Senior adults being honored
Dozens of businesses and scores of volunteers in Demopolis are ready to do their part to honor the senior adults in the city.
Senior Adult Appreciation Week August 18-25, spearheaded by SALT, aims to recognize and thank seniors for their achievements and contributions to the city, said Bambi Hamilton, SALT director.
“This week hopes to unify efforts in the community in demonstrating, through tokens of appreciation, service and business discounts, how valued our senior adults are in the Demopolis,” she explained.
SALT (Senior Adults Living Triumphantly) has as its mission “to provide respite and support services to those with memory impairments and to their caregivers, many of whom are senior adults themselves,” Hamilton continued. Senior Adult Appreciation Week is a natural extension of SALT’s mission.
The Demopolis City Council proclaimed August 18-25 as Senior Adults Appreciation Week. The proclamation is one step in engaging the community in acknowledging the importance and value of the older generation.
“We want to create a city in which all senior adults can participate fully, find encouragement, acceptance and the assistance they need to lead lives of independence and dignity,” said Hamilton.
As part of the celebration, businesses, schools, churches, and civic and social clubs are being encouraged to take time to recognize those individuals who have contributed so much to our community.
The Demopolis High School DECA club is working on a slide show that will be seen in area restaurants that have televisions. This slide show features some of the available services for senior adults in the area.
The Lube Center is offering a free car wash for seniors (age 65 and older). The Anchor Club and volunteers from the Theo Ratliff Center will pump gas and clean windshields for seniors Monday through Friday at all three Parr’s Service Stations from 3:30 to 6 p.m. Volunteers will wear a “We Love Our Seniors” name tags.
Senior adults can register at participating businesses for prizes that will be drawn at the end of the week. Those businesses can be identified with “We Love Our Seniors” signs.
Other recognition will come in the form of discounts, freebies, acts of kindness and various forms of acknowledgements. Among the offers are a free ice cream cone at the Mustard Seed, 20 percent discount from Nancy and Co., 15 percent off one item from Lee’s Closet and 15 percent off from Southern Blessings.
Westside Elementary, U.S. Jones Elementary and Demopolis Middle School not only will have bulletin boards but are planning random acts of kindness. The Demopolis Public Library is hosting an in-house appreciation event.
Hamilton said this is the first of what will be an annual event.
“We are already thinking of exciting ways to make next year’s Proclamation Week bigger and better,” she said.