Rockville, jewish council for the aging - programs to help elders remain in their own homes as long and as independently as possible. provides transportation, adult day care, social day care, employment services, fitness training, information and referral service, home care information, computer learning and retirement planning. offers volunteer opportunities. jca is beneficiary of the jewish federation of greater washington, the united way and the combined federal campaign. - offers wheelchair-accessible buses and vans to charter for group trips. includes professional drivers with commercial driver\'s license and experience with older adults. provides transportation to persons ages 50 and older. offers limited transportation to northern virginia.

Rockville, Jewish Council for the Aging - Programs to help elders remain in their own homes as long and as independently as possible. Provides transportation, adult day care, social day care, employment services, fitness training, information and referral service, home care information, computer learning and retirement planning. Offers volunteer opportunities. JCA is beneficiary of the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, the United Way and the Combined Federal Campaign. - Offers introduction to computers, word processing and other classes for people ages 50 or older. Offers classes usually during weekday mornings at several sites throughout the Washington Metro area. Call for current offerings and class locations.

Rockville, Jewish Council for the Aging - Programs to help elders remain in their own homes as long and as independently as possible. Provides transportation, adult day care, social day care, employment services, fitness training, information and referral service, home care information, computer learning and retirement planning. Offers volunteer opportunities. JCA is beneficiary of the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, the United Way and the Combined Federal Campaign. - Provides free transportation information and referrals to senior residents of Arlington and Fairfax Counties in Virginia and Montgomery County in Maryland. Serves as a link between older adults and a wide range of public and private organizations. Serves seniors and those with disabilities. Can assist with planning for future transportation needs.

Rockville, Jewish Council for the Aging - Programs to help elders remain in their own homes as long and as independently as possible. Provides transportation, adult day care, social day care, employment services, fitness training, information and referral service, home care information, computer learning and retirement planning. Offers volunteer opportunities. JCA is beneficiary of the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, the United Way and the Combined Federal Campaign. - Provides an information and referral service for questions on in-home support services, medical care, housing, employment, social activities, in-depth transportation information and other programs of concern to the elderly and their families. Provides information on services throughout the entire Washington Metropolitan area. Services are non-sectarian.

Thousands of jobseekers network with area employers and learn new strategies at this annual event. Resgistration, workshops and activities are free to all attendees. Details are posted at www.AccessJCA.org

ADULT DAY PROGRAMSIMAGINE A LICENSED, STATE-CERTIFIED PROGRAM FOR SENIORS WHO ARE DEALING WITH COGNITIVE OR PHYSICAL CHALLENGES (OR BOTH, AS THEY OFTEN ARE). IMAGINE RECEIVING HEALTH MONITORING AND NURSING CARE IN A WARM, FRIENDLY, SUPPORTIVE SETTING, NOT A STERILE MEDICAL OFFICE. IMAGINE A DAY THAT INCLUDES MORNING COFFEE WITH FRIENDS, A HOT KOSHER LUNCH, FIELD TRIPS, ARMCHAIR EXERCISES, STIMULATING DISCUSSIONS AND VISITING ENTERTAINMENT. OUR ALBERT & HELEN MISLER ADULT DAY CENTER IN ROCKVILLE OFFERS ALL THOSE THINGS AND MORE, THANKS TO A COMPASSIONATE, PROFESSIONAL STAFF OF NURSES, SOCIAL WORKERS, ACTIVITY SPECIALISTS AND PERSONAL CARE AIDES. THE STAFFING RATIO THERE IS ONE TO FOUR, AND THAT IS FAR MORE STAFF THAN THE STATE OF MARYLAND REQUIRES OF A MEDICAL CENTER SUCH AS OURS. IN FY14, THE MISLER CENTER SERVED 111 VULNERABLE SENIORS WHILE PROVIDING FAMILY MEMBERS WITH 6,827 DAYS OF RESPITE FROM CAREGIVING. WE WOULD LIKE TO SERVE EVEN MORE.A STRATEGIC MARKETING STUDY OF THE MEDICAL ADULT DAY CENTERS OF JCA, IONA SENIOR SERVICES AND THE DOWNTOWN D.C. CLUSTERS RESULTED IN AN ACTION PLAN THAT COULD RAISE CAREGIVERS' AWARENESS OF ADULT DAY PROGRAMS. WE READILY PROCEEDED TO TEST THE BEST IDEAS. COMPASS, A CONSULTING ORGANIZATION, PROVIDED THE STUDY PRO BONO, UTILIZING THE TALENTS OF DIVERSE BUSINESS EXECUTIVES.

