Washington, D.C., reported in 2019 that it was home to approximately 83,600 adults ages 65 and up. A stark health disparity exists among this generation of baby boomers, however.
The life span of older, and oftentimes, white Washingtonians in neighborhoods like Georgetown and Rock Creek Park in Wards 1 and 4, is between 86 and 87 years old, according to DC Villages Collaborative (DCVC). Oppositely, the life expectancy of seniors in Wards 5, 7 and 8 — primarily Black residents — is between 71 and 72 years old.
That more than 15-year difference spawned DCVC— which works to uplift the District’s aging population— to expand its programming to Wards 5 and 7, launching three new DC Villages Collaborative Incubators in hopes of: educating seniors about aging in place, changing societal perceptions of getting older, and adding more years to residents’ lives.
“DC Villages Collaborative has existed since 2009, but they were on the ‘Ivory Coast,’ with headquarters in Georgetown near the Four Seasons Hotel,” said DCVC Incubator Coordinator Sharita Slayton. “There were some inequities on where the Villages existed.”
The first new incubator to launch is Ward 7’s Nehemiah Intergenerational Village, on Aug. 1from noon to 12:30 p.m. at Zion Baptist Church of Eastland Gardens, 1234 Kenilworth Avenue NE. As part of the official programming kickoff, residents of all ages are invited to participate in art projects, gentle stretch classes, line dancing lessons, and ultimately sign up to become free Village members.
The Village program at Zion is open to residents of all ages living in Kenilworth, Eastland Gardens, Mayfair/Parkside, Deanwood and Burville.
“Anita Bonds, our at-large city council member, saw the inequities and asked, ‘why are there no Villages in Ward 7?’” Slayton, an Eastland Gardens resident, told The Informer. “When you look at the health disparities of our seniors living east of the river, in particular, she said this was much needed.”
More Than Just Church Members
Zion Baptist Church of Eastland Gardens, founded in 1908, has served the people of Eastland Gardens and Kenilworth since the congregation moved in 1966, and, in recent years has expanded to provide a food pantry, lunch program, and recreation and entertainment for congregants and the community alike.
Now the Northeast church, led by Pastor Smith Banks and his wife the Rev. Anita Crawford, has partnered with DC Villages Collaborative to receive city funding from the Department of Aging and Community Living.
The partnership allows the church to increase its programs to more than just church members and immediate neighbors and become a hub to welcome seniors, working adults and young people. Banks’ primary goal is to bridge the gap between generations to enhance seniors’ experiences and extend the lives of residents living east of the river.
“Zion is looking at this from a bifurcated methodology,” he said. “Just having them positioned in that location, young folks get to know old folks, and they can help each other, whether through technology or knowledge sharing – on both parts. They have a dynamic community dining program. This will help build some of that intergenerational gap.”
For Zion leadership, the hope is to open its doors to youth who don’t have grandparents, and seniors who don’t have youth in their lives as a way to prevent isolation for both groups.
“I was fortunate, blessed enough to have known my grandparents,” said Banks, a retired Fairfax County firefighter. “They lived through segregation and the Depression. My grandmothers lived until age 103, with family and support around them. The Village mission is to prevent the isolation of seniors.”
The church pastor said the experience will not only be intergenerationally beneficial, but also work toward improving life expectancy outcomes for District residents living in Ward 7.
“This intergenerational model gives seniors the opportunity to speak with youth which will give them purpose, and will empower youth to value and respect elders. Connecting seniors with youth allows them to share wisdom and for youth, this allows them to learn what it means to get old,” he told The Informer. “This is how we decrease that age disparity.”
He said other ways the program aims to solve the disparity is by providing resources to find health care benefits and offer a platform for seniors to speak directly to a volunteer to ask follow-up questions.
Additionally, the church will continue with its Friendship Cafe, a sit-down lunch gathering Monday through Friday, special game and movie nights for youth, weekly bingo, and field trips around the DMV, which have included Haine’s Point, Martha’s Table for free produce and shopping trips.
Zion’s work with DCVC not only furthers the church’s longtime dedication to community outreach work, but also expands on a personal goal for the pastor.
“My grandmother joined this church when she was a child, so I grew up in this church,” said Banks. “When I became pastor of the church, I started to look at things differently. We were becoming an internal worship body. The focus for me became moving outside of the church. The Village concept was nothing that we were aware of but it was what we were doing. Sharita saw what we were doing and said ‘have I a got a job for you.’”
Growing a National Model
The Villages Movement is a national, free membership effort aimed to help seniors age in place with support from community members and volunteers. In 2016, the average size of a Village was 140 members.
According to a national AARP survey, the majority of Village members are women (71.3%), white older adults (95.7%), and highly educated (25% had college degrees and 58% had graduate degrees). Seventy-four percent of members come from households with an annual income of $50,000 or more and 58% of those surveyed rated their health as excellent, very good, or good, while 14% rated their health as fair or poor.
Fifty-five percent of Village members reported living alone.
“It is actually a public health concern,” said DC Villages Collaborative Executive Director Dr. Katrina Polk. “We’re serious about equity. We have to do something different. As a gerontologist, I look at the Village network as a proactive public health strategy. We’re bursting at the seams and we don’t have an infrastructure in place to meet needs.
Prior to this summer’s growth, there were 13 DC Village Collaboratives. Village on the Avenue at Pennsylvania Avenue Baptist Church launches Aug. 24, followed by Faith North Michigan Park Village on Sept. 19 at Faith United Church of Christ. An additional Village in uptown is next on the horizon.
“DC Village Collaborative plays a vital role, I believe — no, I know — proven how we structure our process to use this as a public health strategy to be a solution,” Polk said.
