Sparking Joy

By: Leigh-Anne Lees, Chair, Aging Well Consortium

My inner Marie Kondo, who normally whispers throughout the year, has been nearly shouting for the last three months. You remember Marie Kondo. She’s the one who advised getting rid of things that don’t spark joy as you move through your home tidying. It’s a fun decluttering technique she abandoned once her house filled up with ids. maine that.)

ut it has stuc with me. t first I thought my near desperate attempts to declutter were because I wanted an organized, soothing living space. That’s partly true, but I’m realizing now that it has more to do with resenting the amount of time I spend dusting knic knacs when I could be hanging out with the people I love.

Coincidentally, it was after coming home from a Goodwill donation dropoff that I sat down to read B.J. Bryson’s Grand Idea in this issue. And boy, did it spark joy.

In her article, BJ talks about how hard it can be to stay relevant with grandchildren, to keep strong bonds in place, and to create meaningful engagement between generations. She lays out a variety of ways to connect with family members - from beach trips to botanical gardens, gardening to game nights. For BJ, the adventure itself is less important than feedback loops and time shared together.

Of course, these are all tips we can use whether we have grandchildren or not. A morning of shopping at the farmers market with a neighbor can strengthen bonds. So can volunteering with a nephew, or going on a hike with a co-worker.

It seems obvious, doesn’t it? And yet, a research report commissioned by Cigna shows that over half of Americans are consistently lonely. Maybe we’re spending too much time scrolling social media or taking care of our stuff, both of which can feel easier than navigating relationships. In some cases, though, loved ones have come and gone in our lives and it’s hard to make new connections. If that’s true for you, please join us at a VPAS Café or at any of the events listed in the calendar.

I hope you’ll enjoy the Grand Idea in this issue, as well as the community gardens story, the introduction to TCARE, information about over the counter hearing aids, and other practical resources in the pages ahead. And, on behalf of the Living Longer Living Well team, I wish you less stuff and more adventure.

Cooking Up Community

By: Beth Bland, VPAS, Director of Senior Services, Harrisonburg & Rockingham County

Valley Program for Aging Serices is e cited to announce our 2023 annual March for Meals festivities.

ON THE COVER: VPAS is partnering with Church World Services in Harrisonburg and Harrisonburg Parks and Recreation to provide an immersive language experience for English language learning adults 60 years and older in the Laugh and Learn program. Here are some Congolese neighbors at a recent class. For most of them, this was their very first time coloring with crayons/colored pencils.

Each year, the March for Meals celebration commemorates the historic day in arch of when resident i on signed into law a measure that amended the Older Americans Act of 1965 to include a national nutrition program for seniors 60 years and older. This legislation supported the rapid growth of the nationwide network of senior nutrition programs – commonly referred to as Meals on Wheels.

During March for Meals, VPAS will draw attention to the serious impact of loneliness and social isolation on our older neighbors by participating in the “No Senior Eats Alone” initiative. Nearly one-fourth of adults aged 65 years and older are considered to be socially isolated. This fact puts them at risk for dementia and other serious medical conditions. “No Senior Eats Alone” is a callto-action for all community members to improve the health and quality of life of our elderly population. We invite everyone to share a meal or two or three with an older adult this month and all year long.

The festivities will kick off with our