There’s not much difference between 18 and 80. In fact, teenagers and older adults actually have a lot in common. They both long for connection. They both want to feel valued. And, they both have a lot to offer the other. That’s what the Jackson Student Leadership Council realized when they volunteered for ACCA’s Be […]
Archive for 2022
12.13.2022
Over the last 55 years, ACCA has been shaped by the changing needs of the people it serves. As we access the changed landscape of our post-pandemic communities, we’re looking back while thinking forward. And through it all, we’re determined to continue our legacy of promoting aging well through engagement, advocacy, education and support.
12.02.2022
What the Center for Active Living Means to Me
Since 2017, the Center for Active Living has given participant Marcy Tanner the opportunity to build connections and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Learn what CAL means to her below! Why did you choose to get involved with CAL and why have you stayed? CAL’s local and distance travel opportunities are exceptional. As a single individual, […]
11.14.2022
Recieving and Giving: A Meals on Wheels Story
When people hear “Athens Community Council on Aging,” the first thing many think of is our Meals on Wheels program and for good reason. With the help of around 130 volunteers, the program provides almost 73,000 meals to 300 clients each year. ACCA’s dedicated staff and volunteers deliver healthy and balanced meals to help address […]
11.02.2022
Did you know? 1 in 10 Georgia adults age 50+ are at risk for food insecurity – and in Athens-Clarke county, that risk is doubled. By partnering with Campus Kitchen at UGA, ACCA is once again working to ensure that no senior in our community is left out this holiday season. Our goal? To raise […]
10.18.2022
Intentional Individuality: the heart behind ACCA’s Adult Day Health Center
If you ask Allyson Mann to describe ACCA’s Adult Day Health program in a few words, she’ll immediately say: Caring. Supportive. A Lifesaver. As a caregiver for her father John, Allyson has personally experienced the benefits ACCA’s ADH program provides. Allyson has been caring for her father since early 2017 and recently moved him from […]
10.11.2022
Care – from self care to others-focused care – is central to overall wellbeing. In this edition of Connections, discover tips from Elaine Cook, who served as caregiver to her mom for 12 years; what questions to ask yourself to decide when you or your loved one needs more help; and a new act that […]
10.04.2022
In an instant, everything can change. For Cathy Hope, it was a car crash. After the accident, Hope suffered a TBI, which later developed into a neurological condition that cost her the ability to drive. Living in rural New Mexico at the time, Hope relied on friends and neighbors to drive her 45 minutes to […]
09.16.2022
Michele Driver – Discovering Purpose Within Hardship
For Michele Driver, one phone call changed everything. A year and a half ago, in the middle of the night, Driver answered a call. Waiting on the line was DFCS. They asked if she would come pick up Kendall, her six-year-old granddaughter. Kendall had lost her mom three months before, and that night Kendall woke […]
09.16.2022
Thirteen years ago, Elizabeth Thompson started volunteering in our Adult Day Health program. She loved it so much she eventually became a full-time Adult Day Health Aide. She loves her clients deeply and has dedicated her life to caring for others both through her job and in her home. We recently asked her about her […]
08.05.2022
Samantha and Sybil: Foster Grandparent program brings generations together
In fall of 2021, Samantha Yvzellez was starting her first year as a teacher, ready but nervous to invest in her first grade class. Meanwhile, Sybil Sloan had recently moved from her hometown of Woodstock to live with her daughter in the Athens area. Although Sloan enjoyed being closer to family, she felt a little […]
08.05.2022
From Giving to Going: The story of a donor who also became a volunteer
It all started with a jewelry store. For forty years, Jack Stephen Hollis designed one-of-a-kind pieces for his clients and later their children. He loved interacting with each customer, working diligently to bring their ideas to life. Hollis never expected for his job to connect him to giving back to the community, and yet it […]
07.25.2022
How We’ve Grown: Q&A With Current ACCA President and CEO, Eve Anthony
