Southwestern Commission Area Agency on Aging

09/15/2026

September is 🍂 Fall Prevention Awareness month!

09/15/2026

September is Fall 🍂 Prevention Awareness month!

09/15/2026

September is Fall 🍂 Prevention Awareness month!

09/14/2026

Today is the day!!
Manna Food Bank is scheduled for 1:30pm today. Event will be held at The Macon County Fairgrounds at 1436 Georgia Road in Franklin. Make sure to clear space in your vehicle for boxes.

09/14/2026

💙 Remembering Papa John for National Grandparents Day 💙

Yesterday was National Grandparents Day, and we’re remembering a very special grandparent who made a lasting difference in the lives of so many children.

John Burnette, Jr., lovingly known as “Papa John,” spent 23 years as a Foster Grandparent. Before retiring at age 90 in 2014, Papa John volunteered four days a week at the Hazelwood Child Development Center, where he worked with children ages 2 to 5.

Papa John had a gift for making children feel seen, cared for and important. He loved doing puzzles with them, reading stories, teaching through rhymes and helping them build educational and cognitive skills. Most of all, he simply loved being around the kids.

“They keep me happy and busy,” he once said.

Staff described him as calm, patient and wonderful with children. For some of the children he worked with, Papa John provided something especially meaningful — the presence of a grandparent when they might not have had one of their own.

In 2013, Papa John was named a Champion for Children by the Region A Partnership for Children in recognition of his devotion to the children he served.

Papa John passed away in 2020, but his impact lives on in the countless children he encouraged, taught and cared for over the years.

The photo here was taken in 2014, before his retirement, with 2-year-old Jake Lewellyn at the Hazelwood Child Development Center.

Thank you, Papa John, for 23 years of giving your time, your patience and your heart to the children in our community. Your legacy is a beautiful reminder of what one caring person can mean to a child.

09/14/2026

The town is inviting businesses, organizations, and individuals to take part in Dolly Day on September 25 by doing something good for others or the community.

09/14/2026

We were proud to represent Western North Carolina at the September NC Rural Health Transformation Program ROOTS Hub convening in Durham.

Leaders from all six ROOTS Hub regions came together with NCDHHS and statewide partners to discuss how we can turn regional needs into coordinated action.

We look forward to continuing this work with our partners and helping build a more coordinated, accessible, and sustainable system of whole-person care for Western North Carolina.

09/14/2026

❗DRIVE THRU FLU CLINIC❗ tomorrow at the Cherokee Welcome Center in Cherokee, NC! Stop by and get your Flu Vaccination from 9am - 5pm!

09/14/2026