Posts in 'Building Community Power'

Building on earlier funding support, Generations wants to inspire older adults to participate in advocacy, as well as the adult children of older adults who also see and benefit from the programs that support their parents’ independence. Funding will support the collection of impactful stories, identify common and relatable themes, and find ways to share them in public media and social media. We will provide action-ready materials for our center participants that help them share their concerns with our legislators. We want to offer ourselves as resources and partners to accompany our County partners in conversations with those in higher office.

Funding will support embedding advocacy into our mission and case management, moving beyond individual assistance toward collective voice and systemic change and strengthening relationships with policymakers to ensure older adults’ concerns inform decisions about housing, transportation, and healthcare. Eldernet will host educational sessions for participants and partners to increase civic participation and awareness of aging-related policies and join and expand coalitions that address inequities in Montgomery County, recognizing that sustainable change requires shared power. 

Through these strategies, ElderNet will move case management beyond meeting immediate needs to drive systemic change, empowering older adults to shape the policies and practices that affect their lives.

CCATE will expand its bilingual podcast, Diálogos de la Villa Inmigrante, into a platform that trains and mobilizes community advocates. 

Through coaching received from the Organizing Resource Institute (ORI), our language access advocacy, and our community safety work Woori Center hopes to learn more about the most pressing needs of our Asian immigrant community members, especially small business owners, so we can assess and adapt our programs and advocacy campaigns accordingly. We also hope to learn how we can make inroads with the Korean church community and identify ways to organize support for immigrant safety through the shared value of human life and the importance of keeping families together. Funding will also support efforts to engage and train community leaders. 

Many municipal leaders lack the tools, messaging, and support to navigate difficult conversations with their constituents related to housing affordability and homelessness. Sentiments that discourage the construction of affordable housing or the creation of spaces for wraparound services and shelters remain obstacles that must be confronted and ultimately changed to the greatest extent possible.

Our approach at Montco 30% Project includes: Engage directly with members of the community to boost their level of engagement around housing challenges. Meet with local elected officials to identify and support allies Engage with members of the media on a regular basis through op-eds, press conferences, events, and interviews.

Generations has a strong history of serving and advocating for the needs of older adults in the Indian Valley and North Penn Areas. Older adults are challenged to advocate for themselves, without a coordinated organization to assist them in connecting with others. Weather it is housing, nutrition, or mental health, advocacy for older adults is a serious need.

We will: Train our Board and staff on allowable and impactful advocacy. Strategically plan to incorporate advocacy activities into our mission and services. Develop educational materials that enable older adult to advocate for themselves. Rely on strong relationships with elected officials, supporting their advocacy efforts. Engage older adults and community partners to speak for the needs of this generation. 

Our project highlights the intersection of climate change and agriculture, focusing on how sustainable farming can mitigate environmental impacts and help farms adapt. At Pennypack Farm, we face extreme weather, shifting growing seasons, and soil degradation which are challenges that require new strategies for resilience. This initiative will educate our community on these issues and the role of regenerative agriculture in strengthening local food systems. We will also provide advocacy training, empowering our network to engage in policy discussions that support climate-smart farming. Through education, outreach, and advocacy, we aim to equip our community with the knowledge and tools to take meaningful action for a climate-resilient future.