Skip Navigation

aging.sc.gov

Aging News from South Carolina and Around the US

December 2007 Archives


Listen to a weekly roundup and discussion of the stories on ANS on the U Need 2 Know radio show with host Frank Knapp on Columbia's WOIC radio AM 1230 (streaming audio also available online) every Wednesday at 3:25 p.m.
December 31, 2007 Lieutenant Governor Andre Bauer and the Office on Aging Announce Recipients of the 2007 Aging Awards

“In a continuing effort to stimulate public perception of issues confronting our state’s 1.3 million baby boomers, the Lt. Governor’s Office on Aging annually presents awards that acknowledge contributions by South Carolinians to the policies and programs that help meet our aging population’s health needs and support a sustainable and independent quality of life,” said Lt. Governor André Bauer in announcing the awards.

see 2007 Aging Awards recipient details (pdf)
December 27, 2007

Meet me at the (Elder) Hop

By SONJA GLEATON, T&D Features Writer | Thursday, December 27, 2007

Hoppin' John, collard greens and corn bread will be elevated to gourmet status at the upcoming New Year's Day Elder-Hop in downtown Orangeburg.

Sponsored by the Orangeburg County Council on Aging, the Elder-Hop is an annual fund-raising event that brings the Orangeburg community together for a time of food and fellowship for a worthy cause.

"I wouldn't miss the Elder-Hop. I look forward to it every New Year's Day," said Orangeburg resident Austin Cunningham.

Cunningham has attended all five previous New Year's Day functions, which pay tribute to a Southern, time-honored custom, and plans to be in attendance for the sixth annual event Jan. 1, 2008.

"Traditionally, partaking of a meal of hoppin' John and collard greens on New Year's Day will bring a person good luck, good health and prosperity throughout the year," Cunningham said. "I like to start every New Year off right. The food served at the Elder-Hop is always delicious, and the money generated from the event is used for a very worthy cause."

Sheryl Jeffcoat, executive director of the Orangeburg County Council on Aging, confirmed that The Kuckery Restaurant and Catering will prepare the meal again this year, and the community is anxiously awaiting the tasty fixings.

"Attending the Elder-Hop on New Year's Day has become a tradition for many families in the Orangeburg community," Jeffcoat said. "The black-eyed peas with rice, seasoned collard greens and corn bread is a special treat.

"We want everyone to know they are welcome to attend."

If the weather is accommodating, the Elder-Hop will be held from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 1, at Memorial Plaza. The event will relocate to the Orangeburg County Fairgrounds in case of inclement weather.

While there is no charge for the delicious meal, Jeffcoat said donations to the Meals On Wheels program will be greatly appreciated.

Founded in 1972, the Council On Aging was created to serve elderly people who are home bound, with little or no family support and have health problems that prevent them from cooking. Meals On Wheels is one of Orangeburg County Council on Aging's in-home services that serves more than 200 people. This number does not include meals prepared for individuals living in outlying communities.

The 2007 Elder-Hop and other fund-raising events held throughout this year netted approximately $48,000 for the Meals On Wheels program.

Jeffcoat said the cost to feed one person five-days-a-week for a year is more than $1,000.

"But the number of people we are able to serve is a far cry from the actual number of elderly residents who would truly benefit from the program," Jeffcoat said. "We do the best we can with our funds and limited number of volunteers."

Charles Thompson, owner of Grove Park Pharmacy, is another regular Elder-Hop attendee. Thompson says the event is one of the most important annual events held in Orangeburg County, and he would like to see more people attend.

"People don't usually eat collard greens and hoppin' John throughout the year, and I think that's why the meal is so enjoyable and tasty," Thompson said. "The Elder-Hop is truly a blessing for the Orangeburg community.

"I can't think of any better way to become involved with assisting an agency that helps feed the elderly. The Meals On Wheels program is truly a lifeline for people who are homebound. For many senior citizens, the volunteers who deliver the nutritious meals are the only people they have looking out for them. I encourage more people to take part in the upcoming Elder-Hop and show their support of the Orangeburg County Council On Aging's Meals On Wheels program."

Jeffcoat said local radio personality Russ T. Fender, operations manager for Miller Communications, will be on hand for the Elder-Hop to present a live broadcast. A ticket raffle will be also be held, and the winner will receive a hand-carved bowl made by Dr. Ben Pendarvis for the Downtown Orangeburg Revitalization Association.

