History & Achievements
From SOWN to Connectedly
After 40 years of operating as the Supportive Older Women’s Network (SOWN), we changed our name in 2024 to better reflect our identity and purpose. Connectedly serves all older Philadelphians and strengthens community supports to live connectedly. The social connections gained through participation in Connectedly’s programs are key to healthier living and improved quality of life.
Achievements
2024
• Connectedly’s Philly Families Read Together program was featured on Fox29 Philadelphia
• Connectedly’s Philly Families Read Together program was featured on CBS News
• Connectedly’s Healthy Lives program was featured on 6abc Action News
• Rebranded as Connectedly
2023
• Director of Programs Lori Latimer spoke as a panelist for the Brookdale Foundation Conference
• GrandFamily Educator Dionne Wright Chambers spoke as a panelist for the Family Literacy Program Spotlight at the William Penn Foundation’s first Family Literacy Summit, and Director of Programs Lori Latimer facilitated the Caregiver Spotlight panel
• Director of Programs Lori Latimer and GrandFamily Educator Carly Handley presented at the IEL’s National Conference for Community Schools and Family Engagement on strategies to engage grandfamilies in literacy and education
• Selected by the City’s Office of Innovation and Technology’s Digital Forms Team to represent older adults in a research project to make digital forms more user-friendly
2022
• Awarded a Great Learning Grant from the William Penn Foundation to expand the GrandFamily Resource Center to include case management and family support services
• Winner of Impact100 Philadelphia’s Core Mission grant
• Winner of The Transition Network Philadelphia Giving Circle Fund of the Philadelphia Foundation’s grant
• Winner of the Community Champions Awards & Grants Challenge by the City of Philadelphia for serving communities in need during the Covid-19 pandemic
• Awarded a grant from Carnegie Corporation of New York to equip grandparents raising grandchildren to effectively engage with schools
2021
• Awarded a grant from Temple’s COVID-19 Trauma Informed Workforce Initiative Fund to conduct Covid-19 education and vaccine outreach
• Completed Bridgespan’s Achieving Strategic Clarity program to develop tools for guiding strategic planning and organizational decision-making
2020
• Winner of the GSK IMPACT Award for working hand-in-hand with our community to improve health
• Awarded a COVID-19 Fund grant from United Way GPSNJ, Philadelphia Foundation, and the City of Philadelphia to serve families during the Covid-19 pandemic
• Underwent leadership transition with Founding Executive Director Merle Drake resigning, and long-standing Director of Programs Marypat Tracy named as Executive Director
2019
• Completed the Pew Fund’s Evaluation Capacity Building Initiative to strengthen evaluation and learning practices
• Philly Families Connect Coordinator Arlene Segal was honored by PCA’s Emergency Fund
2018
• Philly Families Read Together was established with a multi-year grant from the William Penn Foundation
• Social Worker Deborah Davis was awarded ARTZ Philadelphia’s Community Catalyst Award
• Awarded a Digital Literacy Alliance grant to teach computer skills to grandparent caregivers
2017
• Founder Merle Drake was honored as an advocate for women and girls by WOMEN’S WAY at the 40th Anniversary Powerful Voice Awards
2016
• Awarded a finalist grant by Impact100 Philadelphia
2014
• GrandFamily Resource Center was featured on Channel 6 Action News
2010
• Selected by Facebook fans as the winning charity of the Live Nation World Lilith Fair Award
2009
• Healthy Lives program was established with a federal grant from the Administration on Aging (one of 14 nationally)
2008
• Awarded the Alfred and Mary Douty Foundation Award for distinctive service to the community
• Awarded the GlaxoSmithKline Community Impact Award for excellence in community healthcare
2006
• GrandFamily Resource Center was established with a grant from Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Local Initiative Funding Partners
2005
• A study by Thomas Jefferson University found our Telegroup program to effectively reduce depression in participants
1999
• Awarded the national SHARE Leadership Award by GlaxoSmithKline
1997
• Our nationally recognized group model was published in Self-Help Support Groups for Older Women: Rebuilding Elder Networks through Personal Empowerment
1984
• Organization was founded by Merle Drake