That’s where the DiStefano Family Care Fund makes a difference.

Thanks to a $15,000 grant from the Essex County Community Foundation (ECCF), AgeSpan will continue providing fast-response support to older adults facing urgent and unexpected expenses. The funding will directly support the AgeSpan DiStefano Family Care Fund, a unique resource designed to cover essential needs that fall outside traditional funding sources.

Over the years, the fund has helped pay for home repairs, overdue utility bills, medications, and other urgent necessities. In one case, it provided a mattress and bedframe for a veteran after his AgeSpan care manager discovered he had been sleeping on the floor. These are often small expenses, but they can have a profound impact on a person’s health, safety, and dignity.

The DiStefano Family Care Fund was established in 1996 when former AgeSpan Executive Director Rosanne DiStefano recognized that even modest financial gaps can put older adults at serious risk. While many funding sources have strict limitations, the DiStefano Family Care Fund was intentionally created to be flexible.

“The unique flexibility of this fund allows our staff to target these resources very specifically to the problem at hand,” DiStefano pointed out. “These funds can be a lifesaver when no other options exist.”

Requests to the fund come from AgeSpan staff who are on the front lines every day: care managers, meal delivery drivers, supportive housing coordinators, and protective services case workers. The AgeSpan Family Caregiver Support Program can also submit requests on behalf of caregivers. Each request is carefully reviewed by program managers, and funding can often be approved and distributed within days.

While the DiStefano Family Care Fund is a relatively small part of AgeSpan’s overall work, its impact is significant. It helps ensure that the right resource, at the right time, can be accessed by older adults across the region to support their choice to live independently with stability and dignity, even in moments of unexpected hardship.

AgeSpan received this ECCF funding through a competitive grant process. To learn more about ECCF, visit https://www.eccf.org/. To support the DiStefano Fund, visit https://agespan.org/donate/.