The Reno Seniors EngAGED initiative has launched for 2024, featuring a diverse array of events. These include technology classes offered in both English and Spanish, a resource fair, and educational engaging guest speaker event regarding fraud prevention. Each event had a great attendance, and we are looking forward to many more events in the days ahead.
In 2023, the City of Reno was allocated one million dollars of ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds for senior services. Part of that funding was allocated to Reno Food Systems as well as Neighbor Network of Northern Nevada. We are thrilled to be able to collaborate with each agency.
Reno Food Systems is a non-profit 5-acre urban farm with a mission to be farmers, mentors, and advocates stewarding lands and sharing food & resources for the well-being of our earth, community, and future generations.
Reno Food Systems is taking a systems-based approach with its food-based senior programming. They will be collaborating with UNR’s Cooperative Extension to provide cooking classes for seniors to connect, share recipes and ideas on how to cook meals that are budget-friendly, healthy, and nutritious. Additionally, they are proactively working on activating the Paradise Park Community Garden in partnership with the Center for Healthy Aging, creating weekly produce distributions to senior housing facilities around Reno and partnering with Neighbor Network of Northern Nevada to provide transportation to their weekly farm stand where those over 60 can utilize free, farmers market coupons to support the local economy.
Neighbor Network of Northern Nevada Presents N4 Connect
“The ability to get around is essential to life, and it’s something that too many people were previously lacking,” said Neighbor Network
of Northern Nevada Executive Director Amy Dewitt-Smith. “This is the impetus behind N4 Connect.”
N4 Connect helps people access affordable supplemental transportation. Through the program, people with disabilities and elders 60+ who live in either Reno or Sparks are eli- gible for $80 in free Lyft ride credits a month, with the option to buy an additional $80 in ride credits for $40 (a 50% discount). To use the vouchers, rides must either start or stop in Washoe County.
A special thank you to the City of Sparks and City of Reno Senior Citizen Advisory Committee members for their support of senior transportation programs.
Anticipate the arrival of Older Americans Month in May 2024 as the City of Reno Senior Citizen Advisory Committee gears up fora series of exciting events and activities scheduled throughout the entire month. The City of Reno Senior Citizen Advisory holds monthly meetings on the second Tuesday of the month at 2pm located at the McKinley Arts and Culture Center in the Board Room.
For further details or information regarding senior initiatives, please contact seniors@reno.gov or visit reno.gov/seniors.
