Department on Aging: advisory appointments recommended and holiday outreach serves hundreds

The Jackson County services committee on Dec. 1 recommended multiple applicants to the Department on Aging Advisory Council and received the department’s monthly report from Director Danielle.

On appointments, the committee advanced seven candidates for terms expiring Dec. 2027 (Rick Seigers, Dennis Hayek, Patricia Spink, Peggy Younglove, Shanice Davenport, Richard Pfeiffer and Zachary Watson) and recommended four candidates to the full board for terms expiring Dec. 2026 (Diane Derby, Sharon Best, Brian Bowman and Tina Gross). Both nominations were moved, supported and passed by voice vote.

Director Danielle described holiday outreach and volunteer partnerships: a recent dinner-dance attended by about 140 people, volunteer groups that made more than 75 blankets distributed to seniors, and collaboration with local churches that donated gifts for more than 40 seniors who otherwise might not have gifts. Danielle also detailed a partnership with Dawn Foods to assemble between 50 and 100 shelf-stable "backpack" bags for households the department assesses as food-insecure; those bags will include department brochures describing services such as congregate and home-delivered meals.

Danielle said the kitchen team served 792 meals between the congregate program and home-delivered meals on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, a major operational effort for the department during the holiday period.

Speakers quoted: Danielle, Department on Aging director.

Ending: The committee voted to receive the Department on Aging report and recommended advisory-council appointments to the full board.