National Senior Citizens Day

This Saturday, August 21, is National Senior Citizens Day which honors the contributions our senior population has made to our nation and honors the accomplishments throughout their life. On this day, we are encouraged to recognize and show appreciation for the value and contribution of elderly people to home, family and society.

In his Presidential Proclamation (August 19, 1988), President Ronald Reagan said "For all they have achieved throughout life and for all they continue to accomplish, we owe older citizens our thanks and a heartfelt salute. We can best demonstrate our gratitude and esteem by making sure that our communities are good places in which to mature and grow older."

Older people are living longer and staying active, so make sure you're nurturing your community to be the best place for people to grow older. Volunteer to help an elderly person clean up their yard or take out the trash. Host a senior citizens game night in your area, several times a year. Go to a nearby retirement home and put on a show. Be supportive of their hobbies and interest. Sit and listen to all the stories they may have to tell. And more importantly, just be courteous. Don't hesitate to ask for their help in return - retirees make great volunteers!

On National Senior Citizens Day, we should:

• Spend some time with senior citizens
• Show our appreciation for senior citizens
• Do volunteer work in support of the elderly
  

If you are a senior citizen, enjoy your day any way you desire. After all, this is your day! Make sure to take advantage of senior citizens specials and discounts. There's bound to be plenty offers today.

10th Annual Meals On Wheels Golf Tournament

You are invited to participate in Senior Citizen Services of Metropolitan Atlanta’s 10th Annual Meals On Wheels Atlanta Golf Tournament on Tuesday, September 14th, 2010 at the historic Capital City Club at Crabapple. Last year’s tournament proceeds directly translated into nearly 17,000 meals for homebound and frail seniors in Atlanta. Your support via a foursome or through your company as a corporate sponsor will be invaluable in our efforts to raise funds for vital nutrition and services.

The return on your charitable investment will be three-fold. First, you will be directly impacting the lives of hundreds of seniors who are no longer able to shop or cook for themselves. You will also be featured as a key supporter or corporate sponsor through event signage, website and newsletter recognition, and pre- and post-event publicity. Finally, any gift of $4,000 or greater will receive hole signage and special mention at the reception.

Once again, this year’s tournament will feature the world-renowned Capital City Crabapple Golf Course, the oldest club in the city, tracing its origins back to 1883. The Crabapple golf course is a Tom Fazio design located on the county line between Cherokee and Fulton Counties. The 7,137-yard, par-72 layout has been the site of many tournaments including the American Express World Championship in which Tiger Woods was the eventual champion.

Thank you, again, for your support of Meals On Wheels Atlanta and SCS. You may register by

contacting Steve Hargrove, Director of Events and Marketing at SCS: 404-605-8450 or shargrove@scsatl.org. We look forward to “putting” and “driving” together for Atlanta’s seniors.

Volunteerism!

I picked up my son from an incoming flight at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport last week, and witnessed a remarkable display of spontaneous patriotism. As each uniformed U.S. Armed Services man or woman came up the elevator to the baggage claim area, the fifty or so people waiting to meet their respective air passenger broke into spontaneous applause, regardless if they were waiting for a soldier or not! The service personnel and their families were humbled by the applause for their homecoming.

Volunteerism is at the heart of America, or some might say that volunteerism is the heart of America. The 2008-2009 SCS Annual Report celebrated our volunteers who donated more than 44,000 hours of service to our seniors in need. This annual report can be found on the SCS web site, as well as numerous opportunities for volunteerism – whether hourly, daily, weekly, or monthly. Please join us as we celebrate the lives of our senior citizen clients – and we’ll save our applause for you!

By
Brad Catherman
Vice President of Gift Planning