News/Events

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.

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.

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.

Nelda “Moe” Dennison first heard about Mountain Empire Older Citizens’ Foster Grandparent Program when she was 57 years old. She was a regular volunteer on field trips and other activities with her granddaughter’s class at Appalachia Elementary School. “A lady there knew about the program and encouraged me to check on it,” recalled Dennison. She was drawn to the idea of volunteering in a classroom where she would help care for and mentor young children.

For more than three and one-half decades, Freda Ayers has made participation in the Mountain Empire Older Citizens Walkathon an annual priority. Ayers, 70, has been a Walkathon participant since 1983, raising money for the Emergency Fuel Fund for the Elderly. That program annually helps more than 1,000 older residents in the region with winter heating costs. A resident of Ewing in Lee County, Ayers stayed committed to the cause this year even though the COVID-19 pandemic altered the traditional format.