INFORMATION, EDUCATION, AND OUTREACH PROGRAMSWE LOVE TO "PLAY IT FORWARD," ENABLING GOOD DEEDS TO MULTIPLY. ONLINE, IN PRINT AND IN MEETINGS, THE JEWISH COUNCIL FOR THE AGING HELPED OLDER ADULTS AND FAMILY CAREGIVERS FIND ESSENTIAL SENIOR SERVICES, INCLUDING HOUSING, HOME CARE, RECREATION AND MORE.UNQUESTIONABLY, THE JCA WEBSITE AT ACCESSJCA.ORG WAS THE NUMBERS CHAMP. THIS YEAR, IT ATTRACTED 2.1 MILLION HITS FROM AN INTERNATIONAL AUDIENCE. AMONG ITS MOST POPULAR PAGES WERE LAND A JOB AND JOB OPENINGS (WHICH TOGETHER GARNERED 57,944 HITS), FIND A HELPING HAND (29,432), ABOUT US (26,958) AND GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT PROGRAMS (26,251). OUR AGING Q&A PAGE, WHICH CONTAINS RESOURCES FOR AGING WELL, HAD 18,326 HITS, AND OUR LINKS TO OTHER ORGANIZATIONS PAGE HAD 16,596. SOCIAL MEDIA PLAYED A LARGER-THAN-EVER ROLE IN JCA'S WORLD. BY JUNE 30, 2014, 442 PEOPLE HAD LIKED THE JCA FACEBOOK PAGE (FB.COM/ACCESSJCA). HUNDREDS SOMETIMES THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE VISITED THE PAGE WEEKLY TO SEE PHOTOS, VIDEOS, ARTICLES AND NEWS ITEMS.EIGHT HUNDRED AND EIGHTY-SIX STUDENTS AGE 50+ TURNED TO US TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ONLINE RESOURCES, WORD PROCESSING AND OTHER TECHNOLOGY TOPICS. THEY REGISTERED FOR 176 COURSES AT OUR SENIORTECH COMPUTER TRAINING CENTERS, NOW IN FIVE LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE AREA LANDMARK MALL (ALEXANDRIA), ASBURY METHODIST VILLAGE (GAITHERSBURG), THE JCA ANN L. BRONFMAN CENTER (ROCKVILLE) AND NEW THIS YEAR -- WITHIN THE MICROSOFT STORES OF PENTAGON CITY (ARLINGTON) AND TYSON'S CORNER (MCLEAN). DEDICATED VOLUNTEERS PRESENTED 1,235 CLASSROOM HOURS OF INSTRUCTION AND CONTRIBUTED 6,098 HOURS OF SERVICE.IN COLLABORATION WITH WASHINGTON JEWISH WEEK, WE PUBLISHED QUARTERLY SENIOR RESOURCES GUIDES ON TOPICS THAT RANGED FROM HEALTH TO FINANCES, DISTRIBUTING PRINTED COPIES AT EXPOS AND IN THE NEWSPAPER WHILE MAKING DOWNLOADABLE EXCERPTS AND FULL EDITIONS AVAILABLE FREE VIA OUR WEBSITE. OUR ACCESSJCA PRINT NEWSLETTER, WHICH WE DISTRIBUTED QUARTERLY TO NEARLY 7,000 HOUSEHOLDS, AND OUR JCA TODAY ONLINE NEWSLETTER, WHICH WE EMAILED TO THOUSANDS MORE, ENABLED US TO COMMUNICATE WITH SUPPORTERS, POTENTIAL SUPPORTERS AND THOSE IN NEED. YET MANY PEOPLE NEED HIGHLY PERSONALIZED INFORMATION FROM TRAINED, CARING PROFESSIONALS. THE ROSE BENTE LEE SENIOR HELPLINE AND STEVEN M. REICH HOMECARE RESOURCE CENTER REMAINED CORE JCA SERVICES, HELPING CALLERS FIND HOUSING AND CHORE SERVICES, PUBLIC BENEFITS, EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE AND MORE. VOLUNTEERS PROVIDED 1,789 HOURS OF ASSISTANCE, RESEARCHING SPECIAL REQUESTS, COMPILING SPECIALIZED INFORMATION AND OFFERING A FRIENDLY VOICE TO