Family Service Madison, Inc. wins national mentoring grant to address emerging needs of older adults and their families
Grant will help Family Service Madison address the emerging needs of aging adults and their families.

MADISON, WI, April 14, 2010 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The private non-profit human service organization, Family Service Madison, Inc. (FSM), has been awarded a 12-month, $9,500 grant from the national membership organization, Alliance for Children and Families, to receive mentoring assistance to enhance the services it provides to aging adults.

FSM was one of ten agencies selected through a competitive national process to receive the grant. The grant is part of the New Age of Aging, a five-year initiative of the Alliance, designed to help prepare human services organizations throughout North America to meet the needs of older adults. The five-year, $2.6 million project is funded by the Atlantic Philanthropies.

FSM was selected to receive mentoring support for one year because it is interested in issues related to aging and wants to enhance current aging services and gain competency in the field. FSM will be matched with a mentor organization with extensive experience in developing and providing services for older adults.

During the coming year, the agencies will work together to establish goals and take action for expanding FSM's efforts in serving older adults. The mentoring relationship will begin in May 2010 when all mentoring grant winners will attend the National Mentoring Initiative/Leadership Academy in Milwaukee to learn strategies and develop skills that will reinforce the benefits of their mentoring relationships, as well as lay groundwork that will support their yearlong experiences.

FSM, which celebrates its centennial this year, has always been at the forefront of anticipating and responding to the needs of the community. Today, the agency is hard at work developing programs to address the challenges of aging.

"This grant puts FSM in a strong position to move forward in expanding and strengthening services for older adults in Dane County," said David Johnson, President/CEO of FSM. "We are proud to have this opportunity to deepen our understanding of how to anticipate and meet the needs of older adults and their families."

With the population living longer, more families are providing care to aging parents. One in eight Americans is over 65, and the age group of 85 and older is the fastest growing population in the U.S. Within twenty years, the number of Americans over 65 will have risen to one in five. Next year, the first Baby Boomers -- who make up a full quarter of the U.S. population -- will turn 65, and will soon enough be wrestling with the frustrations that come with their own declining capacity and independence. The need for human services will grow.

Press Release Contact Information:

David Johnson
Family Service Madison, Inc.
CEO
128 E. Olin Ave.
Madison, WI
USA 53713
Voice: 608.252.1320
Fax: 608.252.1333
Website: Visit Our Website