Glastonbury Initiative Honored By Connecticut Age Well Collaborative

GLASTONBURY, CT — The Connecticut Age Well Collaborative, a statewide, cross-sector initiative to foster communities where we all thrive as we grow up and grow older, announced the recipients of its first-ever Wellspring Awards. Age-Friendly Glastonbury was selected for fostering aging, dementia and disability inclusivity in Connecticut, creating long-term, systemic community impact going beyond the provision of individual services and supports:

Age-Friendly Glastonbury is a community-wide effort to address "the diverse and evolving needs" of community members of all ages, especially in relation to infrastructure, outdoor spaces, and other domains of livability.

“As we all live longer and healthier lives, it’s more important than ever before to celebrate policies, projects and initiatives that plan intentionally with an aging, dementia and disability lens,” said June Renzulli, who chairs the Connecticut Age Well Collaborative's Steering Committee and is a retired nonprofit and philanthropy leader. ­­­"We are thrilled to share the inspiring work of our Wellspring Award recipients."

Recipients will be recognized at the State Capitol on April 26 at a Sharing and Celebration Summit to Honor Community Excellence, hosted by the Connecticut Age Well Collaborative and the Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity & Opportunity. At the event, the Connecticut Age Well Collaborative will release its third municipal resource guide, highlighting the work of the 2023 Wellspring Award recipients as case studies. Legislators will share statewide policy perspectives as part of a reflection panel.

"Fostering more inclusive places doesn’t just help Connecticut residents who are already aging, living with dementia or living with a disability. It helps all of us, both for our future selves, and also right now, with more just, equitable communities for everyone," said Alyssa Norwood, the director of the Connecticut Age Well Collaborative. "This year’s Wellspring Award recipients are incredible thought leaders."

Delegated by the Connecticut legislative Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity & Opportunity, the Connecticut Age Well Collaborative leads the state’s livable communities initiative, per Section 17b-420a of the Connecticut General Statutes. Livable communities are inclusive, vibrant, intergenerational places where we all can thrive across the lifespan. The Collaborative’s framework, developed for Connecticut from international efforts led by the World Health Organization, includes ten key areas, including housing, transportation, economic opportunity and equity.

The Wellspring Awards are framed around the idea that Connecticut is a wellspring of innovation and inspiration. In addition to using a multi-sector approach, recipients were selected on the basis of demonstrating ongoing, meaningful and relevant community impact, as well as integrating the voices of individuals with lived experience into their work.

The Connecticut Age Well Collaborative, an initiative of Connecticut Community Care, is strongly supported by the Point32Health Foundation, the Connecticut Department of Aging and Disability Services and a growing number of funders and collective impact partners.

For more information, visit ctagewellcollaborative.org.