THOSE WHO DESPERATELY NEEDED TO HEAR ONE.OUR 21ST ANNUAL SYLVIA BLAJWAS PRODUCTIVE AGING AWARD DINNER PROCLAIMED THAT ABILITY IS AGELESS WHILE RAISING ESSENTIAL FUNDS TO SUPPORT JCA PROGRAMS YEAR ROUND. AT THE EVENT, WE PRESENTED THE 2014 PRODUCTIVE AGING AWARD TO SALLY QUINN (AUTHOR, BLOGGER AND JOURNALIST FOR THE WASHINGTON POST), AND WE PRESENTED THE 2014 HUMANITARIAN AWARD TO THE HONORABLE SIDNEY KRAMER (BUSINESSMAN, PHILANTHROPIST AND RETIRED LAWMAKER). A CAPACITY CROWD ATTENDED THE GALA AT WASHINGTON HEBREW CONGREGATION.

INTERGERNERATIONAL PROGRAMSNEARLY THREE DECADES AGO, AUSTIN HEYMAN ESTABLISHED AND LED WHAT IS TODAY THE JCA HEYMAN INTERAGES CENTER. HE REMAINS A STATESMAN OF NATIONAL RENOWN IN THE INTERGENERATIONAL FIELD. THUS, IT IS NOT SURPRISING THAT NATIONAL, STATE AND LOCAL LEADERS JUMPED AT THE OPPORTUNITY TO HELP JCA HONOR HIM WITH THE MARGARET CUTLER INTERGENERATIONAL LEADERSHIP AWARD OF 2014.DURING THIS FISCAL YEAR, 264 MEN AND WOMEN AGE 50 AND OLDER DONATED 6,607 HOURS OF SKILLED AND COMPASSIONATE VOLUNTEER SERVICE THROUGH THE HEYMAN CENTER, MENTORING AND TUTORING 651 AT-RISK CHILDREN TO IMPROVE THEIR LITERACY, SELF-CONFIDENCE AND SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY. SIMULTANEOUSLY, OUR AMAZING VOLUNTEERS EXPANDED THE CHILDREN'S WORLDVIEW AND PROVED THAT COMPASSION AND ABILITY ARE NOT LIMITED BY AGE.YOUNGSTERS SERVED AS INTERGENERATIONAL VOLUNTEERS, TOO! THIS YEAR, 359 OF THEM BEFRIENDED 264 FRAIL AND VULNERABLE ELDERS.WHAT WONDERS OUR VOLUNTEERS ACCOMPLISHED! FOR EXAMPLE: 40 OLDER VOLUNTEERS BROUGHT THE INTERAGES GRANDREADERS PROGRAM TO FIVE MONTGOMERY COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES, READING EACH WEEK DURING THE SUMMER TO CHILDREN IN KINDERGARTEN THROUGH SECOND GRADE. MEANWHILE, OUR WORDS OF WISDOM PILOT PROGRAM ENABLED HIGH-SCHOOL SENIORS AND JUNIORS TO LEARN HISTORY FIRST-HAND FROM WORLD WAR II VETERANS. THOSE STUDENTS CREATED VIDEO DIARIES OF LESSONS SHARED AND LEARNED, AND THEN PRODUCED DVDS THAT HAVE BECOME TREASURED POSSESSIONS OF THE VETS, THEIR FAMILIES, THEIR FRIENDS AND, OF COURSE, THE STUDENTS, TOO. WE THANK BBYO (A MEMBERSHIP ORGANIZATION FOR JEWISH TEENS) AND CHARLES E. SMITH LIFE COMMUNITIES' RING HOUSE, REVITZ HOUSE AND LANDOW HOUSE FOR CO-SPONSORING WITH US OUR SECOND ANNUAL SENIOR PROM. IN ADDITION, WE THANK THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF GREATER WASHINGTON FOR MAKING OUR PROM A PART OF GOOD DEEDS DAY 2014, AN INTERNATIONAL DAY OF COMMUNITY SERVICE.THIS YEAR, WE DISTRIBUTED THE INAUGURAL ISSUE OF OUR INTERGENERATIONAL RESOURCE CENTER'S E-NEWSLETTER TO 2,800 PEOPLE IN THE GREATER D.C. AREA TO HELP PROFESSIONALS AND ORGANIZATIONS LEARN FROM OUR SUCCESS IN BUILDING AGE-INTEGRATED COMMUNITIES.

