people around the globe who are passionate about high quality intergenerational programs. Stay tuned for more details about our summer 2021 event including dates, registration, and the call for sessions.

If you’d like to join the conference planning committee, email us at conference@gu.org.
Tweet of the Week
Cool Idea
Young People Paired Up With Older Adults to Give Support Through the Coronavirus Pandemic
As many older adults struggle with loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic, young adults are helping them through what has been a rough time for many.

Daniel Hein, 23, who is in a gap year before medical school, is a member of "Papa," a program that pairs older adults with “pals” for companionship and everyday tasks. He regularly meets with 94-year-old Sam Cirrincione. Learn more.
Got something cool you tried that was successful? Why not tweet your cool intergenerational ideas to #cooligideas. You can also post them to our Intergenerational Connections Facebook Group. We want to highlight innovative age-optimized programs and practices through our blog, social media and weekly e-newsletter! Share the inspiration.
Culture United
Queen's Gambit (TV-MA)
The Queen's Gambit follows the life of an orphan chess prodigy, Beth Harmon, during her quest to become the world's greatest chess player while struggling with emotional problems and drug and alcohol dependency. The series' title refers to a chess opening of the same name. The story begins in the mid-1950s and proceeds into the 1960s.
Beth is introduced to the game by Mr. Shaibel, an older janitor at the orphanage who plays chess by himself in the basement. After playing with Beth, Mr. Shaibel quickly discovers she's a prodigy. Learn more.
Culture United highlights films, books, music and TV shows with an intergenerational theme. Do you have any suggestions? Share them with us, and we'll share in the weeks and months to come. We welcome responses or reactions. We'll possibly feature them on our blog. See disclaimer.
COVID-19 and Racial, Economic Inequality Among Communities of Color
In their new brief, the Center for Law and Social Policy uncovered the stark disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 recession on key communities including Black, Latinx, and Asian workers, women workers, youth aged 16-24, workers earning low wages, part-time/self-employed workers, public sector workers, and more. The brief also includes an analysis of rising household and food insecurity and the concerning trends in job gains and losses in the economy. Learn more.
Think Intergenerational - Funding Opportunities
The Academy's 2021 Summer Internship Application Season is Now Open! The National Academy of Social Insurance is looking for graduate students, recent graduates, and qualified upper-division undergraduate students for paid summer internships in public policy. Students interested in improving the well-being of individuals and society through economic, social, and/or health policy are encouraged to apply for one of the Academy’s nationally-competitive internship programs: Merton C. Bernstein Internship on Social Insurance, Somers Aging and Long-Term Care Research Internship, Eileen Sweeney Graduate Internship in Disability Policy, and Rashi Fein Internship in Health Policy. Deadline for Rashi Fein Internship in Health Policy: Jan. 8, 2021. All other deadlines: Jan. 29, 2021. Learn more.

Classics for Kids Foundation. The mission of the Classics for Kids Foundation is to empower young people to shape positive futures through music, build sustainable stringed instrument music programs, and provide grants for high quality instruments. The Foundation is offering matching grants to K-12 schools and nonprofit organizations throughout the United States to help purchase stringed instruments. Grants will not exceed 50% of total instrument cost. Requests are reviewed quarterly; the upcoming application deadline is Dec. 31, 2020. Learn more.

The Upswing Fund for Adolescent Mental Health is a collaborative fund focusing on the mental health and well-being of adolescents who are of color and/or LGBTQ+. Created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has had a devastating impact on young people across the United States, The Upswing Fund will provide critical resources to front-line organizations that provide the services that young people rely on. Learn more about their fall grant opportunity which opened October 20th.

The Children's Bureau. The Children’s Bureau has announced forecasts for two federal funding opportunities to help local jurisdictions better support kinship families:
  • Family Connection Grants: Building the Evidence for Kinship Navigator Programs : HHS-2021-ACF-ACYF-CF-1903 
  • Improving Child Welfare Through Kinship Supports and Foster Care as Service to Families: HHS-2021-ACF-ACYF-CW-1921 

If you have—or know of—any intergenerational funding opportunities, please send them to gu@gu.org.
Think Intergenerational - Great Resources
Research & Resources
Factsheet: Intergenerational Shared Sites includes updated information about these important program models and what we know about their impact. Learn more.

Federal Funding Opportunities for Intergenerational Shared Sites Chart is designed to share some federal funding sources that include—or could include—support for intergenerational shared sites. Learn more.

Generations United's 2020 State of Grandfamilies Report—Facing a Pandemic: Grandfamilies Living Together During COVID-19 and Thriving BeyondGrandfamily caregivers are the first line of defense for children during the pandemic, having stepped in when parents cannot raise them for many reasons, including cases where children's parents have died from the COVID-19 virus. Download the full report, watch Senator Sherrod Brown's acceptance speech, and listen to stories of grandfamilies impacted by COVID-19. Learn more.

Staying Healthy Across Generations: Vaccines are Essential for All Ages. Generations United's new infographic illustrates that vaccines aren't just for kids-they protect all generations- especially in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Staying up to date on vaccines for the flu, pneumonia and whooping cough are important to protect both older adults and children. Soon a vaccine for COVID-19 will also be critical for both age groups. Check it out.

Intergenerational Programs and Physical Distancing. This guide by Generations United includes ideas and solutions on how intergenerational professionals can adapt programs and activities and create new intergenerational connections during the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn more.

Grandfamilies COVID-19 Fact Sheets in English and Spanish. These fact sheets from Generations United provide information for grandfamilies to stay healthy, informed and connected during the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn more.

Interactive Toolkit: Connecting Generations in Senior Housing. This toolkit, developed by Generations United and the LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston with funding from RRF Foundation for Aging, is now a website with downloadable resources. It was designed specifically to help senior housing organizations plan and implement high-quality intergenerational programs that will benefit residents and young people in their communities. Visit the site
Upcoming Events
Amazon donates to Generations United when you shop AmazonSmile
When you shop at AmazonSmile, Amazon donates 0.5% of the purchase price to Generations United.

"And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years."—Abraham Lincoln
Your Feedback Invited
We want Generations This Week to be a real resource for you. Please send us any national news on intergenerational issues in addition to upcoming conferences, funding opportunities, reports and webinars. Local and state events can be shared in our Facebook group. Please also let us know how we can improve! Email us at gu@gu.org. We'd love to hear from you!

Best,
Alan King
Communications Specialist
Generations United
Treat Yourself GRAND!
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That's a $26 value for 12 issues delivered right to your inbox. Get valuable offers and inspirational articles like our column on GRAND Families, and more.