We’re delighted to announce an unprecedented new outreach effort in Queens, thanks to more than half a million dollars in federal funding secured by U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Queens).
The grant has already begun allowing Queens District 6 residents to take advantage of an array of DOROT’s intergenerational and peer programs designed to enhance social community among older adults, bring the generations together, and offer meaningful volunteer opportunities. To reach Queens’s multilingual community, DOROT’s efforts include programming in Mandarin, Russian, and Spanish.
“When I learned about DOROT, I knew I wanted to find a way to bring its innovative program model to my district,” said Congresswoman Meng. “I am thrilled that our older adults will be able to take advantage of the social community that DOROT builds through its in-person and online programs, and that everyone from teens to people 60-plus will enrich their lives through meaningful volunteer work and vibrant social community.”
“The U.S. Surgeon General recently issued a first-ever report describing an epidemic of loneliness in this country, which is a particularly severe problem for older adults,” said DOROT Executive Director Mark Meridy. “This new grant allows DOROT to bring its unique program model to Queens, offering engaging activities that connect older adults to each other and to people from different generations.”
(Photo: Lily Liang, DOROT Outreach Specialist; Mark Meridy, DOROT Executive Director; Congresswoman Grace Meng; Judith Turner, DOROT Senior Program Officer)
With funding from the grant, DOROT has launched a major outreach effort in Queens. Two new multilingual outreach employees and project leaders have begun creating partnerships with community centers, public high schools, and local nonprofits that work with older adults. In addition, DOROT is inviting older adults and prospective volunteers to join its popular online and telephone programs, which they can enjoy from the comfort of home.
Thanks to its new partnerships, DOROT has launched several in-person and online programs especially for Queens District 6 residents, including at Commonpoint Queens and several organizations serving the Chinese American community. Programs have included:
- Weekly intergenerational workshops at Commonpoint Queens, which brought together students from Forest Hills High School and older adults involved with Commonpoint’s Forest Hills center. The sessions invited teens and adult participants to share personal experiences and perspectives over a diversity of prompts and group-building activities.
- Bi-monthly Tech Coaching in Mandarin at Asian-American Cohesion, where Mandarin-speaking teens have taught older adults to use their smartphones, apps, and tablets.
DOROT’s rich menu of online programs includes the innovative GENuine Connections, which brings together teenagers and adults 65+, as well as Caring Calls, University Without Walls, and Legacy Projects. The $551,210 grant secured by Congresswoman Meng is administered by the Administration for Community Living of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Read more about our programs in Queens HERE.
This program is supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HSS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $551,210 with 100 percent funding by ACL/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by ACL/HASS, or the U.S. Government.