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Health and Human Services Agency, on behalf of the El Dorado County Commission on Aging are recommending the Board:
1) Adopt and authorize the Chair to sign a Proclamation recognizing May 2023 as "Older Americans Month" in El Dorado County;
2) Present a certificate to each Senior of the Year nominee, mentioning, as noted on the certificate, their primary contribution to the community; and
3) Announce the 2023 County of El Dorado Senior of the Year and present the award to the nominee selected by the Commission on Aging to receive this honor.
FUNDING: N/A
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DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND:
Each May, the Administration for Community Living leads our nation’s celebration of Older Americans Month. When Older Americans Month was established in 1963, only 17 million living Americans had reached their 65th birthday, about one-third of older Americans lived in poverty, and there were few programs to meet their needs. Interest in older Americans and their concerns grew, and at a meeting in April 1963 between President John F. Kennedy and members of the National Council of Senior Citizens, May was designated as “Senior Citizens Month,” the prelude to “Older Americans Month.”
This year’s theme is “Aging Unbound,” which offers an opportunity to explore diverse aging experiences and discuss how communities can combat stereotypes.
Each year, in honor of Older Americans Month, the public is invited to nominate either an individual senior or a married senior couple who they believe has made a significant contribution to the local community, to be considered for designation as El Dorado County Senior of the Year. A panel of Commission on Aging members reviews the nominations and awards this prestigious title to the nominee they believe, based on information presented in the nomination, best demonstrates selfless dedication to serving their fellow County residents and the community at large. A special award is presented annually to the senior or married couple selected to ...
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