2021 Rise ‘N Shine Virtual Fundraiser Nets More Than $40,000 for National Church Residences Metro Atlanta Communities and Chaplaincy Program
Sojourner Marable Grimmett
Vice President Marketing & Communications | Compassionate Servant Leader l Strategic Partnerships | Atlanta’s Top 100 Black Women of Influence | 40 Under 40 (Georgia Trend & Atlanta Business Chronicle) | Hugger
National Church Residences' 2021 Rise ‘N Shine Breakfast to Champion Older Adults fundraising event in Atlanta netted $41,000 to support affordable senior housing communities and further grow the chaplaincy program in the metro area this year. The chaplaincy program provides spiritual support to all residents, regardless of faith and denomination.
Instead of meeting in-person, attendees joined the online pre-recorded virtual event on National Church Residences’ Facebook page and YouTube channel. Approximately, 1,100 viewers have watched the event.?
“Our third annual Rise ‘N Shine Breakfast to Champion Older Adults looked a lot different this year. During our previous gatherings, we met in-person in a large banquet hall, with round tables, designed to cultivate conversations and propose solutions around timely topics affecting older adults,” said Sojourner Marable Grimmett, senior director of regional philanthropy and external affairs at National Church Residences. “But this year, we followed CDC and instead of cancelling our indoor event, we held it virtually due to COVID-19.”
This year’s speakers included, Ginna Baik, business development manager for Lead Alexa Smart Properties at Amazon; United States Congresswoman, Nikema Williams; City of Atlanta Mayor, Keisha Lance Bottoms; and Fulton County Board of Commissioners Vice Chair, Natalie Hall, District 4.
Baik severed as the keynote speaker. She discussed the digital divide and the blueprint necessary for both policy, funding, connectivity and technologies to bring about digital inclusion and equity for older adults across the nation. During these unprecedented times, the lack of access to technology from connectivity to devices for older adults have amplified the lack of resources and equity for the most underserved population in this country.
In 2020, OATS, with the support of the Humana Foundation, commissioned a comprehensive research study around equity and access to technology for older adults. Their research uncovered 22 million older adults who do not have wireline broadband access at home. Their research also revealed “disturbing correlations between digital disengagement and race, disability, health status, educational attainment, immigration, rural residence, and, of course, income.”
This year’s list of Rise ‘N Shine Breakfast to Champion Older Adults sponsors included:??
Gold Sponsors
领英推荐
Silver Sponsors
Bronze Sponsors
Michelle Norris, executive vice president of external affairs and strategic partnerships at National Church Residences concluded the virtual event by noting, “As Congresswoman Williams points out, the critical dual need of quality affordable housing and health services is not easy to meet. Yet as Mayor Bottoms shared, we all must work together to solve this urgent need in order to bring the best quality of life to Atlanta’s seniors.”
National Church Residences understands the two-fold problem of bringing affordable Wi-Fi access to the home of every senior and selecting the right devices that are user-friendly for our older adults. Connectivity and technology is indeed key to health care access and to better quality of life.
To view this year’s Rise ‘N Shine Breakfast to Champion Older Adults, please visit National Church Residences; YouTube channel www.youtube.com/c/NationalChurchResidencesVideos.
This article was originally published in Homefront Magazine Fall 2021 edition.
Neighborhood Engagement Director at Atlanta Habitat for Humanity
3 年Great work Sojourner and team!
President-Water Division at The Walsh Group - Walsh Construction & Archer Western
3 年Great news!