LifePath

LifePath staff were in in Washington, DC last week to network and advocate for crucial resources for older adult and caregiver programs.

Thanks to Regional Manager for Congressman Jim McGovern Koby Gardner-Levine and Cindy Phillips, SHINE Program Director at the Executive Office of Aging & Independence, for speaking at the 2025 SHINE Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon at the the Deerfield Inn on April 1! SHINE Counselors held 4,034 Medicare Health Insurance Counseling appointments in 2024, with 1,745 taking place during the Open Enrollment Period. Pictured below left to right: Congressional Aides Michael Clifford and Sirohi Kumar, and Regional Manager for Congressman Jim McGovern Koby Gardner-Levine; along with Kyra DeCarlo, Assistant Director of the SHINE Program at LifePath; Gary Yuhas, Executive Director at LifePath; Cindy Phillips, SHINE Program Director at the Executive Office of Aging & Independence; Susan White, Director of Community & Volunteer Resources at LifePath; and Lorraine York-Edberg, SHINE Regional Program Director at LifePath, celebrating 30 years in that role.

On Tuesday, January 28, we welcomed some special guests to tour the Meals on Wheels kitchen in Erving, MA. State Senator Jo Comerford and her District Director, Elena Cohen, along with State Rep. Susannah Whipps, joined state government officials Secretary Robin Lipson of the Executive Office of Aging & Independence (AGE) and executive staff from AGE and the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) for a tour of the facility and a chance to meet the LifePath Meals on Wheels staff and volunteers. Our state and federal representatives have expressed tremendous support for our programs. State Senator Comerford, State Rep. Whipps, and U.S. Representative Jim McGovern have all visited and helped deliver meals or made other contributions. On behalf of Meals on Wheels recipients, we are grateful for their support and engagement. We also appreciate the state officials’ interest in program operations. In Franklin County and the North Quabbin, there is a united front of support to make sure no elder goes hungry, faces malnutrition, or is left without someone to check on them in our community, and this also requires federal funding support through the Older Americans Act and Community Development Block Grant programs. https://lnkd.in/eBhKpcQJ

We were excited to attend the Office of Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey's event this week at Worcester's beautiful Union Station to announce an $8 billion investment in MA transportation over 10 years. Here is LifePath Associate Executive Director Lynne Feldman, center, with (L to R) Central MA Regional Planning Commission Executive Director, Janet Pierce; MA Rural Affairs Director Anne Gobi; and FRANKLIN REGIONAL COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS Executive Director Linda Dunlavy and Transportation Program Manager Beth Giannini. We are excited about the potential of this investment to improve transportation options for older adults in Western and Central Mass! #olderadults #rural #transportation

Great local story about Memory Cafes! For a listing of Memory Cafes in Franklin County/North Quabbin, give us a call at 413-773-5555.

“Congress should not leave town until they deliver for older adults and caregivers,” says USAging CEO Sandy Markwood. USAging is urging Congress to act immediately to reauthorize and fully fund the Older Americans Act (OAA) to protect the health, safety and independence of older adults across the nation. The OAA provides vital resources that millions of older adults and caregivers rely on daily, from in-home care and meals to transportation and elder abuse prevention. However, the House has dropped the bipartisan OAA reauthorization from its year-end package, putting these critical services at risk. Learn more about the urgent need for action: https://ow.ly/5bKX50Uve3U.

In the spirit of holiday giving and caring for one's community, Judy and Steve Dacyczyn visited LifePath again today to share a donation in support of LifePath's Meals on Wheels program. Meals on Wheels is very active in the Montague and Turners Falls areas, delivering nutritious meals and wellness checks to over 1,080 individuals, thanks to the nutrition staff and volunteers who give their time and energy daily, including during the busy holiday season. Judy and Steve are both former Exalted Rulers at the Montague Lodge of Elks #2521, and they know how important LifePath's programming can be to those in their community. Through a competitive grant writing process, Steve was once again able to secure a $1,000 grant to support Meals on Wheels in the Montague and Turners Falls communities. Thank you to Judy, Steve, The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and local Elks Lodge #2521. We value and deeply appreciate your continued partnership. #MealsonWheels #Elks #Gratitude

The budget for the state Home Care Program was significantly underfunded for FY25, and the negative impact on older adults in Massachusetts will be huge if additional funding isn't provided through a supplemental budget. This program enables older adults to remain independent at home - it's an upstream intervention that saves money for consumers and the state by delaying or avoiding nursing home care. Please visit https://lnkd.in/eQkNymDc today to send a message to your legislators about this critical funding issue!

We were honored and excited to celebrate the beginning of our 50th anniversary year at the LifePath 2024 Annual Meeting! A special thanks goes out to Senator Jo Comerford and Elena Cohen for presenting a special citation from the Senate in support of our work, and to the Greenfield Public Library staff for making us welcome. Thanks to all who came to mark another year's accomplishments and to recommit to even greater goals in 2025 in working with and serving older adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers.

Congratulations to Robin Lipson on being appointed as Secretary of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs!  Her deep expertise and passion for older adults will be an asset to the state. We look forward to continuing our partnership in support of older people in our community.