NEK Council on Aging Celebrates May as Older Americans Month

In 1965, Congress enacted the Older Americans Act, which established the U.S. Administration on Aging (AoA) and state agencies on aging to address the social needs of older Americans. The Act is considered the major vehicle for promoting the delivery of social services to the aging population and provides a majority of the funding for the five Vermont Area Agencies on Aging to deliver a vast array of programs and services to area Vermonters. The Act is up for re-authorization in 2019 and hopes are that it will pass unanimously, just as it did during its last re-authorization in 2016.

To draw awareness to the value of the Older Americans Act, the month of May is designated National Older Americans Month. The theme this year is Connect, Create, and Contribute.

“The Older Americans Act funds programs that allow older Americans to live in their homes as they age. The Act supports nutritional programs such as Meals on Wheels, wellness programs, transportation, care-giver support, in-home services for safety, chore services, information and referral services, and so much more,” said Meg Burmeister, Executive Director of the NEK Council on Aging.

“All Vermonters are aging, and we need Vermonters of every age to make our communities into the places we want to live,” said Burmeister. “Older Vermonters contribute to our state and local governments, own businesses, and provide care for younger family members. They provide knowledge and experience to younger generations, shop locally, enjoy local entertainment and recreation, and volunteer in our communities. We need to recognize the contributions that older Vermonters make and how they make Vermont the place where we all want to live.”

This year, the Council is celebrating 40 years of service to NEK communities.

“The NEK Council on Aging traces its roots to 1974 when the Northeastern Vermont Development Association secured a grant to launch Project Seniors in St. Johnsbury. This was the second program of its kind in the state and offered a gathering place for older Vermonters to share a meal and visit with their neighbors,” said Burmeister. “By 1979, with funding from the Older Americans Act, together with local and state resources, the program had grown to meet additional community needs in Caledonia, Orleans and Essex Counties. Civic leaders formed a Consumer Board to shepherd efforts to create the Northeast Kingdom Council on Aging, Inc., a registered non-profit corporation doing business as the Area Agency on Aging for Northeastern Vermont.”

In addition to celebrating its 40th anniversary, the Council has a special fundraising event planned. They have invited the comedy and musical troupe Say It Forward Productions to present “Our Third Act – Stories of Grace and Inspiration” on Saturday, June 8th at 7 p.m. at the South Church in St. Johnsbury.

“This performance is meant to be a light-hearted and fun-filled evening for the whole family where we honor the stage in life that is often filled with gratitude, serenity, reflection, and wisdom,” said Burmeister. “We wish to invite everyone to join us as we honor our older friends and neighbors, some of our most independent, vibrant, and engaging community members.” Tickets are $15 each and available at www.catamountix.org.

For more information on the NEK Council on Aging’s programs and services, and to sign up for their quarterly newsletter, visit www.nekcouncil.org.