To celebrate our 55th anniversary, we sat down with ACCA Director Eve Anthony. Here is our story. Q: How has ACCA grown and thrived over the past 55 years? Initially, our founders in 1967 recognized in the Athens community that there was not an organization that specialized in serving older adults within their community. So, […]
07.22.2022
Aging well and living well – what does that look like to you? In this summer’s issue of Connections, you’ll hear from community members who are advocating for older workers, our former executive director about the past and present of Athens Community Council on Aging, and experts on starting the conversation about Alzheimer’s. Also: be […]
07.12.2022
Kathryn Fowler: Age Well, Live Well
Throughout Kathryn Fowler’s career (did you know she was our former executive director?) and life she’s learned a lot about aging well and living well. Here’s her story. What was your early life like? I was born in Columbia, South Carolina. From age three, I lived in Florence, South Carolina. It was a college town […]
06.23.2022
It does not matter whether Shayla Smith is sick or on vacation – the letters still come. “I have one client who will write me a letter every single day until I come back to work. He’ll say ‘I really do miss you, hope you come back soon’,”said Smith, a CNA for ACCA’s Adult Day […]
06.13.2022
A healthier lifestyle thanks to Meals on Wheels
Meet Phillip Riddle, one of our Meals on Wheels participants. Here’s his story in his own words. “I’m originally from Atlanta and moved to Athens in high school. After graduation, I went to college and then entered the Air Force. The many experiences I had there not only educated me about people and the world […]
05.11.2022
More than a meal for this former Salvation Army administrator
A stroke left Roy Harris partially paralyzed, disabled and unable to work. That’s when Roy and his wife Patty decided to move from Montgomery, Ala. to Athens, living with their daughter and son-in-law until they found a place of their own. Before the stroke, Harris had been an administrator and pastor with the Salvation Army. […]
04.27.2022
ACCA is Hiring AmeriCorps VISTAs
ACCA is looking for TWO Anti-Hunger Heroes to join our team! We are currently accepting applications for an AmeriCorps VISTA Summer Associate and an AmeriCorps VISTA Annual Associate. Both positions will help manage ACCA’s senior hunger initiatives, working to keep our community garden in peak condition and assisting with our Meals on Wheels and Center […]
04.19.2022
Did you know? May is Older American’s Month, and this spring we are exploring what it means to “age your way.” Look inside this latest issue of Connections for stories about creativity, self-expression, and the importance of choice. Before you go, be sure to check the calendar and see what events are coming up at […]
03.23.2022
She’s delivered meals for more than four decades
Read about Dorothy Newland, our longest-serving volunteer, and her passion for others When Dorothy Newland began volunteering for the Athens Community Council on Aging’s Meals on Wheels program in 1973, little did she know she was just getting started. Forty-nine years later, she’s still volunteering and doesn’t plan on stopping. “I was in my twenties, […]
03.01.2022
It’s the 50th anniversary of our Meals on Wheels program!
This year marks the 50th Anniversary of the Athens Community Council on Aging’s Meals on Wheels program. We are incredibly excited to celebrate this milestone as part of Meals on Wheels America’s 20th annual March for Meals nationwide celebration. The Meals on Wheels program at ACCA began in 1972 as only the second Meals on […]
02.25.2022
Registration now open for the 12th Annual March for Meals 5K!
DATE March 26, 2022 PLACE Creature Comforts Brewing Co 271 W. Hancock Ave Athens, GA US 30601 DESCRIPTION The Athens Community Council on Aging presents the 2022 March for Meals 5K. All proceeds go to the local Meals on Wheels program at ACCA, which provides more than 1500 healthy meals to area citizens each week. […]
02.03.2022
Happy new year! This Winter 2022 issue is full of exciting articles and all sorts of happenings at ACCA. From animals to exercise to traveling the world, there’s something in here for everyone. We hope you enjoy it!
It’s your time to thrive.
Wherever you are in your aging journey, you’ll find connection, support, and a place to belong at The Center at ACCA.