“Like an evergreen tree, at the Area Office on Aging, we believe that regardless of your season in life, you can flourish, thrive, and be full of life. When it comes to providing a safe, affordable, accessible, and beautiful place to call home for individuals ages 55 and better, we are taking it to the next level and to new heights. ”
Justin Moor President/ CEO Area Office on Aging
Like an evergreen tree, at the Area Office on Aging, we believe that regardless of your season in life, you can flourish, thrive, and be full of life. When it comes to providing a safe, affordable, accessible, and beautiful place to call home for individuals ages 55 and better, we are taking it to the next level and to new heights.
That’s why Evergreen Heights is the name of the living spaces that the Area Office on Aging and our partners, National Church Residences, are building on the second, third, and fourth floors right next to our office in South Toledo. On the first floor of this new building will be a new Margaret Hunt Senior Center, which will have a pickleball court and many other great amenities for the entire community to enjoy.
The milestone of constructing this building has been 20+ years in the making. This is just one of many efforts the Area Office on Aging and our partners are pursuing as we are elevating aging in our community.
Whether it be as a participant, volunteer, employee, caregiver, donor, and/or supporter, we welcome you to join us in this movement. After all, Aging is Cool … Everybody’s Doing It. Together, we can do it better and longer.
Age-Friendly Transformation One Neighborhood at a Time.
The Area Office on Aging is on a mission to transform our community into the most Age-Friendly community in the nation. This is accomplished one neighborhood at a time. The Area Office on Aging is starting where it is planted in the South Toledo neighborhood called the Lakewoods Campus. There are over 400 older adults and veterans who call this campus home, 400 people work on this campus, and there are about 1,700 people who visit this campus for programs and services. The three-pronged initiative needed to make this age-friendly gem a standout as a best practice to be replicated across the community and nation is:
More Affordable Senior Housing
The number of older adults who are homeless is projected to double between 2017 and 2030. The biggest reason for homelessness is the lack of
2025 Groundbreaking for Evergreen Heights
2005 Groundbreaking for Margaret Hunt Senior
Coming in 2026!
Age-Friendly Transformation continued from page 3
affordable housing. In order to live on the Lakewoods Campus, many older adults have to be on a waiting list for several years.
A New Senior Center
Evergreen Heights has been more than two decades in the making. Over 21 years ago, a groundbreaking ceremony was held for the Margaret Hunt Senior Center (pictured at bottom left), but the facility was never built. Today, that long-awaited project has been re-envisioned as the new Evergreen Heights Senior Center, set to be built on the first floor of a new building next to the Area Office on Aging. Since fall of 2024, the center has been displaced and without a permanent home. Your contribution can help bring this vision to life, creating a permanent, modern space where adults age 60 and better can thrive through nutrition, exercise, and social programming.
A More Connected and Walkable Campus
Many older adults and veterans living on the
Lakewoods Campus are either isolated because they can’t safely get where they want to go due to unsafe sidewalks that begin and end in grass or they are unsafely getting around often times walking in the street to get where they want to go. The Area Office on Aging has developed a plan to transform this neighborhood into a safe, walkable campus with opportunities for older adults and veterans to safely get from their homes to primary care appointments, physical therapy, meals, and the senior center, exercise programs, and more by simply walking out their front door.
While the bulk of the work has already been done with $22 million of this $25 million project having been secured. With your help, this transformative three-pronged project will become a best practice model neighborhood to be replicated across the community and nation.
For more information call the Area Office on Aging at 419-382-0624.
0 60 Awards
Earlier this year, the Area O ce on Aging launched the 20 Over 60 Awards to celebrate the amazing accomplishments of individuals age 60 and better in the workforce and in the community. The inaugural class of awardees were recognized at an event with over 200 attendees including public o cials and community leaders.
The Area O ce on Aging of Northwestern Ohio and MLiving proudly present the 2026 “20 Over 60” Awards — honoring exceptional individuals aged 60 and better who continue to make a lasting impact in the workplace and throughout the community.
Do you know someone whose leadership, dedication, or service inspires others? Nominate them today! Let’s celebrate the wisdom, experience, and passion of our region’s most remarkable older adults.
Nomination Deadline: Friday, March 2, 2026
Eligibility:
Nominees must be aged 60+ and work and/or reside in Northwest Ohio
On The Move!
Zablocki’s New Location
Zablocki Senior Center Moves into the Wayman Palmer YMCA
The Zablocki Senior Center in North Toledo is on the move this year. The same great services are now being provided at a new and better location. The senior center moved its operations to operating as a senior center within the new Wayman Palmer YMCA. All the individuals ages 60 and better who previously were offered free YMCA memberships full access to the pool, pickleball courts, and all the other amenities offered at the new location.
