Older Americans Month (OAM) Virtual Watch Party 2021
On Wednesday, May 26, 2021, the City of Oakland's Aging & Adult Services and the Mayor's Commission on Aging hosted it's annual Older Americans Month (OAM) Celebration on a Zoom watch party. This year's event theme was Communities of Strength.
OAM History (text provided by https://acl.gov/oam/history)
When Older Americans Month was established in 1963, only 17 million living Americans had reached their 65th birthday. About a third of older Americans lived in poverty and there were few programs to meet their needs. Interest in older Americans and their concerns was growing. A meeting in April 1963 between President John F. Kennedy and members of the National Council of Senior Citizens led to designating May as “Senior Citizens Month,” the prelude to “Older Americans Month.”
Historically, Older Americans Month has been a time to acknowledge
the contributions of past and current older persons to our country, in
particular those who defended our country. Every President since Kennedy
has issued a formal proclamation during or before the month of May
asking that the entire nation pay tribute in some way to older persons
in their communities. Older Americans Month is celebrated across the
country through ceremonies, events, fairs, and other such activities.