SAMUEL J. GORLITZ KENSINGTON CLUBTHE SAMUEL GORLITZ KENSINGTON CLUB IS OUR SOCIAL (NON-MEDICAL) DAY PROGRAM. IT OFFERS ACTIVITIES, FRIENDSHIP AND COPING SKILLS FOR PEOPLE IN THE EARLY STAGES OF MEMORY LOSS. IN A CLOSE-KNIT, INTIMATE CLUB SETTING, MEMBERS ENJOY STIMULATING COGNITIVE AND PHYSICAL PROGRAMS WHILE FAMILY MEMBERS GET A MUCH-NEEDED BREAK. THIS YEAR, 38 "KC" MEMBERS BENEFITED FROM THE PROGRAM, ENJOYING FIELD TRIPS AND CURRENT-EVENTS DISCUSSIONS, MEMORY-ENHANCING GAMES, MUSIC AND DANCE, SPEAKERS, ART CLASSES, AND DINING WITH FRIENDS. THEY EVEN HELD AN INTERGENERATIONAL ART SHOW OUR VERY FIRST -- IN COLLABORATION WITH OUR OWN INTERAGES CENTER AND ARTS FOR THE AGING, A FELLOW PHILANTHROPY THAT IS HEADQUARTERED ON THE SECOND FLOOR OF THE ANN L. BRONFMAN CENTER, OUR HEADQUARTERS.

SENIOR EMPLOYMENT PROGRAMSTHE JOBSEEKERS WE SERVED THROUGH OUR SENIOR COMMUNITY SERVICE EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM CAME FROM EVERY PART OF THE GLOBE TO MAKE THEIR HOMES IN MONTGOMERY AND FREDERICK COUNTIES. SOME WERE FRAIL, MOST WERE HARDY. ALL WERE 55 OR OLDER AND TRYING TO SURVIVE IN OUR EXPENSIVE AREA AT INCOMES THAT WERE AT OR BELOW 125 PERCENT OF THE FEDERAL POVERTY LINE. THEY SHARED A PASSION TO GET A PAYCHECK AND GET OFF WELFARE. THAT, HOWEVER, WAS EASIER SAID THAN DONE. THE OBSTACLES WERE DAUNTING AND INCLUDED HOMELESSNESS, AGE DISCRIMINATION, FAMILY PROBLEMS, LANGUAGE SKILLS, ILLNESS, DISABILITY.WE NOT ONLY COMFORTED 137 JOBSEEKERS THIS YEAR. WE ALSO ARMED THEM WITH EFFECTIVE JOB-SEARCH TECHNIQUES AND WAGES. THANKS TO THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND JCA'S GENEROUS FRIENDS, WE WERE ABLE TO COMPENSATE EACH JOBSEEKER AT MINIMUM WAGE FOR ABOUT 20 HOURS OF ON-THE-JOB TRAINING EACH WEEK. THAT WAGE SEEMED HEAVEN-SENT NOT ONLY TO OUR STRUGGLING PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS BUT ALSO TO THEIR SHORT-STAFFED HOST AGENCIES -- CHARITIES AND GOVERNMENT OFFICES THAT BENEFITTED FROM EACH TRAINEE'S EVER-EXPANDING SKILL SET.DURING FISCAL YEAR 2014, OUR TRAINEES PROVIDED A TOTAL OF 65,886 HOURS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE AT 42 ORGANIZATIONS THAT INCLUDED B'NAI B'RITH HOMECREST HOUSE, THE MARYLAND MOTOR VEHICLE ADMINISTRATION, THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH AND JCA. THAT WORK WAS WORTH $537,651. WE HELPED PLACE NINE OF THOSE DETERMINED MEN AND WOMEN IN REGULAR, PAID JOBS THROUGH WHICH THEY EARNED AN AVERAGE OF $11 AN HOUR FOR 24 HOURS OF WEEKLY WORK.THE 50+ EMPLOYMENT EXPOS THAT WE HELD IN BETHESDA AND FAIRFAX SERVED AN ASTOUNDING 4,167 JOBSEEKERS, WHO MET WITH 128 EXHIBITORS AND ATTENDED 30 WORKSHOPS. ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-EIGHT VOLUNTEERS PROVIDED HANDS-ON SUPPORT, AND THAT INCLUDED FREE RESUME REVIEWS AND HELP WITH CYBER-SEARCHING FOR JOBS.JOBSEEKERS, EMPLOYERS, ELECTED OFFICIALS AND EDUCATORS PRAISED THE EXPOS, AS DID THE FAIRFAX COUNTY OFFICE OF PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS (OP3), WHICH HONORED JCA FOR COLLABORATING WITH AARP, SENIOR EMPLOYMENT RESOURCES, THE SKILLSOURCE GROUP AND OTHERS AND "FOR CONTRIBUTING TO THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN FAIRFAX COUNTY." (AND THIS WAS THE SECOND OP3 AWARD THAT JCA RECEIVED THIS YEAR!)AT THE BETHESDA EVENT, HOWEVER, JCA WAS THE AWARDS-GIVER. WITH THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND WORKFORCE INVESTMENT BOARD, WE PRESENTED EXPERIENCE COUNTS AWARDS TO THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH, SANDY SPRING BANK AND ADVENTIST HEALTHCARE WHILE SPOTLIGHTING SUCH AGE-SMART STRATEGIES AS FLEXIBLE WORK OPTIONS, ELDERCARE REFERRALS AND SEMINARS, AND MANAGEMENT TRAINING ON GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES.JCA WILL, OF COURSE, ASSESS THE 2014 EXPOS' EFFECTIVENESS IN HELPING OLDER ADULTS FIND WORK. YET WE ALREADY HAVE HIGH HOPES BECAUSE THE IMPACT OF OUR 2013 EXPO WASN'T JUST HEARTWARMING; IT HAD REAL ECONOMIC IMPACT. AN ESTIMATED 1,287 OLDER JOBSEEKERS FOUND JOBS WITHIN SIX MONTHS OF THEIR EXPO ATTENDANCE, AND THAT NUMBER IS PARTICULARLY TELLING BECAUSE MOST OF THOSE ATTENDEES HAD BEEN UNEMPLOYED FOR 24-48 MONTHS. NINETY-EIGHT PERCENT OF THE 3,575 ATTENDEES IN 2013 GAVE THE EVENT HIGH MARKS.MANY OLDER WORKERS, HOWEVER, FIND THEY NEED INTENSIVE, SPECIALIZED SUPPORT. JCA HELPED THEM, TOO, AND WE DID SO WITH AWARD-WINNING SUCCESS.EIGHTY-THREE PROFESSIONALS WITH EXPERTISE IN GRANT-MAKING AND JEWISH COMMUNAL LIFE SELECTED THE JEWISH COUNCIL FOR THE AGING'S CAREER GATEWAY PROGRAM FROM AMONG HUNDREDS OF FINALISTS FOR INCLUSION IN THE SLINGSHOT GUIDE'S SUPPLEMENT FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS. WHAT ESPECIALLY IMPRESSED SLINGSHOT (A GUIDE FOR PHILANTHROPISTS BY PHILANTHROPISTS) WAS HOW JCA ADDRESSED THE UNIQUE JOB-SEARCH CHALLENGES OF MIDLIFE AND OLDER WOMEN. MANY LOSE SELF-CONFIDENCE AFTER EXPERIENCING THE DOUBLE WHAMMY OF GENDER AND AGE DISCRIMINATION TIME AND AGAIN, SO WE DEVELOPED SPECIALIZED CURRICULA AND MATERIAL TO HELP THEM. THEY DO! THIRTY HOURS OF CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION AND THE UNFLINCHING SUPPORT OF VOLUNTEER MENTORS CHANGED LIVES.EVERY GATEWAY CLIENT WAS 50-PLUS, AND MOST OF THE 55 MEN AND WOMEN WE SERVED IN FY 2014 HAD BEEN UNEMPLOYED FOR ONE TO TWO YEARS. YET WITHIN 12 WEEKS OF GRADUATION, MORE THAN HALF OF OUR GRADUATES WHO WERE STILL LOOKING FOR WORK FOUND IT. MANY PARTICIPATED IN OUR NEWLY FORMED JOB CLUBS THAT MET TWICE AFTER GRADUATION. A NINE-MEMBER EMPLOYER ADVISORY BOARD CONTINUOUSLY HELPED US TO IMPROVE THE PROGRAM.

