Village Connector Experience Outreach & Intervention Disrupts Social Isolation Among Older Adults

Workforce development initiative will also help older adults to build job skills

Capitol Heights, MD, May 26, 2021: On June 10, 2021, Juanita C. Grant Foundation (JCGF) President and CEO, S. Orlene Grant will be presenting at the National Council on Aging (NCOA)’s Age+Action 2021 Virtual Conference. She will be joined by Kimberly Crider, MSW, Director of Chattanooga Goodwill Industries’ Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP).

Last year, JCGF launched its Village Connector Experience (VCE), an intergenerational intervention and outreach call service. The VCE is designed to mitigate the loneliness and social isolation generally experienced by older Americans and worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic, building upon the seminal work of Brigham Young University psychology professor Dr. Julianne Holt-Lunstad, who believes that social isolation and loneliness are risk factors that largely contribute to early mortality. To partake of the Village Connector Experience’s offerings, individuals over 50 can sign up to become members and opt in to receiving “sunshine calls” one to three times per week.

As part of JCGF’s workforce trainings, volunteers will complete 16 hours of customer service orientation, motivational interviewing, goal development, and computer skills in order to become certified VCE Ambassadors. Last year, JCGF partnered with the Chattanooga Goodwill Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), piloting a job trainee program whose participants now work full-time as VCE Ambassadors. Since the program’s inauguration, SCSEP VCE Ambassadors have received adequate job training to prepare them for virtual jobs in customer support, crisis line response, online survey administration, and online advocacy roles. This success of this partnership indicates a working model which may be replicated to improve economic security for older adults returning to the workforce.

“The Village Connector Experience workforce development pilot with the SCSEP job trainees allowed us the opportunity to adapt and expand training on transferable remote job skills,” said S. Orlene Grant, President and CEO of the Juanita C. Grant Foundation. “The job trainees had opportunities to work nationwide with VCE members while also gaining self confidence with each new challenge,” she continued. 

About the Juanita C. Grant Foundation 

The Juanita C. Grant Foundation (JCGF) provides education and training, advocacy and research addressing economic insecurity, workforce development and quality of life challenges for the 50+ community. Our mission is to improve the quality of life for the 50+ through economic workforce development, education, and training. To learn more about our initiatives and join us on this journey, please visit our website at www.jcgfdn.org.

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Karachi Opara 

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