Volume 16 | Issue 2 | January 13, 2021
Generations This Week
News for Advocates of Children, Youth and Older Adults from Generations United
Generations United in the News
  • Last week, Generations United released a statement condemning the insurgence, violence, and destruction that took place on Jan. 6 in Washington, DC, in the very neighborhood where we are proudly headquartered. Read our full statement.

  • In her blog post with NICWA's Executive Director Dr. Sarah Kastelic, our Executive Director Donna Butts explained how Native American grandfamilies are impacted by COVID-19. The piece featured our GRAND Voice Member Sonya Begay and urged the incoming administration to help Native grandfamilies. Read their article.
(l-r: Jaia Peterson Lent and Ana Beltran)
Generations United Announces Co-Directors of the National Center on Grandfamilies
We're thrilled to announce today that Jaia Peterson Lent, MSW, and Ana Beltran, JD, will serve as co-directors of the National Center on Grandfamilies effective immediately. Beltran started her career with Generations United in 1999 when she served as the National Center's founding director. Lent joined the organization the following year as our policy coordinator. Read the full release.
United Nations Update from our UN Representative Susanne Seperson
The United Nations NGO Committee on Intergenerational Solidarity, co-chaired by one of Generations United’s UN Representatives Dr. Susanne Seperson, hopes the COVID-19 vaccines in development mean the committee can resume its programs and outreach to enhance solidarity between generations in 2021. The committee, per their mission statement, will seek consultation, collaboration, and cooperation with other NGO Substantive Committees to plan joint programs.
A Huge Thanks to Our Members and Supporters
We thank our members, Volunteers of America and ZERO TO THREE, for their support. We also thank David Ochoa, Gail Kohn, Helene Block Fields, Jean Josephson, Marsha Adler, and Mary Ann Casey for their contributions.

Submit to Present at our 2021 Virtual Conference—Two Weeks Left to Submit
The Call for Sessions for Generations United’s Virtual Global Intergenerational Conference is now open! We are seeking proposals on cutting-edge intergenerational research, policies, and practices that are relevant, informative, creative; represent the great diversity in our field; and showcase practices that support diversity, equity, and inclusion. The deadline for submissions is January 31, 2021. Learn more and submit your proposal.

If you’d like to join the conference planning committee, email us at [email protected].
Remembering our Colleague and Friend Dr. Mary Catherine Bateson
Dr. Bateson—best-selling author, a linguist, and a cultural anthropologist like her parents Margaret Mead and Gregory Bateson—died on Jan. 2 holding her daughter's hand. She was a remarkable person, and we are so fortunate that she founded Granny Voter which she transitioned to Generations United and co-chaired our Seniors4Kids program. Learn more about her legacy.
Webinar: Best practice in running intergenerational programmes
Join the Housing and Dementia Research Consortium on Jan. 26 to learn more about different intergenerational programmes available to people living with dementia in accommodation and care settings in the UK. The webinar will highlight successes, challenges, barriers and sustainability issues facing such programmes as well as the impact on people living with dementia and the children/students that take part. Learn more.
The Federal Advisory Council to Support Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Finalizes Recommendations
On October 20, 2020, the Council finalized 22 recommendations to advance change and improve supports to Kinship Families and Grandfamilies. The full council met in September for an open discussion of proposed recommendations. A welcome video from Secretary Azar, meeting summary, presentation, and closed-captioned recording are available on the SGRG webpage.
Tweet of the Week
Submit your Grandfamily's COVID-19 Story
Generations United is collecting stories of grandfamilies experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. These stories may be used for advocacy, on our websites, or in the media. Submit your story.
Cool Idea
ReGen Story Telling Project
The Ford Community Corps Project, ReGen, is dedicated to intergenerational storytelling in partnership with the Ypsilanti Senior Center. The students involved in this project are all CTMA majors. The program is co-coordinated by Decky Alexander, Director of Engage, and Sidney Anderson, Graduate Student in Arts Administration and Graduate Assistant at Engage. This project will continue into the winter and spring semesters!
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
Lola Igna
Lola Igna is a foul-mouthed and stubborn woman who is eager to die but her neighbors are hung up on her winning “the oldest living grandmother in the world.” Her long-lost great-great-grandson, Tim, is an aspiring vlogger who wants to latch on her now-famous grandma but ends up giving her a new reason to live. 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.
Think Intergenerational - Funding Opportunities
Sky Ranch Foundation. The Sky Ranch Foundation supports nonprofit organizations throughout the United States and its territories that work to prevent involvement in the criminal justice system by providing them comprehensive support services that may include education, job training, enrichment activities, counseling, and case management. Preference is given to organizations working with youth between the ages of 11 and 18. Deadline for LOIs: Jan. 31, 2021. Learn more.

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, and Eileen Sweeney Graduate Internship in Disability Policy. Deadline: Jan. 29, 2021. 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.

If you have—or know of—any intergenerational funding opportunities, please send them to [email protected].
Think Intergenerational - Great Resources
Research & Resources
Fact sheet: 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.

“When I was a boy and would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.' To this day, especially in times of 'disaster,' I remember my mother’s words, and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers—so many caring people in this world.”—Mr. Rogers
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 [email protected]. We'd love to hear from you!

Best,
Alan King
Communications Specialist
Generations United
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