JACKSONVILLE – The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida (www.jaxcf.org) made six grants totaling nearly $100,000 to support Aging Adults in our community, including The Way Free Clinic in Green Cove Springs.

The clinic received a $20,000 grant to educate seniors who are aging out of The Way Clinic’s free services and assist in enrolling them into Medicare. In addition, The Way plans to expand case management services beyond benefits enrollment to provide supplemental payments for seniors who cannot afford prescriptions and other needs that their Medicare does not cover.

Others that will share the grant included:

• 2nd Mile Ministries received a $20,000 grant to implement the As We Gather program that will address social isolation for senior residents in the Brentwood neighborhood. Activities include half-day socialization gatherings for seniors in a socially distanced manner, inter-generational service projects with youth, and monthly virtual storytelling sessions to capture community history and wisdom.

• Alzheimer’s Association of Central & Northeast Florida received a $7,151 grant to improve the knowledge and skills of caregivers supporting clients with Alzheimer’s in rural African-American communities in Northeast Florida. They will provide monthly support groups, educational workshops and do targeted outreach to seniors in rural parts of Baker and Putnam county.

• Beaches Habitat received a $20,000 grant to reduce unsafe living conditions for low-income seniors at the beach. Beaches Habitat, in partnership with BEAM, will identify minor repairs and home modifications and use the expertise of their construction manager and building staff as well community expertise to make improvements.

• Mayo Clinic received a $20,000 grant to increase awareness and knowledge of pre-screening, diagnosis, and treatment services for Alzheimer’s and related dementias within the African-American community. Based on best practice research, Mayo plans to train members of the clergy within the AME church, and in partnership with AARP, will conduct educational workshops so clergy can sustainably continue workshops going forward.

• Jewish Family Community Services received a $10,000 grant to provide reliable and affordable transportation to seniors via the GoGo Grandparent ride share service. This new ride share program will provide age appropriate and culturally friendly rides.

“The Aging Adults grants we made this year span the breadth of services that seniors need, with a special focus on improving the quality of life for under-served and under-resourced seniors in Duval, Clay, Baker, St. Johns and Nassau Counties,” noted Emmanuel Fortune, program director for The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida. “This population is particularly vulnerable right now, and we are delighted to be able to provide resources to make a difference in their lives.”

The funds to support this work come from the Foundation’s Aging Adults Field of Interest, which is provided for by the I.R. Bowen Fund, the Grace H. Osborne Endowment, the Grady C. and Rebecca T. Parker Endowment as well as the Giving Forward Community Fund.

The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida also made a grant from its Esther Pope Memorial Endowment for persons diagnosed with or affected by HIV/AIDS.