Home care agency among winners of West Slope grants

SummitWest Care based in Grand Junction was among the latest recipients of grants to support efforts to improve the lives of older adults and their caregivers.

SummitWest Care received a $25,000 grant, one of eight grants worth a total of nearly $240,000 the NextFifty Initiative awarded to Western Colorado organizations.

SummitWest Care will use the grant to provide medical and non-medical services to older adults, including those with low incomes and disabilities as well as those living in rural areas.

Formerly Home Care of the Grand Valley, SummitWest Care provides services and resources that help people remain at home.

A Colorado-based private foundation, the NextFifty Initiative funds efforts to sustain quality of life for people 50 and older.

“Organizations serving older adults have consistently told us that flexible funding is the most helpful and beneficial to their work. But it’s also the most difficult to obtain,” said Chandra Matthews, director of programs for NextFifty. “Our flexible support grant opportunity was created to make it easier for organizations to build their capacity, apply funds where they’re needed most and focus their efforts on the older adults they serve.”

The other seven grant recipients were:

Blue Sage Center for the Arts in Paonia.

Gunnison Valley Housing Authority.

Montezuma County Senior Services Agency for efforts to serve older adult populations.

Pathfinders psychological support program for cancer and chronically ill patients in Pitkin County.

Pine River Shares initiative addressing the needs of older adults in rural areas of La Plata County.

Savings Collaborative in Garfield County.

Second Chance Human Society providing services in Montrose, Ouray and San Miguel counties.