SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
Livability for All
AARP West Virginia is committed to making the Mountain State’s cities,
communities and neighborhoods great places for people of all ages during
all of life’s stages. In the city of Charleston, AARP is actively engaged in
the community, supporting important arts and cultural events such as
FestivAll, Charleston ArtWalk and Live on the Levee; community events
on the East End and in Elk City and West Side neighborhoods; and social
gatherings and cooking demonstrations at the city’s vibrant culinary hub,
the Capitol Market.
Working with community leaders in the Mountain State’s Capital City,
AARP is helping Charleston take the first steps toward joining the U.S.
affiliate of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Age-Friendly Cities and
Communities Program, becoming the first West Virginia municipality or
county to do so.
The AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities helps participating
communities become great places for all ages by adopting such features
as safe, walkable streets; better housing and transportation options;
access to key services; and opportunities for residents to participate in
community activities. Well-designed, livable communities promote health
and sustain economic growth, and they make for happier, healthier
residents of all ages.
“The goal of AARP’s national focus on supporting the development and
growth of livable communities is to spread public awareness of the
necessity and desirability of towns and cities to become friendlier to all
ages as the country’s population continues its rapid demographic aging,”
says Gaylene Miller, the state director for AARP West Virginia.
Launched in 2006, the WHO Age-Friendly Cities and Communities
Program is an international effort to help cities prepare for rapid population
aging and the parallel trend of urbanization. The program has participating
communities in more than 20 nations as well as 10 affiliates representing
more than 1,000 communities.
By joining the AARP network, the city of Charleston has declared its
intent to move forward with application for the WHO status of age friendly,
committing to a continual cycle of improvement in the eight domains
identified as influencing the health and quality of life of older adults.
300 Summers Street, Suite 400
Charleston, WV 25301
1-866-227-7458
www.aarp.org/wv