TRANSPORTATION PROGRAMSFOR FOUR DECADES, JCA'S WHEELCHAIR-ACCESSIBLE ELDERBUSES HAVE TRAVERSED THE NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION, TRANSPORTING OLDER ADULTS WHO CANNOT OR SHOULD NOT DRIVE TO ESSENTIAL DESTINATIONS. FISCAL YEAR 2014 WAS NO EXCEPTION. THIS YEAR, HOWEVER, WE EXPANDED OUR FLEET AND SERVICE AS WE HADN'T BEEN ABLE TO DO IN YEARS. IN JANUARY, WE BEGAN HELPING SCORES OF OLDER PASSENGERS TRAVEL SAFELY TO AND FROM FIVE MONTGOMERY COUNTY SENIOR CENTERS -- DAMASCUS, HOLIDAY PARK, LONG BRANCH, MARGARET SCHWEINHAUT AND WHITE OAK WHERE THEY PARTICIPATED IN A WIDE RANGE OF RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES AND ACCESSED IMPORTANT HEALTH SERVICES, TOO, INCLUDING NUTRITION GUIDANCE, FALLS PREVENTION EDUCATION AND HEALTH SCREENINGS. IN THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF OPERATION, OUR SHUTTLE BUSES TRAVELED 25,596 MILES AND PROVIDED 8,615 RIDES TO AND FROM THE CENTERS.TO OUR DELIGHT, OUR ROSE AND HAROLD KRAMER CENTER ON TRANSPORTATION WAS ABLE TO HELP MONTGOMERY COUNTY IN OTHER NEW WAYS, TOO. FOR EXAMPLE: WE RAN A DAILY SHUTTLE FOR THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY HOMELESS SHELTER OVERFLOW SITE IN SILVER SPRING, RUNNING IT EVERY DAY AT 6:30 A.M., SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, FROM NOVEMBER THROUGH MARCH REGARDLESS OF WEATHER.THE JCA FLEET GREW TO 13 VEHICLES. IN CELEBRATION, WE DECORATED OUR TWO NEW BUSES WITH COLORFUL PICTURES OF SMILING SENIORS. BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THEM! YET KNOW THAT THE PICTURES ONLY HINT AT OUR PASSENGERS' JOY. "IT'S PARADISE," SAID ONE BUS RIDER TO DESCRIBE TRAVELING IN THE COMMUNITY SHE LOVES WITH FELLOW TRAVELERS WHO HAVE BECOME A SECOND FAMILY.ALL TOLD, OUR BUSES TRAVELED 98,981 MILES THIS YEAR, AND MADE 36,091 PASSENGER TRIPS. THAT TRANSPORTATION IS VALUED AT $1,362,368...AND BY HUGS AND HIGH-FIVES AMONGST THE PASSENGERS AND OUR TRAINED, COMPASSIONATE DRIVERS. BUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN OUR BUSES CANNOT SERVE AN OLDER ADULT OR FAMILY CAREGIVER WITH TRANSPORTATION NEEDS? HOW DO VULNERABLE SENIORS FIND SAFE AND AFFORDABLE RIDES? HOW CAN TRANSPORTATION PROVIDERS DO A BETTER JOB OF SERVING OLDER ADULTS? THE ANSWERS LIE IN MOBILITY MANAGEMENT - PLANNING WISELY AND MAKING THE VERY BEST USE OF RESOURCES. THROUGH THE CONNECT-A-RIDE TRANSPORTATION RESOURCE CENTER, JCA HAS BECOME A MOBILITY MANAGEMENT GURU.OUR CONNECT-A-RIDE INFORMATION & MOBILITY SPECIALISTS, EACH OF WHOM IS CERTIFIED BY THE ALLIANCE OF INFORMATION & REFERRAL SERVICES, HELPED 2,608 