As we celebrate our 45th anniversary, it is hard not to feel nostalgic about our organization and reflect on why it was established, how our mission has evolved, and how far we’ve expanded geographically. Our work has made a powerful impact, not only on the over 8,000 older adults and families that we work with directly annually, but also on the larger community as a whole. While we celebrate this milestone and the holiday season, the older adults we serve are top of mind.

 

The holidays are a time for celebrations, parties, and get-togethers. But sometimes the holiday season can also be a source of sadness and stress, especially for older adults who may think about how quickly time has passed, or miss loved ones more during this time of year. Health conditions or concerns about money can also make it harder to enjoy the holidays. Since the majority of our participants fall into the oldest, old age population of 75 and over—who are also the most likely to live alone—we are mindful that the holidays may not be such happy times for some older adults. 

 

We think of one of our participants, Joe, a retired schoolteacher, who continued to work after his retirement through the age of 80 doing various jobs to keep busy. Then after he completely stopped working, he found himself at home alone a lot of the time. So when Joe heard about our Congregate Meals Program six years ago, he quickly went to the program to check it out. Since then, Joe has been attending every day. At the program, he is able to eat freshly prepared healthy meals, socialize with other older adults, and engage in fun and educational activities. Joe enjoys it even more when they serve his favorite meals—salisbury steak, chicken parmesan, meatloaf, and pork tenderloin! He is passionate about the program and feels a sense of responsibility to help others. He often volunteers to help with the activities, refers others to the program, and helps the participants who are frail or less fortunate. Because Joe has no relatives around here, he shared that the Congregate Meals Program is very important to him and that without the program, “he would just be home alone.”

 

Aging Care Connections not only provides important programs and services to help older adults age well and age in place, but also helps bring older adults together where they can socialize and engage in activities. Throughout the years, we have been dependent on the generosity of individuals, such as yourself, to continue to provide our critical services, as well as to adapt our services to better meet the changing needs of our aging community. That is why we ask you to please make a contribution to Aging Care Connections during #GivingTuesday in honor of our 45th year of service—a gift to support the important work we do in the 38 communities we serve.

 

Every donation furthers our work as we move into our 46^th year of service. Every donation makes a difference. Every donation is greatly appreciated. Any donation you can make will be put to good use right away.