Who is Nancy Henkin and want does she want with New Rochelle?
Dr. Nancy Henkin is the Founder and Executive Director of is the founder of The Intergenerational Center at Temple University which has created the Communities for All Ages program. According to her biography as an Ashoka Fellow in 2006 her inspiration is Maggie Kuhn, a radical activist and founder of the Grey Panthers. Ashoka is a “social entrepreneur” foundation created by William Drayton. Kuhn lived and worked for many years in Philadelphia, the location of Temple University.
Nancy is taking on the challenge of changing the way policy makers, practitioners, educators and residents address community issues. The Center, too, is shifting from primarily a service provider to a national training and technical assistance center that helps organizations develop effective strategies for lifelong civic engagement and intergenerational exchange. Nancy plans to take CFAA across the United States and beyond.
The United Way of Westchester and Putnam and the Helen Andrus Benedict Foundation will host two invitation-only community meetings to be attended by Mayor Bramson and Assistant City Manager Omar Small, as well as members of the New Rochelle Council of Community Services.
The meetings will take place on Monday, June 7, 2010 at the New Rochelle Public Library. The first session runs from 3pm to 4:30pm, the second session runs from 6pm to 7:30pm
According to the invitation:
The results generated from the discussions will be used to determine whether a New Rochelle community team (led by a local not-for-profit) will be invited to submit a proposal and receive funding from United Way and the Helen Andrus Benedict Foundation as part of our Communities for All Ages (CFAA)/ Intergenerational Initiative. Peekskill, Port Chester, and Yonkers CFAAs are already participating, taking steps to become good places to grow up and grow older.
The invitation included a fact sheet:
WHAT is Communities for All Ages (CFAA)?
Communities for All Ages is a framework that:
(1) Intentionally promotes the well-being of children, youth, and older adults; (2) strengthens families; and (3) provides ongoing opportunities for interaction across ages.
Focuses on: (1) transforming varied age groups from competitors to allies and (2) moving organizations out of their silo-ed approach to problem solving.
Defines target locations, casting a broad focus on all populations within an area and acknowledging that priorities and issues among groups intersect at many points, along with the programs and policies that address those issues.
WHAT are the benefits of a “Communities for All Ages” approach?
Increased child and family well-being
Stretching and leveraging limited resources
Policy transformation
Recognition of natural alliances
Increased civic participation
Stronger supports and networksWHERE is this initiative operating?
Communities for All Ages, coordinated by The Intergenerational Center at Temple University in Philadelphia, is currently operating in 25 sites in 8 states across the country, including 3 locations within Westchester County (the Ashburton section of Yonkers; Peekskill; and Port Chester). Activities in Westchester are supported by grants funded through the “Intergenerational Initiative”, a collaborative partnership of the United Way of Westchester and Putnam and the Helen Andrus Benedict Foundation
WHO is involved?
The community building process brings together key stakeholder organizations representing different constituencies (e.g. aging, education, libraries, environmental groups, family services, early childhood, faith-based, neighborhood associations), policymakers, and residents of all ages – to identify common concerns and develop strategies that benefit multiple generations, utilizing finances and resources more effectively.
If you are one of the chosen few, please drop us a line and let us know what happens at the sessions.
For further information residents can inquire at the United Way of Westchester and Putnam.