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.
PUBLIC NOTICE Mountain Empire Older Citizens, Inc. (MEOC) will host a public hearing on its proposed 2024-2027 Area Plan for Aging Services on Thursday, July 17, 2025, at 10 a.m. at 1501 Third Ave. E., Big Stone Gap, Virginia.
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.
The Mountain Empire Older Citizens, Inc., Advisory Council quarterly meeting is rescheduled to Thursday, March 20, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. The council meets in the MEOC conference room, 1501 3rd Ave E, Big Stone Gap. If you have questions, please call Sonya Farmer at 276-523-4202.
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.
MEOC has recognized the dedication and work ethic of Maintenance Supervisor Doug Ashley, presenting him with the Mae French Outstanding Older Worker Award at this year’s annual Older Worker Luncheon on Oct. 17 at Lonesome Pine Country Club. The annual award honors an MEOC employee aged 55 or older who exemplifies service, loyalty, commitment, and kindness — values embodied by Mae French, a beloved MEOC employee who retired at age 98 after nearly two decades of service.
The 13th Annual Harold Lester Memorial Golf Tournament, held on June 14 at Lonesome Pine Country Club in Big Stone Gap, raised approximately $14,000 to support local cancer patients and their families. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Harold Lester Memorial Fund of the Mountain Laurel Cancer Support and Resource Center, operated by Mountain Empire Older Citizens, Inc. (MEOC), the local Area Agency on Aging serving Lee, Scott and Wise counties and the City of Norton. Seventeen teams participated in the tournament, contributing to its success.
Mountain Empire Older Citizens, Inc. proudly announces its 50th-anniversary celebration, commemorating five decades of dedicated service to the residents of Wise, Lee and Scott counties and the City of Norton. The community event will be on Saturday, June 8, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the David J. Prior Convocation Center at the University of Virginia’s College at Wise. MEOC invites the public to attend and celebrate this significant milestone.