Mi Casa Inc, along with our partners, launched Genesis, an intergenerational community that unites older adults and young families in 2015 with the goal of overcoming generations of economic hardship and isolation. At Genesis, young mothers who grew up in foster care live alongside seniors and other community-minded families in a symbiotic relationship where the older adults provide meaningful social support to younger people, who in turn, help support the well-being of the elders as they age. Through the facilitation of community engagement, provision of individual support to residents, and linkages to outside social services, residents at Genesis have made progress in overcoming challenges such as isolation and generational economic hardship.

With the advent of COVID-19, Genesis must now overcome a new wave of challenges. Some have lost their jobs while others have experienced wage reductions. Young parents are grappling with the difficulties of home-schooling young children and many find themselves more isolated and anxious about the future. This is a critical time for the families and older adults we serve at the Genesis Intergenerational Program, and we are working hard to continue to provide a lifeline of support and connection. We have adapted quickly to mitigate the economic crisis’ effects on our residents.

Our staff is conducting remote check-ins with residents to help ensure their basic needs continue to be met, even as they experience loss of work or wages due to the measures taken to control the coronavirus. As we continue to encourage residents to practice social distancing, we have been facilitating a series of check-in connections by phone, and texts between residents by floor. These check-ins include grocery and pharmacy store runs for those who are unable to get to the store or cannot afford deliveries, as well as well-being check-ins to assess residents’ overall ability to manage self-care in this period of increased isolation. In addition, Genesis is making the following adjustments to meet residents’ needs during this challenging time:

1. Community building is still a focus and residents have formed a “buddy system,” as a way of uplifting each other.
2. To maintain social distancing, we have shifted our community activities to events that can be held in the community garden and patio space such as our new farm-to-table project with a local urban farm that encourages healthy eating and highlights the connection between gardening and the food we eat.
3. For parents of school-aged children, we engaged a home-schooling expert to provide guidance and support as they manage the responsibility of educating their children at home for the foreseeable future.
4. We will soon begin a summer series of virtual art classes with a lens of social justice and community connection.

Even with the adaptations we are making, we know we are only beginning to understand the full effects of COVID-19 on Genesis residents and that we can expect more challenging months ahead. Therefore, our focus will remain on effectively developing and implementing timely changes to our programs. Here are a few ways you can support Genesis at this time:

• Donate $50 which will boost our ability to provide continued services. Donate here: https://www.cfp-dc.org/nonprofits/1419/Mi-Casa/
• Follow us on social media: @MiCasaIncDC and @GenesisIntergenerationalProgram
• Share this post with a friend!