April 17, 2020 —Kendal at Oberlin, including its administration and its residents association, will organize and cosponsor a series of four free fairs for its own residents and other seniors from the Oberlin area to share information about balance, mobility, use of assistive devices, and programs to help them as they encounter difficulties in getting around.
The events will also offer opportunities for attendees to enroll in continuing programs. Some attendees may already have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease or other mobility issues, while others will simply be seeking some help to be able to maintain their current lifestyle and residence. In addition to Oberlin residents who have no direct ties to Kendal, we will target members of Kendal at Home who live in the immediate area. The events will include screening of needs and capabilities, some light training, and considerable additional information for attendees. We will provide transportation via a Kendal shuttle to pick up and drop off persons from the community who cannot attend the events on their own, and refreshments will be served throughout each of the fairs. There will be ample space for seating and activities at the fairs. Our principal collaborator for this program will be Neighborhood Alliance Senior Enrichment Services of Oberlin, better known as the Oberlin Senior Center, a well-established community center with a good following among area residents. Other local agencies cooperating in the program will include Oberlin Community Services, Mt. Zion Baptist Church, and the Oberlin Public Library, each of which has offered the use of their space for one or more fairs. In addition, we have a pledge of support from Fairhill Partners, a multidisciplinary agency in Cleveland that focuses on successful aging. Fairhill Partners is the group that funds a balance program offered by the woman who directs the Senior Enrichment Services of Oberlin, with support that originates with the Ohio Department of Aging.
Affiliate Grants
As part of the Impacting Lives Engaging Communities Initiative Kendal Charitable Funds also provides grants within the Kendal System to Kendal affiliates to engage, partner with and support their efforts in the wider community around aging issues.