The Northwest Missouri Area Agency on Aging (NWMOAAA) provides a myriad of services from federal, state and local funding to nearly 10,000 of the older adults across our northwest 18 counties. Although senior centers and meal programs are what most people are familiar with, the Area Agency on Aging contracts with many organizations to provide a mix of services to meet the needs of older adults and their caregivers. The majority of services provided through NWMOAAA are through contracts with local service providers, which helps the local economy as well.

The Northwest Missouri Area Agency on Aging’s service delivery area covers more than 9,500 square miles, and its services are available to the over 60,000 older adults who call this area home. The core, nine-member Board of Directors is elected by these older adults. Their role is to plan, develop and implement services needed in the area to keep older adults safely in the home of their choosing, and to support their family caregivers.

To accomplish this mandate, NWMOAAA collaborates with other agencies to help determine the needs of older adults, identify resources, make services available and work to locate the best resources to help them in a variety of situations.

It is the Area Agency’s intent to involve as many older adults from a variety of backgrounds in the process as possible. They are seeking people who are interested in serving on the Board of Directors and helping older adults and their caregivers.

Advocating for older adults and their caregivers is also an important function of Area Agencies on Aging. Another way people can get involved in the process is to serve as Silver Haired Legislators (SHL.) SHL representatives are essential to ensure that older adults have a voice locally and in Jefferson City. To that end, the Area Agency on Aging is also seeking interested older adults to serve as Silver Haired Legislators.

If you are at least 60 years of age and would like to make a difference for the older adults and their caregivers in your area, contact the Northwest Missouri Area Agency on Aging. You may call toll-free at 888-844-5626 or e-mail Mamie Easton, Public Education and Information Manager at measton@nwmoaaa.org for more information or to request a filing packet to run for the Board of Directors or the Silver Haired Legislature. You can also find more information at www:nwmoaaa.org/elections.htm or on Facebook (Northwest Missouri Area Agency on Aging) Please don’t delay, because all filing papers must be received by the Agency by April 8.