“Blaze a Trail: The Story this Flower Tells…”
Released by Kendra Dixon, ucpcog.org
Older adults are a growing and vital part of our country. Their contributions to our communities are varied, deeply rooted, and include influential roles in the nation’s economy, politics, and the arts.
People such as Anne Johnson who lived to be 94 years old was a great senior advocate and the Ann Johnson Institute for Senior Center Management was named after her by the NC Division of Aging and Adult Services. The famous actor, 62 year old Jackie Chan, is known for being a great humanitarian that gives to several foundations that we all are familiar with such as UNICEF, Red Cross, and more. Maya Angelou is another senior that was a civil rights activist that passed away in 2014 at the age of 86, but left us with a blazing trail of amazing arts in the form of teachings, books, poetry, and more.
In 1963, we began to acknowledge the contributions of older people by using the month of May to celebrate Older Americans Month (OAM). Led by the Administration for Community Living, the annual observance offers the opportunity to learn about, support, and celebrate our nation’s older citizens. This year’s theme, “Blaze a Trail,” emphasizes the ways older adults are reinventing themselves through new works, new passions, engaging with their communities, and blazing a trail of positive impact on the lives of people of all ages.
While the Area Agency on Aging of Region L provides community-based services to older adults year-round, we will honor OAM of 2016 by focusing on how older adults in our community are leading and inspiring others, how we can support and learn from them, and how we might follow their examples to blaze trails of our own. Throughout the month, the Area Agency on Aging of Region L will have a short story/photo contest that will give participants a chance to share their stories that have been the highlights of their growth in age.
Many of these experiences may be reflections of the benefits of the programs that we offer at our agency such as the Evidence-Based Health Promotions, the Local Contact Agency, Family Caregiver Support Program, Senior Community Service Employment program, and more. We encourage you to get involved by participating in the services and/or events in Region L and sharing your stories, volunteering in the local area, or attending organizational events.
For rules and to enter your short story/photo, contact Kendra Dixon at 252.234.5959 or via email.
More online at acl.gov/olderamericansmonth.
