ARC, Aging Network Honor Partnerships Benefiting Older Adults
(ATLANTA - October 22, 2007) Three metro area businesses received this year’s Business and Aging Awards, recognizing public-private partnerships that help improve the quality of life for older adults in the region. The companies received their awards recently at the annual Business & Aging Awards luncheon, hosted by the Metropolitan Partnership in Aging (MPIA), a coalition including the Atlanta Regional Commission and the 10 county-based aging programs that serve the region’s seniors.
“These types of partnerships show that the older market provides a good business opportunity. It’s good business to work with the aging network, serve seniors and help them maintain their quality of life,” said Maureen Kelly, businesses and community liaison for Atlanta Regional Commission. “The business benefits, the aging network benefits and most important, older adults benefit.”
Georgia Natural Gas received the top honor for its efforts to help low-income older adults reduce their heating costs. Georgia Natural Gas has donated $1.1 million to help Atlanta-area low-income seniors weatherize their homes and to educate consumers statewide about energy conservation. The company partnered with numerous community organizations to detect inefficiencies in homes, thus attacking the root cause of high heating bills – inefficiency. This ultimately conserves energy and eliminates the need to raise thermostats.
For age-related businesses, the top honors went to Delmar Gardens of Gwinnett and the Fuqua Center for Late-Life Depression. Delmar Gardens, a senior retirement community in Gwinnett County, is a leading partner of Gwinnett County Senior Services. The company provides both corporate support to aging programs and opportunities for residents to engage in activities and organizations that improve the lives of seniors in the county. The Fuqua Center has partnered with the Georgia Department of Human Resources Division of Aging and others to provide depression training for care managers, statewide.
The companies will also be recognized at ARC’s annual State of the Region Breakfast Thursday, November 8.
The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) is the official planning agency for the 10-county Atlanta Region, including Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry and Rockdale counties as well as the City of Atlanta and 66 other cities. The Atlanta Regional Commission serves as a catalyst for regional progress by focusing leadership, attention and planning resources on key regional issues. ARC is the Area Agency on Aging for the 10-county region.
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