An effort connecting local seniors to programs and support services has enough volunteers, but needs to improve its outreach, the county’s Commission on Aging has been told.
The Community Ambassador Program represents a partnership between the county’s Area Agency on Aging, Marymount University’s Center for Optimal Aging and the nonprofit Arlington Neighborhood Village. But even for those active in advocacy for seniors, its visibility seems low.
The program “was a big project for this commission — what’s happened?” civic leader Joan McDermott inquired at the Sept. 15 Commission on Aging meeting.
“It’s alive and well,” replied Wendy Zenker, executive director of the Arlington Neighborhood Village. “I think at this point we have 30 ambassadors meeting as a group.”
In her remarks, Zenker acknowledged that volunteers’ participation doesn’t always translate to public visibility — in part because “we also have to teach [ambassadors] how to do outreach.”
“These are nice people who want to do more,” she said. “We have to teach them how to be advocates and get meetings scheduled and go to civic associations, go to their churches, go to other locations to do more physical outreach.”
County officials want the ambassadors to serve as “a trusted source of information about the many programs and services available and how to access them.”
Maimoona Bah, division chief for Aging and Disability Services at the county government’s Department of Human Services, told ARLnow the county government was supportive of efforts to increase the reach of the initiative.
“We value the partnership with Arlington Neighborhood Village and the Community Ambassador program, and encourage others to get involved and make an impact,” she said, adding:
“The Community Ambassador program is an intergenerational opportunity that offers a wide range of benefits for all Arlington residents. Ambassadors are advocates and leaders in our community, who connect with older Arlingtonians to help reduce social isolation, encourage participation in community programs, and share information about services and resources in a more accessible and inclusive manner.”
The initiative is one facet of the county government’s Age-Friendly Action Plan. The most recently adopted version covers efforts from 2023-28.
According to county officials, about 15% of Arlington’s population — 37,300 people — are aged 60+. Slightly more than half are female, and half of Arlington seniors live alone.
Of the 65+ population in the county, 9.2% live at or below the poverty level, county officials say.
Homelessness and access to food are among the challenges that seem to be multiplying quickly in the senior age group. Access to long-term care facilities also is becoming more challenging, county officials say.
Photo via Vitaly Gariev/Unsplash
