Earlier this year, Embrace Living Communities (ELC) applied for a grant through the Barrington Area Community Foundation to purchase a projector and screen to be used in community spaces at their Greencastle of Barrington community.
The mission of the Barrington Area Community Foundation (BACF) is to address the unmet needs of the community. The needs at Greencastle of Barrington are related to senior loneliness, language barriers and low vision, which a projector will help address through allowing for a wide range of new, accessible activities at the community that were previously impossible.
The application has been approved for 2025, and the team and residents at Greencastle of Barrington are excited for the programming opportunities a projector will provide in the coming year.
Assessments performed by ELC have shown that on Lubben’s Social Network Scale, a tool used to measure social isolation in older adults, Greencastle of Barrington residents are at risk of social isolation with a score of nine. A score of 12 or lower delineates “at-risk” for social isolation.
One way ELC addresses loneliness among their residents is through community-wide programming facilitated by social service coordinators at each community. A projector will provide new opportunities for programs that will allow residents to come together and participate in fun, accessible activities such as fitness classes, movie nights, karaoke and educational presentations from community providers.
A specific program that will be funded by the BACF grant is Discover Live, which features AI-empowered virtual tours of locations across the globe. For many older adults, the chance to travel and explore new places becomes limited with age. Discover Live will offer interactive virtual travel experiences specifically tailored toward seniors who don’t otherwise have the opportunity to see the sights shown by this program.
Among the 147 residents who call Greencastle of Barrington home, there are four languages spoken: Chinese, English, Korean and Russian. This can hinder effective communication and engagement from social service coordinators and community volunteers who may not know how to speak the languages of all residents when facilitating programs.
By allowing social service coordinators to facilitate programs that are driven by visuals rather than language, more residents will be able to participate without language barriers being an issue.
A barrier for many senior residents is low vision, which a projector and large screen will help address by allowing residents to engage with large, clear, easily viewable content as opposed to smaller televisions.
“With a new projector and screen, residents will explore global destinations, enjoy fitness classes, join lively social events and stay engaged through bright, accessible visuals—breaking down language and vision barriers, and helping every resident connect, learn and celebrate together,” says Social Service Coordinator Qi Teng. “Thanks to everyone’s effort for helping us open up a whole new world right here at Greencastle of Barrington!”
Interested in learning more about how you can help fund ELC? Visit https://embraceliving.org/fund-us/
Featured photo by Linda Barrett
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