Events

Connecticut Center for Healthy Aging proudly presents Lunch and Learn sessions at both locations in The Hospital of Central Connecticut at Bradley Memorial and New Britain General.  The Center also sponsors hearing and blood pressure screenings.  Please view our events calendar by clicking here. SAVE THE DATE: Healthy Family FunFest Sunday, March 7

Press Releases

From Left to Right: Marc Levesque, CT Center for Healthy Aging; Jim Williamson, Community Foundation of Greater New Britain; Trish Walden, Central CT Senior Health Services; Sue Smayda, Southington Library and Museum

Lack of access to critical services is one of the biggest challenges facing the region's growing older adult population and their adult caregivers. In response to this challenge, the Catalyst Fund of the Community Foundation of Greater New Britain recently awarded a $10,000 grant to Central Connecticut Senior Health Services for a mobile kiosk designed to reach seniors who are isolated or otherwise unaware of services available to them, and their families. Created by the same local firm responsible for ESPN's studio sets, the Mobile Center Kiosk was unveiled early this month at the Southington Library and Museum with the help of Jim Williamson, President of the Community Foundation. “Since its beginning in 2003, the Catalyst Fund has enabled

the Foundation to successfully support a wide range of special initiatives, this project being the latest. Helping some of Southington's most treasured citizens remain in their homes and connected to supportive resources improves the quality of life for us all, no matter what age,” said Williamson. Susan Smayda, Director of Southington Library and Museum stated "The Central Connecticut Senior Health Services mobile kiosk will help reach out to seniors with information that is vital to their health and well-being. This project has the potential to improve the quality of life for seniors wherever it travels."

The professionally staffed mobile kiosk will visit grocery stores, health fairs, senior centers and other public sites in the Berlin , New Britain , Plainville and Southington offering critical information and free assessments focusing on maintaining the quality of life for senior citizens. “The creation of this mobile unit will go a long way to further our mission of enhancing access to services and information to attain the best possible quality of life for seniors and their caregivers in our communities,” said Marc Levesque, Senior Resource Care Manager with the Center for Healthy Aging.

Connecticut Center for Healthy Aging, based in Southington , combined the grant from the Catalyst Fund with other funding sources to launch the mobile kiosk, which is available now to serve seniors and their caregivers in Berlin , New Britain , Plainville and Southington . To schedule the kiosk at your organization or Senior Group contact Marc Levesque at the Center for Healthy Aging, 860-276-5293.

Catalyst Fund members selected Central Connecticut Senior Health Services to receive their annual grant after reviewing proposals from area nonprofits which addressed important gaps in services to senior citizens in the Community Foundation's four-town service area of Berlin, New Britain, Plainville and Southington.

The Catalyst Fund, created in 2003 with the support of the Robert C. Vance Foundation, is a grass roots community service initiative that provides a means by which citizens from all walks of life can participate in the philanthropic process. For a modest annual investment of $250, Catalyst Fund members annually select a charitable focus, convene educational sessions to learn about their issue and, at the end of each year, choose a nonprofit recipient specializing in the issue of choice to receive a grant. The 2010 edition of the Catalyst Fund will begin its meetings this coming May. To learn more about the Catalyst Fund contact Cheryl Farmer at 860-229-6018 ext. 305.

Catalyst Grant Will Fund Mobile Kiosk for Seniors

(November 23, 2009) Lack of access to critical services is one of the biggest challenges facing the region's growing older adult population and their adult caregivers. In response to this challenge, the Community Foundation of Greater New Britain's Catalyst Fund members will give a $10,000 grant to Central Connecticut Senior Health Services for a mobile kiosk designed to reach seniors who are isolated or otherwise unaware of services available to them, and their families. The Connecticut Center for Healthy Aging, based in Southington, plans to combine the grant with funding from other sources to launch a new mobile kiosk, which will enable the Center to serve seniors and those caring for them in Berlin, New Britain, Plainville and Southington who might otherwise fall through the cracks. Marc Levesque, Senior Resource Care Manager with the Center, recently told Catalyst members that the professionally-staffed van will visit grocery stores, food pantries, senior centers and other public sites in the four towns offering critical information and free assessments. “Our staff will ask questions such as ‘How are things going at home?' in order to establish relationships that will open doors for people in times of need,” he explained.

Catalyst Fund members selected Central Connecticut Senior Health Services to receive their annual grant after reviewing proposals from three area nonprofits to meet a need in the Community Foundation's four-town service area of Berlin, New Britain, Plainville and Southington.  Other applicants for the Catalyst grant were Catholic Charities, which proposed to use the award to expand their community outreach support group to seniors in the Hispanic population who do not speak English, and Connecticut Community Care, Inc., which sought the funding to expand their capacity to offer comprehensive in-home assessments and access to resources designed to help people remain at home as long as possible.

“Our Catalyst Fund members looked at three very worthy causes as contenders for this year's grant and learned so much about the challenges facing this population during the process,” said Cori Humes, chair of the Catalyst Fund Steering Committee.  The Catalyst Fund, created in 2003 with the support of the Robert C. Vance Foundation, is a grass roots community service initiative that provides a means by which citizens from all walks of life can participate in the philanthropic process. For a modest annual investment of $250, Catalyst Fund members annually select a charitable focus, convene educational sessions to learn about their issue and, at the end of each year, choose a nonprofit recipient specializing in the issue of choice to receive a grant.