The Boston Foundation Awards USES’ Seniors Services Program with $30,000 Grant

Boston, Mass. – The Boston Foundation has awarded United South End Settlements (USES) a grant of $30,000 for the Senior Services Program, made possible through a group of funds dedicated to supporting seniors and elder issues.

“We are thrilled to receive this grant for our Senior Services Program,” said USES President and CEO Maicharia Weir Lytle. “We serve seniors who have been members of this community for 60, 70, or 80 years. They have witnessed a complete transformation of their community that has posed some very significant challenges for the aging population. We are excited that the Boston Foundation has chosen to partner with USES in our commitment to keeping these long-time residents engaged and supported in their community.”

USES’ Senior Services Program enables local seniors to live independently and comfortably in their own homes, to engage with the broader community, and to maintain their health, well-being and happiness. USES provides educational, social and recreational opportunities to preserve dignity, maintain independence and promote life satisfaction among the older adults in our community.

USES Director of Senior Services Clara Garcia said, “Providing seniors with the support needed to live safely and comfortably in their own homes is critical in a community like the South End and Lower Roxbury, where low-income residents are at high risk for displacement.”

Garcia continued, “This funding will enhance the quality of services we provide to the most vulnerable members of our community and will furthermore strengthen our collaboration and partnership with other service providers.”

In the past year, USES has provided over 300 seniors with low cost programming including Tai Chi, Jazzercise, yoga, singing, computer and art classes, as well as a daily hot lunch program. Furthermore, our Senior Home Repair program offers assistance for homeowners over the age of 62 who need assistance maintaining a safe and secure home. To learn more, contact Clara Garcia, Director of Senior Services, at 617-375-8163.

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About United South End Settlements

Originally founded as South End House in 1891, USES was the first settlement house in Boston and the fourth in the United States. Today, USES is fulfilling its commitment to equality and opportunity through our innovative, holistic model that enables personal success at every stage of life. Our extended family is an integrated team of thousands — participants, staff, volunteers, residents, community leaders and business partners.

About the Boston Foundation

The Boston Foundation, Greater Boston’s community foundation, is one of the oldest and largest community foundations in the nation, with net assets of some $1 billion. In 2014, the Foundation and its donors made $112 million in grants to nonprofit organizations and received gifts of nearly $112 million. In celebration of its centennial in 2015, the Boston Foundation has launched the Campaign for Boston to strengthen the Permanent Fund for Boston. The Foundation is proud to be a partner in philanthropy, with nearly 1,000 separate charitable funds established by donors wither for the general benefit of the community or for special purposes. The Boston Foundation also serves as a major civic leader, provider of information, convener, and sponsor of special initiatives that address the region’s most pressing challenges. The Philanthropic Initiative (TPI), an operating unit of the Foundation, designs and implements custom philanthropic strategies for families, foundations and corporations around the globe. Through its consulting and field-advancing efforts, TPI has influenced billions of dollars in giving worldwide.

Discretionary grants from the Boston Foundation are made possible through a family of funds known as the Permanent Fund for Boston, the Boston Foundation’s discretionary endowment, which has allowed the Boston Foundation to make critical grants to support Greater Boston for over 90 years. The Permanent Fund for Boston exists today due to the generosity of donors, often through bequests, enabling the Foundation to meet the most pressing needs of our community.

For more information about the Boston Foundation and its grant making, visit TBF.org or call 617-338-1700.