Minnesota River Area Agency on Aging, Inc. (MNRAAA) to Hold a Public Hearing/Meeting

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The Minnesota River Area Agency on Aging will host a public hearing/meeting to gather public input on its Area Plan for 2025. This planning document, pursuant to the Older Americans Act (OAA), identifies priority needs, goals, objectives, and activities. MNRAAA will develop and implement programs for individuals aged 60 years and older and their caregivers in the Southwest region of Minnesota. This public hearing/meeting allows the community to provide input for the plan.

 

Public Hearing Topic: Minnesota River Area Agency on Aging is proposing to use $147,394 Title III-B direct service funds to pay for the Program Development and Coordination Activities during 2025 as a cost of Area Plan administration.

 

The Minnesota Board on Aging (MBA) developed each of the goals below.

 

Goal 1: Advance equity and eliminate disparities, while empowering rural and diverse communities and respecting the sovereignty of Tribal Nations.

Goal 2: Make aging in community truly possible for all Minnesotans.

Goal 3: Support families, friends, and neighbors in sustaining their caregiving roles.

Goal 4: Promote and support healthy aging for all Minnesotans.

Goal 5: Dismantle ageism and promote older adult rights, autonomy, and protection.

 

Wednesday, July 24, 2024, at 10:00 AM

 

To register, please sign up here:

MNRAAA’s Area Plan Public Hearing Tickets, Wed, Jul 24, 2024 at 10:00 AM | Eventbrite

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MNRAAA Receives Prestigious Service Enterprise Accreditation

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Minnesota River Area Agency on Aging, Inc. (MNRAAA) is pleased to announce that it has achieved national accreditation in strategic volunteer engagement by AL!VE. Achieving Service Enterprise accreditation is a prestigious accomplishment. In fact, MNRAAA has joined the top 11 percent of nonprofits nationwide in volunteer management and organizational performance. Accreditation signifies that MNRAAA has the capability and management expertise to strategically engage community members and volunteers to improve the performance of our organization and meet community needs.

 

MNRAAA is the designated area agency on aging in Southwestern Minnesota, serving twenty-seven counties. Its vision is to assist older adults to thrive. In working with community-based organizations, MNRAAA provides funding (through the Older Americans Act) to support home-delivered meals, congregate meals, transportation, and caregiver support. MNRAAA, with the Minnesota Board on Aging, also operates the Senior LinkAge Line. 

 

To be successful, MNRAAA utilizes volunteers to reach out to older adults and caregivers. Volunteers assist in outreach events such as leading presentations, dropping off materials, or managing a booth at community events. As a non-profit organization, MNRAAA relies on volunteers to serve on our Board of Directors or Committees. Finally, MNRAAA features an administrative volunteer opportunity.

 

MNRAAA completed an extensive assessment, including training and coaching, and a comprehensive internal planning and change process to integrate volunteers into our human capital strategy better. By achieving this level of excellence and accreditation, we are better equipped to leverage community members’ and volunteers’ time and talent to deliver our mission more effectively.

 

“Working through the SEI process has allowed us to reflect, renew, and reimagine volunteerism at MNRAAA. We have been more intentional in our volunteer roles that support our staff and clients, which enhance our opportunities to help older adults to thrive.” Stated Kylie Chandler, Contact Center Manager with MNRAAA. 

 

MNRAAA began this journey in February 2022. “The COVID-19 pandemic produced a large exodus of volunteers from our organization and other community-based non-profits.” Stated Jason W. Swanson, Executive Director. “We needed to learn to recruit new volunteers. It was a perfect opportunity to reimagine our program.”

 

MNRAAA worked closely with the Minnesota Alliance for Volunteer Advancement (MAVA). MAVA is an organization that assists other non-profit organizations in maximizing mission capacity through the utilization of volunteers. Holly Daniels of MAVA worked closely with MNRAAA in preparing their application for accreditation.

 

“The Service Enterprise process allowed MNRAAA to successfully decentralize volunteer coordination across several staff positions and beef up their cross-organizational support and communications about volunteers. They have seen new energy and momentum about engaging volunteers after giving staff a sense of ownership and a structure to work within.” Daniels commented on MNRAAA’s work through the process.  

Research conducted by the TCC Group, a national program and evaluation firm, found that organizations operating as Service Enterprises outperform peer organizations in all aspects of organizational effectiveness. They are more adaptable, sustainable, and capable of scaling their work.

