For more than 50 years, the Adams County Office for Aging, Inc. (ACOFA) along with 51 other Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) have provided services such as meal delivery, In-home care, senior centers and health promotion programs. These programs are crucial to help older Adams County residents maintain independence and dignity within their own homes and communities for as long as possible.
It is projected by 2030 that 1 in 3 Pennsylvanians will be 60 years or older.
According to the 2022 Vintage Population Estimates from the Pennsylvania State Data Center and 2020 estimates from the U.S. Bureau of the Census, Adams County’s population is 103,852 with 30,451 (34.1%) age 60 and over. This is an increase of 16% from 2018. Last year the AAAs received an increase of $10.7 million to the PENNCARE (Lottery fund) line item in the 2025/2026 budget as a step toward needed relief from years of being flat funded. While this increase is appreciated, this amount did not make a significant difference in serving more residents. ACOFA’s portion of this increase was under $70,000. Our waiting list for services continues to grow with no end in sight if our lawmakers continue to ignore the growth and need of our older population.
The AAAs are asking lawmakers to support the regulation and taxation of skill games by urging our legislators to prioritize the Lottery Fund in the distribution of new revenues. According to an Appropriations hearing testimony in 2023, the PA Lottery fund is losing over $170 million to skill games in revenue. As our older population grows, the possibilities of federal funding being reduced, and the risk of PENNCARE dollars remaining stagnant, the ability of AAAs to support older Pennsylvanians will continue to dissolve.
ACOFA continues to fundraise, accept donations, and charging co-pay for services when applicable to ensure that we can serve as many residents as possible. We are thankful for events such as the Adams County Community Foundation’s Giving Spree that sheds light on all the great work that non-profits do. We also appreciate all the community members, townships, boroughs and businesses that continue to support us throughout the years. If you would like to donate, please go to our website, acofa.org and scroll down to donations. You may also mail a donation payable to ACOFA at 318 West Middle Street, Gettysburg, PA 17325.
On June 17th, Gettysburg Eddies will be sponsoring ACOFA as part of their effort to help local non-profits. They will graciously donate 10% of their proceeds all day to our agency. Please stop in or order out. Make sure to mention that you are there to support ACOFA.
On September 18th, we are excited to announce the first ACOFA golf tournament to be held at the Gettysburg National Golf Club in Fairfield. We will be looking for golfers, sponsors and donations to help make this event a success. Please contact Andy Winebrenner at winebren@acofa.org for more information.
To all our donors, volunteers, and employees, thank-you for all that you do to support our older population!
Finally, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program vouchers will be available on June 1st at our office. We will also be setting up a table at the Adams County Farmers Market on June 6th to distribute the vouchers. Please make sure to take advantage of this great program!
Lynn Deardorff is the Executive Director at the Adams County Office for Aging, Inc. She can be reached at ldeardorff@acofa.org
