Title
Knight Foundation Grant: Aging in Place Community Engagement
Action
Action:
A. Authorize the City Manager to accept a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation for the Aging in Place Community Engagement Project, and
B. Adopt a budget ordinance appropriating $100,000 from the Knight Foundation for the Aging in Place Community Engagement Project.
Body
Staff Resource(s):
Pamela Wideman, Housing and Neighborhood Services
Explanation
* In May 2019, The Knight Foundation awarded the City of Charlotte $100,000 through its Community Foundations Program to help fund equitable community engagement work for Aging in Place.
* The Knight Foundation Community Foundations Program focuses on building an equitable and inclusive city that attracts and retains diverse talent, promotes economic opportunity, and fosters a culture of civic engagement.
* The grant is intended to expand the model of public engagement that has been implemented for the Aging in Place Outreach Strategy.
* Based on outreach strategies championed by the New York Public Engagement Unit, this model uses targeted, data-based engagement to reach residents who are: historically hard to reach and potentially qualified for city programs or services.
* Teams of trained city and community ambassadors meet residents where they are, in their neighborhoods, to:
* Sign residents up for programs and services,
* Receive input on city priorities or provide information, and
* Invite residents to important events.
* The engagement team recognizes the value of a one-on-one conversation with a caring individual to overcome obstacles, build trust, and create opportunities.
* The project expands on the pilot public engagement done in the Historic West End and North End to support Charlotte through effective outreach and removing barriers to participation for the broader community.
* The grant may be used to hire a public engagement coordinator (one full time equivalent position), to pay stipends f...
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