JCGF President & CEO Presented With NCOA Innovator Award

Capitol Heights, MD, June 7, 2022: Yesterday, Juanita C. Grant Foundation (JCGF) President & CEO S. Orlene Grant was honored as the recipient of the National Council on Aging’s (NCOA) 2022 Innovator Award at the 2022 Age + Action Virtual Conference. This award recognizes an individual or organization who has created innovative solutions to improve the health and economic security of older adults in the community. 

Ms. Grant was nominated for JCGF’s Village Connector Experience (VCE) national outreach call program. Older adults can sign up as VCE members to receive structured calls 1-3 times per week and participate in online activities. Trained volunteers who act as ambassadors of the program help break the grip of social isolation and loneliness through motivational techniques, establishing trust, and helping the VCE member reconnect with friends, family, and their community.

The Village Connector Experience (VCE) was created at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, to address issues of isolation and loneliness amongst older adults. Two years later, the VCE has now disrupted social isolation among over 750 older adults in 22 states. “It is an honor to be selected for NCOA’s 2022 Innovator Award in recognition of the Juanita C. Grant Foundation’s Village Connector Experience structured outreach call service to older adults increasing social connectedness with friends, family, and the community,” Ms. Grant said.

In addition to the Innovator Award, NCOA also honored recipients of the Change Agent Award, NISC Founders Award, Public-Private Partnership Award, and Distinguished Service Award for their work supporting older adults through the second year of the pandemic, and creating tools and services to help them age well. 

About the Juanita C. Grant Foundation, Inc.

The Juanita C. Grant Foundation provides education and training, advocacy and research addressing economic insecurity, workforce development and quality of life issues that impact older adults. To learn more about our initiatives and join us on this journey, please visit our website at www.jcgfdn.org

About NCOA

The National Council on Aging (NCOA) is the national voice for every person’s right to age well. We believe that how we age should not be determined by gender, color, sexuality, income, or ZIP code. Working with thousands of national and local partners, we provide resources, tools, best practices, and advocacy to ensure every person can age with health and financial security. Founded in 1950, we are the oldest national organization focused on older adults. Learn more at www.ncoa.org and @NCOAging.

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