​Seniors across the seven-county service territory created their own sun catchers this week at Piedmont Senior Resources’ (PSR) eight friendship cafes, using their creativity and eye for color to paint clear, plastic ornaments, which they’ll take home with them for their windows and doors.

“The activity not only allows them to be inspired each other’s work, but also allows our seniors to sharpen their motor skills as they hold a paint brush, select colors, and gently apply the paint to the sun catcher,” said Nutrition and Transportation Director Jordan Miles. “This is one of many activities at our friendship cafes we do on a daily basis to help keep seniors in their homes in a safe and secure environment.”

Seniors aged 60 and older are invited to the eight friendship cafes held by PSR in Amelia, Buckingham, Charlotte, Cumberland, Lunenburg, Nottoway and Prince Edward counties. Transportation is offered if seniors cannot attend on their own.

In partnership with the Piedmont Health District/Virginia Department of Health, Piedmont Senior Resources Area Agency on Aging (PSR) will offer free flu shots to seniors age 60 and over living in Amelia, Buckingham, Charlotte, Cumberland, Nottoway, Lunenburg and Prince Edward Counties. 

Health Department professionals will be on hand in late September and early October offering the flu shots at PSR’s eight Friendship Cafes starting at 10 a.m. each day (locations and dates noted below) while supplies last.

There is no need to call or make an appointment, nor do you need to bring any paperwork or information with you, though it is advisable to always have proper identification with you.

“We see this partnership with the Health Department as an awesome way to prevent illnesses in one of the most vulnerable and susceptible populations, who could face life-changing results if diagnosed with the flu,” said PSR Chief Executive Officer Justine A. Young. “We thank David Martin for his willingness to assist us in our common goal of keeping members of our community healthy.”

According to the Center for Disease Control, which advises seniors obtain a flu shot, “it has been recognized for many years that people 65 years and older are at greater risk of serious complications from the flu compared with young, healthy adults because human immune defenses become weaker with age ... So influenza is often quite serious for people 65 and older.”

“All you have to do to qualify for a free flu shot is be age 60 or over and show up at one of our eight Friendship Cafes on the assigned dates. It’s as simple as that,” said Nutrition and Transportation Director Thomas “Jordan” Miles III. 

For more information, call PSR at 434-767-5588.

Locations and dates for flu shots for seniors
All times are 10 a.m.
​
Sept. 18 - Buckingham & Lunenburg Counties
Mount Olive Baptist Church (Buckingham)
16091 N. James Madison Hwy
(P.O. Box 307)
Dillwyn, VA  23936

Lunenburg Senior Center (Lunenburg)
1121 Tidewater Ave
Victoria, VA  23974

Sept. 19 – Nottoway
Crewe Community Center
200 W. Tennessee Ave
Crewe, VA  23930

Sept. 20 - Charlotte County
Blue Stone Harmony Ctr
635 Bluestone Rd
Keysville, VA  23947

Sept. 21 - Cumberland County
Payne Memorial Methodist Church
1 Stoney Point Rd
Cumberland, VA  23040

Sept. 27 - Amelia County
Amelia County Veterans Center
16440 Five Forks Road
Amelia Court House, VA 23002

Oct. 1 - Prince Edward (SCOPE)
SCOPE
505 Griffin Blvd
Farmville, VA  23901

Sept. 26 – Crossroads (Prospect)
Crossroad Senior Citizen Ctr 
2966 Sulphur Spring Rd
Prospect, VA  23960

PURPOSE OF REQUEST:
Piedmont Senior Resources intends to enter into a Contract to procure frozen meals in accordance with applicable state and federal law governing federally-funded meal programs for the year of October 1, 2018 to September 30, 2020. 

RFP SUBMITTAL DEADLINE:
Proposals must be received no later than 12:00 pm Eastern Standard Time on Friday, July 27, 2018.
 
Mail to:                                                           Email to: jmiles@psraaa.org
Thomas Jordan Miles III
Nutrition & Transportation Director
Piedmont Senior Resources Area Agency on Aging
1413 South Main Street
Farmville, VA  23901
Phone:             434-767-5588

To be used July 1 - November 21, 2018
Must be 60 years of age or older
$40 in coupons for farmer's markets in Amelia, Blackstone, and Farmville
Call 434-767-5588 to get your application

Please join us in welcoming Nikki Dean to our Piedmont Senior Resources family!
 
