By Theresa Hoffman-Makar
AARP North Carolina held its first statewide conference Nov. 19-20 at The Brookstown Inn in Winston-Salem. The conference included a wide range of presenters from across the state who are engaging in livable communities and age-friendly work.
Winston-Salem was selected as the event’s location due to the positive work of Age-Friendly Forsyth that has received state and national attention. Forsyth County’s initiative focuses on improving community livability and ensuring Forsyth County is a place where people can live their best lives.
Adam Hill, executive director of Forsyth Futures, moderated a panel discussion during the opening session, with Judie Holcomb-Pack, associate editor of The Chronicle, and Marva Reid, both Age-Friendly Forsyth community representatives, along with Ann Roberts from the Department of Social Services, and Lee Covington from Senior Services. The panel discussion included information on the history of Age-Friendly Forsyth and discussed the importance of community member involvement in systems change work.
For more information on Age-Friendly Forsyth, visit www.agefriendlyforsyth.org; for more information on AARP Livable Communities, visit https://www.aarp.org/livable-communities/.
Theresa Hoffman-Makar is the project manager of Age-Friendly Forsyth.