Watertown’s Marshall Home Fund held its annual grant award ceremony on May 22, providing $75,000 to 16 local organizations that serve older adults. Through its grant making, MHF helps Watertown be an age friendly community, one where older residents can be healthy and productive. The World Health Organization and the AARP have established specific goals for a community seeking to be age friendly. The 2019 grantees of the Marshall Home Fund will provide programs and services that address many of these goals, as summarized below.
Provide direct health, mental health, and social services for vulnerable individuals: Springwell’s Elder Independence and Safety Fund; Watertown Council on Aging’s Emergency Assistance Block Grant; and Wayside Youth and Family Support Network’s Emergency Assistance Block Grant.
Offer accessible, affordable, fun social activities for groups of older adults: The Armenian Relief Society’s Cooking in the Community program; Lexington Chamber Music’s classical concerts by young musicians for Watertown’s older residents; Mosesian Center for the Arts’ Aging Creatively Program; New Repertory Theatre’s Page to Stage Workshops; and the Generations Together events sponsored by Watertown Families Together and the Church of the Good Shepherd.
Support affordable and accessible housing for older adults: MetroWest Collaborative Development’s Ready Renter Program and Affordable Housing “How-To” Workshops; the Watertown Fire Department’s Fire and Life Safety Educational Series for Older Adults; and
Watertown Health Department’s Compassionate Connections IX Program addressing challenges associated with severe clutter.
Provide affordable and accessible transportation: Watertown Council on Aging’s Supplemental Transportation for Seniors and the Watertown Farmers’ Market program providing transportation and SNAP matches for older adults.
Ensure potentially isolated older adults are integrated into the community: Carroll Center’s Low Vision Services for Watertown Residents; Massachusetts Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired’s Technology Training for Seniors with Sight Loss; Perkins School for the Blind’s Thriving with Vision Loss Program; and Project Literacy’s English Language Instruction for Ages 55+.