Tufts Health Plan Foundation Makes Investments to Build on Momentum in Local Communities

Twenty-seven local organizations across Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Hampshire will each receive a grant of up to $10,000 from Tufts Health Plan Foundation’s new Momentum Fund. The fund was established to foster new ideas and support cities and towns in their efforts to make their communities better places to grow up and grow old.

“We developed the Momentum Fund to help smaller communities and organizations that want to do this work,” said Nora Moreno Cargie, president of Tufts Health Plan Foundation and vice president of corporate citizenship at Tufts Health Plan. “They are adopting more inclusive policies, building accessible parks and public spaces, and integrating age-friendly practices.”

The Momentum Fund is supporting 10 projects in Massachusetts, 10 in Rhode Island and 7 in New Hampshire. Each is community-led, addresses healthy aging and includes older people in the planning and implementation process.

“Many New England communities recognize older people as tremendous assets,” said Phillip González, the Foundation’s senior program officer. “This is an opportunity for us to learn from communities as they innovate and collaborate to address the needs of that community.”

The Foundation convened review committees in each state to inform the grantmaking process. Review committee members have diverse backgrounds and experience, and will ensure that learning and insights are shared across Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island as the Fund enters its second year.

The first recipients of Momentum Fund grants in Rhode Island are:

Benjamin Church Senior Center, Inc.
Bristol, R.I.
Three-Part Alzheimer’s Disease Informational Series (for Community, Care Givers, and Healthcare Workers)

Catholic Social Services of R.I.
Providence, R.I.
Chores Service Programs in Rhode Island: Analysis and Case Studies

Child and Family Services of Newport County
Middletown, R.I.
Dementia Training for Life

Cranston Senior Services
Cranston, R.I.
Making Cranston a Dementia Friendly Community

Educational Center for Arts and Sciences
Providence, R.I.
Tufts Health Plan Matinés de Domingo. (Tufts Health Plan Sunday Matinees)

PACE Organization of Rhode Island
Providence, R.I.
Expanding Primary Care Access in the Community

Progreso Latino, Inc.
Central Falls, R.I.
Creating a Dementia-Friendly Central Falls

Roger Williams University
Providence, R.I.
Home Modification Community Assessment

The Providence Village of Rhode Island
Providence, R.I.
Building Age-Friendly Villages: A New Approach for Rhode Island

Westbay Community Action Program
Warwick, R.I.
Protective Support Fund for Older People