 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
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 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!  Piedmont Senior Resources Area Agency on Aging (PSRAAA) staff, and Navona Hart of Real Living Cornerstone, the title sponsor of the Santa for Seniors Program, stand with a check for nearly $10,000 from Meals on Wheels of America. Pictured are, from left, Lisa Wallace, Jamie Anderson, Hart, Justine Young, April Ross and Jordan Miles. 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  The Rev. Dr. Tom Robinson, pastor of Farmville Presbyterian Church, right, recently presented a $500 donation to Piedmont Senior Resources Area Agency on Aging’s home delivered meal program. The home delivered meal program, the largest at the agency, entails homebound seniors receiving healthy, nutritious frozen meals each week in effort to keep them healthy, safe and secure in their homes. “The support from Farmville Presbyterian Church is omnipresent,” said Director of Nutrition and Transportation Jordan Miles. “The church is a stalwart supporter of our agency, and we are proud to have them support us and to partner with them.” Pictured accepting the check is Miles.
 Phyllis Guilliams, pictured, donated more than 150 colorful Easter eggs to the homebound senior clients of Piedmont Senior Resources Area Agency on Aging in celebration of the Easter holiday. The eggs were given out the week of and after Easter to seniors in the agency’s seven-county service area. “We’re very, very thankful for folks like Ms. Guilliams who take time, thinking of our seniors, to create these wonderful reminders that there are members of the community who do care for them,” said Agency Director of Transportation and Nutrition Jordan Miles. For more information on the program, contact Miles at 434-767-5588 or email JMiles@psraaa.org.
 Sylvia Sandelo smiles holding a handmade bracelet at the Piedmont Senior Resources (PSR) Friendship Café at the SCOPE Building on Griffin Boulevard. Seniors across the seven-county area will create their own this week. Creating beautiful jewelry has never been easier at Piedmont Senior Resources Area Agency on Aging’s (PSRAAA) Friendship Cafes. This week, March 5-9, at each of PSRAAA’s eight café sites, seniors are making bracelets, necklaces and other forms of jewelry out of beads. “This activity stimulates our seniors’ minds and hands,” said PSRAAA Director of Nutrition and Transportation Jordan Miles, “enabling them to keep their motor skills sharp so they can not only be creative, but apply these same skills to their daily routines in and outside of their homes.” Site coordinators --- paid, professional PSRAAA staff --- guide and aide the seniors as they create their unique bracelets and in their other planned activities. Friendship cafes are located in Buckingham, Amelia, Cumberland, Charlotte, Lunenburg, Nottoway and Prince Edward counties. Locations can be found online at www.psraaa.org. “Also this month we will have Allison Crews of natural pHuel discuss the topic of ‘Feeding ourselves through spirit, mind and body’ with our seniors,” Miles said.
 PSRAAA Director of Transportation and Nutrition Jordan Miles stands with Prince Edward County resident Phyllis Gulliams, who donated numerous hand-made valentines to the agency recently. In honor of Valentine’s Day and the spirit of love, Prince Edward County resident Phyllis Gulliams recently donated a large quantity of handmade valentines to Piedmont Senior Resources Area Agency on Aging (PSRAAA) for the agency’s homebound seniors in Prince Edward, Buckingham and Lunenburg counties. The valentines --- each wrapped by hand with small, pink and red bags --- were distributed to seniors on Feb. 12 and Feb. 13 in advance of Valentine’s Day. “We’re blessed to have such wonderful, caring and thoughtful people like Ms. Gulliams living in the Heart of Virginia,” said Director of Nutrition and Transportation Jordan Miles. “Through her service in the community, Ms. Gulliams gives back to those in need.”
 Piedmont Senior Resources is starting free year-long diabetes prevention workshops on January 29th at 2:30 pm and January 30th at 5 pm. The classes will be held at our office in downtown Farmville. Attendees obtain a free membership at the YMCA for one year. If you are 60 and over, PSR pays the full cost. If you are under 60, you are still welcome to take the class. For more information or to enroll, contact our office at 434-767-5588 or email psr@psraaa.org.
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