WHEREAS, there are an estimated 2 million Virginians aged 60 and older, a number that will increase to 2.2 million in 2030; and

WHEREAS, the Commonwealth is committed to fostering the independence and well-being of older adults through leadership, advocacy, and oversight of state and community programs and guiding the Commonwealth in preparing for an aging population; and

WHEREAS, the twenty-five Area Agencies on Aging and their aging network partners continue to meet the needs of Virginia’s older adults, serving over 86,000 individuals providing over 260,000 hours of in-home services to support aging in place, nearly 3.1 million meals to combat senior hunger, and making over 24,000 wellness calls to reduce social isolation; and

WHEREAS, the Farm Market Fresh program, also known as the Senior & WIC Farmers' Market Nutrition Program, is a federal and state nutrition program administered by Virginia Department of Aging and Rehabilitative Services’ Division for Community Living, that provides eligible seniors and Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) participants with vouchers to purchase fresh, locally grown fruits, vegetables, and herbs from authorized farmers’ markets and roadside stands; and

WHEREAS, the 2024 Farm Market Fresh season saw over $853,000 in redemptions for seniors and WIC families, a 19% increase from the prior year, and it was made possible through the efforts of 27 local senior agencies, 17 local Health District WIC offices, 344 farmers, 187 farmers’ markets, and 61 roadside stands, and through the successful modernization of the program which featured a new online consumer application and an electronic voucher redemption process using QR codes; and

WHEREAS, House Joint Resolution 633 from the 2025 General Assembly Session celebrated the historic 60th anniversary of the Older Americans Act, which was signed into law on July 14, 1965, and was the first federal initiative focused on providing community-based social and nutrition services for Americans 60 years of age and older; and

WHEREAS, with the support of the Virginia Association of Area Agencies on Aging, Virginia will host the 2025 Governor’s Conference on Aging in Williamsburg, Virginia from May 19-20, 2025, with the conference theme of “Revolutionizing Aging: Bridging Past Resilience with Future Innovation;” and

WHEREAS, the Commonwealth Council on Aging has presented the 2025 Best Practices Awards to Fellowship Fresh from Fellowship Square (First Place), The Beat Goes On: A Community Choir Project from the Engagement Center for Creative Aging (Second Place), and the Virginia Helping Elders Access Resources from the VCU Center on Aging and Department of Gerontology (Third Place); and

WHEREAS, for 62 years, Older Americans Month, led by the Administration for Community Living’s Administration on Aging, has been observed every May, and this year’s theme is “Flip the Script on Aging,” encouraging people to challenge stereotypes and have conversations that help dispel misconceptions about aging;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Glenn Youngkin, do hereby recognize May 2025, as OLDER VIRGINIANS MONTH in our COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of all of our citizens.