Grant Will Aid Greendale Health Department Community Activities

GREENDALE, WI — Three events planned by the Greendale Health Department are getting some help on funding from AARP Wisconsin.

A $1000 grant from the organization will help to fund craft materials, supplies, snacks and the use of the Field Workshop in Greendale for two crafting sessions in April, according to an AARP news release.

Another planned event will also fund an event at Harbour Village, giving residents the opportunity to invite a grandchild in for craft activities, the release says.

The events are designed to strengthen bonds between generations while contributing to the mental health and resiliency of older adults, organizers say in the news release. They can "enhance confidence, self-esteem, and social skills while contributing to their emotional and overall health and well-being," said Shawne Johnson, Public Health Manager for the Greendale Health Department.

AARP gives out the "Small Dollar, Big Impact" grants each month to fund initiatives that better the community for people as they age. The grant for Greendale was selected out of a dozen applications for funding, AARP said in the news release.

“These events are targeted at grandparents and their grandchildren and will involve them working side-by-side on creative projects of their choice as a way to participate in fun and interactive bonding activities,” Johnson said.

The planned events come after the Village held a survey of older adults in the Greendale community asking what would help them to create stronger bonds with their grandchildren, and what barriers might exist for that.

The grant will help Greendale to use the results from the survey as they create intergenerational programming, such as the three events receiving an AARP grant, the news release said.

“We look forward to carrying out this project as we know a close relationship between grandparents and grandchildren is mutually beneficial when it comes to the health and well-being of both,” Johnson said. “We intuitively know the value of the relationship between grandparents and grandchildren, but we have never previously implemented specific activities to strengthen that bond.”

The two "intergenerational bonding" days at the Field Workshop have been scheduled for April 3 and 24, according to the health department's website. The event's flyer said it will provide snacks like hot cocoa, hands-on activities to explore your creativity, and conversation starters to get to know each other better.

More information about all three events can be found at the Greendale Health Department website.