Funding from RRF Foundation for Aging will support the development of a Healthy Aging in Parks Framework to reduce isolation and strengthen social bonds across generations
The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), the nation’s leading advocate for parks and recreation, is proud to announce the receipt of funding to support the organization’s Healthy Aging in Parks initiative, grounded in research.
With support from RRF Foundation for Aging, NRPA is tapping into the power of parks and recreation to support aging in place, foster social connection and combat the epidemic of loneliness and isolation among older adults. NRPA has received $86,000 in grant funding to conduct a research project that will identify promising interventions and scale practices to promote social and intergenerational connectedness. The organization will use the results of the research, case studies and focus groups to develop and disseminate a healthy aging in parks framework to increase the capacity of park and recreation professionals in addressing healthy aging and advancing overall well-being.
“NRPA is grateful for the opportunity to work with RRF Foundation for Aging to increase park and recreation resources to support healthy aging and intergenerational connectedness through parks and recreation,” said Kellie May, NRPA chief partnerships officer. “Parks and recreation are vital to community well-being and an increasingly well-documented social driver of health. Older adults must remain socially connected, and parks and recreation can continue to serve as the conduit to interconnectedness.”
Healthy Aging is about preserving the health, independence and social connections of older adults. NRPA’s Healthy Aging in Parks initiative helps local park and recreation agencies support the diverse needs of a growing older adult population to create more inclusive, thriving and resilient communities.Park and recreation agencies play a critical role in supporting older adults, with nine in 10 agencies providing facilities, activities and programming dedicated to older adults and 96 percent of agencies indicating that supporting social connectedness is the biggest benefit they provide to older adults. To learn more about NRPA’s Healthy Aging in Parks initiative, visit nrpa.org/healthyaging.
To learn more about NRPA, visit nrpa.org.
###
About the National Recreation and Park Association
The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) is the leading not-for-profit organization dedicated to building strong, vibrant and resilient communities through the power of parks and recreation. With more than 60,000 members, NRPA advances this mission by investing in and championing the work of park and recreation professionals and advocates — the catalysts for positive change in service of equity, climate-readiness, and overall health and well-being. For more information, visit nrpa.org. For digital access to NRPA’s flagship publication, Parks & Recreation, visit parksandrecreation.org.
About RRF Foundation for Aging
For more than 40 years, RRF Foundation for Aging has been funding programs that support older adults. The Foundation has awarded more than 5,000 grants worth more than $250 million — all dedicated to improving the quality of life for all of us as we age. RRF’s grantmaking focuses on four priority areas — caregiving, economic security in later life, housing, and social and intergenerational connectedness. These issues are fundamental to allowing all of us to age where we want to and how we want to. RRF was one of the first private foundations in the U.S. dedicated to aging issues and continues to support a range of related advocacy, direct service, research, training, and organizational capacity-building efforts, both in Illinois and nationally. Learn more at www.rrf.org.