Legacy link, area agency on aging (AAA) projects a minimum of 275 rsvp volunteers will serve in the georgia mountains rsvp service area, a diverse ten county region in the north georgia mountains…

Legacy link, area agency on aging (AAA) projects a minimum of 275 rsvp volunteers will serve in the georgia mountains rsvp service area, a diverse ten county region in the north georgia mountains (banks, dawson, forsyth, franklin, hall, habersham, hart, lumpkin, towns, union and white). The service area encompasses over 2600 square miles with 60 municipalities and 70 ZIP codes. Most counties are rural and include two small cities and a suburban metro area. As the area agency on aging, legacy link is an agent to promote and assist the independent living of the region's aging population. The mission of the non-profit agency is to foster an environment which enhances and facilitates independence and quality of life of older individuals. Legacy link provides services, assistance, information, and referrals that enable older adults to age in place, thus eliminating or postponing the need for more costly assisted living arrangements or nursing homes. The primary focus of the georgia mountains rsvp program is to serve local communities in the healthy futures focus area with activities that support aging in place and access to care for older adults and those with disabilities. Total activities include delivering food to homebound individuals, providing respite time for caregivers, providing medicare benefit information, providing disaster preparation information for older adults, and supporting capacity building activities with increased program reach. An estimated 275 rsvp volunteers will serve at a network of volunteer stations located throughout the ten-county area. Over 200 volunteers will serve in outcome producing activities which greatly exceeds the grant mandate of 48. At the end of the three-year grant period, expected outputs are anticipated to be as follows: 1400 clients served with meal delivery, 25 caregivers with respite time, 1000 medicare beneficiaries with money saving information, 100 older georgians with disaster preparation information, and dollars raised to support programs at stations. Program outcomes are expected to be 75 home delivered meal recipients with increased independent living capability, 10 caregivers with increased perceived social support, 300 medicare beneficiaries with increased access to medical care, 75 older georgians better prepared to face a disaster, and 2 organizations with increased program reach. Additional service activities in community priorities will provide adult education in computer skills, crafting, music and exercise; telephone reassurance for homebound elderly; reading with students; sending letters to overseas military; and a variety of local administrative and support for community organizations. Legacy link AAA requests a cncs federal investment of $47,500 which will be supplemented by $27,333 of local dollars which exceeds the required 30% match.