Douglas County approves $634,904 for 10 older-adult service projects

Douglas County commissioners approved $634,904 in grants for 10 projects intended to help residents age 60 and older remain housed, independent and connected to services, including meals, home repairs, rental assistance, transportation resources and case management.

The funding recommendations were approved Aug. 25, according to the county’s Older Adult Initiative staff report. The county received 22 applications requesting more than $2.2 million.

The initiative, created in 2023, targets transportation, housing, in-home services and information access. The county says applicants had to propose projects benefiting Douglas County residents age 60 and older and improving quality of life. The grants provide one-time support to address unmet needs and expand service capacity, according to the county’s grant criteria.

The 10 funded projects are:

• Aging Resources of Douglas County — $30,000: Chore and homemaker services, including yard work and minor repairs.

• Aging Resources of Douglas County — $50,000: Resource navigation, information and referrals, with a goal of responding to more than 15,000 information-and-assistance contacts during the grant period.

• Brothers Redevelopment — $75,000: Home repairs and modifications for older adults with disabilities or lower incomes. The project expects to serve at least six older-adult households.

• Castle Rock Senior Activity Center — $35,000: Integration of the Bambi and EmpowOR application programming interfaces to improve coordination of service information.

• Castle Rock Senior Activity Center — $27,000: Connect and Care calls for 37 older Douglas County residents.

• Catholic Charities of Central Colorado — $39,600: Emergency rental assistance of up to $1,500 per household. Ten percent of the award is designated for case management, and a representative told commissioners the funding would help the organization serve two additional senior households per month.

• Douglas County Housing Partnership — $50,000: A housing navigator to help adults age 60 and older find resources and maintain safe, stable and accessible housing.

• Early Childhood Service Corps — $23,400: Training and placement of 10 older adults in early-childhood jobs across Douglas County.

• Manna Resource Center — $104,904: Specialized case management for older adults experiencing poverty.

• Nourish Meals on Wheels — $200,000: Delivery of 35,000 hot meals to 250 residents in Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, Castle Pines, Castle Rock and Parker.

The projects use different measures of expected reach, including households, residents, trainees, meals and contacts, so the figures cannot be combined into a single beneficiary total. The county’s 2026 award announcement says the projects also address food insecurity and isolation, housing instability, transportation access and the need for in-home support.