The John and Jane Shalam Award to Combat Social Isolation (“Shalam Award”) will be given annually to an individual, non-profit organization, company or university creating and implementing innovative products in this space.

The award honors John and Jane Shalam for their contributions to the consumer technology industry, CTA and the CTA Foundation. Serving as the Founding Chair, John worked with CTA and the initial Board of Trustees to start the CTA Foundation and help the many people facing social isolation challenges around the world.

Thanks to these efforts, the CTA Foundation has provided over $5.8 million in support to non-profit organizations across the United States using technology to improve the lives of seniors and people with disabilities.

This year’s inaugural winner Selfhelp Community Services, was presented the award by CTA President and CEO Gary Shapiro during the annual CTA Hall of Fame Dinner on November 11th in New York.

Selfhelp’s Virtual Senior Center program, developed before the pandemic, has kept older adults connected and built virtual communities. These communities help support the development of strong relationships among the participants and relieve the social isolation of disadvantaged older adults.

Selfhelp Community Services also provides an engaging online program with face-to-face classes, discussion groups and cultural experiences. With over 2000 participants and 28,000 live online classes, Selfhelp has a meaningful impact on the lives of people facing isolation. Selfhelp was announced as the first grant recipient of the CTA Foundation at an event in New York in June 2012.

CTA Foundation looks forward to recognizing innovators each year that live up to the Shalam family’s dream of technology for a greater good.