Nikki began working as the Nutrition Program Coordinator in May, helping to oversee the Friendship Cafes and the Home Delivered Meals program. After graduating from Hampden Sydney College, Nikki moved to Richmond, VA and began her career working in the food industry. She has eight plus years working in the food industry in managerial roles and is “very excited to be a part of such a great team here at PSR helping our seniors get the nutrition they need”.
 
Nikki states, “I am truly blessed to have found such an amazing job opportunity where I can do what I love and not only help others, but also have time to spend with my family. I have already met so many amazing people through PSR, and I can’t wait to see where my journey takes me.”
 
Nikki is the daughter of Brenda Reamer and the late Ruben Reamer of Keysville, VA. After the passing of her father, Nikki decided to move back to her home town to be closer to her family. There she got married to Austin Dean of Richmond, VA and had her daughter, Avery, who is now three years old. She enjoys fitness, spending time with her family, and doing crafts and gardening with her daughter.

AARP recently published an article entitled “Maintaining Dignity: A Survey of LGBT Adults Age 45 and Older” by Angela Houghton, which surveyed 1762 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Americans. The trend in America today is to age-in-place within the community, but the sur-vey found that 75% of LGBT respondents have concerns about having enough support from family and friends as they age, and that many of these people are worried that they will need to seek treat-ment in a long-term care facility. While these same anxieties exist among all alder Americans, the LGBT community has the added concern of potential discrimination based on their sexual orienta-tion or gender identity in health care and long-term care as they age, and the respondents indicated a preference for specific LGBT services for older adults.
 
Citation: Houghton, Angela. Maintaining Dignity: Understanding and Responding to the Challenges Facing Older LGBT Americans. Washington, D.C.: AARP Research, March, 2018. https://doi.org/10.26419/res.00217.001

Piedmont Senior Resources, Area Agency on Aging is honored to have as a Member of our Board of Directors, Mrs. Regina Trent. Mrs. Trent has resided in Madisonville, in Charlotte County her entire life, where she still lives with her husband, Johnny. Mr. and Mrs. Trent raised two children in Charlotte County. Their daughter Samantha lives in Rustburg, VA with her husband, James, and their two children, Ethan and Emma; and their son, Adam, lives in Bos-ton, Massachusetts.
 
Mrs. Trent has devoted her entire career to Social Services. She started working at Charlotte County Department of Social Services in 1980 as a Junior Clerk. In 1981, she transferred to Appomattox County Department of Social Services where she remained until her retirement on April 30, 2016. During her 35-year career at Appomattox County DSS, Mrs. Trent held the positions of Clerk II, Food Stamp Clerk and Administrative Services Manager. What she enjoyed the most during those years was the time she spent as a volunteer to help make sure all of the foster children in Appomattox County had Christmas gifts.
 
Nancy Carwile, who is a member of the Charlotte County Board of Supervisors and neighbor of Regina Trent, first introduced Mrs. Trent to Piedmont Senior Resources when asking her to be a member of the Board of Directors. Even though she was not familiar with PSR, their programs and services, true to her dedicated life of service, Regina Trent agreed to serve, stating, “I am willing to learn and do the best I can!” In June of 2016, Regina Trent became a Board Member for PSR.
 
Mrs. Trent would like to see PSR receive enough funding to be able to assist all of the senior citizens who need services in the seven counties that PSR serves. She states, “Since I have been on the Board, I have seen new programs added to help serve the senior population and would like to see even more programs added to enable our seniors to remain in their homes, in a safe environment that meets their needs.”
 
Thank you, Mrs. Regina Trent, for your commitment and dedication!

As a result of a targeted media campaign, strong community partnerships and delivering and packing more than 420 baskets of shampoo, blankets, toiletries and other essential items in December, Piedmont Senior Resources Area Agency on Aging (PSRAAA) recently received a grant of nearly $10,000 from Meals on Wheels of America.
 
