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The Washington Home Names Its 2024 Open Call Grant Recipients – Awards Over $4.2M Locally

Funds Provide Vital Support for DC-Area Older Adults & the Critically Ill

WASHINGTON, DC (July 15, 2024) – Following its inaugural 2024 open call for grant proposals in March, The Washington Home (TWH) is proud to announce its award of over $4.2M in grants to 31 local non-profit organizations making a transformational difference for DC-area older adults and the critically ill.

Through these investments, TWH is partnering with organizations aligned with its mission to invest in local, community-based efforts to address social isolation, caregiver relief, food insecurity, and specialized health care for older adults and the critically ill in Washington, DC.

Since becoming a foundation four years ago, TWH has granted a total of $21.3M to support the community.

Support for Caregivers & the Critically Ill

As more older adults choose to age in place, medical and caregiving resources can often be scarce due to severe shortages of trained staff that can adequately care for them.

Additionally, a limited workforce of providers also greatly restricts access to vital care and support services.

The Washington Home granted $1,813,185 to alleviate caregiver and staffing stressors with funding that will positively impact 13,000+ Washington, DC residents through: day programs, respite care, the re-activation of a long-term care coalition to address barriers for healthcare workers, and fellowships and scholarships to address the shortfall of geriatric-focused nurses and medical providers.

The DC-area nonprofits that received funding for community healthcare support are:

Caregiver Relief

    • Brookland Senior Day Care Center
    • Iona Senior Services (IONA)
    • Joseph’s House

Systemic Solution Spotlight: IONA – Establishing a community-based memory care coalition to train providers, caregivers, and participants on early detection and interventions.

Critically Ill Care

    • Catholic University
    • Christ House
    • Georgetown University
    • Home Care Partners, Inc.
    • Sibley Memorial Hospital Foundation
    • The George Washington University
    • Unity Health Care, Inc.

“The Washington Home is committed to carrying on our 136-year legacy of helping Washington area older adults and people with advanced illness,” said Sharon Collins Casey, Board Chair, The Washington Home. “Advancing into our fifth year as a foundation, we are focused on aligned partnerships and systemic investments that deliver long-term, sustainable solutions for our community.”

Support for the Alleviation of Food Insecurity

Without consistent, stable and affordable access to healthy and nutritious food, older adults can struggle to maintain active and engaging lives.

The Washington Home granted $1,122,460 to enable innovative solutions for meal delivery and strategic partnerships that increase coverage areas to serve 29,000+ older adults in need of nourishing food and companionship.

The DC-area nonprofits that received funding for community food and wellness support are:

    • Bread for the City, Inc.
    • Capital Area Food Bank
    • DC Central Kitchen, Inc.
    • Goods for Good
    • Martha’s Table
    • Miriam’s Kitchen
    • Sasha Bruce Youthwork, Inc.
    • Seabury Resources for Aging
    • Thrive DC
    • We Are Family Senior Outreach Network, Inc.

Systemic Solution Spotlight: Capital Area Food Bank – Coordinating food providers to strategically address food security for older adults; DC Central Kitchen and Food & Friends – delivering meals to address food insecurity, chronic illness, and social isolation.

“We are grateful for these organizations that support our most at-risk community members. They are our day-to-day heroes working tirelessly with community members on the development of innovative strategies to eradicate food insecurity for older adults,” said Crystal Carr Townsend, MPA, Chief Executive Officer, The Washington Home.

Support for the Alleviation of Social Isolation

Older adults are often at increased risk for loneliness and social isolation because they are more likely to face factors such as living alone, the loss of family or friends, chronic illness, mobility challenges, cognitive impairment, and hearing loss.

The Washington Home invested $1,161,743 in social programs and support services to connect 16,000+ older adults within the community.

The DC-area nonprofits that received funding for delivering community engagement services are:

    • East River Family Strengthening Collaborative
    • HelpAge USA, Inc.
    • Holistic Horsemanship
    • Howard University
    • Northwest Neighbors Village
    • Plants and Blooms Reimagined
    • SOME, Inc. (So Others Might Eat)
    • The Wilderness Technology Alliance
    • Wendt Center for Loss and Healing

Systemic Solution Spotlight: DC Villages – Developing core services and resources for baseline uniformity and common infrastructure to benefit and support the 13 villages operating in the District of Columbia.

Additional Sponsorship

Beyond program and service support, there are often valuable community connector events or partnerships that provide opportunities for network development to deepen impact.

The Washington Home granted $117,500 to fund research and reports on issues related to the older adult community, as well as to support community working groups focused on addressing aligned issues impacting older adult residents.

The DC-area nonprofits that received funding for delivering community leadership services are:

    • Food & Friends
    • Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers

Systemic Solution Spotlight: Supporting Philanthropy DMV’s (PDMV) Regional History report that provides insights into the life expectancy disparities across the region to address urgent needs more effectively, and the support of PDMV’s Healthy Communities Working Group.

Ahead, TWH will continue to strengthen its community partnerships and seek more ways to facilitate systemic, long-term solutions that assist the DC older adult community.

About The Washington Home

The Washington Home is a private foundation that provides funding to entities that create and deliver innovative, compassionate, and well-managed programs to improve the quality of life for elderly and/or terminally ill residents in the Washington, DC metropolitan area.

Founded in 1888, The Washington Home, until recently, provided long-term care to residents of its nursing home facility in upper Northwest Washington, DC, hospice care to patients in their own homes, and care in the in-patient hospice wing of the nursing home.

In recent years, the Board of Directors of The Washington Home directed a repositioning of the organization by ceasing hands-on care and consolidating its financial resources to be deployed for maximum impact in accordance with its longstanding mission. Learn more at www.TheWashingtonHome.org.