CLIENTS GET WHERE THEY NEEDED OR WANTED TO GO. WE ALSO OFFERED RIDE SMART WORKSHOPS -- A COMBINATION OF CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION AND REAL-WORLD GROUP EXCURSIONS ON METRO TO EMPOWER SENIORS AND DISABLED ADULTS OF ALL AGES TO USE PUBLIC TRANSIT. WHAT A DELIGHT IT WAS TO PRESENT EACH OF OUR 78 GRADUATES WITH A SENIOR SMARTTRIP CARD!OUR ESCORTED TRANSPORTATION PILOT PROJECT IS NOW IN ITS SECOND YEAR. ITS STAFF ARRANGED AND PAID FOR TRANSPORTATION FOR 125 LOW-INCOME, DISABLED SENIORS, AND EACH MONTH THEY ARRANGED AN AVERAGE OF 50 SPECIALIZED RIDES FOR THOSE WHO OTHERWISE WOULD HAVE BEEN HOMEBOUND, UNABLE TO KEEP THEIR DOCTORS' APPOINTMENTS, REACH THE PHARMACY OR VISIT FRIENDS. OUR VULNERABLE CLIENTS, HOWEVER, RECEIVED FAR MORE THAN TRANSPORT; THEY BENEFITTED FROM HANDS-ON ASSISTANCE GETTING IN AND OUT OF THEIR HOMES AND IN AND OUT OF VEHICLES. THE DRIVER/ESCORTS STAYED WITH THEM WHEN THEY REACHED THEIR DESTINATIONS AND THEN ACCOMPANIED THEM HOME AGAIN. OUR GETTING ALL AROUND THE COUNTY PROJECT WORKED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MONTGOMERY COUNTY GOVERNMENT TO INCREASE THE AWARENESS OF TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO OLDER ADULTS AND ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES. IT ALSO RECOMMENDED WAYS TO IMPROVE AND EXPAND SERVICES.AND THE TRANSPORTATION PROVIDERS ROUNDTABLE, FOUNDED BY JCA AND LED BY OUR DIRECTOR OF MOBILITY MANAGEMENT, PROVIDED A FORUM THROUGH WHICH TRANSPORTATION PROVIDERS IDENTIFIED NEEDS AND SHARED BEST PRACTICES.IN THE WINGS ARE TWO COLLABORATIVE PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO IMPROVE THE NUMBER AND QUALITY OF VOLUNTEER-PROVIDED RIDES BY THE SHARING OF BEST PRACTICES, THE USE OF WEB-BASED SCHEDULING SOFTWARE, AND THE COOPERATIVE WORK OF HUMAN SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS AND FUNDERS THAT ARE COMMITTED TO HELPING LOCAL SENIORS AGE WELL. OUR VILLAGERIDES PROGRAM, WHICH WE OPERATE COLLABORATIVELY WITH THE SENIOR CONNECTION, GOT UNDERWAY FOR MONTGOMERY-BASED "VILLAGES" -- NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATIONS CREATED TO HELP THEIR RESIDENTS LIVE WELL AND "AGE IN PLACE." THE NV RIDES PROGRAM, ON THE OTHER HAND, WILL START SERVICE IN FISCAL YEAR 2015. IT WILL ASSIST NOT ONLY VILLAGES, BUT ALSO OTHER VOLUNTEER DRIVER PROGRAMS IN FAIRFAX COUNTY AND NEIGHBORING JURISDICTIONS. TO THAT END, WE WORKED WITH THE JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA AND A DIVERSE CADRE OF OTHER LIKE-MINDED ORGANIZATIONS TO PLAN A PROGRAM THAT MAY BECOME A NATIONALLY REPLICABLE MODEL.