SALSA Initiative
Successfully Aging and Living in San Antonio (SALSA) is the Area Foundation's latest initiative to create a community where older adults are respected, thrive and enjoy connected lives.
Background
In 2015, using extensive research and conducting more than 50 interviews with community thought leaders, policy makers, and non-profit providers, the Area Foundation explored 14 potential focus areas. Through a process of strategic inquiry, the Area Foundation narrowed its focus to three areas, child welfare, cradle to career, and older adults’ welfare. Bexar County’s anticipated growth of its older adult population—an almost doubling in size in the next 20 years, followed by similar growth rates through the year 2050, provided the impetus to focus the Area Foundation’s next strategic initiative resources on older adult welfare, and created Successfully Aging and Living in San Antonio, or SALSA with the support of its board.
Since that time, a Steering Committee was formed in 2016 to create a governing structure that would shape and inform the strategic direction. Workgroups were also created and met throughout 2017 to focus on developing shared outcomes based on what was learned from older adults’ quality of life desires. Nearly 40 organizations are represented in the structure of the steering committee and workgroups, providing a broad cross-section of community engagement, all focused on older adult needs as this population segment grows substantially. By the end of 2017, a roadmap grounded in Results Based Accountability (RBA) was adopted and will guide the work moving forward.
The Area Foundation, which has intentionally invested time, talent and funding in the progress of this strategic initiative, will now begin integrating the work of SALSA into its seniors’ grant making processes in 2018 and beyond. Reports concerning this work are included below.
Our vision
A community where older adults are respected, thrive and enjoy connected lives.
Our mission
To transform our community by advancing practices and policies that improve the quality of life of vulnerable older adults in Bexar County.
Our guiding principles
- Embrace aging as a gift - Older adults are vital citizens, capable of providing significant contributions to the community and the economy throughout their life. Our work will reflect respect for older adults.
- Plan with the older adult – We value the lived experiences of all older adults. Our work will include and engage older adults in our planning, decision-making and implementation processes.
- Advocate and ensure equity – Multiple systems in our community can create barriers to equitable outcomes for all older adults. Our work will incorporate an awareness of the positive and negative influences that impact all older adults.
- Connect the community – When we collaborate, we are more effective. Our work will coordinate and advocate for, plan, identify, provide, and leverage opportunities and resources across our community.
- Improve quality of life – SALSA will make a difference. Our work will have a demonstrable and positive impact on the lives of older adults.
Download our 2017 End of Year Report
Elders' Summit
In 2016, the San Antonio Area Foundation partnered with the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, University of Incarnate Word, CI: Now, Moriarty Consulting Group and SA2020 to bring together over 100 older adults from across the city. Together they imagined and shared what an age-friendly San Antonio could be. We intend to incorporate their voices into our SALSA initiative and ground our goals in their experiences. Read about their visions in the following report:
Download the Elders' Summit Report
The Case for Change