Vital Seniors: A Community Innovation Competition
With a Grand Prize of $500,000 and five other awards ranging from $50,000 to $250,000, the Vital Seniors Community Innovation Competition was intended to catalyze and create enduring impact for the vulnerable senior citizens in our community and their caregivers. Funding for the competition was from the Glacier Hills Legacy Fund at the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation, and support from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation.
At the Vital Seniors Community Celebration on November 13, the award winners were announced:
- Vital Seniors Grand Prize of $500,000 – Ypsilanti Meals on Wheels, in partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Huron Valley
- Ralph C. Wilson, Jr., Foundation Caregiver Prize of $250,000 – Area Agency on Aging 1-B
- Vital Seniors Innovation Award of $100,000 for a Small Organization – Chelsea Senior Center
- Vital Seniors Innovation Award of $100,000 for a Large Organization – Jewish Family Services of Washtenaw County
- Vital Seniors People’s Choice Award of $50,000 for a Small Organization – Chelsea Senior Center
- Vital Seniors People’s Choice Award of $50,000 for a Large Organization – Jewish Family Services of Washtenaw County
We want to spark innovative, actionable solutions to the serious problems faced not only by vulnerable seniors, but also by their families and professional caregivers. The competition was also structured to enhance the service and collaboration capacity of the ten finalists, providing the basis for a new learning community of innovative practitioners.
