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Faced with continuing COVID-19 restrictions, MEOC AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers are using technology to stay connected to the program and each other, attend virtual workshops and even participate in activities to improve their well-being. The MEOC program (formerly the Foster Grandparent Program) purchased 18 new tablets using the bulk of a one-time $15,000 augmentation grant from AmeriCorps. The funding was made available to help AmeriCorps Seniors programs address challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Rapha Foundation has awarded a $10,000 grant to MEOC’s Emergency Fuel Fund for the Elderly. Foundation Executive Director Mark Vanover (center) delivered a check to MEOC’s office on February 16. The grant is earmarked to benefit Wise County and City of Norton residents. The foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving population health and access to education in Southwest Virginia. Learn more about the emergency fuel fund here. Vanover is pictured with MEOC Executive Director Michael Wampler and Emergency Services Director Marsha Craiger.

MEOC personal care aide Edna Ayers is the 2020 Grace P. Davis Award recipient. The award annually recognizes an in-home and family support services staff member who has shown dedication to MEOC’s mission. The recipient must demonstrate compassion, concern and respect in providing services to frail older clients.

Unable to serve in area classrooms during the pandemic, MEOC AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers have found other ways to assist their communities. The volunteers serve as foster grandparents to at-risk children in area Head Start and elementary schools, working one-on-one to mentor and tutor students. When pandemic restrictions began to emerge and schools shifted to virtual learning, the seniors found themselves isolated at home with lots of time on their hands. MEOC AmeriCorps Seniors Director Brandi Barnette began seeking partnerships and opportunities to keep volunteers engaged long distance.

For more than four decades, Irma Snodgrass has been the face of Mountain Empire Older Citizens in Scott County. As an MEOC employee since 1979, the Weber City resident has traveled countless miles in the community connecting older residents to services that help them remain safe and secure in their homes. With 41 years of service to MEOC, Snodgrass has the honor of having the most years of employment among all staff members. Her devotion to the agency and its clients are among many assets that helped earn Snodgrass the 2020 Mae French Outstanding Older Worker Award.

Medicare open enrollment is underway and runs through December 7. Free individual insurance counseling for people with Medicare is available through MEOC’s Virginia Insurance Counseling and Assistance Program (VICAP). A trained VICAP counselor can provide information to help you better understand plans and compare benefits. If you need assistance, please contact Jennifer Spangler at (276) 523-4202.

At 92, Christina Harris of Gate City can’t do quite as much as she once did. But she’s still determined to be as active as possible. While she can no longer complete heavy-duty housework or tend her yard, chores she once enjoyed, Harris remains motivated and driven. “I don’t give up. I try to put my mind to it and do it, even if I don’t want to,” said Harris, as she rested in a chair in the physical therapy space at Mountain Empire Older Citizens’ Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly in Big Stone Gap.

With limited access to public schools during the pandemic, MEOC’s AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers observed the September 11 Day of Service differently than in past years but still found a way to give back to the community. AmeriCorps Seniors (formerly the Foster Grandparent Program) participants filled 50 gift bags with items to donate to the agency’s Public Guardianship Program. The Public Guardianship Program serves indigent adults who have been determined by the court system to need a guardian or conservator.

Each year after completing the Mountain Empire Older Citizens Walkathon, the women who make up Sal’s Pals have a custom. After putting in their steps at the walk, held at Bullitt Park in Big Stone Gap, the ladies make a trip to the community Dairy Queen for ice cream as a celebration of sorts. This year, that tradition won’t happen exactly as in the past since the Walkathon is virtual. However, that isn’t stopping Sal’s Pals from fulfilling their longtime commitment to raising money for the Emergency Fuel Fund for the Elderly.