DeKalb County Senior Center Without Walls: Virtual Village

About the Program

Category: Human Services (Best in Category)

Year: 2021

At the beginning of 2020, countless counties, including DeKalb County Georgia, faced a critical challenge of safety for citizens while still providing essential services. DeKalb County Human Services Department was not any different. While the fear of isolation and potential gaps in services loomed for the county’s most venerable Human Services Department moved quickly to continue its mission of maximizing independence and quality of life by establishing a functional and easy to navigate online platform for all County’s Senior Population; DeKalb Senior Center Without Walls: A Virtual Village for Seniors.Recognizing the biggest concern for the department was continuing to provide essential care for the county’s vulnerable population in a time of crisis DeKalb County developed the Virtual Village as a way to streamline services, cultivate up to date information on Pandemic related topics and County services and provide a safe social setting for continued engagement among the community. In under a month, DeKalb County swiftly moved its expansive class catalog online-connecting instructors with the senior participants without a significant drop-off in participation.