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News for Advocates of Children, Youth and Older Adults  

from Generations United

Featured Articles
 Volume 15, Issue 33
August 19, 2020
Grandparents Day is Less Than A Month Away!

In the News
  • The Associated Press ran a piece on how multigenerational homes with grandparents weigh the risk of COVID-19 as school starts. This article, which was picked up by the Chicago Tribune and other outlets, cites our Deputy Executive Director Jaia Peterson Lent. Read the story.
Intergenerational Childcare/Preschool COVID-19 Questionnaire
Generations United is gathering information on the experiences of intergenerational childcare and/or preschool programs during the COVID-19 pandemic. This very brief questionnaire will take less than 5 minutes and the results will help make the case for the important role intergenerational shared sites play in our communities. Access the questionnaire. Please respond by August 28, 2020. If you have any questions, challenges, or would like to speak to someone in person, please do not hesitate to contact Sheri Steinig.
Save the Date: Back-to-School Zoom Conversation on September 1st
Plan to join us on Tuesday, September 1st from 3-4 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada) for a Zoom conversation on how intergenerational programs are responding as students are heading back-to-school. More details and the registration link will be included in our next issue of Generations This Week.
Cool Ideas
Irish intergenerational chorus goes online during COVID-19
COVID-19 brought many Intergenerational projects to a halt. However, this didn't stop Donegal County Council's Choir of Ages "Ceol le Chéile" in Ireland, which has always been about bringing young and older people together to build relationships and socially participate in something enjoyable. So they took the rehearsals online. The result is their video singing the Bob Marley classic "Three little Birds," which got its national and international premier on May 31 during the Bealtaine Dusk Virtual Home Chorus. Watch the video.

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.
Tweet of the Week
Culture United
A Stopwatch from Grampa 
"When summer started, I got Grampa's stopwatch," a small child says. "I don't want his stopwatch. I want him." Grampa used to time everything. A race to the end of the street and back: 24 seconds. Eating bubblegum ice cream: 1 minute, 58 seconds. But now, Grampa's gone. "There are no more Grampa minutes, Grampa seconds," the child says. "Time just stops." As the seasons come and go, the stopwatch becomes a cherished symbol of remembrance, and the child uses it to carry on Grampa's favorite pastimes and traditions. Learn more.

Culture United highlights films, books, music and TV shows with an intergenerational theme. Do you have any suggestions?  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.
Join our Grandfamilies Team!
Generations United's National Center on Grandfamilies is seeking a Special Projects Coordinator to join our results-oriented team and be a part of building on a 20-year legacy of working on behalf of and with grandfamilies (aka grandparents and other relatives raising children). The ideal candidate will have experience working with race equity issues and be deeply committed to intergenerational families and programs. See the full job posting.
A Huge Thanks to Our Members and Supporters
Generations United thanks our members and supporters for their contributions. Together, we are building a world that values all generations! Donate to help us unleash the potential of an "age-amped" society. If you're an organization, join us!
Think Intergenerational - Funding Opportunities
Grants to Address Social and Economic Injustice. The Fund for a Just Society, a program of the Unitarian Universalist Association, provides grants to nonprofit organizations in the U.S. and Canada. The Fund is offering grants ranging between $6,000 and $8,000 (the maximum grant amount is $15,000) to organizations that use community organizing to bring about systemic change leading to a more just society. Deadline: Sept. 30, 2020. Learn more

Support for Efforts to Improve the Health and Well-Being of Children. Cigna Foundation's Healthier Kids for Our Future initiative is currently offering Food Insecurity Grants and Mental Health Grants. The latter focuses on programs that foster collaboration between stakeholders* while the first grant focus on programs, in and outside the school environment, that attempt to address gaps in delivering food and nutritional education to children. Deadline: Sept. 30, 2020. Learn more. 

Culture of Health Prize. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Culture of Health Prize elevates the compelling stories of places throughout the country where residents are working together to transform education, jobs, transportation, housing, and more so better health flourishes for all. Up to ten winning communities will each receive a $25,000 cash prize and have their success stories shared broadly, with the goal of raising awareness and inspiring locally-driven change across the United States. Deadline for Phase 1: Oct. 15, 2020. Learn more

If you have - or know of - any intergenerational funding opportunities, please send them to aking@gu.org.

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* These include school administrators and teachers, clinicians, and local and national nonprofits, to address mental health and emotional well-being challenges for children.
Think Intergenerational - Great Resources 
Research and Resources
Racial Equity Toolkits. Generations United released two new tool kits that feature grandfamilies-related content on the racism, bias and justice in the juvenile justice system, policing and courts and how it impacts Black and Brown people. The first, created in partnership with the National Indian Child Welfare Association, focuses on American Indian and Alaskan Native grandfamilies. The other focuses on African American grandfamilies. Learn more

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.

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.

The Best of Both Worlds: A Closer Look at Creating Spaces that Connect Young and Old. This report from Generations United and The Eisner Foundation includes actionable ways to boost the number of intergenerational shared sites around the country. 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.

A Place to Call Home: Building Affordable Housing for Grandfamilies. This sixth edition of the annual State of Grandfamilies in America report detailed the housing challenges these families face and highlighted innovative programs that offer potential for nationwide expansion. Learn more.
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When you shop at AmazonSmile, Amazon donates 0.5% of the purchase price to Generations United. Support us every time you shop.
Quote
"Social insurance is built on awareness that no one can go it alone. True generational equity means acting on that awareness so that those who come after us, and who stand on our shoulders, can see a little further and do a little better in their turn." ~Robert Ball, former Social Security Commissioner and Founder of NASI (in honor of Social Security's 79th anniversary last week)

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

  
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Treat Yourself GRAND!  
As a reader of Generations This Week, you are eligible to receive a complimentary subscription to GRAND - The Lifestyle Magazine for Awesome Grandparents. 

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.