 PSR Director of Transportation and Nutrition Jordan Miles, left, stands with Kathryn Baerwald, Executive Director, Impact 1890, LLC. Impact1890, LLC, a Lutheran church-based philanthropic entity dedicated to helping seniors age in place, recently visited Piedmont Senior Resources (PSR) Area Agency on Aging.
Kathryn Baerwald, Executive Director, Impact 1890, LLC, visited the nonprofit area agency on aging, meeting with directors and employees of the agency, seeking to qualify the impact of the $15,500 grant for PSR’s newest program, non-emergency senior medical transportation. “We’re so thankful for the grant from Impact1890 and for Ms. Baerwald’s visit,” said Justine Young, CEO of PSR. “Her visit was an opportune time for us to show her organization how our seniors here in the Heart of Virginia have directly benefited from their grant funding.” Overall, PSR has received more than $150,000 in successful grant applications for the new and expanding non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) program, along with more than $1,500 in private donations and fundraisers. Since the senior medical transportation program kicked off in mid-December, the nonprofit’s sole five-passenger, handicap-accessible minivan has been on the road every day of the week, and has successfully transported seniors to nearly 200 medical appointments, ranging from dental visits, routing check-ups, and specialized appointments. Seniors, ago 60 and older, residing in Amelia, Buckingham, Charlotte, Cumberland, Nottoway, Lunenburg and Prince Edward, are eligible for service. Seniors interested in the program only need call 1-866-392-8432, PSR’s dedicated transportation toll-free telephone number, to determine qualification and schedule an appointment. According to Impact1890’s website, “In 2014, the Board of Trustees of National Lutheran Communities & Services (NLCS) authorized the establishment of a grant-making program to award funding to other non-profit organizations that provide services primarily to underserved seniors. Since that time, nearly $1 million in grants have been made to more than 50 organizations.” “We want our phones to ring off the hook with seniors calling to schedule medical appointments,” said PSR Transportation and Nutrition Director Jordan Miles. “The seniors we have transported are so, so thankful for this service. Our team of dedicated volunteer drivers and paid staff are steadfast in our mission to safely transport our clients to and from their medical appointments while advocating for their independence in their homes.”  Virginia legislators in the Senate and House of Delegates recently honored Piedmont Senior Resources (PSR) Area Agency on Aging for its work in advocating, advancing and achieving independence for the aging community in the Heart of Virginia.
The honor came in the form of a Senate Joint Resolution sponsored by Sen. Mark Peake, a loyal supporter of PSR; Del. James Edmunds, another agency supporter, co-sponsored the commending resolution, making it a joint resolution by both houses of the legislature. “We’re supremely proud and humbled by this resolution honoring and commending our agency,” said PSR CEO Justine A. Young. “We’re thankful for this honor and very thankful for the effort of Sen. Peake, Del. Edmunds, and all other legislators in Richmond who share our agency and staff’s steadfast commitment to helping seniors age gracefully, advocating for their independence and well-being.” Before the resolution was adopted, the Senate of Virginia recognized and welcomed to the Capitol Director of Nutrition and Transportation Thomas Jordan Miles III, who was lobbying with the Virginia Association of Area Agencies on Aging and PSR. The resolution highlights the work that PSR has performed in the seven-county area of Amelia, Buckingham, Charlotte, Cumberland, Lunenburg, Nottoway and Prince Edward counties for more than 40 years. Full text of the resolution is below. VIRGINIA SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 428 Offered February 15, 2019 Commending Piedmont Senior Resources Area Agency on Aging, Inc. ---------- Patrons-- Peake; Delegate: Edmunds ---------- WHEREAS, for over 40 years, the Piedmont Senior Resources Area Agency on Aging, Inc., has played a vital role in helping local residents age with dignity by providing education, advocacy, and support; and WHEREAS, the goal of Piedmont Senior Resources is to promote the maximum level of independence for persons 60 years of age and older, and to ensure that older residents of Buckingham, Cumberland, Amelia, Nottoway, Lunenburg, Charlotte, and Prince Edward counties live as an integral part of society, with access to programs and services that meet their needs and preferences; and WHEREAS, to that end, Piedmont Senior Resources offers