The Delaware County Office for the Aging will celebrate its 50th anniversary this year with a variety of activities.
The first will be an open house at the office at 97 Main St. in Delhi from noon until 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 9. People will be able to tour the office and enjoy snacks at the senior dining center, Office for the Aging Director Wayne Shepard said.
The department was founded in May 1974 to assist the county’s senior citizen population. There will be a “big” celebration May 30, in Farrell Hall at SUNY Delhi with guest speakers and a luncheon, he said. Invited guest speakers include Greg Olsen, acting director of the state Office for the Aging, former director Tom Briggs, Shepard and Board of Supervisors Chair Tina Molé.
Throughout the month of May there will be a historical display about the department set up in the lobby of the Senator Charles Cook County Office Building at 111 Main Street in Delhi. The display will show the different buildings where the department was located, including the former Methodist church on Court Street and the current office at 97 Main Street. Shepard said he thinks the first building to house the department was on Main Street, but is still researching it.
The department also plans to have monthly events throughout the year and celebrate its 50th anniversary and annual events, he said. That includes the annual Senior Funday Aug. 21 and the second annual harvest ball Sept. 15. Last year, 75 people attended the harvest ball and Shepard said he is expecting 150 to 200 people this year.
Shepard, who had been retired from the director’s position for three years, came back to work two years ago after his successor retired. “I was asked to come back,” he said.
The office offers several programs to the county’s more than 14,000 senior residents, he said. They are: Expanded In-Home Service for the Elderly Program, caregiver support language link services, emergency response system, loan closet, social events, congregate and home-delivered meals, animatronic pets and Elli-Q, legal services, nutritional counseling, farmers market coupons, health and wellness activities, health insurance counseling, driver safety courses, transportation, Home Energy Assistance Program and volunteer opportunities. Two of the health and wellness activities offered are Tai Chi for Arthritis and Bingocise.
Shepard said the department needs volunteers to drive seniors to medical appointments. For more information about any program, or to volunteer, call 607-832-5750.