Wednesday, July 3, 2019 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Locals push age-friendly environment By Sue Stafford Correspondent The declaration of Sisters as an age-friendly commu- nity came about through the efforts of a dedicated group of local citizens who picked up on one guest column in The Nugget penned by local resident Joan Power who voiced concerns regard- ing service gaps in Sisters for the growing population of seniors. She suggested a community-wide meeting be held to discuss the concerns. Through the organiz- ing of public events by Citizens4Community to encourage discussion and provide education, a group called the Senior Alliance formed to create momen- tum for addressing the con- cerns raised. More educa- tion/discussion events were held, including efforts by St. Charles Health System Community Foundation and the Council on Aging of Central Oregon. A core group of volun- teers agreed to rebrand the Senior Alliance and expand its scope for inclusivity by forming Age-Friendly Sisters Country, following the World Health Organization9s guide- lines (see related story on page 1) in order to imple- ment action items and seek funding for projects. AFSC was identified as a partner in the Sisters Country Horizons Vision Project, which identified a number of strategies and action items related to issues for aging citizens and those who find themselves on the margins of society for whatever reason. AFSC believes that everyone is somewhere on the path toward aging, and those com- munities that serve the needs of older adults benefit every- one in the long run. A Board of Directors was formed, bylaws were writ- ten, articles of incorporation were filed, and in March 2019 they were granted their 501(c)(3) non-profit sta- tus. AFSC will continue to administer the age-friendly status for the City, by acting as an umbrella organization providing networking, orga- nizational expertise, profes- sional accounting, and the non-profit status for organi- zation, groups, and individu- als who want to work toward solving area issues related to housing, transportation, edu- cation, health services, social inclusion, volunteerism/ employment, or buildings and public spaces for com- munity congregations. They seek to create, encourage, and sustain part- nerships with those in the community whose focus, services, and activities are consistent with their mission and goals. Their mission is