All posts by MEOC

Mountain Empire Older Citizens will host its 50th Annual Walkathon on Sunday, May 3, at Bullitt Park in Big Stone Gap, marking half a century of neighbors coming together to support older adults across Southwest Virginia. Registration for the 5K walk along the Greenbelt Trail will begin at 1 p.m., with the walk starting at 2 p.m. A free picnic for participants will follow, along with a live concert by If Birds Could Fly at approximately 3:30 p.m.

Mountain Empire Older Citizens, Inc. has been honored with a 2025 Aging Achievement Award from USAging for its Expanding Telehealth Access for Rural Older Persons initiative, which brings broadband and telehealth access to isolated older adults in Southwest Virginia.

What does addiction really look like in Southwest Virginia—and how can communities begin to heal? That’s the conversation MEOC’s Healthy Families program and Radford SAVES hope to spark during a free Sept. 5 screening of Inheritance, a powerful documentary about a boy growing up in rural Appalachia amid generational addiction.

Personal Care Aide Robin Marshall is the 2024 recipient of the Grace P. Davis Award, recognized for her exceptional dedication to MEOC’s mission and the clients she serves through In Home and Family Support Services. FSS Director Rebecca Gilly presented the award during the spring In-Home and Family Support Services meeting on May 31, 2025, at the Mountain Empire PACE Center.

One step at a time. One neighbor helping another. That’s the spirit behind the 49th Annual MEOC Walkathon, set for Sunday, May 4, at Bullitt Park in Big Stone Gap. Each spring, walkers lace up their sneakers not just for exercise but to deliver hope to older adults in emergency heating crises. The Walkathon is MEOC’s largest annual fundraiser for the Emergency Fuel Fund, which provides emergency heating assistance to income-eligible older adults aged 60 and older in Lee, Scott and Wise counties and the City of Norton.

MEOC invites local churches and individuals to join Hearthwarming Sunday on February 9 and help provide vital midwinter support for the Emergency Fuel Fund for the Elderly. Held annually on the Sunday closest to Valentine’s Day, this event comes at a critical time—when requests for emergency heating assistance rise and available funds dwindle. As winter temperatures drop and electric bills climb, many older adults in our region face the choice between staying warm and meeting other essential needs.