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The goal of the Congregation Connection Program is to help foster, improve, and validate programs in religious congregations involving older adults. The programs may build awareness of and appreciation for age-related issues among members of congregations, as well as clergy and lay leaders. These programs will allow religious congregations to meet the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of older adults within their congregations and surrounding communities. SEPTEMBER 2004: Through its Congregation Connection Program, the Retirement Research Foundation Board has authorized three four-year $325,000 grants to organizations that will act as the Foundation’s intermediary to work with congregations in the Chicago area. These three grants will help approximately 30 congregations start programs to involve and/or serve older adults. A portion of each of the three grants will support part-time coordinators, who will oversee the organization’s work with the congregations. Each organization will contribute its own resources to this project as well. Jewish Healing Network Jewish Healing Network is a joint project of Jewish Family and Community Services, the Council for Jewish Elderly, the Chicago Board of Rabbis, and the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago. The Jewish Healing Network project is based on a theology of aging. They will use an initiative of the Department of Jewish Family Concerns called Sacred Aging, that includes both programming and support materials. Sacred Aging addresses how needs have changed in congregations because of the aging society and focuses on developing and implementing meaningful programs for synagogues and their members. A sampling of the components of Sacred Aging includes: developing a congregation as a community to provide support to caregivers; developing rituals that honor the realities of older adults and their relationships; and helping older adults make sacred decisions in the areas of medical technology and quality of life decisions. The population they will serve is diverse in terms of income level and the four main denominations within Judaism (Reform, Reconstruction, Conservative, Orthodox). Catholic Charities Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic Charities will use its CCP grant to give them the opportunity to have a significant new role with Catholic congregations. In the past, Catholic Charities has solicited support from congregations to raise money, hold a food drive, or collect clothing. With this program, it will offer programmatic support to congregations. Thus, the CCP grant will redefine a more collaborative relationship between Catholic Charities and parishes in the Archdiocese. Given the size of Catholic Charities, this will have a wide-ranging impact. Catholic Charities will encourage parishes to do needs assessments and create programs that address the particular needs of older adults in a parish. They will also assist parishes to capture the creativity, commitment, energy, and talent of older adults in meaningful volunteer activities and lay leadership. The population they will serve will reflect the full range of economic, racial, and ethnic diversity that exists within the Archdiocese. Advocate Charitable Foundation Advocate has experience working with congregations on health-related programs. Their CCP project will offer a unique emphasis on developing older adults as leaders. In addition to creating programs for older adults, congregations will participate in a leadership development program that focuses on capacity building in congregations. Participants will move through a curriculum that will identify their strengths and focus on their ability to be leaders, while connecting with their spiritual resources. The curriculum will also equip participants for program development with a step-by-step approach involving assessment, budgets, goal setting, and sustainability. The population they will serve will be in the communities of South Chicago, Grand Crossing, Auburn Park, Roseland, and South Shore. |