Each year, during the month of May, we honor and recognize our older family members, neighbors, and friends for their important service and sacrifice to our country. This year marks an important milestone in the history of how our country supports its older citizens. Since 1965, the Older Americans Act (OAA) has provided programs that allow millions of older Americans to receive the services and supports they need to continue living and thriving in their homes and communities for as long as possible. The 2015 Older Americans Month theme “Get into the Act,” focuses attention on the 50th anniversary of this landmark legislation.
As we celebrate this important anniversary, the Administration for Community Living (ACL) is highlighting the ways the OAA has impacted the lives of older adults and their families across the nation. We’d like to hear how these programs have made a difference in your life, a family member’s life, or in the lives of the people you work with or serve.
Volunteers play an important role in the success of OAA programs by delivering a wide range of services, for example taking people to medical appointments, advocating for nursing home residents, and serving hot meals at senior centers. We welcome those stories as well.
Please share your story with us! Complete the form to upload your short story, photos, and/or video. (Editor's note: we are no longer collecting stories for this anniversary.) We plan to use some of the stories collected in a variety of ways including highlighting them on the ACL website and social media.