| May - Older Americans Month – Honor Your Favorite! |
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 JoAnn Richards
When Older Americans Month was established in l963, only l7 million living Americans had reached their 65th birthday. About a third of older Americans lived in poverty and there were few programs to meet their needs. Interest in older Americans was growing. In April of l963, President John F. Kennedy’s meeting with the National Council of Senior Citizens served as a prelude to designate May as “Senior Citizens Month”.
Thanks to President Jimmy Carter’s l980 designation, what was once called Senior Citizens Month, is now called “Older Americans Month”.
Historically, Older Americans Month has been a time to acknowledge the contributions of past and current older persons to our country, in particular those who defended our country. Every President since John F. Kennedy has issued a formal proclamation during or before the month of May asking that the entire nation pay tribute in some way to older persons in their communities. Older Americans Month is celebrated across the country with events, ceremonies, fairs, and other activities. Realizing this, birthdays are not the only thing Care Solution celebrates.
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