All of us deserve to have quality of life and place as we age.
Through Embracing Aging, York County Community Foundation educates and advocates on the benefits of applying age equity to community initiatives, primarily in housing and transportation projects. Other tenets include social and civic inclusion and engagement. Age equity is summed up in the form of a simple question, “does it work for people of all ages?” Applying this lens improves livability and quality of life for all. Why? Because if something works well for someone age 8 and age 80, it will most likely work for everyone.
Launched in 2013, Embracing Aging carries on the legacy of donor Anna Gardner who gifted her family’s estate in 1913 to the care of older single women. Today, her legacy supports grants to organizations serving people age 50 and older, with a priority on housing and transportation.
Donor Anna Gardner and Hahn Home Fund Supports Embracing Aging
We are proud to lead York County’s participation in the Age-Friendly PA Initiative, a collaborative effort of the PA Departments of Aging and Community & Economic Development, AARP PA, Grantmakers in Aging, and leaders from Pennsylvania’s Age-Friendly work. These statewide members are working collaboratively to secure Pennsylvania’s membership in the WHO/AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities. We aim to leverage that designation to strengthen and expand the Age-Friendly movement throughout the state, as identified in Aging Our Way, PA, the Commonwealth’s multisector plan for aging.
We are also co-leading Age Friendly York County with the York County Planning Commission. This framework helps communities evaluate how well they support residents as they age and identify practical steps to improve things like housing, transportation, and community design.
As experts in Age-Friendly work, our team speaks at public events on topics related to embracing age-equity at work and in the community. This includes building awareness of the impact of ageism in housing, transportation, and healthcare, as well as strategies to create age-friendly physical spaces, communications, and culture.
Contact Cathy Bollinger, Director of Grantmaking for more information.
YCCF’s DEI Northstar
The York County Community Foundation board and staff are committed to helping make York County a place where everyone can thrive.
We recognize that diversity, equity, and inclusion encompass many dimensions—race and ethnicity, socio-economic background, age, gender, ability, sexual orientation, and other lived experiences. We will continue to
strengthen our knowledge of how systemic barriers, including racism, ageism, ableism, and economic inequity affect our community and our work.
Our decisions and core mission activities—whether in grantmaking, donor cultivation, or civic engagement —will be guided by a commitment to understanding, fairness, access, and belonging. We strive to act with intention and authenticity, learn and share, and foster connections that lead to lasting, equitable progress for all who call York County home.
