Aging
Marian Cheek Jackson Center’s Linking Generations in Northside Program
The CPL works with the Marian Cheek Jackson Center to support student-elder and residential engagement programs, as well as organizing and responding to the interests of elders and long-term residents in the Northside, Pine Knolls, and Tin Top neighborhoods. The Jackson Center is is a hub of creative action dedicated to preserving the future of historically Black neighborhoods in Chapel Hill and Carrboro, NC.
Linking Generations in Northside (LINK) and the Northside Residential Fellowship is a collaboration with the Marian Cheek Jackson Center to connect UNC-Chapel Hill students with older residents in the Northside community. LINK offers students and elders opportunities to build reciprocal and abundance-based relationships. Through this program, students learn about and engage with local historically Black communities, while elders gain the opportunity to connect with and mentor young people.
For up-to-date photos and information on LINK and NRF students’ work, visit the Marian Cheek Jackson Center Instagram.
Orange County Department on Aging Partnership
The Community Practice Lab maintains a longstanding partnership with the Orange County Department on Aging (OCDOA) to support programming and initiatives that help older adults and caregivers meet their social, mental, physical, financial, and day-to-day practical needs. Leiha Edmonds, CPL Housing Fellow, supports coordination of the Orange County Home Preservation Coalition and Orange County Affordable Housing Coalition. She also supports coordination and evaluation of the OCDOA’s five-year Master Aging Plan. Dr. Ryan Lavalley, CPL Director, is co-leader of the Master Aging Plan Housing Workgroup.
The CPL partnered with the Orange County Department on Aging to produce the 2023 Senior Housing Guide. This updated 2023 Guide offers a broad overview of senior housing options, services, and supports in Orange County, NC. Its purpose is to provide basic information about amenities and costs for each type of housing, empowering older adults and their families to make well-informed decisions about their living arrangements. Additionally, it serves as a call to action for our community, the Advisory Board on Aging, and County government to carefully consider the type of senior housing Orange County should invest in or promote.
Orange County Department on Aging initiatives and resources supported by the Community Practice Lab include:
Aging Hub Initiative
The Community Practice Lab, in relationship with the Partnerships in Aging Program, is in emerging conversations with the Center for Aging and Adult Resources and Educational Services (CARES) in UNC’s School of Social Work and the Center for Aging and Health in UNC’s School of Medicine to explore cross-campus aging partnership opportunities. These stakeholders hope to identify opportunities for cross-unit collaborations to facilitate a hub of aging-related partners on campus. This is a developing initiative.