As we look ahead to May, the O’Neill Center would like to recognize Older Americans Month. Every May, the Administration for Community Living leads the national observance of Older Americans Month. The theme for 2021 is “Communities of Strength.”
Older adults have built resilience and strength over their lives through successes, failures, joys, and difficulties. Their stories and contributions help to support and inspire others. The focus of this Older Americans Month will be to celebrate the strength of older adults, with special emphasis on the power of connection and engagement in building strong communities.
There are many things we all can do to nurture ourselves, reinforce our strength, and continue to thrive. Connecting with others is one of the most important—it plays a vital role in our health and well-being, and in that of our communities. From finding joy in small things and sharing stories, to looking at the big picture and giving to others, join us in promoting the ways we are connected and strong.
The O’Neill Center has long been about helping seniors stay H.I.P. – Healthy, Independent and Productive. We understand the importance of those vital connections and the power of sharing stories. That is why, over the coming months, the O’Neill Center will be hosting in-person events such as tai chi, book club, knitting club, art classes, Bible study, meditation, and more, in an effort to get people back together – safely. Masks are still required, so is social distancing. And if you want to join us from home instead, there are still a lot of virtual options, such as on-location cooking classes featuring local eateries, virtual travel to far off lands, tap dancing lessons courtesy of Rockstar Wellness, and much more.
And when you speak, we listen. That’s why we will continue to keep folks updated on the status of trips, bingo and other in-person activities that you told us you wanted to return. We’re not there yet. But as soon as we know, you will know.
As the theme of Older Americans Month states, the foundation of the O’Neill Center stands on our “community of strength”. We want to build on these relationships and we want to share the stories of the community’s strong seniors. A new program, Senior Stories, will spotlight the extraordinary lives of seniors who live amongst us but whose stories remain to be shared. Whether you’ve seen war, raised a family, raised crops, devoted your life to service of others, met some fascinating people or just have a tale or two to tell, we would love to spotlight you. To recommend a senior for this series, please reach out using the contact information below. We are excited about this video program and we can’t wait to share your stories!
Erin O’Neill is Development Coordinator for The O’Neill Center, located at 333 Fourth St. in Marietta. She can be reached at eoneill@oneillcenter.com or 740-373-3914.
