Established in 1978, Bay Aging has a rich history of delivering professional quality programs and services for people of all ages in the Middle Peninsula and Northern Neck. Bay Aging’s mission is to provide the programs and services people of all ages need to live independently in their communities. They assist many vulnerable populations, including older adults and people living with chronic conditions.

Bay Aging provides a bedrock of community services and connectedness for all ages and income levels, including adult day care, Bay Transit, caregiver support, Meals on Wheels, housing support and homeless solutions, legal aid, and much more. In the past year, the organization provided an impressive 130,711 rides to ensure individuals had access to essential transportation services and distributed 180,452 nutritious meals to those in need.

Bay Aging’s commitment to innovation and desire to improve their community align well with AmeriCorps, and AmeriCorps VISTA and NCCC members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers are a critical part of their work. Bay Aging has a long history with AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP (Retired and Senior Volunteer Program) for Meals on Wheels deliveries and has hosted AmeriCorps NCCC members to complete emergency home repair and outreach initiatives.

In 2015, Bay Aging began partnering with the Virginia Housing Alliance to support an AmeriCorps VISTA member focused on building capacity for the community’s homeless services response system. The program was so successful that it has continued annually. Hunter LeClair, Bay Aging's Assistant Director of Multifamily Housing Management and AmeriCorps VISTA alum (pictured, right) says, "AmeriCorps VISTA is an excellent way to give attention to projects that fall by the wayside due to limited capacity and bring fresh ideas—with a bonus of developing future talent!" Read Hunter LeClair's Story of Service »

To date, Bay Aging has hosted nine AmeriCorps VISTA members, each with unique projects and accomplishments. Their current AmeriCorps VISTA project focuses on a collaborative network, where Bay Aging plays a leadership role, called the Regional Resilience and Equity Workgroup. The focus of this group is broad and all-encompassing of poverty, environmental issues, and human-service delivery. Learn more in AmeriCorps VISTA Matt Mooneyham's Story of Service »

Another example of the impacts of AmeriCorps service that was deeply meaningful to Bay Aging and community partners was a regional racial equity analysis comprehensive of all programs for people experiencing homelessness that was the focus of a past VISTA project. This report provided in-depth data analysis to assess whether programs were actively assisting populations identified to be at highest risk of experiencing homelessness and those groups who have been shown to stay homeless for the longest period of time. "Not only was the analysis thorough and enlightening, but the deliverable report was professional and engaging," says LeClair. "Bay Aging’s VISTA members have enhanced the use of technology."

"VISTA projects are meant to perform capacity-building activities, not supplement day-to-day operations," reflects LeClair. "The inherent nature of this is that the work is new to an organization. While VISTA members come from all walks of life, Bay Aging’s experience is that VISTA members have a passion for service and want to try the experience of something new."

Indeed, Bay Aging approaches the VISTA program as an equal balance of give and take, and has, in fact, hired five of their past VISTA members post-service, including LeClair. "VISTA members dedicate so much of themselves to their projects for a modest stipend. It is essential that a host site dedicate time and resources to their VISTA members to develop them professionally and provide meaningful projects that can be leveraged in their post-service career pursuits," says LeClair. "It is with this mindset of cultivating talent that many VISTA members choose career opportunities with Bay Aging upon completion of their service."

Learn more about Bay Aging at bayaging.org.