EngAGE changes lives by transforming affordable senior and family housing communities into vibrant centers of art & creativity, learning, and wellness.
EngAGE would like to acknowledge and celebrate our wonderful Food Resources, especially during these challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic. The following resources ensure that food-insecure and socially isolated older adults as well as families with barriers to food access can stay fed and healthy during this crisis. Due to the senior community having a heightened risk from COVID-19, volunteers have been helping deliver food boxes directly to residents’ doors to limit the spread of virus.
What becomes of an art gallery when it is physically empty?
The ace/121 Gallery in Glendale, CA, has launched the ongoing virtual project, “This is not a gallery.” – an invitation for proposals to reconsider public art space during these times of quarantine. “This is not a gallery.” follows three tracks of curation: 1) Verbal Description Tours; 2) Education and Public Programming; 3) Online Exhibitions, the first of which, “Post Pride,” opens on June 12th. There is currently an open call for each track. Learn more here.
There has been so much change within the past couple of months, and we celebrate our staff, our communities, and all of our residents, for their adaptability and willingness to join us on the technology learning curve. We thank our management and development partners for their teamwork and collaboration in bridging communication and in assisting with Program delivery.
As the state begins to discuss loosening physical distancing restrictions, and issuing recommendations, we want to share with you our current EngAGE Programming plan.
EngAGE will continue to deliver Virtual Programming/Classes throughout the months of May and June. We also will continue to deliver the additional food boxes and prepared meals to our communities. Our virtual communication and programming opportunities are continuing to grow in diversity and participation.
With the health and safety of our residents in mind, we will once again assess our Programming plan in June, as more information and data concerning physical distancing is presented.
The Eisner Foundation board has approved a Rapid Response grant in the amount of $25,000 to EngAGE. EngAGE CEO/Founder Tim Carpenter responded to the announcement: “We’re so grateful to The Eisner Foundation for this support which helps us provide continuous, effective services to our communities.”
The coronavirus crisis required EngAGE to make immediate, significant changes in the way our programs are delivered. We responded by creating virtual classes and events. We remain committed to our food service delivery programs, which are now contactless, and we are making sure that no one in our communities feels completely isolated.
The Eisner Foundation grant helps us provide food and supplies, offer online programming and tech training, and make friendly calls to low-income older adults, all of which contribute to our successful rapid response to this challenging situation.
Cathy Choi, Senior Director of Programs at The Eisner Foundation, commented: “We are so impressed and thankful for the quick thinking and creative solutions that EngAGE has demonstrated amid this COVID-19 crisis and are proud to be your partner.”
To help with the unexpected new demands and challenges created by the coronavirus, EngAGE has been awarded a $60,000 grant from Bank of America to continue its services during this difficult time. Tim Carpenter, CEO/Founder of EngAGE responded to the news: “We are so grateful for the continued and long-time support of Bank of America for our work.”
In accordance with public health advice, EngAGE made the difficult decision to pause our regular in-person programming and postpone large events until further notice. To respond to this situation, we are now providing essential food programs with necessary delivery modifications, shifting all other programming (including some large events) to virtual platforms whenever possible, and making sure that programming is easily accessible.
Our Engage in Wellness program provides onsite delivery of several hundred tons of free food each month to 1,000 low-income seniors living in 36 affordable apartment communities in Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego counties in Southern California. The Wellness Program trucks pick up the food, take it to central locations, and parcel it into carriable packages that can be handled easily by our senior residents and used to sustain them each month.
“The virus has created tremendous demand on our food supply, especially for our most vulnerable households such as seniors. But economic recovery depends on food stability, so together with resourceful nonprofits like EngAGE, the private sector is working to help address these new challenges,” said Raul A. Anaya, Bank of America market president for Greater Los Angeles.
Building community is at the core of everything we do at EngAGE. This is even more important as people navigate these difficult circumstances, and cope with fear and anxiety. The generous grant from Bank of America helps ensure that we will be able to continue to serve the particularly vulnerable population that is relying on us.
EngAGE CEO/Founder Tim Carpenter is quoted in this article written by Barbara Ray, which addresses the need for broad, systemic change in the way we address the crisis of social isolation of older people.
Much of the success of our Southern California arts colonies – Burbank Senior Artists Colony, Long Beach Senior Arts Colony, North Hollywood Senior Arts Colony, Pac Arts (San Pedro), and ACE/121 (Glendale) – can be attributed to collaborative planning at the earliest stages with the developer, Meta Housing, making sure that residents would live in an environment that fosters creativity and community.
There’s a link in the article to a TED Talk Tim gave nine years ago; we’ll add it here, too. The talk retains its relevance today.
In this time of the COVID-19 quarantine and social distancing, the San Pedro Waterfront Arts District has come up with an innovative way to visit with the artists of San Pedro on First Thursday, the date of the monthly ArtWalk. They’re calling it the Armchair ArtWalk Tour. Featured artists will be David Dory (Pac Arts resident), Chuck Klaus and Michael Stearns.
This is a free, one hour, online event sponsored by EngAGE through the Pacific Avenue Arts Colony (Pac Arts) in San Pedro, CA.
The mission of the San Pedro Waterfront Arts&Cultural Districtisto promote San Pedro’s authentic arts, culture and entertainment identity through advocacy, marketing and education activities.
