August 21 is National Senior Citizens Day. The day was set aside by President Ronald Regan in 1988 to be a national day of recognition of the value of senior citizens to their communities. In Moffat County, senior citizens donate thousands of hours of volunteer time so that necessary community services can be available to everyone. Seniors staff the food bank, volunteer at the hospital, promote activities at the Senior Social Center, participate in the Wellness Wednesday program, work at the Community Kitchen, volunteer for Love INC, work as paraprofessionals in our schools, help to keep the museum and library open, have jobs in local businesses and nonprofits, serve on most nonprofit boards, ring the Salvation Army’s bell during the holidays, and serve as care givers for their less able friends and family. Seniors, that is people aged 60 and over, are approximately one third of the population of Moffat County. To assure that seniors have an appropriate quality of life, various nonprofit organizations provide a great variety of programs and services that give seniors have opportunities to continue learning, serving, exercising, working, and maintaining good health. 

We seniors proudly acknowledge that we are tough minded, determined, and proud of our knowledge of history and our depth of life’s experiences. On National Senior Citizens Day think about the seniors you know and what our community would be like without their contribution. Anyone who wants to know more about the many programs in Moffat County that benefit seniors can contact Janette Harris at the Senior Social Center, 970-326-3188.

Evelyn Tileston, Delaine Voloshin, Neil Folks

Moffat County Area Agency on Aging delegates