Local Nonprofits Benefit from Carol Woods Contributions
From the day the first residents moved into Carol Woods in 1979, they saw themselves as an integral part of the larger Chapel Hill community. One of Carol Woods’ purposes has always been to improve the quality of life of older adults, whether they live at Carol Woods or in the surrounding area.
In 2024 Carol Woods donated $775,175 to local area nonprofits, which were recognized at a special reception on January 15, 2025. These gifts fall primarily into four categories: 1) General Aging Services and Supports, 2) Workforce Development in Aging Services, 3) Food Security for Older Adults, and 4) Affordable Housing for Older Adults.
Twenty organizations received gifts. Some have received gifts in the past but are not annual commitments.
General Aging Services and Supports:
Chapel Hill/Carrboro Public School Foundation to ensure that all eligible CHCCS middle and high school scholars of color are financially able to participate in the Blue Ribbon Advocate trip to Washington DC; to offer college scholarships to three AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) high school students; and to develop a pilot project, SAGE (Senior Adults for Greater Education), to promote senior volunteerism in classrooms and provide critical literacy support to elementary school students with academic needs.
LeadingAge NC to make a five-year pledge to the Legacy Builders Capital Campaign. It will be used for educational programs for training CCRC staff and developing innovative solutions to meet the needs of the steadily growing older population.
Orange County to provide continued support to implement the 2022–2027 Master Aging Plan, the first data-driven plan in the state. It will develop strategies to make a community more livable for senior citizens through transportation, housing, social participation, respect and social inclusion, civic participation, employment, and community support services.
Piedmont Health SeniorCare (PACE) to support the interface of SeniorCare’s interdisciplinary team with IntusCare (the PACE data analysis program) and receive program information on a continuous basis for better care management and improved outcomes. PACE has health centers in Burlington and Pittsboro.
Senior PharmAssist to provide medical therapy management, Medicare Part D counseling, and financial assistance for medicines to individuals 60 years or older with incomes up to 250% of the federal poverty level.
Snow Approach Foundation to provide programming support for increased generational work. In addition to enhanced educational programming it will provide friend/volunteer-based respite offerings to neurologically diverse or challenged people in a four-county area.
Soltys Place to provide infrastructure improvements to enhance safety, comfort, and accessibility and to elevate staff’s skill set and knowledge through professional development.
Town of Carrboro to continue support of the Active Life Program through the Carrboro Recreation and Parks Department. The emphasis this year is to offer transportation and specific programs to those who live in affordable housing.
Town of Chapel Hill to be used in helping to make the town an age-friendly community.
Workforce Development in Aging Services:
Hope Renovations was created with the dual purpose of training underemployed women to enter construction trades and providing home renovations for older adults so that they might remain safe and healthy at home.
OE Enterprises to purchase a passenger vehicle to increase community engagement and integration in activities for senior-age individuals with disabilities through Supported Employment.
UNC Division of Geriatric Medicine to support the operational component for the Geriatric Fellowship, including administrative salary support for the fellowship coordinator.
UNC School of Nursing to enhance the geriatric and long-term care nursing workforce by creating new intra-professional learning opportunities with the School of Nursing curricula and providing a site for student learning and quality improvement at Carol Woods.
Food Security for Older Adults:
Meals on Wheels of Orange County to support delivery of 5,555 healthy meals, accompanied by friendly check-ins, to the homebound and elderly recipients who require additional support and/or cannot afford meals.
Inter-Faith Council for Social Service to support general operating costs of its vision of a community that meets everyone’s basic needs, including dignified and affordable housing, an abundance of healthy food, and meaningful social connection.
Affordable Housing for Older Adults:
Covenant Place to improve accessibility and safety, as identified by a capital needs assessment of this affordable housing facility.
Habitat of Orange County to support its Home Repair Program, which provides critical repair work on aging homes, helps to maintain the existing stock of affordable homes, and helps low-income seniors to age in place, staying within their familiar communities.
Jackson Center to create a feasibility study for developing a property for innovative, affordable eldercare in one of Chapel Hill’s historically black communities.
Pee Wee Homes to provide continued support for a Resident Support Coordinator and some gap funding to help the organization construct three new affordable homes.
St. Paul’s AME NIDA to help develop 20.37 acres located in the Rogers Road community to include independent senior and multi-family housing inclusive of affordable housing units, passive and active recreational facilities, and a multi-use neighborhood center called St. Paul's Village.
Other financial support
In addition to the twenty grants listed above, the CEO Discretionary Fund gave an additional $12,000 to the following nine organizations:
• Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School Foundation
• Community Empowerment Fund
• Duke Caregiver Support
• Extraordinary Ventures
• Friends of Residents in Long Term Care
• LeadingAge NC Foundation
• Orange Literacy Council
• Orange County Living Wage
• Step Up Durham
-Sindy Barker