Heritage Agency transitions to non-profit

With its leadership team now in place, a newly reclassified non-profit organization covering seven Eastern Iowa counties is primed to serve the nearly 100,000 older adults in the region. 

Working primarily with adults ages 60-plus, Heritage Area Agency on Aging is designated by the Iowa Department on Aging (IDA) to serve seven counties: Benton, Cedar, Iowa, Johnson, Jones, Linn, and Washington. Heritage also serves adults of any age living with disabilities and family caregivers. 

Heritage recently transitioned from a department of Kirkwood Community College to a 501(c)(3) organization and has named its board of directors, which includes several current and former elected officials, a former IDA director, and other successful professionals. Representing Jones County is County Supervisor Ned Rohwedder. 

Heritage has been one of Iowa’s Area Agencies on Aging since 1971. By transitioning to an independent non-profit organization, Heritage is positioned to better diversify its funding and make its programs more sustainable in the long-term. 

All of Heritage’s services empower consumers to live independently and make informed decisions regarding community-based resources. 

Core Heritage programs include: 

• Regional Nutrition: Encore Cafés, funding dining centers/ home-delivered meals (such as Meals on Wheels), health and wellness programming 

• Elder Rights: abuse intervention and recovery, legal assistance, technical trainings 

• Information and Assistance for all service questions and needs 

• Caregiver Support: case management, options counseling, referral assistance 

A comprehensive list of Heritage services can be found at http://heritageaaa.org/our-services.