Older Americans Month

Older Americans Month

Older Americans Month is an annual event dating back to 1963, when President John F. Kennedy designated May as Senior Citizens Month. It was later renamed Older Americans Month, honoring older Americans and celebrating their contributions to our communities and our nation.

Theme: The 2019 theme is “Connect, Create, Contribute,” which encourages older adults and their communities to CONNECT with friends, family, and services that support participation; CREATE by engaging in activities that promote learning, health, and personal enrichment; and CONTRIBUTE time, talent, and life experience to benefit others. The theme is set by the federal Administration for Community Living (ACL).

Hashtags: #OAM19 | #ConnectCreateContribute

Materials, Activity Ideas & Resources: Older Americans Month 2019 (ACL site); note that logos are available in English and Spanish.

Calendar: Older Americans Month events and activities are posted on our May 2019 calendar and promoted in AgeWise King County in the months leading up to and through May of each year. To submit event information, e-mail irene.stewart@seattle.gov.

Social media: Visit our Pinterest Older Americans Month page.

2018 Older Americans Month

Many thanks to Seattle City Councilmember Sally Bagshaw who hosted “Engage at Every Age,” an Older Americans Month forum on social and civic engagement on May 4, 2018. The forum focused on older adults who are making a difference, Age Friendly Seattle, the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods’ new Community Resource Hub, and Seattle Parks and Recreation’s Lifelong Recreation, Dementia-friendly Recreation, Sound Steps, and Rainbow Recreation programs. Councilmember Bagshaw presented four proclamations from the Mayor and Council—one recognizing the month, and three recognizing individuals in our community:

• Older Americans Month 2018
• June Michel—a member of the ADS Advisory Council—was recognized “as an effective advocate for older adults, individuals with disabilities, people with memory loss, and multicultural communities throughout our region.”
• Mary Diggs-Hobson, co-founder of African-American Reach & Teach Health (AARTH) was recognized “for dedicating her life to inspiring and empowering others to improve the health of people of African descent, now and for generations to come.”
• Ninety-one year old John Pehrson, long active in neighborhood affairs and currently the community lead on the Market to MOHAI urban trail project, was recognized “as a mover and a shaker in Seattle who serves as a social and civic engagement role model for others, young and old.”

2017 Older Americans Month

• Theme: Age Out Loud
• Proclamation
• Calendar

2016 Older Americans Month

• Theme: Blaze a Trail
• Proclamation: King County Executive Dow Constantine and Seattle Mayor Ed Murray

2015 Older Americans Month

• Calendar (AgeWise King County, May 2015)
• Our Elders, Our Selves: Visiting the Past, Planning for Our Future (video)
• Proclamation: Governor Jay Inslee
• Proclamation: King County Executive Dow Constantine and Seattle Mayor Ed Murray

Get Into the Act in Seattle-King County

Following are a series of graphics produced by Aging and Disability Services in 2015 for the 50th anniversary of the Older Americans Act of 1965, which was highlighted during Older Americans Month with the theme “Get Into The Act!