Valley Program for Aging Services, Waynesboro Public Library receive national award

Waynesboro Public Library nominated Valley Program for Aging Services as a partner in the first ever I Partner with My Public Library national award and received Honorable Mention.

I Partner with My Public Library is a national award that celebrates community partnerships and is sponsored by Let’s Move in
Libraries. Let’s Move in Libraries focuses on the importance of partnerships to community health and wellbeing.

The award is the first of its kind.

VPAS’s mission is to empower individuals who are 60 years and older with the resources and opportunities they need to lead engaged lives, which fits perfectly with Waynesboro Public Library’s mission of connecting people with information, resources, entertainment and each other. Through the partnership, WPL and VPAS have offered many programs that specifically serve our senior population and shine a light on specific subjects like dementia.

Examples of a few programs are:

• Dementia Champions: Two workshops hosted at Waynesboro Public Library to educate the public on the signs of dementia.
• Memory Partners: Once a month program for those with dementia and their caregivers to enjoy socialization, activities, and Tai Chi for Memory exercises.
• Art and Care: Once a month program for family caregivers of all kinds to focus on simple art creation and self-care.
• Tai Chi for Arthritis and Fall Prevention: 8-week session of Tai Chi led by a VPAS certified instructor

VPAS offers information and referral services, Medicare counseling, senior transportation, recreational programming, health and wellness classes, meal delivery, and caregiver support available throughout five counties in the Shenandoah Valley. VPAS has served older adults and their families for nearly 50 years.

Waynesboro Public Library is a cornerstone of the community. In Fiscal Year 2023, WPL had more than 15,000 cardholders, of which 30 percent were seniors. The library offers free access to books, DVDs, audiobooks, study rooms, Wi-Fi and computers. WPL also provides free programming for all ages. Programs focused on seniors beyond the above listed events include off-site outreach opportunities such as library card sign-up events, virtual travel programs brought to various senior living communities, and library technology and database workshops.

Community members can visit the library Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Tuesday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.