Gaston College has been awarded a $1.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration to further solidify its presence as a leader in textile innovation and technology advancement. The purpose of the grant is to leverage assets and increase the capabilities of the Fiber Innovation Center.
All too often, we receive news reports about scams and fraudulent schemes that target older adults, at times with devastating results to an individual’s financial well-being and quality of life. The Cabarrus County Task Force to Prevent Abuse of Older and Disabled Adults is working to change that, and Centralina Area Agency on Aging (AAA) has been an integral part of the Cabarrus task force efforts since its inception in 2010. This article details recent data on scams involving older adults, a recap of the 2023 Cabarrus County Scam Jam and provides resources you can use to help prevent, identify and report fraud.
PBS North Carolina sat down with staff from Centralina Area Agency on Aging to learn more about PEARLS for its NCimpact episode on mental health and older adults. PEARLS (Program to Encourage Active Rewarding Lives) is a community- and evidence-based pilot program designed to reduce depression in physically impaired and socially isolated people. Listen to Aging Program Coordinators, Amanda Dawson and Kamiya Williams, as they discuss the elements of the program, how they measure progress and how this initiative has impacted participants.
Older and disabled adults are especially vulnerable during extreme weather events and to emergencies that often come without warning, such heatwaves, major flooding, electric outages and pandemics like COVID-19. While emergencies are out of our control, there are a number of things to do ahead of time to get and stay ready. In honor of Emergency Prepardness Month, Centralina Area Agency on Aging have prepared a checklist of things you can do to stay safe before, during and after an emergency or natural disaster.
On June 8, 2023, the Iredell Industry & Education Alliance, a collaboration of private and public sector leaders, launched Iredell Ready, a county-wide workforce initiative designed to help students and residents, K-12 through retirement age, identify opportunities to pursue individual career pathways and employment with industries in Iredell County. This collaborative effort helps to promote lifelong learning and helps to close an existing skills gap for Iredell County employers.
Centralina Regional Council is a regional organization focused on addressing the needs of member communities in our nine-county area and working collaboratively on issues that impact our region. We examine national, state and local trends impacting our member governments and identify their potential impacts to determine best practices for meeting needs and addressing challenges. This brief dives into current regional trends and how they are currently being addressed by Centralina, as well as how they will continue to be addressed in upcoming years.
2023 marks 30 years since the establishment of the Clean Cities Program through the Department of Energy (DOE). Centralina Clean Fuels Coalition (CCFC) is one of over 75 coalitions nationwide that work at the local level to advance clean, affordable transportation fuel technologies and systems along with energy-efficient mobility systems. This past month, our CCFC team was out and about in our region and beyond, championing issues surrounding clean energy and enhanced mobility.
The American Recovery Plan Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law are recent Congressional Acts that distributed a number of grants and program funding to local and state governments throughout the United States. Centralina Regional Council has assisted several of our member governments in securing these funds and helping with follow-up reporting. Our collaborative work has allowed us to observe and analyze patterns in our region and opportunities to address gaps and discrepancies going forward.
Three major pieces of recently-passed legislation, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) Act, together provided more than $2 trillion in new federal spending. With so many funding streams available, and some only for a limited time, it is critical to develop a grants strategy. A thoughtful strategy will maximize your ability to apply for relevant grants, while preventing squandering resources on less pertinent programs.
Southeast Crescent Regional Commission (SCRC) is an economic development partnership agency whose mission is “to build sustainable communities and strengthen economic growth across the Southeast Region.” Member governments across the Centralina region are some of the hundreds of counties and municipalities who can benefit from grant opportunities offered through the commission.