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Local Voices

AARP Age-Friendly Network Welcomes St. Louis County

AARP officially designated St. Louis County as a member of the “AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities” nationwide for its commitment and multiyear plan to improve the quality of life for seniors. During a 10 a.m. news conference On Sept. 17 at the North County Recreation Complex,  AARP State Director Craig Eichelman gave an overview of the AARP Age-Friendly Community Network and presented St. Louis County Executive Charlie A. Dooley with the official designation certificate.

The recognition is a tribute to the St. Louis County Livable Communities initiative, whose goal is to enable seniors to age in their homes with dignity, independence and civic involvement.

St. Louis County is one of 14 AARP designated Age-Friendly Communities that include Honolulu, Hawaii; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Portland, Oregon; New York City, New York; Des Moines, Iowa; Westchester County, New York; Chemung County, New York; Macon-Bibb County, Georgia; Austin, Texas; Wichita, Kansas; Auburn Hills, Michigan, Great Neck Plaza, New York; and Washington, DC.

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Because AARP is an institutional affiliate of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Network of Age-Friendly Cities and Communities, St. Louis County gains access to a variety of WHO’s successful age-friendly strategies, planning tools and other resources. WHO is the special agency of the United Nations that deals with international public health issues.

Eichelman commented about the recognition, “The designation from AARP and WHO recognizes that St. Louis County is a national trailblazer in preparing for the needs of the growing number of mature adults both today and in coming decades.”

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“This is a great honor for St. Louis County,” Eichelman added. “It gives us even more momentum to continue our work and opportunities to serve the needs of an aging population will benefit all St. Louis County residents, not just seniors.”

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