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Cumberland County Office on Aging outlines services, events and a May 22 public hearing
Summary
Lisa Williams, executive director of the Cumberland County Office on Aging, told host Sandra Taylor that the office is expanding services — from ADRC care management and Memory Cafe gatherings to Meals on Wheels, transportation improvements and 1,450 senior farmers market vouchers — and invited the public to a May 22 area-plan hearing.
Sandra Taylor, host of Spotlight on Cumberland County, interviewed Lisa Williams, executive director of the Cumberland County Office on Aging, in a program that ran through the department’s services, funding and upcoming events for older adults.
"They can come into the ADRC and find out what information" is available for seniors and people with disabilities, Williams said, referring to the Aging and Disability Resource Connection as a one-stop place for care-management referrals, property tax rebate help and Medicare counseling. Williams said the office’s outreach team and social workers screen callers and match them to programs "based on their income and abilities" so residents can often remain at home longer.
Why it matters: Williams emphasized that the county’s programs support aging in place and daily safety, from driver check-ins on Meals on Wheels deliveries to on-site application help for energy assistance. "We brought in about $5,000,000 in federal and state grants" this year, she said, noting New Jersey Transit grants that support the county’s CATS transportation system and a Department of Veterans Affairs grant for veterans’ rides.
Williams described several service highlights: the Memory Cafe, a dementia-friendly monthly gathering with music and art therapy held the last Wednesday of every month at the Parish of All Saints community room in Millville; SHIP counselors who provide unbiased Medicare plan counseling during open enrollment; the WISE (Workshops for Independence and Senior Education) mobile program that will teach seniors how to use shopping apps and guard against scams; and a retired senior volunteer program (AmeriCorps Seniors/RSVP) that matches volunteers age 55+ with roughly 34 partner sites.
On transportation, Williams said the system is large — "yesterday alone, we did 326 runs" — and averages "about 16 to 17 buses a day," but she acknowledged long waits for riders in rural areas such as Marsh River Township, Port Norris and Fortescue. The office is exploring partnerships with on-demand transportation providers to fill gaps and reduce return wait times.
Nutrition programs include congregate meals at nine senior centers and Meals on Wheels deliveries five days a week; Williams noted drivers perform daily welfare checks and have identified medical emergencies in the course of deliveries. For energy assistance, the office helps residents complete LIHEAP applications for Gateway in Bridgeton and runs a fan distribution program starting in mid-June for qualifying residents without air conditioning.
Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program: Williams said Cumberland County has 1,450 vouchers this season, worth $40 each and distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. Eligible residents (age 60+, proof of county residency and proof of income or a Medicaid/SNAP card) can receive a voucher card at county distribution events in Millville, Vineland and Bridgeton and use it at participating markets.
Public hearing and how to participate: Williams invited older adults, caregivers and service providers to a public hearing on May 22 at 2 p.m. at the Cumberland County Library Community Room, 800 East Commerce Street, where the area plan (used to allocate programs and grants for services to older adults) will be developed and public input collected. "If you're an older adult or you support an older adult," she said, "please come out to this hearing or email me or call my office."
Contact and logistics: Williams provided the Office on Aging phone number, (856) 453-2220, for program questions, applications and volunteer inquiries. She also noted the department produces a quarterly 'Golden Agenda' newsletter (about 6,000 mailed copies quarterly and available electronically) and encouraged listeners to request screening for community services by phone (about a half-hour free screening with a social worker).
What’s next: Williams said the office will continue to refine transit routes, expand education workshops, and include community suggestions in the 2027 area plan. The transcript does not specify the broadcast date of the interview; the Office on Aging provided the May 22 date for the area-plan public hearing within the program.
