The Marian Cheek Jackson Center, in partnership with the Community Practice Lab, received a $40,000 grant from Carol Woods to advance community-led eldercare initiatives in the Northside community. The CPL team supported the writing of the grant, and CPL Community Program Specialist Kevin Giff will coordinate the Jackson Center’s development of local, affordable, and culturally respectful eldercare.
Northside, a historically Black community in Chapel Hill and Carrboro, N.C., is home to many long-term residents aged 55-105. CPL Primary Lead Dr. Ryan Lavalley has regularly provided consulting support for the Jackson Center’s community aging initiatives, including residential engagement programs, programs to help residents age in place, and programs that facilitate intergenerational connection and education.
“The Northside community has a storied legacy of mutual care,” said Ryan. “As Northside residents age, it’s crucial to ensure they remain connected to their longtime neighbors and support networks.”
Yet aging seniors are frequently displaced from their community due to increased care needs and/or financial limitations in paying for in-home care. This displacement contributes to social isolation for elders as well as deterioration of Northside’s social fabric. Further, Northside residents experience significant challenges accessing local eldercare facilities, which are expensive for seniors living on a fixed income and have long waitlists, especially for seniors on Medicaid. Northside residents have expressed a need for safe, local, community-guided eldercare that is financially and geographically accessible to the Northside community.
The Carol Woods grant will support the Jackson Center’s and CPL’s development of community-driven eldercare at 605 Church Street in Northside throughout 2025. Kevin will continue to develop an Aging in Community team comprised of Northside elders and residents and facilitate meetings to ensure the project’s vision, design, and operations remain community-led, community-determined, and culturally representative of Northside.
The Jackson Center’s model of community leadership drives this innovative eldercare initiative,” said Kevin. “The Carol Woods grant will not only move the 605 Church Street development forward but will also create a lasting impact as we develop a sustained aging-related team for the Jackson Center to mobilize for future eldercare endeavors.”
By the end of 2025, the CPL and the Jackson Center will identify operations and design partners and develop a concept plan for 605 Church Street that meets the community’s goals.
Carol Woods is an accredited not-for-profit continuing care retirement community in Chapel Hill, N.C. that operates with a resident-driven model. Carol Woods provides a safe, healthful, and secure environment for persons throughout their later years as well as engages in cooperative research, development, and education.
The Marian Cheek Jackson Center is a hub of creative action dedicated to preserving the future of historically Black neighborhoods in Chapel Hill and Carrboro, N.C. Guided by community members, the Jackson Center honors, renews, and builds community through celebration, advocacy, housing initiatives, and local civil rights history education.