Happy New Year from the Osceola Council on Aging (OCOA)! As we look forward to a prosperous, healthy, and happy 2026, I want to say I continue to be so grateful for the opportunity to lead one of the most innovative social service organizations in the State of Florida.
As Lance Robertson, former U.S. Assistant Secretary for Aging, and Administrator for the Administration for Community Living (ACL) previously stated, the OCOA is, “One of the best agencies in the State of Florida,” an accolade in which I wholeheartedly appreciate, and agree.
As most individuals in leadership roles will repeatedly state, the leader of any organization, nonprofit or not, is only as good as the internal team and community partners working beside them. Those partners include county and city leaders, elected officials, local businesses, and volunteers who work countless hours to make sure our seniors, disabled clients, and disadvantaged families receive the essential services they need. Our organization has continued to grow, prosper and expand in social programs, annually, due to the ever-evolving support of our partners who work in tandem with our internal team.
As the saying goes, “It takes a village to raise a child,” a proverb which means an entire community of people must interact with a child to grow in a safe and healthy environment. This statement holds true for the OCOA. We could not succeed without such targeted precision and support provided by the philanthropic ‘village’ of Osceola.
Two of our largest community partners include Kissimmee Utility Authority, which enables our KUA Good Neighbor Program, and Toho Assistance Program, who supports our water utility assistance initiative. Other community programs include Building Strong Families Housing Stability; Emergency Home Energy Assistant for the Elderly; Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program; and food pantries located in Kissimmee and St. Cloud.
Another program we could not oversee without extensive community support is our Meals on Wheels (MOW) nutrition program, where hundreds of local volunteers and community members deliver meals for Osceola residents who are unable to prepare their own meals.
Also, I want to sincerely thank the Osceola News-Gazette for their continued support of the OCOA’s mission in spreading our word through these monthly guest columns. Its team of reporters, editors, and publishers have been an absolute delight to work with.
Since 1971, the OCOA has been dedicated to improving the lives of older adults and vulnerable families within the community to age with health, dignity, and financial security. With that ongoing work, comes the need for ongoing donations.
Financial contributions help us continue our mission of providing vital services and resources. With any OCOA donation, one can select which program they would like to support, whether it be MOW, our health clinic, transportation services, or even our food pantries. Call 407-846-8532 to donate. We appreciate any contribution, whether big or small.
Those who want to support the OCOA can also do so by purchasing items from our Amazon Wishlist. To peruse those needed items, go to https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/JACT6P4KVU2O?ref_=wl_share.
As we enter 2026, the OCOA is celebrating nearly 55 years of philanthropic impact for the community; impact in which the organization alone could never have managed on our own without our amazing ‘village’ of support.
I thank the village! I thank our community partners! I thank our volunteers! But most of all, I thank the OCOA team for having the servants’ hearts needed to make a positive difference in the lives of hundreds of thousands of seniors, and families within our community.
And with that, a Happy New Year to all!
