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Mountain Empire Older Citizens’ (MEOC) 44th Annual Walkathon, which raises money for its Emergency Fuel Fund for the Elderly, will be a little different this year. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event will be virtual. The Walkathon is the Emergency Fuel Fund’s major fundraiser. The program assists older people throughout Lee, Wise and Scott counties and the City of Norton with winter heating costs. Last winter, 1,056 older friends and neighbors were assisted with heating-related emergencies at a cost of over $227,000. This year’s Walkathon goal is $165,000.

If you or someone you know is having a difficult time purchasing prescription medications, Pharmacy Connect of Southwest Virginia may be able to help. The program provides free or low-cost prescription medications to those who meet eligibility guidelines in Lee, Wise, Scott, Dickenson, Buchanan, Tazewell and Russell counties and the City of Norton. Medication assistance caseworkers can help people of all ages by accessing Indigent Patient Assistance Programs of over 250 national pharmaceutical companies.

Older persons in need of emergency cooling assistance this summer may find it through Mountain Empire Older Citizens’ Senior Cool Care program. The program, which runs from June 1 to Sept. 30, distributes a limited number of fans or air conditioners to older individuals with cooling needs on a first-come, first-served basis.

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, MEOC’s home-delivered meals program has experienced a significant increase in numbers served. The number of delivered meals increased by 52 percent in a two-month period.

MEOC Transit will continue to offer free transportation for essential trips through July 31. Per Virginia Governor’s Executive Order, passengers must wear a face covering while on board public transit vehicles. MEOC has added other safety measures to protect drivers and passengers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Bus sanitization frequency has increased. Passenger numbers per bus are limited. Drivers also wear protective face masks, and plastic curtains have been installed to separate drivers and passengers. Transit is maintaining its normal operating schedule of Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. As always, services are for all ages. Call (276) […]

Mountain Empire Older Citizens has made some operational changes during the COVID-19 pandemic but remains committed to providing essential services. MEOC is following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Virginia Department of Health recommendations during this public health crisis. The agency has also sought guidance from the Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services. Executive Director Michael Wampler stressed that serving the aging population is especially vital now. “We are blessed by the support of the community and are focusing MEOC’s resources on providing services to those individuals with the greatest needs during the pandemic,” he stated.

BIG STONE GAP — Eighty-three-year-old Ruth Shawver listened intently from her chair as Bill Dotson began speaking during a February in-service training for Mountain Empire Older Citizens’ Foster Grandparent Program. Dotson, a former FGP director, stood in front of the foster grandparents gathered in MEOC’s conference room on Feb. 24. The meeting was especially significant for Shawver, as it would be her last as a program participant. She has retired as a foster grandparent after 13 years of service.