As Director of the Gloucester County Board of Commissioners, I have the privilege to oversee all departments that serve the residents of Gloucester County.
In 2021, we will be shining a spotlight on our departments and the services they can offer you and your family to get the most out of living in Gloucester County.
The Division of Senior Services continues to offer services to our senior residents. We are the entry point to helping seniors understand their options and receive information about programs for them. We welcome seniors to visit us in office, but we are always available and willing to do home visits for our homebound population.
Some of these programs include:
- Nutritional Sites:
- Gloucester County proudly partners with six congregate meal sites to offer meals for Gloucester County Seniors. Seniors can come to our meal sites and receive a hot, mid-day meal. We also offer home delivered meals for the homebound.
- Senior Picnic:
- Our Senior Picnic continues to be one of the County’s most well-attended event. We look forward to this event every year to get together and celebrate another wonderful year in Gloucester County.
- ADRC – Aging and Disability Resource Connection
- This provides information on all available programs for seniors and individuals with disabilities
- Caregiver Support Programs
- These support programs give caregivers the resources to continue to care for seniors. We have support groups for caregivers dealing with dementia disorders, grandparents raising grandchildren support group and we offer a Stress Busting Program for County Caregivers to teach strategies to relieve stress.
- Farmer’s Market Nutrition Program
- Senior Services provides vouchers to seniors to visit local farm markets and road stands for fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs from July through October.
- Free Wills
- We have employees dedicated to walking our seniors through the creation of a basic will.
- Jersey Assistance to Community Caregivers -JACC
- We are partnered with JACC which provides in-home services to seniors with assets below $40,000 and at risk of nursing home placement.
- Managed Long-Term Services and Supports – MLTSS
- This program provides in-home care for seniors with assets below $2,000 and at risk of nursing home placement
- Photo ID Cards
- Entitles our seniors to certain discounts with local merchants across the County.
- Register Ready
- This Statewide Emergency Preparedness Registry allows us to locate residents who need assistance in case of emergency evacuation. By providing basic information, we are able to prepare to assist individuals in an emergency situation.
- Senior Center
- Our partnership with the Glassboro Senior Center allows us to promote health activities and socialization for Gloucester County residents 60 and over.
In the midst of COVID-19, all of our outreach to seniors was modified to keep them and staff safe. We began delivering meals directly to our seniors’ homes, holding Zoom meetings and phone conversations to assist with programs and offering Zoom activities to keep our community active during the pandemic.
During our COVID-19 Vaccination efforts, Gloucester County seniors were our top priority. We were motivated to serve our most vulnerable community. We did so by allocating appointments directly to our seniors by staffing a county phone bank to schedule them. We also opened a second building at the Mega Site which provided a shorter walking distance and less wait times. As of March 27, 2021, the Gloucester County Mega Site has vaccinated over 100,000 seniors.
Our senior population will always be near and dear to the entire Gloucester County Board of Commissioners. We have always provided the best, most worthwhile services to our seniors and will continue to do so.
I continue to be so proud of our County as we move into new and uncharted territories. We will continue to offer programs and assistance within our County to help you live your best life in Gloucester County. We hope that you will take advantage of the services we offer and if you are not in need, perhaps you can share this with your friends, family and neighbors who are looking for assistance.
Robert M. Damminger
Director
Gloucester County Board of Commissioners
Gloucester County Board of Commissioner Director Robert M. Damminger enjoying the Dunk Tank with Commissioner Jim Jefferson at the 2019 senior picnic.
2019 Senior Picnic
From right to left: Gloucester County Surrograte Giuseppe Chila, Deputy Director Frank J. DiMarco, Commissioner Jim Jefferson, 3rd Legislative District Assemblyman Adam Taliaferro, Commissioner Heather Simmons, Director Robert M. Damminger, Gloucester County Sheriff Carmel Morina, Commissioner Jim Lavender, 3rd Legislative District Deputy Speaker John J. Burzichelli