Read. Think. Act.

Catherine Read

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NV Rides with Jennifer Kanarek

(May 29, 2019) Catherine Read sits down with NV Rides Program Manager Jennifer Kanarek to discuss volunteer driving programs in Northern Virginia that support older adults who are aging in place.

In 2012, Fairfax County ran a large-scale survey of older adults to find out what they were looking for in their community as they age. The county recognized that the aging population was growing faster than any other segment, and that older adults were looking to remain in their homes as they age.  Fairfax sought input on their needs, and the result was the 50+ Community Action Plan that was adopted by the Board of Supervisors in September of 2014. Over 30 initiatives were born out of this wide-ranging survey.

Transportation was identified as a key concern. As older adults stop driving, they face the challenge of how to safely remain in their homes. Several communities throughout the county had already established volunteer driving programs to help support their aging neighbors. These programs, however, were operating independently and in silos.

The idea of NV Rides was to bring these programs together into a centralized network, and provide support and infrastructure so that they could increase capacity. This new concept of a coordinated “hub” would provide a backbone infrastructure, along with a network of professionals to collaborate with.

Member benefits include use of a cloud-based RideScheduler software platform, and background checks to ensure that the drivers pass a minimum safety check. In addition, NV Rides is responsible for helping to get new programs off the ground and provide marketing support.

Fairfax County then went on a search for a community organization willing to take on the management aspect of this program. They found a partner in the Pozez Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia. The “J” already has a wide variety of programming for adults, and found the concept of NV Rides to be mission-consistent with its approach to community engagement. In partnership with the Jewish Council for the Aging out of Montgomery County, MD and the Fairfax County Government, the “J” agreed to move forward.

Today, the NV Rides network consists of 13 member organizations located throughout the region. There are a combination of Shepherd’s Centers, Villages, communities of faith and public-private partnerships in the network. The beauty of this structure is that each community can come together to determine the solution that works best for them.

Each network partner operates independently, and can setup guidelines and procedures that meet their needs. However, all of the organizations do require that their clients be ambulatory, meaning that they have to be able to walk to the car.   Most of the groups also require lead-time of 3-5 days, in order to be able to ensure that they can find a driver.

According to the 2018 annual report, each year about 500 volunteer drivers give approximately 12,000 rides to their neighbors in need here in Northern Virginia. However, the drivers think of themselves as more than just a ride. Isolation one of the top causes of depression in older adults, and the relationships that drivers and passengers build is a wonderful secondary benefit. The biggest challenge that the partner organizations face is recruiting enough volunteer drivers to meet the demand for rides. Currently, there are twice as many rides that are requested, as there are drivers to give them.

As NV Rides rolls into its fifth year of operation, they are operating under a new round of funding from the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. Through this grant, NV Rides is looking to expand the number of volunteer driver programs into areas where there is a gap in coverage in Fairfax, as well as neighboring jurisdictions such as Prince William County.

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Gerald Poje – Affordable Housing Advisory Committee

(July 4, 2018) Catherine Read interviews Gerald Poje, member of the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee in Fairfax County. As housing prices continue to climb, the ability for a low or middle-income family to afford housing in Fairfax county decreases. This advisory committee is dedicated to finding ways to increase the amount of affordable housing, while also taking into account the ability for people to live in the county throughout their entire life cycle.

Today in Fairfax County, there is a shortage of 31,000 affordable dwelling units.   According to today’s statistics, a family of four pays on average $1700 per month for their housing, which requires an average family income of $70,000. There are many people in our county who do not make close to that income, and therefore cannot afford to live and work here in Fairfax.  Or, alternatively, they are in a situation where they need to share a residence with other families or individuals in order to afford the rent. Poje is working with the advisory board to think outside the box, and challenge the status quo to bring forth much needed change.

Currently there are two agencies who manage work being done on affordable housing in Fairfax County. Both the Department of Housing and Community Development and the Fairfax County Redevelopment Housing Authority manage federal and state dollars that flow to the county for affordable housing, and focus on long term housing solutions for people coming out of homelessness. The advisory committee is helping to develop a strategic plan to guide their work as they plan for the future.