The grant funds will be used in furthering the mission of PSRAAA, which include advocating, advancing and achieving independence for the aging community in the counties of Amelia, Buckingham, Charlotte, Cumber-land, Lunenburg, Nottoway and Prince Edward counties.
 
Meals on Wheels of America is supported by Subaru of America in its Share the Love Event. PSRAAA’s promotion of the Share the Love Event served to entice people to purchase more Subaru vehicles, which results in Subaru donating more funds to Meals on Wheels of America.
 
PSRAAA partnered with Navona Hart of Real Living Cornerstone, located in Downtown Farmville on North Main Street. Hart, not only served as the title sponsor of the project, but provided many of the needed supplies to pack the baskets with, along with the use of her real estate office for the “Packing Party,” which takes place just days before the baskets are distributed.
 
The baskets were delivered to seniors in the seven-county service area during the month of December, just in time for Christmas.
 
“This community, as it did during the first Santa for Seniors event in 2016, rallied around this event, which included students and members of the community attending our packing party, held at Hart’s real estate office on North Main Street,” said Lisa Wallace, PSRAAA Director of Programs. The agency was notified of its grant just weeks ago.

“This initiative has touched hundreds and hundreds of seniors in our area by providing them much-needed items during the Christmas season,” said PSRAAA Executive Director Justine Young. “We didn’t give them things like candy and watches and items they couldn’t use, but we gave them shampoo, soap, blankets, toilet paper and canned goods --- all items they definitely can use and may have been without.”

Young said, for some of the seniors, the basket was the only gift they received for Christmas last year.
 
“I take pride in supporting the community I love so much and helping those who live here,” said Hart, whose business contributed a large amount of funds, needed items and space for the project. “This project is a great example of partnering with agencies in nonprofits in Farmville that make a genuine difference in the lives of people.”
 
According to PSRAAA Director of Transportation and Nutrition Jordan Miles, many seniors were touched by the gifts when they were distributed last December.
 
“Our drivers reported emotional scenes when they handed the gift baskets to our clients,” Miles shared. “It was very, very touching and deeply impactful, not only to them, but to our drivers, those who packed the baskets and those who support this worthwhile cause.”

It is fitting that this year we have a Triple Crown Winner with “Justify” because we felt our event was a Triple Crown winner! This year’s Kentucky Derby Gala, “A Racy Affair,” was a great success for PSR and our community. We are so appreciative of our sponsors, attendees and donors. Thank you for making this event our best one yet! This was our third annual Gala which has continued to grow and improve each year. This year our Kentucky Derby Gala cleared over $20,000! We are thrilled with this result.
 
New this year was local band, Cannon Watson and the Porch Gliders. They sounded terrific and contrib-uted greatly to the festive air. We really appreciate their donation! We were also fortunate to have a beautiful horse painting by local artist Audrey Sullivan as an auction item. Our Purse Auction was a great success thanks to the handsome men who willingly modeled the purses for all the ladies. Brad Watson appeared to be the star this year with a beautiful pink purse complimenting his blue suit. However, David Emert did look sharp with that Dooney & Bourke bag! The Purse Auction is so much fun and it raises a good bit of money on its own.
 
Judy and Eddie Reynolds came back again this year with their beautiful team of horses. Guests seemed to enjoy seeing the horses and buggy as much as they loved the ride around the property. Eddie keeps eve-ryone entertained during the rides. Massino’s Casinos once again did a fabulous job with the games. Guests had a great time gambling for fun and winning some great prizes made possible by our many gen-erous donors. I wish I could list them all here.
 
The funds raised during this event ensure that we can provide more services to our area seniors. Some grants require match funding and this allows us to compete for those grants, in turn increasing services offered. PSR is growing year-by-year and increasing services. We want to be here for all seniors. Please call us if you or a loved one, age 60 or over, need assistance with anything. It could be as simple as getting on the right Medicare Plan or as complicated as in-home assistance due to poor health or recent discharge from the hospital.
 
~~~~~~~~~
Justine A. Young, RN, BSN, MBA
Executive Director, PSR