NW GA Regional Commission Becomes 6th Age-Friendly Region in GA

ROME, Ga. - The AARP Network of Age-Friendly States & Communities welcomed the Northwest Georgia Regional Commission (NWGRC) into the network during an in-person designation ceremony at the Rome Civic Center on April 20, 2023. The 15 counties represented by the Commission, serving over 900,000 Georgians, joins almost 800 other communities across the nation that have committed to preparing for an aging population.

Launched in 2012, the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities (NAFSC) is an organizational affiliate of the World Health Organization Global Network for Age-Friendly Cities and Communities, a program launched in 2006. Through the age-friendly program, AARP helps participating communities to become more livable and age-friendly by creating safer and more walkable streets, needed housing and transportation options, better access to key services, and opportunities for residents to participate in community activities.

“We are pleased to be among the first regions in Georgia to be an AARP Certified “Age- Friendly” Region. We value our seniors, and we know that segment will continue to grow in number, and percentage of population over the next thirty years. The Northwest Georgia Regional Commission and the Area Agency on Aging are focused on continued improvement in the quality of life for our seniors,” said Chairperson Shannon Whitfield of the Northwest Georgia Regional Council.

“We are thrilled that the Northwest Georgia Regional Commission has joined the network,” said Debra Tyler Horton, State Director of AARP Georgia. “We commend the Commission for recognizing the value of being an age-friendly community for people of all ages, and we look forward to continuing our work together to make the region a great place to grow up and grow old.”

The NAFSC provides a structured process that guides change and serves as a catalyst to educate, encourage, promote and recognize improvements that benefit residents of all ages and life stages. Enrollment in the network provides member communities with the resources to become more age-friendly by tapping into national and global research, planning models and best practices.

Georgia is home to the nation’s first age-friendly community – Macon-Bibb County– which is celebrating its 10-year NAFSC anniversary in 2022. In total, there are 63 Georgia communities that are currently part of the NAFSC.

For more information, visit www.aarp.org/livable.