 

The Service Enterprise program is a national change management program that helps organizations gain a greater return on volunteer investment to achieve their mission better. For more information regarding volunteer opportunities with our organization, please visit https://mnraaa.org/volunteer-opportunities/. For further information regarding Service Enterprise, please contact AL!VE’s National Service Enterprise Administrator, Kayla Paulson, at 319.310.0901 or ServiceEnterprise@volunteeralive.org.

 

About the Minnesota River Area Agency on Aging 

MNRAAA’s vision is to assist older adults to thrive. MNRAAA provides advocacy, information, resources, and assistance so that older adults in southwest Minnesota can maintain the lifestyle of their choice. Learn more about MNRAAA at www.mnraaa.org. 

 

 

For more information on the Minnesota Alliance for Volunteer Advancement (MAVA) visit their website at https://mavanetwork.org/  

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Minnesota River Area Agency on Aging (MNRAAA) Awards Over $5 Million in Grants

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The Minnesota River Area Agency on Aging, Inc. (MNRAAA) has announced that 26 programs from 20 organizations were granted Title III funding awards totaling more than $5 million. The awards are funded under Title III of the Older Americans Act (OAA) and the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

As a state-designated Area Agency on Aging, MNRAAA administers OAA funds and is responsible for the development of a coordinated and comprehensive system of services for older adults and their caregivers in Big Stone, Blue Earth, Brown, Chippewa, Cottonwood, Faribault, Jackson, Kandiyohi, Lac qui Parle, Le Sueur, Lincoln, Lyon, Martin, McLeod, Meeker, Murray, Nicollet, Nobles, Pipestone, Redwood, Renville, Rock, Sibley, Swift, Waseca, Watonwan and Yellow Medicine Counties. To accomplish this, MNRAAA awards Title III OAA funding to agencies and organizations that provide direct services for older adults (age 60+) and their caregivers.

Congress passed ARPA in 2021 to support older adults and caregivers who are struggling in the wake of COVID-19. Funding under ARPA follows the guidelines established by the OAA.

“MNRAAA is thrilled to announce, for the second year in a row, grants over $5 million! These organizations are assisting in building strong communities where older adults and caregivers can thrive,” MNRAAA Executive Director Jason W. Swanson stated. “The programs assist in keeping older adults and caregivers independent in their homes.”

The following grants have been awarded for 2024:

Title III-B Supportive Services

  1. Central Community Transit (Kandiyohi, Meeker, and Renville Counties)
    • CCT Senior Transportation Program for Transportation and Assisted Transportation
  2. City of Tyler (Lincoln County, City of Tyler only)
    • Tyler Senior Snow Removal for Chore
  3. City of Worthington/Center for Active Living (Nobles County)
    • The Good Life Project for Education/Training and Health Promotion – Non-Evidence Based
  1. Essential Senior Services (Nobles and Rock Counties)
    • Essential Senior Services Chore and Homemaker for Homemaker and Chore
  2. Generations Home Care Services (Sibley, Renville, and McLeod Counties)
    • Generations Homemaker/Assisted Transportation Program for Homemaker and Assisted Transportation
  3. Granite Falls Living at Home/Block Nurse Program (Chippewa, Renville, and Yellow Medicine Counties)
    • Connections for Better Living for Telephone Reassurance, Visiting, Outreach and Health Promotion – Non-Evidence Based
  4. Interfaith Caregivers (Faribault County)
    • Eldercare Program for Chore, Homemaker, Assisted Transportation, and Transportation
  5. Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota (Big Stone, Brown, Chippewa, Kandiyohi, Lac qui Parle, McLeod, Meeker, Renville, Sibley, Swift, and Yellow Medicine Counties)
    • LSS Older Adults Supportive Services Program for Counseling, Outreach, Telephone Reassurance, and Visiting
  6. Prairie Five Community Action Council (Big Stone, Chippewa, Lac qui Parle, Swift, and Yellow Medicine Counties)
    • Connections on the Prairie for Education/Training and Outreach
  7. Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services (27 counties of MNRAAA service area)
    • Legal Advocacy for Older Persons for Legal Assistance and Legal Education
  8. United Community Action Partnership (Cottonwood, Jackson, Lincoln, Lyon, Murray, Nobles, Pipestone, Redwood, and Rock Counties)
    • Assisting Seniors on the Go for Assisted Transportation
  9. VINE Faith in Action (Blue Earth, Le Sueur, and Nicollet Counties)
    • VINE’s Helping Hands Outreach to Elders from Diverse Cultures for Special Access
  10. Waseca Area Caregiver Services (Waseca County)
    • Caring Hands for Homemaker, Chore, Education/Training and Visiting

Title III-C Congregate Meals and Home Delivered Meals (including Federal Title III-C and other funding)

