Jewish Heritage Foundation 2008 Grants

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: December 1, 2008 Contact: Cathy Boyer-Shesol Senior Program Officer 816-561-0563 – cathy@jhf-kc.org

Jewish Heritage Foundation Announces 2008 Grants to Kansas City Organizations Serving Older Adults

Kansas City, MO: The Jewish Heritage Foundation of Greater Kansas City is pleased to announce that eight Greater Kansas City area nonprofit organizations are recipients of grants from its 2008 Older Adult Grantmaking Program. The grants, totaling $260,000, represent the Foundation’s second round of annual investments over a five-year period through 2012.

“The Jewish Heritage Foundation is committed to helping address the needs of Kansas City’s growing older adult community. We are proud to support nonprofit organizations that assist older adults and help develop long-term solutions for an underserved population in the Kansas City metropolitan area,” said Sheryl Davidow, Board President.

The 2008 grants represent nonprofit organizations in the bi-state Greater Kansas City area and address critical areas including regional planning, transportation, technology support, and community connection. A critical component of the grant recipients is that they provide solutions to issues about aging in community. Several grants will support the expansion of services and capacity while other grants continue to help develop strategic plans to establish a collaborative model and build awareness for future metropolitan infrastructure to meet the anticipated demands of the increased number of older citizens.

In 2006, the Jewish Heritage Foundation launched the Older Adult Grantmaking Program to address the challenges facing Kansas City as the community continues to age. During the next 30 years, the most significant shift in demographics ever to occur will take place as there will be more adults over the age of 65 than there are children under age 5. The Foundation’s long-term objective is to educate and raise awareness for these issues and help Kansas City develop the resources necessary to build the plan and infrastructure to meet these challenges. Below is a list of the 2008 older adult grant recipients, the grant amount and a brief description of the program:

Center for Practical Bioethics $75,000 Funds to support a second year planning phase for the KC4 Aging in Community Initiative to develop a comprehensive plan to establish a collaborative model for the Greater Kansas City region

Council on Philanthropy $ 5,000 Funds to support the work of the Kansas City Grantmakers in Aging Affinity Group to build awareness and increase knowledge of local funders on emerging issues related to an aging society

John Knox Village $65,000 Funds to expand the Home for Life Solutions Program through support for a new full-time Monitor position

Mr. Goodcents Foundation $25,000 Funding for Framework of Senior Mobility Phase II

NorthWest Communities Development Corporation $10,000 Funds to further support the agency’s efforts to obtain Accreditation of its Senior Center

Shepherd’s Center of Kansas City Central $30,000 Funds to support the Coming of Age civic engagement planning phase and initial program implementation

Shepherd’s Center of Kansas City Kansas $25,000 Funds to support the implementation of the Next Chapter™/Civic Engagement Initiative for Wyandotte County

University of Missouri-Kansas City $25,000 To provide matching funds for UMKC Department of Social Work’s participation in the Hartford Foundation’s Practicum Partnership Program. Five MSW candidates will structure their practicum experiences with a variety of agencies that provide services to the elderly.

In addition to the Older Adult grants, in 2008 the Foundation provided approximately $2.12 million in grants, which includes over $1.5 million in program and core agency support grants in the Kansas City Jewish community and $357,700 in operational support to Kansas City area agencies. A complete listing of 2008 grants awarded will be posted on the Jewish Heritage Foundation's website, www.jhf-kc.org, at the end of the calendar year.

The Jewish Heritage Foundation of Greater Kansas City was created in 1994 with the sale of Menorah Hospital to Health Midwest. The Foundation has dedicated itself to improving the quality of life to the citizens of the Greater Kansas City metropolitan area through its support of the area agencies who serve them.

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