County hears presentations on aging services; Council on Aging requests $9,187 match for 2026

Laurie Rolfson, executive director of the Central Minnesota Council on Aging, and Jennifer Wooker, director of the local AmeriCorps RSVP program, presented to the Wright County Board of Commissioners on Nov. 4 about services for older residents and volunteer supports.

Rolfson outlined the role of the area agency on aging, Older Americans Act funding flows, and local services delivered in Wright County. She said the statewide population aged 65 and older will reach about 1.3 million by 2030 and described how services enable older adults to remain in their homes. Rolfson presented county-level figures: in 2023, Older Americans Act spending in Wright County totaled $355,566; in the most recent year that included American Rescue Plan funds the amount was $444,605. She said those figures will decline as ARP dollars sunset and that the council requests a county administrative match of $9,187 for 2026 to help draw federal funds.

Staff also presented activity counts for Wright County from the most recent reporting year: Senior Linkage cases (about 2,500), assisted transportation (approximately 1,000 rides), 3,631 homemaker hours, 5,444 congregate meals, and just over 27,000 home-delivered meals. Rolfson highlighted caregiver consultation, legal assistance through Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid, and partnerships with local providers including Wright County Community Action and Catholic Charities.

Jennifer Wooker reviewed AmeriCorps RSVP's local volunteer program, saying the regional program supports 1,200 active volunteers across four counties and that local volunteers contribute to senior centers, meal delivery, reader's-theater programs in memory-care settings, food-shelf frozen-meal distributions and other services. Amy Johnson, the Wright County RSVP coordinator, described local volunteer activities and partnerships with Buffalo, Maple Lake and Annandale sites.

The board approved Resolution 25-12 accepting October donations to Health and Human Services, including donated "Journey Bags" from the Forgotten Initiative valued at over $5,000 for children entering foster care.