Annual Report
Message from the CEO
Despite continuing to navigate challenges in a postCOVID landscape, I am proud to say that Legacy Link is not only fulfilling our mission but striving for excellence in all that we do. We have updated a lot this year from our marketing materials to our core values. All of this was done with one thing in mind, capturing what makes Legacy Link unique: our passion for making life better for our clients, partners, and the communities that we serve. I hope these changes push us to continue to reach and expand our footprint.
Our updated mission statement is to support and advocate for aging adults and individuals with disabilities to be their link to a better life. This statement captures the heart of Legacy Link and our commitment to the community that we serve.
Legacy Link’s scope has dramatically grown since we were founded in 1997, and we want to make sure that we continue to be inclusive of all the vital services that we provide. Therefore, we have also updated our logo to represent all Legacy Link programs. This commitment to inclusion can also be seen with our new logo by including our new tag line of Your Link to a Better Life. Whether you are looking for senior centers, in-home care, case management, information and referral, senior employment, or other services, our goal is the same: to be your link to a better life.
Legacy Link has a deep sense of responsibility with all funding we receive. 93% of our funding goes to direct service. These funds make a significant impact within our community. I’m excited for you to learn more about how Legacy Link is making a difference in our community through this annual report.
None of this would have been possible without the unwavering commitment of our staff, Board of Directors, and community partners. Our staff’s daily commitment to the clients that we serve changes lives every single day and I am humbled to be a part of their team. Our Board of Director’s cast vision through their knowledge and guidance as they have the unique ability to see the world as they wish for it be and create a plan to get there. Legacy Link has the privilege of working with community partners that understand the larger mission and are already impacting clients’ lives daily. Working together we can truly change the world one person at a time.
As I look to next year, I am confident about the future. There is no challenge that we cannot overcome by working collaboratively together. I look forward to Legacy Link being your link to a better life for many years to come.
Melissa Armstrong CEO/AAA Director
Meet Our Team
Pat Rylee Chief Financial Officer
Amaury Romaguera Human Resources Director
Elaine Harkins Aging and Disability Resource Connection Director
Amy Allen Health Programs Director
Jessica Zagarella Community Engagement Director
Tony Nguyen Finance Manager
Ashley Pitts Office Manager
Sandy Coker MIS Director
Christine Osasu Senior Community Service Employment Program Director
Lisa Howard Contracts & Quality Director
Board Members
Pamela Elfenbein
Sid Jacobs
Betty Fitts
Tammy Owens
Gail Lancaster
Susan Lancaster
Nerissa McPherson
Lynn Duke
Lamar Gailey
Advisory Council
Chair Bill Miles Habersham County
Vice Chair
Susy Hollaway Forsyth County
Our Mission
Our mission is to support and advocate for aging adults and individuals with disabilities to be their link to a better life.
Clients Served Overall
181,773
Legacy Link provides programs to supplement community resources and boosts awareness to existing initiatives. Through active listening and empathy, we link individuals to resources within the community so they can have a better life.
In 2022,
33% of adults 65 and older reported having a disability.
That’s why linking people to the support they deserve is critical to our community!
*Source: https://acl.gov/sites/default/files/Profile%20of%20OA/ACL_ProfileOlderAmericans2023_508.pdf
In 2022, people reaching 65 had an average life expectancy of an additional years
18.9
Aging and Disability Resource Connection (ADRC)
Trained Intake Specialists provide anonymous and confidential access to information, referral, and assistance concerning services for seniors, family members and persons with disabilities.
3,440
270
With an unformal/suspected dementia diagnosis
230
With a formal dementia diagnosis
7
233
134 13
Health and Wellness Goals
Our wellness programs are designed to help our clients live their best lives, including learning strategies for staying physically safe at home. A participant in our Bingocize class shared that she was able to catch herself and maintain her balance, preventing a fall in her kitchen using one of the exercises she learned in class.
Another client who has Parkinson’s Disease and takes a Matter of Balance classes at First United Methodist Church of Union County. She has fallen a few times since the class ended but she has been able to get herself up from the floor since being shown how by our Guest Healthcare Professional (PT/Rehab Director at Union General). She said her husband has been amazed at her getting herself up since learning the strategies shared in our class.
Legacy Link operates Towns and Union County Senior Centers.
Towns County
70 + 116 = 186
Union County
151 + 192 = 343
33
Clients Served for Personal Care Assistance
424
Clients Served for Transportation Assistance
Through contracted services Legacy Link was able to provide the following services:
214
Clients Served through the Elderly Legal Assistance Program (ELAP)
91
Clients Served for Homemaker Services
356,321
64,782
Meals were provided to 2,457 participants through Home Delivered Meals Meals were provided to 1,346 participants attending 11 Senior Centers
Volunteers are Valuable
Retired & Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP)
Retired & Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) is an AmeriCorps Seniors national program serving local communities. It is funded and administered by AmeriCorps, the Federal Agency for Volunteering and Service.
44,598 meals delivered to homebound older adults by 257 volunteers
816
Medicare beneficiaries counseled, and provided site and program assistance
This is George Jacobs.
12,639 hours served - worth $366,531 at GA Volunteer rate of $29/hour
He has been a volunteer Medicare counselor at Legacy Link since 2004. He is a retired federal executive who worked for the Social Security Administration, the Department of Health and Human Services as a statistician, and the Centers for Medicare/Medicaid Services (CMS). He also served as CMS Regional Administrator for New England.
