ESCANABA, Mich. (WZMQ) – Wednesday was Senior Citizens Day at the U.P. State Fair.
Fairgoers ages 65 and older enjoyed $5 admission at the gates. They were then invited to a congregate meal and Wellness Fair, sponsored by the Menominee-Delta-Schoolcraft Community Action Agency. Attendees received information from local healthcare providers, assisted living facilities, AARP, and other organizations.
One group represented was the Action Agency’s Foster Grandparents Program.
“We’re in the schools, and we help the children learn,” said member Marie Whitmire. “We give them comfort. If there’s a problem, we try to solve it with them. My students write me letters, and I answer their letters.”
Whitmire says the Wellness Fair is an opportunity to showcase the difference programs like Foster Grandparents can make.
“Our leaders are here, and they rely on us to honor all the stuff that they’re doing,” she said. “They do so much for us that I thought that we could just give back in that way.”
Wellness Fair organizers say it is also a chance to educate older adults about resources they may not know are available in their own community.
“We feel it’s important to bring the community together,” said Lydia LaPalm, Center Administrator for the Community Action Agency. “It’s just important to give back to our community, like we do with a lot of our programs.”
Seniors looking for information about those resources can call the Community Action Agency at (906) 786-7080 or visit mdscaa.org.