numerous programs, including a post-hospitalization program to decrease readmissions and a medical transportation program; major growth and expansion in recent years includes budget growth of over a half a million dollars and the No Wrong Door community expansion, with nutrition delivery growth up from 20,000 meals annually to 100,000 annually over the last four years; and WHEREAS, key volunteers play a crucial role in supporting the Piedmont Senior Resources, namely Navona Hart of Real Living Cornerstone, Sidney Allen of Rochette’s Florist, and Nash Osborn and Matt Hurley of The Fishin’ Pig; other key volunteers include the volunteer advisory council; the board members; and students at Longwood University, Hampden-Sydney College, and Southside Virginia Community College; and WHEREAS, Piedmont Senior Resources has been recognized with awards and grants by local, state, and national organizations including a Workplace Development Award, a No Wrong Door Award from the Department of Aging and Rehabilitation, and grants from Meals on Wheels of America, Subaru, the Centra Foundation, the Department of Rails and Transportation, Dominion Power, the Walter Payne Foundation, Norfolk and Southern Railroad, and Hampden-Sydney College; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend the Piedmont Senior Resources Area Agency on Aging, Inc., for playing a vital role in helping local residents age with dignity by providing education, advocacy, and support for over 40 years; and, be it RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Piedmont Senior Resources Area Agency on Aging, Inc., as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration for its efforts to foster independence and healthy aging, and improve the quality of life for older adults, their families, and their caregivers through comprehensive programs and services.  Piedmont Senior Resources Area Agency on Aging is growing it’s home delivered meal program for homebound seniors (age 60 and older). We proudly serve Amelia, Buckingham, Charlotte, Cumberland, Lunenburg, Nottoway and Prince Edward counties!
Weekly Delivery between 8:00am-Before 4:00pm • 5 Frozen Meals/week • Low-Salt • Heart Healthy • Nutritionally Balanced • Easy to Heat • Menu Variety and New Menus! • Caring Drivers • Senior Christmas Gifts/Emergency Shelf Stable Boxes Call Jordan Miles or Nikki Dean at 1-800-955-6918 today to secure your weekly senior meals!  Pictured are, from left, H-SC students Charles Zambetti, Robert Reidy, Patrick Neale and Miles. Piedmont Senior Resources Area Agency on Aging recently received a grant from the Hampden-Sydney College (H-SC) Philanthropy Class for $2,500 for its new senior medical transportation program.
“PSR was very excited and pleased to work with these students,” said Jordan Miles, Director of Transportation and Nutrition. “The students conducted research, assessments, and interviews with clients and our staff to afford themselves a unique view into what our agency and our team does on a daily basis.” After learning about each of the many programs the agency offers for seniors aged 60 and older, including home delivered meals, insurance counseling, care coordination, and homemaker/companion services, the students were inspired by the agency’s new non-emergency medical transportation program. “The students visited with seniors who had been on our medical transportation waiting list for months and months,” Miles said. “Because of their work and advocacy, I’m pleased to say our team has transported numerous seniors and have successfully completed more than 55 medical appointments — medical, follow-up, therapy-related, dialysis, cardiovascular, dental and other appointments that may have otherwise been missed due to our clients’ barriers.” PSR’s senior medical transportation, which has been funded through grants from the Centra Foundation, the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation, and other grants and individual donations, is available to seniors who don’t have access to private or public transportation, or who have barriers to getting to their medical appointment. Seniors interested in the service should call 434-767-5588 or email jmiles@psraaa.org. Seniors in Amelia, Buckingham, Charlotte, Cumberland, Lunenburg, Nottoway and Prince Edward are eligible.  PSRAAA Driver Wayne Gough, right standing, prepares to take Henry Fulcher, seated, and his wife Joyce, to a non-emergency medical appointment. Henry Fulcher was PSRAAA’s first client of this new program, providing safe, reliable transportation for seniors in the seven-county service area. Piedmont Senior Resources Area Agency on Aging (PSRAAA) has expanded its services to provide safe and reliable non-emergency transportation to senior citizens in its seven-county service region.