"I love the wonderful food and seeing old friends," Cunningham said. "The Elder-Hop is the place to be in Orangeburg on New Year's Day."

T&D Features Writer Sonja Gleaton can be reached by e-mail at sgleaton@timesanddemocrat.com or by telephone at 803-533-5540.

December 18, 2007

Reverend Richard K. Giffen of Charleston Chosen as Outstanding Older South Carolinian for 2007

The Lieutenant Governor’s Office on Aging has selected the Reverend Richard K. Giffen of Charleston, S.C. as Outstanding Older South Carolinian for 2007.

Rev. Giffen has worked tirelessly over the years volunteering for numerous organizations as a champion of senior needs with the goal of enhancing the quality of life for older adults.  He has used his experience and talents to work with government agencies and non-profit organizations to bring much needed funding to programs in the Trident area to help seniors age successfully in their community.

While serving as a Representative of the Silver Haired Legislature Rev. Giffen has provided leadership as the Chairman of the Trident Caucus and offered moral guidance as the Chaplin.

His efforts to create the Grocery GoFor program provided homebound seniors with transportation to the grocery store and other errands allowing them to maintain their independence, along with friendly visits from volunteers that came with a smiling face and pleasant conversation.

For these reasons, Lieutenant Governor André Bauer and the entire staff of the Office on Aging salute Reverend Giffen for his efforts and encourage others to follow his example.

December 18, 2007

Heath Springs center to retain senior programs

Seniors who visit the Heath Springs Senior Center for hot meals, special programming and recreation were distraught to learn that the Lancaster County Council on Aging would be pulling funds from the center starting in 2008.

The likely result would be the center being vacated and seniors going to the Kershaw Satellite Senior Center.

But the seniors who packed the fellowship hall at the center Wednesday morning didn't appear distraught.
They appeared overjoyed after Curtis Loftis Jr., director of the Lieutenant Governor's Office on Aging, reassured them that his agency will work to keep the same level of programming at the center.

"I'm just so glad we're saved," said one woman in the crowd after Loftis spoke.

Loftis, who took questions and comments after giving his speech, said the same manager will remain at the center to operate it. The same programming will be offered, with some enhancements, Loftis said.

He said the center's portion of state funding will now be diverted from the Lancaster County Council on Aging to the Catawba Area Agency on Aging, which will manage the center.
The Catawba Area Agency on Aging serves Chester, Lancaster, Union and York counties. It's a private nonprofit organization that focuses on aging issues in the region.

Loftis, who didn't have much to say about the Lancaster County Council on Aging's decision to pull funds from the Heath Springs center, said protecting the programming at the center is a return on the seniors' investment in South Carolina. "These seniors deserve these services. They have been paying taxes for years," he said. "This is a dividend on their investment." Catawba Area Agency on Aging Director Barbara Robinson will oversee the Heath Springs center for the next six months.

Robinson asked Heath Springs seniors to work together to help seniors get to the center once the Lancaster County Council on Aging's van no longer stops there. The group applauded the idea as being "neighborly."

Over the next six months, Robinson will work with state and local leaders to find a permanent administrator for the center.
That could be the town of Heath Springs or another public or private entity, said Frank Adams, spokesman for Lieutenant Governor's Office on Aging.

Adams said Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer is hoping to make senior centers in the state "village squares," where the community comes together for an array of activities, not just meal centers open a few hours each day.

Adams said state officials came to Heath Springs to reassure seniors there that their services will remain intact.
"We will explore all avenues. It will happen," he said.
Heath Springs Mayor Ann Taylor told The Lancaster News last week that Heath Springs seniors would likely refuse to go to Kershaw for services.

Heath Springs senior Dessie Reeves said Wednesday that her fellow seniors would have a difficult time fitting in at a new center.
"It upset us really bad (the decision to pull services)," she said. "We're a close-knit bunch here." Reeves said it wouldn't be convenient for her to go to the center in Kershaw.

Sally Sherrin, director of Lancaster County Council on Aging, said the council's board decided last month to pull programming from Heath Springs. Sherrin said the board likely felt the working relationship with the group running the center in the afternoon had failed.
Lancaster County owns the Heath Springs center. The building cost about $450,000 to complete in 2005. Most of the building was paid for with a federal $350,000 Community Development Block Grant awarded to the town of Heath Springs and a Springs Foundation grant.

Contact Johnathan Ryan
at 416-8416

or jryan@thelancasternews.com