  1. Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota (Blue Earth, Brown, Cottonwood, Faribault, Jackson, Kandiyohi, Le Sueur, Lincoln, Lyon, Martin, McLeod, Meeker, Murray, Nicollet, Nobles, Pipestone, Redwood, Renville, Rock, Sibley, Waseca, and Watonwan Counties)
    • LSS Congregate and Home Delivered Meals Programs
  2. Prairie Five Community Action Council (Big Stone, Chippewa, Lac qui Parle, Swift, and Yellow Medicine Counties)
    • Prairie Five Congregate and Home Delivered Meals Programs

Title III-D Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Funding Recommendations

  1. A.C.E. of Southwest Minnesota (Cottonwood, Lincoln, Lyon, Murray, Nobles, Pipestone, Redwood, and Rock Counties)
    • A.C.E. Evidence-Based Programs for Evidence-Based Health Promotion Programs
  2. VINE Faith in Action (Blue Earth, Le Sueur, Nicollet, and Watonwan Counties)
    • Finding a Healthy Way through VINE’s Evidence-Based Programming for Evidence-based Health Promotion Programs

Title III-E National Family Caregiver Support Services

  1. A.C.E. of Southwest Minnesota (Cottonwood, Lincoln, Lyon, Murray, Nobles, Pipestone, Redwood, and Rock Counties)
    • A.C.E. Caregiver Support Services for Respite-In Home, Caregiver Counseling, Support Groups and Training
  2. Bethesda (Kandiyohi and Renville Counties)
    • Connect Caregiver Alliance Network for Caregiver Counseling, Support Groups, Training, Supplemental Services – Chore, Supplemental Services – Homemaker, Supplemental Services – Assisted Transportation, and Supplemental Services – Transportation
  3. Caregiver Response Effort & Service Team (CREST) (Martin County)
    • Care Team Support for Caregiver Support Groups, Counseling, Training, and Respite-In Home
  4. Interfaith Caregivers (Faribault County)
    • Caregiver Support and Respite Program for Caregiver Counseling, Training, Respite-In Home, and Respite-Out Home Day
  5. Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota (Big Stone, Chippewa, Kandiyohi, McLeod, Meeker, Renville, Sibley, and Swift Counties)
    • LSS Caregiver Support and Respite Program for Respite-In Home, Respite-Out Home Day, Respite–other, Caregiver Counseling, Support Groups, and Training
  6. Madison Art Gallery (Lac qui Parle County)
    • Madison Caregiver Support Program for Caregiver Support Groups
  7. VINE Faith in Action (Blue Earth, Le Sueur, and Nicollet Counties)
    • Empowering Caregivers through Caregiver Counseling, Support Groups, and Training
  8. Waseca Area Caregiver Services (Waseca County)
    • Caring Hands for Caregivers for Caregiver Counseling, Support Groups, Respite-In Home, and Respite-Out of Home Day
  9. Wellspring Faith in Action (Watonwan County)
    • Family Caregiver Project for Caregiver Support Groups, Training and Respite-In Home

About the Minnesota River Area Agency on Aging

MNRAAA’s vision is to assist older adults to thrive. MNRAAA provides advocacy, information, resources, and assistance so that older adults in southwest Minnesota can maintain the lifestyle of their choice. Learn more about MNRAAA at www.mnraaa.org.

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Reflecting on Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month

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This month, MNRAAA has been highlighting and raising awareness around Alzheimer’s and Brain Health. To assist in this effort, we had two individuals studying this topic provide updates and resources. Robyn Birkeland provided a great summary of Alzheimer’s disease and how it impacts the brain. Katie Louwagie followed the week after with an article about brain health. This included physical and mental activities to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s and other brain-related diseases.

Thank you to the University of Minnesota School of Public Health for participating in this endeavor. There is an ongoing association between the Area Agencies on Aging and the University of Minnesota to participate in events, fairs, and events to provide education, resources, and training. If you or your organization want someone to speak about Alzheimer’s or Brain Health, please get in touch with us at www.mnraaa.org.

As June (when we highlighted Alzheimer’s Disease) winds down, the disease will continue. Our awareness and our ability to learn and be proactive must continue. I encourage you to share the information in these articles with your family, friends, neighbors, and anyone who will listen!

For additional information from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, visit the Center for Healthy Aging and Innovation’s (CHAI) website at https://www.sph.umn.edu/research/centers/chai/. You can find a wealth of information from education and research to community engagement. The Alzheimer’s Association also features information about the disease and supports for caregivers. You can also search to see if there is a local chapter near you. Finally, you can search for services at www.mnhelp.org.

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