George enjoys assisting people who are navigating the Medicare system. Besides his belief that each person has a responsibility to give back to the local community, he feels a great personal satisfaction in helping Medicare recipients understand their benefits and coverage options. He finds that each beneficiary story is unique and sometimes very intriguing. He enjoys that he “learns something new every day.”
Everyone in Medicare SHIP feels lucky to have George on their team. He is a wonderful resource who provides a wealth of information, both historical and timely as George is constantly investigating current information to stay abreast of the many changes that affect Medicare beneficiaries each year.
Fun Facts About George
• He wrote a book, Managing Your Medicare, based primarily on experiences as a Medicare counselor in north Georgia. George developed informational outreach sessions that he presents to groups in the service area.
• During the pandemic, he developed online sessions about Medicare topics. Now, he is back on the road presenting at libraries and senior centers, along with attending senior resource expos and doing individual Medicare counseling.
• Over the years, George has donated over 3,500 hours of his time. This past year he donated 400 hours and counseled 199 Medicare beneficiaries.
State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP)
Trained staff and volunteers provide free, factual, and unbiased Medicare counseling, assist with enrollment in all Medicare Programs and provide community education on topics including:
• Medicare (Parts A and B)
• Medicare supplemental insurance
• Medicare Part D prescription plans
• Fraud, abuse, and scams related to Medicare
• Identity theft 834
This project is supported by a grant from the U.S. Administration for Community Living. Open Enrollment Beneficiaries
94
Financial assistance applications made for beneficiaries (Medicare Savings Programs and Extra Help)
$79,670.93
Cost savings for clients during open enrollment
Elderly & Disabled Waiver Program (EDWP)
Community Care Services Program (CCSP) and Service Options Using Resources in a Community Environment (SOURCE) are part of the EDWP that provide in-home and community-based services as an alternative to a nursing home.
1,780
Total Number of EDWP Clients Served
2.5
Years is the Average Time Clients Stay in EDWP
35 Counties Served Across Georgia
Rising Above Challenges
EDWP case management was contacted late on a Wednesday afternoon regarding one of the local personal care homes that has been in business for over 40 years. Due to unforeseen circumstances, this home was set to close by 6 pm on Friday – only 48 hours away. Staff immediately began assisting in the placement of the clients we were residing in the facility.
With the help of Sonya Waren, Sheri Potters, Lora Thomas, Roxana
Arias and LaDonne Merritt, all 26 clients were placed in alternate living arrangements by the 6pm Friday deadline. All 9 SOURCE clients were placed in personal care homes within our Legacy Link territory. Out of the 17 CCSP clients, 2 clients were placed into the nursing home, 2 clients were placed with family and personal support services to assist, and 12 clients were placed in personal care homes, all remaining within our Legacy Link territory.
It truly takes a village sometimes. In this case, our team held others up by tirelessly working and advocating for our clients during a crisis beyond their control.
Senior Community Service Employment Program
The Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) is a federally funded employment training program for limited-income seniors, aged 55 or older, who wish to re-enter the workforce.
The SCSEP program helps limited-income seniors refresh their job skills through a paid training assignment at a local non-profit or government agency. The goal of the SCSEP program is gainful employment for mature workers.
435,636
$3,158,361
602 150 40 106
SCSEP Success Story
This is Towana Stark.
Grandma, Mom, Sister, Wife—Towana has many cherished titles. After four years in Legacy Link’s Senior Job Training Program, she is proud to add yet another title to her list, Administrative Assistant. In her new role she will be conducting special projects, record keeping, clerical tasks, office inventory, and more.
While job training, she seized the opportunity to expand her knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and Google Sheets. She learned how to cultivate the spirit of patience and professionalism when working with difficult clients. She learned how to be flexible and work independently while navigating hybrid work supervisors and instruction. She made the most of SCSEP training and built herself into a highly marketable employment candidate.
Towana rises to meet challenges with determination, kindness, and wisdom. After a series of surgeries to fix her bad knee resulted in an infection that led to the amputation of her left leg, many practitioners expected her to be down. She said she wasn’t going to let any grass grow under her feet. She left the hospital, went to rehab for five days and then kept moving. She spent almost 6 months without a prosthetic learning how to navigate the world in new ways. Towana says there are so many challenges in this life, but you can’t sit down and let anything hold you back.
Challenges continued. Car troubles, housing issues, and the inflated cost of prosthetic repairs loomed heavy over Towana. No matter the struggle she was facing, she came to job training with dutiful diligence and persistence and rose to the top of the training cohort. She became the statewide recertification participant assistant, training directly under the program director. She excelled in her role and improved the recertification process so much so that the program remained in full compliance, with income recertifications always being completed ahead of schedule under the system she helped develop.
Financial Summary
$4,845,185 $3,107,921 $615,110 $2,351 $9,506,632 $638,918
4,682,204 TOTAL $18,443,505 $16,611,804 $1,831,701
Linking People to the Support they Deserve
Learn how you can get involved!
As a non-profit organization, there are many ways that you can help us achieve our mission to support and advocate for aging adults and individuals with disabilities to be their link to a better life.
The funds we raise directly benefit Legacy Link’s operations and clients. You can scan the QR code to make a tax-deductible contribution or send a check to: P.O. Box 1480, Oakwood, GA 30566
Fulfill our Amazon Wish List
You can purchase much-needed items from Legacy Link’s Amazon Wish List. These tools and materials help our team provide a better life to our clients. Scan the QR code to access the list.
Legacy Link offers volunteer positions with various programs for those who want to give of their time. Required skills, training, and commitment level differ for each position. You can learn more on our website.
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