Texas Recreation & Park Society

2008 Outstanding Professional in Aging Award
Mrs. Betty Lamb

Mrs. Betty Lamb is the Director of the Area Agency on Aging of the Coastal Bend in Corpus Christi, Texas. She has worked with the agency since it’s inception in March, 1974. Mrs. Lamb has served as director for the past 18 years and oversees the Title III Older Americans Act Programs for a 12 county region. She also serves as the Chairperson of the Mayor’s Council on Aging.

Mrs. Lamb is highly respected professional who consistently demonstrates exceptional leadership qualities. The success of our local Aging and Disability Resource Directory for the Coastal Bend is one example of her ability to bring people together to work cooperatively to achieve a mutual goal.

She was also influential in motivating service providers to apply for and secure grant funds for a nationally recognized evidenced based fall prevention program. The Matter of Balance program is designed to reduce the fear of falling, stop the fear of falling cycle, and improve the activity levels among community-dwelling adults. The goal of the program is to use volunteer lay leaders as facilitators, in order to make the program affordable to offer in the community setting.

Service providers in the Coastal Bend are the envy of colleagues throughout the country who marvel at the notion of a cooperative and effective relationship with an Area Agency on Aging. We are honored to know and work with Betty Lamb.

2008 Corporate Award for Outstanding Service in Aging
Hearthstone Assisted Living of Vista Ridge

The City of Lewisville Parks and Leisure Services and Senior Activities Center commend Hearthstone Assisted Living of Vista Ridge for their contributions of time, food and refreshments, advertising space and transportation services.

Hearthstone is a retirement community facility which specializes in short term stays, long term care, home health and much more. In addition to programs offered to their clients, Hearthstone transports many of their residents to and from the Senior Activities Center at no charge.

Cashe Schutz, Community Relations Director and his staff at Hearthstone have been outstanding advocates for seniors attending the Senior Activities Center. They also provide invaluable support and resources throughout the year.

Our partnership with Hearthstone inspires a spirit of cooperativeness and generosity which yields success and admiration from our seniors and invokes others to community stewardship.

2008 Outstanding Program in Aging Award
City of McKinney Senior Recreation Center

The Friendship and Fun program is hosted in collaboration with the McKinney Independent School District. The program is held on Valentine’s Day to promote a spirit of fun, friendship, community stewardship, and intergenerational opportunity.
Program Objectives:

Students participate with senior members in morning exercise programs.

Students hand craft Valentine’s Day cards and a variety of adorned items and hand delivered these items to the members during their visit.

Cookies and punch were provided during social game time for everyone to enjoy.

Members enjoyed a 30 minute choir performance featuring Valentine’s Day songs and an encore performance during the lunch program.

Students removed trash from the center’s award winning nature trail.

This program provides a unique, yet rewarding opportunity for 4th and 5th grade students to experience the value and appreciation of community involvement. It also provides students with an opportunity to give back to their community through acts of kindness to senior citizens.

Overall, eighty-six (86) students, four (4) parent volunteers, two (2) school teachers and over one hundred (100) senior members benefited from the program. Other than staff coordination time, the program costs were approximately $70, a priceless program that proves to very rewarding leaving seniors, students, parents, and teachers asking staff about next years program.