Individuals needing transportation are still picked up from their homes and taken to and from the new location. The participation in the meal program has more than doubled from the previous location to
the new location. Area Office on Aging’s President/CEO Justin Moor said, “While some may try to be divisive, the Area Office on Aging, the Wayman Palmer YMCA, and the Zablocki Senior Center are putting the unity in community with this partnership. Individuals of all ages and backgrounds are now able to exercise, socialize, and become wise together.”
In The News!
Awards & Recognition
The Area Office on Aging of Northwestern Ohio (AOoA) was honored with national recognition at the USAging 2025 Conference in Chicago AOoA received the Aging Innovation Award for its “A Tale of Two Cities Within One City” initiative, developed in partnership with Salem Lutheran Church, Grace Community Center, the Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority, Mobile Meals of Toledo, and ABC Health Care, Inc. AOoA also earned the Aging Achievement Award for its Caregiving and Care Coaching program, highlighting its successful partnership with MemoryLane Care Services.
AOoA’s excellence was further recognized at the National Mature Media Awards, which honor innovative programs and communications that serve older adults. The AOoA Better & Lon-
ger Podcast episode “Aging Through the Eyes of Faith” received Silver Status in Promoting Health & Wellness. The “Tale of Two Cities Within One City” initiative also earned Silver Status, while the AOoA Kinship Navigator Program was recognized with a Merit Award as a designated exemplary program in the caregiving category. These national honors shine a light on AOoA’s commitment to supporting older adults and caregivers across Northwest Ohio.
Home Care
“ The Area Office on Aging has done so much to help me over the years, and I wish more people knew about all the agency offers to help them. Being involved with the events, they help you get out of the house, gather with people, and get resources to help you. It’s cool! ”
— Beatrice Gracie
The amount of home care hours provided to older adults who are not eligible for Medicaid more than tripled increasing from 7,000 hours to 24,000 hours.
Age-Friendly Community
With support from the Lucas County Commissioners and the Mayor of the City of Toledo, the Area Office on Aging applied to AARP for Lucas County and the City of Toledo to be designated as “Age-Friendly Communities.” Driven by a desire for continuous improvement, a needs assessment was completed by surveying over 600 individuals age 60 and better in Lucas County and the City of Toledo to help guide steps to make Lucas County and the City of Toledo age-friendly communities. Stakeholders from throughout the County and City are serving on a committee to help guide the next steps of implementing the desired improvements.
Supplementing the Care of Caregivers
“
Aging has been easy with the Area Office on Aging. The staff are good and there when you need them. I’m grateful for my friends and the great help from people around me, like that of the PASSPORT program.”
— Clarence Rickard
The Area Office on Aging served over 1,300 individuals through the PASSPORT and Assisted Living Waiver programs during the year. Oftentimes, these programs supplement the care provided by family members and friends.
PASSPORT Program
“ As I’ve gotten older, I find myself appreciating life more and feeling pleased and fulfilled, which is my inspiration for doing things.”
— Ruthie Tye
The Area Office on Aging has completed over 3,500 in-home assessments over the last year to determine which programs and services are eligible and to connect them with the programs and services they need to help improve their quality of life. These programs include the PASSPORT Program, Assisted Living Waiver Program, and more.
Senior Centers
“ The senior center creates a sense of community, it’s the perfect opportunity to get out of the house, give yourself a sense of purpose, and feel good about yourself. I’ve only been at the senior center for 1 year to try something new, and it’s brought me joy to hang out with friends, new and old. It allowed me to try gardening. I enjoy it, it gets me outside and moving and exercising.”
— Odelia Guerrero
Senior Prom
The Area Office on Aging and Toledo Public Schools’ Senior Prom event had a sell-out crowd of over 500 people age 60 and better. The oldest individuals in attendance at this evening of dining and dancing were crowned the Prom King and Queen. Percy Rankins (95) was crowned the Prom King and the Queen was Burniece Chambers (100).
Meals
Between home-delivered meals and dining site meals, over 1,000,000 meals were provided to older northwest Ohioans last year. Two new dining sites opened during this timeframe to provide easy access to nutritious food for older northwest Ohioans.
A Call Could Change It All
The Area Office on Aging handled over 50,000 calls last year. Some of these calls were made by volunteers to simply provide some joy by providing socialization to help older adults be more social. Other calls made by the AOoA’s AmeriCorps Senior Program saved older adults over $1.2 million by connecting them with prescription savings and health insurance savings programs.