“Through a grant from the Department and Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) --- which included a local match --- we were able to secure funding for a five-passenger, handicap-accessible minivan,” said PSRAAA CEO Justine A. Young, RN, BSN. “We’ve worked for many months with staff and DRPT and the Department of Motor Vehicles to make this dream a reality for the seniors of our community, who need and deserve a safe, affordable way to get to their doctor’s appointments.” Young gave special credit to the Centra Foundation, the Impact 1890 Foundation and Davita Dialysis, for their contributions and support. PSRAAA provides companion services, Medicare insurance counseling, care coordination, home-delivered meals, friendship cafes, money management, and many other services to seniors who live in Amelia, Buckingham, Charlotte, Cumberland, Lunenburg, Nottoway and Prince Edward counties. According to Young, in past Health Needs Assessments and surveys done by Centra Southside and STEPS Inc. among others, transportation has been ranked in the top three needs locally. “We’ve had more than 10 successful appointments to date --- appointments for seniors who are living on fixed incomes with barriers to transportation who may not have otherwise been able to get to their doctor or health care professional to address their needs. These are seniors living in isolated areas with very isolated social interaction,” said Thomas Jordan Miles III, PSRAAA Director of Nutrition and Transportation. “We want to increase that, and we’re looking for clients and appointments.” The program is currently accepting appointments from seniors living in all seven counties in the PSRAAA region, though active service is only being offered currently to seniors living in Prince Edward and Farmville and surrounding neighborhoods traveling to doctors’ offices in Prince Edward and surrounding neighborhoods. In the coming months, PSRAAA will offer active service to seniors living in all seven counties. “This should not discourage our seniors from calling and getting their appointments on our schedule,” Miles said. “All you have to do is call us, no matter where you live. You can go ahead and get your appointment on our schedule, even if it’s several months out.” Miles said the agency is also looking for volunteer drivers to safely transport seniors to and from their medical appointments. “For anyone who wants to give back to this community, this is a very easy, satisfying way to serve our senior population,” Miles said. “Having driven appointments, I can tell you the social interaction is very, very rewarding for both the client and the driver.” PSR plans on transporting veterans to the Veterans Affairs Hospital once a month in the coming months. Through 2020, PSRAAA has DRPT vouchers to offset the costs of service for seniors who qualify, using the Federal Poverty Guideline Sidling Scale.  To be eligible:
-Must be age 60 and older -Unable to access transportation, public or private -Live in Prince Edward and have an appointment in Prince Edward (service area will expand in coming months) Hours of Operation: Monday-Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. *All charges for transportation services are payable in advance If you are seeking non-emergency medical transportation, you must call PSRAAA’s Transportation Hotline, 434-767-5588 or 1-800-995-6918 at least (7) seven business days (not including weekends or holidays) before the appointment/requested date that transportation is needed. Exciting news! For the eleventh year running, the Meals on Wheels network is participating in the Subaru Share the Love Event. Over the past ten years, Subaru and its retailers have helped Meals on Wheels to deliver nearly 2 million meals nationwide to seniors in need. Why does Subaru support Meals on Wheels? Too many seniors are struggling to stay independent and healthy. One in four seniors lives alone in isolation and one in seven seniors might not know from where their next meal is coming. This is simply unacceptable, which is why Piedmont Senior Resources provides the nutritious meals, friendly visits and safety checks to the seniors of the Piedmont area. This vital support keeps seniors in their own homes, where they want to be. We’re incredibly grateful to Subaru and its retailers for supporting our organization and the seniors we serve. With that in mind, we thought you might want to learn a little bit more about the Subaru Share the Love Event. HERE’S HOW IT WORKS This November 15, 2018, through January 2, 2019, for every new Subaru vehicle purchased or leased, Subaru will donate $250 to the customer’s choice of participating charities.* Meals on Wheels is one of four national participating charities and has been since the inception of the event. Through this event, as a member of Meals on Wheels America, Piedmont Senior Resources will receive a share of the donation from Subaru vehicles sold in Virginia. You might not be in the market to purchase a new car, but if you are, please look into the Subaru Share the Love Event to learn more. If you’re not shopping for a new vehicle, you can still help by spreading the word to your family and friends. A few quick and easy ways to do that:
