We are pleased to announce the 18 grantees in our newest cohort for Age-Friendly: Go Local 2.0, a program designed to help neighborhood-level groups and organizations build equitable and age-friendly communities. Age-Friendly: Go Local first launched in 2023 and is a collaboration with the New York Academy of Medicine.
Of this year’s 18 cohort members, 12 are first-time grantees of the Health Foundation, and 10 are either led by, or center the needs of, Black, Indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC), including New Americans. Many of the grantees are small grassroots organizations that, despite little to no formal age-friendly experience, have deep experience doing neighborhood-based equity work.
Here are the 18 members of Age-Friendly: Go Local 2.0:
Based in western New York:
Buffalo-Niagara LGBTQ History Project – This volunteer-driven organization preserves the collective history of all local LGBTQ community members. For their AF:GL project, the organization will collect stories from older adults and share them with younger generations. Throughout the year, memories and insights will be communicated through panel events and public displays, culminating in a showcase of local LGBTQ history during Pride Month in June 2025.
Community Action Organization of Western New York, Inc. – CAO of WNY works to mitigate poverty and eliminate barriers throughout low-income communities. This AF:GL project will enable CAO to create community-based digital literacy programs in two locations, specifically for older adults and based on their feedback. The long-term goal is to close the digital divide.
East Buffalo Development Corp. – EBDC is focused on stronger community connections within the East Side of Buffalo. AF:GL funding will amplify community block grants by awarding 250 technology packs for older residents. The goal is to make it safer for individuals to age in their community.
Feed Buffalo – Through three city locations, Feed Buffalo provides locally sourced, organic, and halal food. The food pantry’s AF:GL project will use film to tell the stories of older adults it serves while reinforcing the importance of home-delivered food items. Feed Buffalo will film inside residences and use on-camera testimonials to advocate for municipal funding.
Gerard Place – Gerard Place provides housing, supportive services, community education, and outreach. The AF:GL funding will enable the organization to create an intergenerational gardening collaboration with the Buffalo and Erie Botanical Gardens. The project will focus on growing healthy food and will be located in an East Side food desert.
Hispanos Unidos de Buffalo – Hispanos Unidos de Buffalo (HUB) provides integrated care and social services to underserved populations across western New York. Through the AF:GL funding, HUB will be able to learn best practices in older adult programing from other community organizations and build its own capacity to create programs that serve older adults on the West Side of Buffalo.
Ralph Wilson Parks Conservancy – This not-for-profit organization partners with the city of Buffalo to operate, maintain, and promote the public use of Ralph Wilson Park, a 100-acre park along Lake Erie. The AF:GL project will focus on determining the most desired activities and programming based on input from older adults living on Buffalo’s West Side. The project will also identify barriers that currently limit park access and offer design input.
Slow Roll Buffalo – Since its launch in 2014, Slow Roll Buffalo has organized group bicycle rides across the city. Slow Roll’s AF:GL project will coordinate a weekly bike ride for older adults using electronic bicycles. Older riders may opt to use traditional bicycles and abbreviated routes to create a more accessible experience. The project will also feature strength-building programs such as age-friendly yoga.
The Metro Community Development Corporation – Operating out of the Delavan-Grider Community Center, Metro Community Development provides educational, recreational, and life skills programming for youth, adults, families, and older adults. AF:GL funding will create a wellness program staffed by local occupational therapy students and a fitness teacher who has experience working with older adults. The funding will also support the purchase of age-friendly exercise equipment.
West Side Community Services – West Side Community Services meets the needs of residents in the Niagara District. AF:GL funding will support a consortium of 10 community centers serving older adults in the city of Buffalo. A planning grant will address transportation needs using an asset-based approach to better serve older residents. West Side Community Services is the lead center for the project.
Based in central New York:
GLOW OUT, SAGE program – GLOW OUT is an outreach agency serving the rural counties of Genesee, Livington, Orleans, Wyoming (GLOW). AF:GL funding will support semi-monthly programing for older adults who identify as LGBTQ+ as well as Pride events throughout the year. The project will also leverage a study by the Mayo Clinic Health Center, which has shown that intergenerational volunteer opportunities can improve the physical and mental health of older adults.
Masonic Care Community – Located in Utica, this organization supports members of the community by applying the Masonic principles of brotherly love, relief, truth, and integrity. The AF:GL project will use a Generations United toolkit to identify the needs of older adults and create community-based intergenerational programs. The goal is to build understanding of diverse older adults throughout Herkimer and Oneida counties.
Syracuse Grows – This grassroots, volunteer-run network promotes urban food production and food justice through advocacy, education, and resources. AF:GL funding will support educational programming to make community gardening and farming accessible for older adults.
Syracuse Housing Authority – SHA is committed to providing quality, safe, and affordable housing and empowering residents to achieve self-sufficiency and economic independence. AF:GL funding will support educational opportunities that include occupational coaching and assessment. Older adults will learn how to use public transportation safely and how to shop for healthier food, while reducing their risk of falls.
Syracuse Northeast Community Center – SNCC provides Syracuse residents with services and programs to meet the changing needs and interests of their neighborhoods. The AF:GL project will build upon the Teatime program they started to help New Americans make community connections through social activities. Expanded hours and transportation services will also help SNCC better understand and serve the needs of older community members.
Village of Holley – Representing a multisector partnership between the village, the Orleans County Health Department, and the local American Legion, this AF:GL project will fund enhanced outdoor recreation for older adults. Bocce ball courts will be built in the village park, which currently has no amenities for older community members. The project will also incorporate an older adult dining program.
Westcott Community Center – AF:GL funding will expand their Food Is Medicine programming. A community garden will be used to grow and harvest vegetables and herbs. Older community members will also learn recipes they can try at home using a kitchen herb garden provided by Westcott.
Women of PEARLS – AF:GL funding will support a referral partnership with Syracuse Community Health to identify Black women who should receive a mammogram screening. Other referrals to programming designed for Black women will also be supported.
Additionally, two 2023 awardees will continue to implement their projects awarded in the first cohort. SAGE Upstate is developing a congregate dining program for LGBTQ+ individuals in partnership with LGBTQ+-owned restaurants. Herkimer County HealthNet is analyzing feedback from an age-friendly community survey and various community events to identify priorities for designing healthier living environments.
