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Commonwealth Council on Aging 2025 Best Practices Award Winners
The Commonwealth Council on Aging is pleased to announce the winners of the 2025 Best Practices Awards.
FIRST PLACE
FIRST PLACE AWARD ($5,500):
Fellowship Fresh of Fellowship Square in Reston, VA
Fellowship Square’s Fellowship Fresh provides nutrient-dense healthy food to financially vulnerable seniors, enabling them to age in place and avoid the negative health outcomes of food insecurity. Residents of Fellowship Square senior affordable housing communities live on an average Social Security fixed-income of under $10,000/year. Even with stable housing provided, seniors on limited-incomes often must make tough choices when it comes to healthcare costs vs. groceries. They commonly purchase some of the least healthy food available because of price. But an unhealthy diet can exacerbate senior health conditions like high blood pressure/cholesterol, diabetes, diminish mental acuity and weaken immunity. With Fellowship Fresh, seniors get the food they need to help them eat nutritiously, thrive, maintain independence and age in place. By engaging community organizations, retailers, restaurants, and volunteers to donate and hand-deliver fresh and shelf-stable groceries, FF has distributed more than 429,758lbs of food to the 800+ older adults in Fellowship Square communities (536lbs per resident). Via weekly hand-delivered food bags from volunteers and regular transportation to/from grocery stores, the program prevents food insecurity, provides nutritious food options, helps solve physical challenges of shopping/meal preparation that many seniors face as coordination and balance weaken, and provides a series of cooking classes and community meals that not only nourish residents but also provide social connections critical for senior health.
SECOND PLACE
SECOND PLACE AWARD ($3,500):
The Beat Goes On: A Community Choir from the Engagement Center for Creative Aging at Virginia Tech
The Beat Goes On, started in 2023. This intergenerational community choir is open to all - no audition required. It was designed by music therapists to be both accessible and approachable, while specifically including persons living with dementia (PLWD) and their carepartners. In addition to PLWD and their carepartners, the choir includes college students, faculty, staff, and other community members with an age range of 2-86 years old. During the academic year, we have weekly rehearsals beginning with snacks and chat before we move into singing, dancing and lively discussion about lyrics and melody. Rehearsals are a celebration of togetherness, community, and joy with relationships between people of all ages blossoming. Our inaugural season ended with a free community concert – to a packed audience of over 100 - accompanied by a local rock band of retirees to hear the choir sing familiar pop, rock and R&B tunes. The choir began with an internal start-up award of $6,000, which supported snacks, t-shirts for members and support staff, and honorariums for the band and the choir’s codirector. We also purchased smart devices for all members to learn more about the impact of group singing on health. In our second season, the choir has grown and boasts between 30 and 40 persons of all ages and abilities at each rehearsal. We are preparing for our spring concert, which will be all music about dancing. Currently, choir investigators are preparing international conference presentations (Summer 2025) and a manuscript about initial findings related to participation.
THIRD PLACE
THIRD PLACE AWARD ($2,500):
Virginia HEAR—Helping Elders Access Resources—Elder Justice and Ageism Program
Virginia Helping Elders Access Resources (HEAR) is a video-based program designed to educate Virginians on elder justice and ageism, working to make Virginia a safer place to grow old. Elder mistreatment is a serious, underreported, and growing social issue, affecting at least 1 in 10 older Americans.
Through Virginia HEAR, participants learn to recognize and respond to elder mistreatment using a community-based, multidisciplinary approach to strengthen collective action across the Commonwealth. The program also connects older adults, their families, and caregivers with valuable information and local support resources.
Additionally, Virginia HEAR offers opportunities for those passionate about elder justice and serving older adults to champion and facilitate the program in their local communities, expanding awareness and support statewide.
The Council gave honorable mentions to the following organizations:
- Lake of the Woods Living Independently in Our Community (LOWLINC) Safety and Wellness for Independent Living Program
- Insight Memory Care Center’s Meet Me: Community Outings
- Peninsula Area Agency on Aging / Christopher Newport University’s AGE (Advocacy for Generational Equity Program)
View a copy of the 2025 press release. To learn more about the winning and honorable mention programs and how to contact them see the 2025 Winner and Honorable Mention Summaries.
The Council has recognized organizations as examples of best practices since 2006. A list of these organizations and a brief overview of their programs can be found for 2017-2024 and 2006-2016.
With the sponsorship from Dominion Energy ($10,000) and AARP Virginia ($1,500), the Council is pleased to offer monetary awards to the winners.
This year, the First Place program received $5,500, the Second Place program received $3,500, and the Third Place program received $2,500.
Boards, Councils, and Commissions - Background
The Aging Programs within the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services has three advisory boards. Pursuant to Virginia Code § 2.2-2100, advisory boards provide advice and comment to an executive branch agency or office. An advisory board, commission or council serves as a formal liaison between the agency or office and the public to ensure that the agency or office understands public concerns and that the activities of the agency or office are communicated to the public. An advisory board, commission or council does not serve a regulatory or rule-making purpose. It may participate in the development of public policy by providing comment and advice.
The advisory boards meet quarterly and all meetings are open to the public. View directions to DARS Office for Aging Services.
