Serving Our Seniors Magazine - July - Sept 2024

Serving Our Seniors REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY 2,799 The number of calls to Serving Our Seniors asking for help. 1,315 Individual older adults who called for help with a question/problem/concern. 217 New older adults calling Serving Our Seniors for the first time. 7,855 The number of rural home delivered meals funded by Serving Our Seniors. 0 Rural Lunch Groups met on Kelley’s Island during January - March 2024. 118 Older adults used weekday transportation funded by Serving Our Seniors. 1,614 1-way trips were taken by older adults who paid a bus fare of $1.50. 22 Older adults used weekday transportation at a reduced bus fare of .50 per ride. 475 1-way trips provided to the 22 people for 50¢ reduced bus fare. 32 Older adults used out of town transportation to get to health care appointments. 53 Trips were driven to take the 32 older adults to their health care appointments. 0 Older adults received a gas voucher to afford travel out of town to their health care appointments, when we were short on volunteer drivers. 7 Older adults took 17 trips using our wheelchair transportation for out of town health care appointments. Affordable Transportation 10 The number of small home repairs. 3 New ramps installed. 124 The number of ramps in service throughout Erie County 220 Medicare counseling sessions (group and individual) Services to Support Independence Nutrition January – March 2024 From the Director The one thing we all have in common is we are all aging. Our cover story is about aging and how time changes our perspective on what is important in life. As you read the stories, I hope you will see it is not just the number of years we have been alive that makes us different. It is also how we are experiencing life, differently, in each passing decade. You are invited to join our efforts to create a positive attitude toward aging by purchasing one of the “Aging is Cool” t-shirts, as seen on the cover. This slogan is the brainchild of the Area Office on Aging – NW Ohio and is used with their permission. Order your t-shirt, sweatshirt or hat online (www.servingourseniors.org) July 15 – July 30, 2024. Wear it often! Be sure to wear it to Senior Fest 2024 (see pg 15 for details). Senior Fest is a celebration of older age, where we portray a newer and truer image of what “old” really means. On pages 6, 13, 17 and 19 are stories to inspire you to do more to live a long and healthy “later life” - physically and socially. Last, but not least, I would like to close with a huge thank you, to U.S. Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur, who invited me, as the Director of Serving Our Seniors, to be her guest at the State of the Union address on March 7, 2024 in Washington DC. It was an experience of a lifetime. Thank you Congresswoman Kaptur. I will be forever grateful. Stay well! Sue Daugherty 220 Medicare Counseling Sessions Education Offered 3