LOA News and Notes

LOA News

& Notes

November 2024

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Helping Older Persons Remain Independent for as Long as Possible.

Help Us Fill the Plate of Services

With more than 30 community-based services, the Local Office on Aging continues to strive to fulfill its mission of helping older persons remain independent for as long as possible.

But we can’t do it alone. Make your gift to LOA and help us fill the plate of services, where it is needed most.

$1,000 enables LOA to help more seniors with Transportation to the doctor, pharmacy, or grocery store. Costs have risen drastically for this vital service. We provided more than 11,000 rides for more than 1,600 seniors in 2023.
$500 assists one senior with In-Home Care. 100 clients received Personal Care Services in 2023. The waiting list is nearly twice that number.
$250 delivers 30 Meals on Wheels, or 20 Diner's Club lunches. Volunteers delivered more than 114,000 meals last year. This year, Meals on Wheels is expected to have its first significant waiting list since before 2020.
$100 gives eligible seniors much needed Legal Assistance, such as creating Power of Attorney documents and Living Wills.
$50 provides 5 people with Emergency Services, including the provision of a cane or walker, Cooling Assistance, or LOA's Emergency Food Pantry.

Who does LOA help? It could be your mother, your neighbor, or it could even be you. “Thank you for being here for us older people. It is not easy getting old!”

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Karis Christmas for Seniors

Please join LOA and Karis Care Services to brighten the holidays for seniors in our community!

Our seniors who otherwise may not receive a gift this holiday season have signed up for this year's Karis Christmas for Seniors program. You can select a gift tag - with a gift wish for a senior who receives LOA's services - from a tree at LOA, purchase that gift, and wrap and return it to LOA for holiday delivery!

Gift tags on trees will be available to the public starting the week of November 12 (LOA's office is closed Monday, November 11), at LOA's main office, 4932 Frontage Road NW, Roanoke, VA 24019, and LOA's Center for Health & Wellness (located next door) at 4902 Frontage Road NW, Roanoke, VA 24019. Questions? Contact Bill King at LOA at (540) 345-0451 extension 3042.

All gifts must be purchased, wrapped, and returned to LOA by December 6 so they can be delivered before Christmas.

Thank you for brightening the holidays for seniors!

#EndTheWait

Meals on Wheels serves over 2 million seniors every year, but many more are still waiting for help. Meals on Wheels America has a plan to better serve more seniors. Learn about how you can help End the Wait and ensure that every senior who needs Meals on Wheels gets it:

End the Wait

Farm Market Fresh: Use your vouchers by Nov 17

Seniors, if you are a member of the Farm Market Fresh program, remember to use your vouchers by November 17 for the current season!

Below are the current farmers markets in our region that have at least one participating farmer that will accept Farm Market Fresh vouchers:

Roanoke – 3 farmers at Grandin Village Farmers Market: Saturdays, 8am-12pm, in the parking lot behind the Roanoke Co+op, 1319 Grandin Rd SW, Roanoke, VA
Roanoke – 4 farmers at West End Farmers Marke t: Tuesdays, 3pm-6pm, 1027 Patterson Ave SW, Roanoke, VA
Salem – 7 farmers at Salem Farmers Market: Saturdays, 8am-12pm; 3 E Main St, Salem, VA
Botetourt – 2 farmers at Botetourt Farmers Market: Saturdays, 8:30am-12pm, 90 Town Center St, Daleville, VA
Covington – 1 farmer at Covington Farmers Market: Saturdays, 9am-12pm, 134 W Main St, Covington, VA

More about Farm Market Fresh

Save the Date: Soup for Seniors canned food drive

LOA's annual canned food drive is coming soon! Join us by holding a canned food collection at your church, school, or business during January. Then deliver your collected food to one of our drop-off sites between January 29-February 5, or to our main collection site the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul on February 3-5.

Special collection will be held at Black Dog Salvage on January 25-26! Donate at least $10 worth of food at Black Dog on Jan. 25 or 26 and get 10% off your eligible purchase!

More information is coming soon! If you have any questions, please contact Aimee Lawson at LOA at (540) 345-0451 or by clicking the button below.

Thank you to our Silver Sponsor:

Salem Lions Club

Contact Aimee about Soup for Seniors

Giving Tuesday coming December 3

There's Black Friday and Cyber Monday. And then there's Giving Tuesday! Join LOA on our social media for a day of online giving, #GivingTuesday, December 3.

Help us fill the plate of services on #GivingTuesday. Your donation will provide critical rides to the doctor, home delivered meals, falls prevention, socialization, and so much more!

Watch LOA's Facebook page for more to come on December 3!

Gifts and Grants Update

LOA is deeply grateful to the following individuals and organizations for their recent generous gifts, grants, and donations of food & toiletries:

Mary Sue Collins Foundation

Marion K. Ramsey Fund of Community Foundation Serving Western Virginia

David C. Duggins

Ramona Painter

Berkeley Riley Jr.

Debra Sinko

Sue Spangler

Hugh and Peggy Wells

Diane Prout

Roanoke Vet Center

Salem Public Library

Vinton Wesleyan Church

Thank you to everyone who has donated to LOA recently - you are helping older adults right here in our community!

We're grateful to the members of the Blue Ridge Equine Society who recently donated cat food, cat litter, dog & cat toys, and gallon zip lock bags for the Meals on Wheels Pets Eat Too Program! These donations benefit Meals on Wheels seniors who have a pet at home that needs support.

> Learn more

Emergency Food Pantry