United Church Homes Receives $15,000 to Expand NaviGuide Subsidies for Older Adults

United Church Homes (UCH), headquartered in Marion, Ohio, has received two grants totaling $15,000 to expand access to its NaviGuide service coordination program for low-income older adults in the Columbus area.

The funding includes $10,000 from The Columbus Foundation’s Edythe G. Alberty Fund and $5,000 from The Harry C. Moores Foundation, both supporting subsidies that allow vulnerable older adults and their families to access NaviGuide services at a reduced cost.

NaviGuide is United Church Homes’ service coordination program for older adults and their adult children, providing personalized guidance to help families navigate senior services, healthcare, housing, and community resources. Through this funding, UCH will offer subsidized NaviGuide services to older adults in Franklin and Delaware counties who otherwise may be unable to afford the program’s monthly subscription fee.

“Many older adults want to remain independent but struggle to navigate increasingly complex systems on their own,” said Kim Yoder, NaviGuide program director. “These grants allow us to meet people where they are, build trusted relationships, and connect them to the resources they need to live safely and with dignity.”

The Columbus Foundation works in partnership with individuals, families, and businesses to strengthen and improve the community through the most effective philanthropy possible. Support from the Edythe G. Alberty Fund will help expand NaviGuide’s reach, including assistance for older adults with low vision and those relying on kinship caregivers.

The Harry C. Moores Foundation grant further strengthens UCH’s ability to provide subsidies for older adults facing financial barriers. Combined, the grants will help UCH assist approximately 51 older adults with NaviGuide services for up to three months.

The NaviGuide program serves primarily working adult children—often women—who are caring for aging parents while managing careers and families of their own. Secondary clients include older adults who rely on unpaid family caregiving and seek relief from the burden of navigating senior services alone.

 In 2024, previous NaviGuide subsidy grants allowed UCH to assist 51 low-income older adults in Franklin and Delaware counties. Outcomes included securing housing for a formerly homeless client, connecting individuals to in-network medical and dental care, and helping older adults renew Medicaid coverage they were unable to navigate independently.

“Each year, we see how access to service coordination can dramatically reduce stress for families and improve outcomes for older adults,” Yoder said. “This support allows us to extend that impact to even more people in our community.”

United Church Homes is a 110-year-old national senior living provider, serving more than 7,000 residents in more than 90 owned and managed communities across 15 states and two tribal lands. UCH employs approximately 1,600 people and operates 74 HUD-subsidized affordable housing communities for older adults. The organization ranks as the 19th largest multisite nonprofit senior living organization in the United States, according to the 2024 LeadingAge Ziegler 200 ranking.

UCH’s Columbus footprint includes Canal Village, David’s Way, Pickfair Square, St. Michael’s Community, The Polaris Community, and The Hamlet on Darby, as well as managed communities Wexner Heritage Village, Bexley Senior Housing, Columbus Colony Housing, and Village of Shalom. NaviGuide’s office is located in Columbus, and the UCH Center for Abundant Aging hosts an annual symposium in the city.

“United Church Homes welcomes the opportunity to continue to serve the people of the greater Columbus area with our nonprofit, mission-based services” said Kenneth Young, president and CEO of UCH. “Through services like NaviGuide, UCH is able to expand access to services that promote independence, connection, and abundant aging for older adults and their families.”