Item 3: Career Research Learning and Development Institute 1 pager — original pdf
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Advancing Equitable Aging for African Immigrant Seniors Introduction: Career Research, Learning and Development Institute (CARLDI) is a community-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit serving older African immigrants and other vulnerable seniors in Austin, Texas. CARLDI addresses this critical and often overlooked population, whose challenges include language barriers, cultural dislocation, social isolation, and limited access to aging services. Despite strong professional backgrounds, many are underemployed or excluded from economic participation. Our mission is strongly aligned with AARAC’s commitment to advancing equity, access, and inclusion for historically underserved communities. 2026 Strategic Goals • Serve at least 100 senior immigrants and vulnerable seniors. • Strengthen CARLDI as a trusted immigrant senior resource. • Expand partnerships with city agencies and advisory commissions. • Maintain strong fiscal accountability and program quality. Key Programs and Services • Assimilation and Citizenship, • Workforce, and career reintegration for seniors, • Health benefits, and financial literacy navigation, • Social inclusion programs that reduce isolation like Elders Circle. CARLDI’s Integrated Lifelong Learning Model CARLDI delivers a culturally grounded, year-round model. This holistic approach promotes aging with dignity, assimilation, and integration, reduces isolation, strengthens families, and supports economic independence. Policy Alignment & Community Impact CARLDI aligns with City of Austin equity goals, aging-in-place initiatives, workforce reintegration strategies, and immigrant inclusion policies. By supporting older African immigrants, CARLDI reduces dependency on emergency services, stabilizes multigenerational households, and elevates elders as cultural and civic contributors. Requested Action from AARAC CARLDI respectfully requests AARAC’s support in recommending funding, formal partnership, and policy inclusion for older African immigrants within aging and workforce initiatives. This partnership will enable CARLDI to deliver measurable outcomes in ESL, civics, citizenship education, digital literacy, and financial literacy in 2026. 12/31/2025(WWW.CARLDIINSTITUTE.ORG)