FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tidewater Arts Outreach receives $25,000 grant from NextFifty Initiative
(Hampton Roads) – Tidewater Arts Outreach’s outreach efforts for older adults has received $25,000 in funding from the NextFifty Initiative, a Colorado-based foundation that supports efforts to improve the lives of older adults and their caregivers. This funding will allow Tidewater Arts Outreach to advance the healing power of the arts for adults 50 and older in Hampton Roads.
“We are honored to receive this support from the NextFifty Initiative,” says Kate Powell, Executive Director of Tidewater Arts Outreach. “The demand for arts programming has increased exponentially as loneliness and isolation from the pandemic continues to adversely affect the older adults in our region. Potential partners call us at least once a week. This funding means that we can adopt a ‘never say no’ attitude to a deserving partner who serves older adults – a group of individuals vital to the Tidewater community.”
“Our goal is to transform the way our society views and experiences aging, and that influences the types of programs and projects we fund,” said Diana McFail, President and CEO of NextFifty Initiative. “Tidewater Arts Outreach’s work with older adults aligns with our efforts to improve and sustain quality of life for people in their second 50 years. We offer our support and congratulations.”
The mission of Tidewater Arts Outreach (TAO) is to bring joy to older adults and those living in isolating circumstances and enhance their well-being through creative engagement with the arts. TAO was founded in 2004 and has produced over 3,700 programs in the Virginia cities of Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Newport News, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, Hampton, Suffolk, and York County since its inception. So far, these programs have served over 105,000 participants who never pay to participate.
TAO’s outreach programs – consisting of interactive music programs and performing arts presentations, participatory spoken word/poetry and songwriting workshops, and hands-on visual arts projects – are produced in partnership with senior living communities, nursing homes, hospitals, shelters, hospice providers, day support centers, and other organizations that serve a population prone to isolating circumstances – bringing the healing power of the arts to those they serve and enhancing their existing programs for better wellness outcomes. Artists are recruited from the Hampton Roads community, trained by TAO staff, and compensated for their time and talents. TAO’s model also provides all art and program supplies.
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About Tidewater Arts Outreach:
The mission of Tidewater Arts Outreach (TAO) is to bring joy to older adults and those living in isolating circumstances and enhance their well-being through creative engagement with the arts. Since its inception in 2004, Tidewater Arts Outreach has served 100,000 participants in over 3,500 programs. Programs are always free to participants and utilize the region’s vast artistic talent in music, visual arts, performing arts, and literary arts.
About NextFifty Initiative:
NextFifty Initiative is a Colorado-based, private foundation funding efforts to improve the lives of older adults and their caregivers. The foundation works with community leaders, experts in the field of aging, and front-line professionals to support programs and projects that positively impact aging and longevity. They focus on education, sharing best practices, and supporting innovation that will transform aging for generations to come. To learn more, visit www.Next50Initiative.org.
