








Greetings to our Community, Supporters, Providers, and Partners!
We are deeply grateful to all who have helped make this year of leadership transition for the Area Office on Aging as smooth as possible. Thanks to you, we have continued to build on the strong foundation that Mrs. Billie Johnson laid for this organization over the past 49 years. We remain committed to working with our elected officials, provider organization partners, volunteers, and those we serve to make this community as age-friendly as possible.
With the support of the Lucas County Commissioners and the Mayor of Toledo, the Area Office on Aging received the Age-Friendly Community designation from AARP for Lucas County and Toledo this year. This makes them the first communities in northwest Ohio to receive this national designation.
When it comes to making our community a great place to live a long life, it is not just one thing we do that makes the maximum positive impact. Instead, it is the culmination of many little things we collectively do that makes the community such a great place to live a long and fulfilling life.
In the pages of this Annual Report, we celebrate some of the many programs, partnerships, services, events, and efforts that make our community a place where we strive to ensure all people can live better and longer. In the year to come, we are excited to continue working with those who live and work in the community to help northwest Ohio fully realize its potential to become the most age-friendly community in the nation. For the northwest Ohioans aged 60 and over whom we serve, together, we will continue to both add years to their life and life to their years.
The AOoA’s AmeriCorps Senior Program is spreading the benefits of volunteerism to those age 55 and better by adding 62 new volunteers, including 18 new Retired Senior Volunteer Patrol Program volunteers. The AOoA’s AmeriCorps Senior volunteers provided over 24,000 hours of service in the last year with an economic value of over $763,000 (based on the Independent Sector Annual Valuation of Volunteer Service).
The AOoA has significantly increased its social media engagement across its Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and YouTube platforms over the last year.
The AOoA exceeded its ambitious vaccine grant goal by helping over 3,500 people in northwest Ohio get vaccinated. Over 1,126,898 individuals were reached through outreach and education services.
“There is a new sense of feeling alive ever since the Area Office on Aging placed a resident coordinator here. We’re more hopeful, more residents are coming out of their apartments, we feel secure, especially with the food assistance they are providing”.
— Veronica Fultz-Moss Resides
at an affordable senior apartment complex
”It’s great to have the Area Office on Aging on our side, and our resident coordinator is amazing! She helps us with everything, any questions we have she’s there and that makes a difference in how we live knowing we can get our issues resolved.”
The AOoA received its largest home repair grant award allowing more older adults in need of home repair to receive the health and safety repairs needed to remain safely in their own homes. The Agency also expanded its housing service coordination so now residents at five affordable senior housing complexes have the services they need to be set up for success to age in place at home.
The Lakewoods Campus in South Toledo is home to over 400 older adults as well as being the location where 400 people work, and over 1,700 people visit/play. The Agency was able to secure $2.7 million from the State to help with improving the walkability of the campus with a walking path and benches and to develop 52 units of affordable senior housing and a new Margaret Hunt Senior Center.
The Area Office on Aging and Toledo Public Schools hosted the largest Senior Prom event to date with over 400 older adults dining and dancing the night away. The event culminated with the oldest man and oldest woman in attendance being crowned the Prom King and Queen.
The attendees at the AOoA’s Spring Fling event were back together again this year for the first time since 2019. This was the first time since that year for many of the organization’s events to be back in person. In addition to connecting those aged 60 and better with community resources to help them gain and retain independence, these events provide older adults with something to look forward to, an opportunity to socialize, and to make memories that are often the best experiences of their year.
Transportation is the second biggest expense in retirement. Having easy access to safe and affordable transportation is key to helping older adults get to and from their doctor’s appointments, grocery shopping, and more. The AOoA partnered with TARTA to help older adults learn how to use the new TARTA Flex on-demand transportation option. In addition to this, the AOoA’s transportation providers provided over 53,000 transportation trips to older adults last year.
“This Kinship Navigator Program is my foundation, without this team I would be lost in how to navigate raising my grandsons in a new state, and city. When you find people that are supportive, nice, and willing to step in whenever you need it, it helps, it really does.”
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When grandchildren experience a situation where their parents can no longer raise them, it is often grandparents who step up to raise the children to keep them out of the foster care system. The AOoA’s Kinship Navigator Program received a national exemplary designation from the Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network for its work helping keep these families together.
In partnership with Mobile Meals, the Maumee Senior Center, and the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library, the AOoA opened 3 new dining sites over the last year at Madonna Homes, Northgate Senior Apartments, and at the Waterville Branch Library.
For the first time since 2019, the AOoA increased the number of older adults served through the PASSPORT In-Home Care Program.
Klepper
LaVerde A. Kuns
As we continue
“MAKING OUR COMMUNITY AGE-FRIENDLY!”
AGE-FRIENDLY TOLEDO/LUCAS COUNTY KICK-OFF THE OLIVER HOUSE
27 Broadway St., Toledo, OH 43604
Wednesday, August 21st • 12 Noon
60+ SENIOR SAFARI TOLEDO ZOO
2 Hippo Way, Toledo, OH 43609
Wednesday, September 11th • 10 A.M. – 2 P.M
HONORING THE CAREGIVER THE PINNACLE
1772 Indian Wood Circle, Maumee, OH 43537 Friday, November 1st • 4 P.M. - 7 P.M.
60+ HOLIDAY PARTY THE PREMIER BANQUET HALL 4480 Heatherdowns Blvd, Toledo, OH 43614
Tuesday, December 5th • 11:30 A.M. - 1:00 P.M.