Thanks Mom & Dad Fund® Awards Grant to Betmar Village

ATLANTA, Georgia ­– A $5,000 grant from the Thanks Mom & Dad® Fund and CVS Health will brighten the lives of senior residents at Betmar Village, a National Church Residences affordable senior housing community in Atlanta, Georgia. Grants from this fund are awarded to combat social isolation through innovations that help the elderly as part of the Thanks Mom & Dad’s mission to honor parents, grandparents and mentors by supporting programs and services for older adults.

The grant will support Betmar Village’s social engagement program with a multi-part effort including connectivity, programming and wellness kits. Funds from the grant will purchase two new computers with Wi-Fi access to be available to all residents. The computers will provide the 48 residents of Betmar Village with increased access to telehealth services, opportunities to remain connected with family and friends and online grocery ordering and shopping for other essentials. Virtual and in-person distanced programs (with proper COVID-19 safety protocols) will enhance social interactions and educate on important health and well-being topics. Planned programming includes indoor gardening, yoga, tai chi and uplifting outdoor jazz and spiritual music concerts. Wellness kits will provide supportive items, such as cleaning supplies, personal protective equipment, puzzles and books that help seniors remain engaged, safe and healthy in the place they call home. The overall program is designed to help address the social, emotional and spiritual challenges of aging that residents face and that have only increased during the pandemic’s sheltering in place.

"This is a tremendous opportunity to partner with the Thanks Mom & Dad Fund to reduce social isolation, provide community engagement and address health disparities experienced by our residents. This grant will enable National Church Residences to enhance the lives of our elderly population at Betmar Village, and I am excited to lead this effort,” said Heather Murray, Service Coordinator for National Church Residences.

Murray’s service coordination at Betmar Village includes assessing the needs of senior residents and linking them with appropriate services and support. Under the grant’s initiatives, she will coordinate resident training and education about using the new computers to access virtual programming, telehealth and other paths to engagement, organize the safe in-person programs – as well as disburse wellness kits to residents.

"Thanks Mom & Dad Fund looks forward to working with National Church Residences as they test interventions at Betmar Village with a multi-faceted approach to reducing threats associated with social isolation for older adults which have been magnified during the lingering pandemic,” said Maureen Kelly, President of Thanks Mom & Dad Fund.

About National Church Residences

National Church Residences serves more than 42,000 seniors through our array of housing and health care services. The not-for-profit organization is driven by a vision of advancing better living for all seniors, enabling them to remain home for life. With 340 communities in 25 states and Puerto Rico, we are the nation’s largest not-for-profit provider of affordable senior housing and the largest manager of service coordinators. The organization also offers residential senior communities, home and community-based services, as well as permanent supportive housing for the formerly homeless and disabled. For more information, visit us at NationalChurchResidences.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.