Upcoming Meetings can be found on theCommonwealth Calendar. You can search by date or by keyword.
Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Commission
Established pursuant to § 51.5-154 of the Code of Virginia, the ADRD Commission develops and oversees the implementation of the Commonwealth's Dementia State Plan. Among the Commission’s duties and activities are to:
Established pursuant to § 51.5-154 of the Code of Virginia, the ADRD Commission develops and oversees the implementation of the Commonwealth's - Examine the needs of persons with Alzheimer's disease and related disorders, as well as the needs of their caregivers, and ways that state government can most effectively and efficiently assist in meeting those needs;
- Develop and promote strategies to encourage brain health and reduce cognitive decline;
- Advise the Governor and General Assembly on policy, funding, regulatory, and other issues related to Alzheimer's disease and related disorders;
- Develop the Commonwealth's plan for meeting the needs of patients with Alzheimer's disease and related disorders and their caregivers, and advocate for such plan; and
- Establish priorities for programs among state agencies related to Alzheimer's disease and related disorders and criteria to evaluate these programs.
More Information:
Powers, Duties & Bylaws
Reports
Members
Dementia State Plan
Previous Electronic Meetings
Upcoming Meetings (10am – 2pm unless otherwise noted):
- Tuesday, March 11, 2025
- Tuesday, June 10, 2025
- Tuesday, September 9, 2025
- Tuesday, December 9, 2025
Workgroup Meetings
- Joint Workgroup (follows Commission meetings at 2pm)
- Coordinated Care Workgroup 1st Monday Feb/May/Aug/Nov 2pm – 3:30pm
- Data and Research Workgroup 1st Tuesday Feb/May/Aug/Nov 2pm – 3:30pm
- Training Workgroup 3rd Wednesday Feb/May/Aug/Nov 3pm – 4:30pm
- Brain Health Workgroup 3rd Thursday Jan/Apr/Jul/Oct 12pm – 1:30pm
You can find agendas and minutes from past meetings on our SharePoint site. You can also select a committee below to see just that committee's documents.
For Questions:
George Worthington
Dementia Services Director
Phone: (804) 662-9154
Commonwealth Council on Aging
Established pursuant to §§ 51.5-127 and 51.5-128 of the Code of Virginia, the CCOA promotes an efficient, coordinated approach by state government to meeting the needs of older Virginians. The CCOA supports communities that are accessible, livable, age-friendly, and promote independence. Among its duties and activities, the CCOA:
Established pursuant to §§ 51.5-127 and 51.5-128 of the Code of Virginia, the CCOA promotes an efficient, coordinated approach by state government to meeting the needs of older Virginians. The CCOA supports communities that are accessible, livable, age-friendly, and promote independence. Among its duties and activities, the CCOA:- Examines the needs of older Virginians and their caregivers and ways in which state government can most effectively and efficiently assist in meeting those needs;
- Advises the Governor and General Assembly on aging issues and aging policy;
- Advocates for and assists in developing the Commonwealth's planning for meeting the needs of the growing number of older Virginians and their caregivers; and
- Assists and advises the Department regarding strategies to improve nutritional health, alleviate hunger, and prevent malnutrition among older adults.
More Information:
Powers, Duties & Bylaws
Reports
Members
Previous Electronic Meetings
Annual Best Practices Awards
Upcoming Meetings:
- Tuesday, January 7, 2025
- Wednesday, March 12, 2025
- Tuesday, July 15, 2025
- Wednesday, September 10, 2025
Sub-Committee Meeting:
- Nominating Committee: Thursday, April 8, 2025 at 1PM (following the Legislative Committee)
- Legislative Committee: Thursday, June 26, 2025 at 10AM – 1PM
- Legislative Committee — Partners Input Meeting: Tuesday, April 8, 2025 at 10AM
You can find agendas and minutes from past meetings on our SharePoint site. You can also select a committee below to see just that committee's documents.
For Questions:
Sara Stowe
Executive Director
Phone: (804) 910-5803
Virginia Public Guardian and Conservator Advisory Board
Established pursuant to § 51.5-149.1 of the Code of Virginia, the VPGCAB reports to and advises the Commissioner of DARS on the Virginia Public Guardian and Conservator Program (VPGCP). The VPGCAB: Assists in the coordination and management of the local and regional programs appointed to act as public guardians and conservators:
- Provides advice and counsel on the provision of high-quality guardianship service and avoidance of conflicts of interest;
- Promotes the mobilization of activities and resources of public and private sector entities to effectuate the purposes of this [Code of Virginia] article; and
- Makes recommendations regarding appropriate legislative and executive actions.
More Information:
Powers, Duties & Bylaws Reports Previous Electronic Meetings
Upcoming Meetings:
- Tuesday, March 18, 2025
- Tuesday, June 17, 2025
- Tuesday, September 16, 2025
- Tuesday, November 18, 2025
You can find agendas and minutes from past meetings on our SharePoint site. You can also select a committee below to see just that committee's documents.
For Questions:
Laura Koch
Director, Public Guardian & Conservator Program
Phone: (804) 588-3989