Jerry Poje Affordable HousingThe strategic plan encompasses two critical phases. Over the past two years, phase one included soliciting input from community members and devising a comprehensive list of 25 low cost recommendations for the county to implement. Their goal is to integrate the community needs into a comprehensive plan that will allow the Department of Housing and Community Development and the Redevelopment Housing Authority to become more efficient, effective and strategic. They are also working with the Land Use and Zoning Boards to reimagine how some of the vacant commercial property around the county can be repurposed for the use of affordable dwelling units.

As the County works together with the business community to redesign existing spaces, Poje and the advisory board are urging them to think globally about the needs of the community, and to consider creative ideas of how to incorporate affordable housing into these newly designed spaces. Poje argues that the more people who are living and working in the community, the stronger the community will become. He strongly believes that people behave differently when they work and live in their own communities. They take more pride and are more committed to the community’s overall success.

Another key component of the committee’s work includes the consideration of those who want to stay in Fairfax County as they age. Today, there is a shortage of affordable options for those looking to retire and stay in their communities. The committee is looking to ensure that there are plenty of options for age appropriate, cost appropriate and size appropriate housing for people in all stages of their lives. This requires the ability to think ahead and imagine that the future may look different from what exists today, and to build for the changes that will be ahead.

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Rebuilding Together – Patti Klein

(Mar. 14, 2018) Catherine Read interviews Patti Klein, Executive Director of Rebuilding Together of Arlington, Fairfax and Falls Church. Rebuilding Together is a national non-profit organization that brings volunteers and communities together to improve the homes and lives of low-income homeowners. They mobilize volunteer teams, who visit low-income homeowners to make much needed repairs. Over 80% of their clientele are seniors who are aging in place, and who are on a fixed income. They also work with those who are in vulnerable positions, weather its due to an illness, divorce or loss of a job.

Rebuilding Together was originally known as the Christmas in April program, initiated over 40 years ago. The organization has been re-branded, and now does work year around to help low income homeowners keep up with the demands of their properties. As previously noted, Klein finds most of the people who need their help are seniors who are aging in place. They work closely with Physical and Occupational Therapists who are able to make referrals to the organization when a homeowner is released from the hospital, and might need accommodations in order to return home safely. Klein notes that they also get referrals from both Arlington and Fairfax Counties when homeowners apply for property tax waivers. Additionally, Rebuilding Together appears in the Golden Gazette, a Fairfax County publication geared towards seniors. Klein wants people to know more about their organization, and encourages anyone to make a referral, call the office, or apply online to see if they qualify for services.

Rebuilding Together is a needs-based organization. Applicants must fall at or below 80% of the median income, which in Fairfax County is $52,000 for one person. Once an applicant is approved, Rebuilding Together will send a team out to survey the house and come up with a comprehensive list of improvements that need to be made. Many of the jobs wind up being relatively small, like grab bars, comfort height toilets, or fixing uneven flooring. Once a comprehensive list is made, then they find a sponsor for the project and work with volunteers to get the job done.

Funding for the organization comes from a variety of sources, including corporate and faith-based partners, individual donors and support from both Fairfax and Arlington Counties. Last year Klein notes that they completed 73 projects. These include many homes where aging in place improvements were made, as well as work at homeless shelters, group homes for the developmentally disabled and even a community garden. The average cost of materials for an individual project is around $450.

There are many ways to get involved as a volunteer for Rebuilding Together. Individuals or groups can apply online to be volunteers. Children over the age of 14 are encouraged to get involved, but would need to sign a waiver and be supervised by an adult if under the age of 18. These are ideal projects for scout groups or youth groups who are looking to take on a meaningful project. Each volunteer can be signed up for an email list, so they get a schedule of upcoming jobs, and are able to fill in on an as-needed basis when they are available. Klein notes that they are flexible and willing to work with anyone, even if they only have a little bit of time to give.

With only three full-time and two part-time employees to manage projects on approximately 100 homes, and organize 1200 volunteers on an annual basis, Klein notes that that they do as much as they can with the resources they are given. She encourages everyone to visit their website and to financially support the organization. April 28th marks National Rebuilding Day, their big spring project day when they will rehabilitate up to 30 local homes and will need 15-50 people on each project. Klein encourages all who are interested to reach out and consider getting involved.