The Adams County Office for Aging, Inc. (ACOFA) next fundraising event will be its December Fundraiser Extravaganza is ongoing in December, raising raise funds to meet the essential needs of older adults in our community.
Our goal is to raise $6,200 in 31 days, which is 10% of the monthly cost to keep our Personal Care or Home-Delivered Meals programs going strong. Your support would help us provide safe bathing assistance & home delivered meals to our over 60 community in need. $6,200 will Ensure 15 older adults receive two warm, safe baths each week for a month, restoring comfort, dignity and confidence or it will provide 47 homebound older adults five nutritious meals a week for a month, so no one goes without food. These services are costly, and we currently have a wait list for both programs. The total revenue needed to run these essential programs a year is over $744,000. If it was not for fundraising efforts & private donations, we would only be able to provide services to approximately 70% of our current consumers. I ask that you think of the homebound seniors in our community this season. Every gift will bring warmth, nourishment and dignity to their lives.
December also marks the end of Healthcare Open enrollment. Thanks to our wonderful PA Medi volunteers and Community Services Director, Andy Winebrenner, we were able to offer Medicare counseling services to more than 300 Adams County Residents! Our volunteers include Theresa Finkenbinder, Linda Thompson, Mary Miner, Janet Fry, and Jennifer Rowell. Besides open enrollment, we offer counseling sessions throughout the year. Do not hesitate to call us if you need information about navigating the Medicare process.
As open enrollments ends, another group of volunteers begin to prepare for our Free Tax assistance program that runs February through Aril 15th. If you are interested in having your taxes prepared at our office, we will begin scheduling appointments for individuals 60 and over on January 12, 2026. At that time, you may call our office at 717-334-9296 to schedule an appointment. Please note that the IRS will not be issuing paper checks this year if you are expecting a refund. All refunds will be distributed through direct deposit.
This holiday season, I ask that you please check on your older adult neighbor, friend or relative. As we age and begin to lose family members and friends, our circle of contacts becomes smaller. Taking a few minutes out of your day to stop and say hello can make a difference in someone’s life and is one of the greatest gifts that you can give someone. Also, as the weather becomes colder, please consider helping an older adult with shoveling their driveway, bringing their mail in or making sure they have access to food and or able to pick up their prescriptions.
In closing, we at ACOFA want to wish everyone Happy Holidays and we are thankful for the support that the community has shown us this past year!
Lynn Deardorff is the Executive Director at the Adams County Office for Aging, Inc. She can be reached at ldeardorff@acofa.org