And remember: this holiday season you can ensure our senior neighbors are not forgotten, when you buy or lease a new Subaru and select Meals on Wheels as your charity of choice. *Disclaimer: Subaru will donate $250 for every new Subaru vehicle sold or leased from November 15, 2018, through January 2, 2019, to four national charities designated by the purchaser or lessee. Pre-approved Hometown Charities may be selected for donation depending on retailer participation. Certain participating retailers may make an additional donation to the Hometown Charities selected. Purchasers/lessees must make their charity designations by January 31, 2019. The four national charities will receive a guaranteed minimum donation of $250,000 each. See your local Subaru retailer for details or visit subaru.com/share. All donations made by Subaru of America, Inc.   Senior citizens taking part in Piedmont Senior Resources Area Agency on Aging’s Friendship Café at the SCOPE Center in Farmville designed and decorated their own pumpkins on Monday, just in time for Halloween. The pumpkins came from Dark Leaf Farms in Appomattox County. Seniors at all eight Friendship Cafes have enjoyed painting pumpkins that, not only allow for fun and conversation, but sharpening motor skills while painting and concentrating on the images they seek to apply to the pumpkin. “This is one of the many activities we offer at our popular Friendship Cafes,” said Director of Transportation and Nutrition Jordan Miles. “We offer and provide health assessments, flu shots, a hot, nutritious meal, exercises, fellowship, informational presentations, and more, and we provide transportation to and from each site in Amelia, Buckingham, Cumberland, Charlotte, Lunenburg, Nottoway and Prince Edward counties.” Pictured are, from left, Evelyn “Artie” Moody, Kathleen Kellam, Alberta Redd, Grace Foulks, Louise Burnside, Blanche Brown, Flossie Hudson. To learn more about PSR’s friendship cafes, call 434-767-5588 or email jmiles@psraaa.org.
 Seniors at Piedmont Senior Resources’ Friendship Cafes recently painted pumpkins to celebrate Halloween. The pumpkins came from Dark Leaf Farms in Appomattox County. This week and next, seniors at all eight Friendship Cafes will enjoy painting pumpkins that, not only allow for fun and conversation, but sharpening motor skills while painting and concentrating on the images they seek to apply to the pumpkin. “This is one of the many, many activities we offer at our popular Friendship Cafes,” said Director of Transportation and Nutrition Jordan Miles. “We offer health assessments, flu shots, a hot, nutritious meal, exercises, fellowship, informational presentations, and more, and we provide transportation to and from each site in Amelia, Buckingham, Cumberland, Charlotte, Lunenburg, Nottoway and Prince Edward counties.” Pictured are, from left, Isabel Hall, Mildred Garland, Lois Carpenter, Ann Jackson, Rachel Dove and Peggy Green. To learn more about PSR’s friendship cafes, call 434-767-5588 or email jmiles@psraaa.org.
Update:
Because of the significant improvements in restoring power in Lunenburg last night and early this morning, both Lunenburg 1 and 2 Piedmont Senior Resources (PSR) home delivered meal routes will run on schedule today, Tuesday, in addition to the makeup of the Cumberland Route, the completion of the Charlotte Route, Prince Edward 1 Route, and the normal Buckingham Route. Both Lunenburg and Buckingham friendship cafes are open today, though no transportation is being provided to the Lunenburg site due to road closures. ----------------------- Piedmont Senior Resources’ (PSR) friendship cafes in Buckingham and Lunenburg are open tomorrow, Tuesday, Oct. 16. Due to road closures, no transportation will be provided for Lunenburg’s friendship café. The Lunenburg #1 home delivered meal route, covering Victoria, will go as scheduled Tuesday. The more rural Lunenburg #2 route will be run Wednesday due to continued power outages in Lunenburg. Home delivered meal routes will be completed and made up Tuesday in Charlotte, Buckingham, Cumberland and Prince Edward. Home delivered meal routes will be completed and made up Wednesday in Lunenburg, Prince Edward and Nottoway. Home delivered meal routes will go as scheduled Thursday in Charlotte. Home delivered meal routes will go as scheduled Friday in Cumberland and Amelia (double meals to make up from last Friday). Please direct any questions to Jordan Miles at 434-767-5588. |