April 20 meeting will feature moderated discussion with local service agencies

The Clark County Commission on Aging (COA) is focusing this year on “Innovation through Connection," and the need to connect people to resources, to information and to each other on a personal level. These connections have been challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic and will remain a challenge into the future.

With the idea of effective connectivity at the forefront of the conversation, the commission created a community member survey meant to reveal connectivity issues that diverse members of our county are currently facing. The commission hopes the information obtained from this survey and the 2022 commission meetings will spur innovative thinking around the ways in which organizations and aging adults connect with and to one another.

The commission will invite experts to join a moderated discussion on specific topics. Members discuss the topic with their guests and answer questions from the audience.

The April 20, 2022, meeting will kick off the discussion series and is organized as a mobilization of service providers around Clark County aging adults to reflect on COA community member survey responses and trends. Guests from the following agencies are included:

• Area Agency on Aging & Disability of Southwest Washington
• Community in Motion
• CDM Caregiving Services
• Vancouver Housing Authority
• Meals on Wheels People

Meetings are at 4:30 pm on the third Wednesday of each month. Meetings are currently in an online format. For information on how to join and participate in a commission online meeting, please visit https://clark.wa.gov/community-planning/commission-aging-meetings.

Future meetings will focus on innovative outreach strategies intended to mobilize those who support older adults such as friends, family, faith leaders, volunteer coordinators and others to provide knowledgeable support about programs and services for aging adults in Clark County.

Separate from the focus on innovation through connection, the commission will begin each meeting with the “COA Program of the Month,” a short informational session on an existing program or resource in Clark County to help educate the commission and public about an existing community resource. The April meeting will highlight the Faith Partners for Housing Home Share Program.

The Commission on Aging, supported by the Clark County Council, is a nine-member volunteer group that implements the Aging Readiness Plan and provides leadership addressing needs of aging community members. For more about the commission, please visit www.clark.wa.gov/aging.

Commission meetings are carried on CVTV Channel 23 and online at www.cvtv.org. To see replay times, go to www.cvtv.org.

CONTACT:
Jenna Kay, Community Planning
564.397.4968, jenna.kay@clark.wa.gov              

Susan Ellinger, Community Planning
564.397.4516, susan.ellinger@clark.wa.gov