Nay Aug Park in Scranton was bustling with activity on June 11, 2025, as hundreds of older adults, caregivers, community organizations, and leaders gathered to recognize a significant community milestone. A local collaborative of nearly 30 organizations, led by the United Way of Lackawanna, Wayne & Pike Counties, received designation making Lackawanna County Pennsylvania’s 10th AARP Age-Friendly Community.
The AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities seeks to make communities more livable for people of all ages, with a particular focus on older adults. Membership in the network signifies that community leadership has committed to “actively work with residents and local advocates to make their community an age-friendly place to live.”
A cornerstone of the designation is ensuring that the needs of people of all ages are considered in community decision-making and program design. Mike Castellano, Special Projects Manager for the United Way of Lackawanna, Wayne & Pike and the coordinator of the June 11 event, addressed the attendees, saying, “We want this to be a day of social connection and an opportunity to let our community know that we’re here to support you. We have an abundance of resources, and we want them to be known.”
In keeping with the theme, the event featured a picnic-style lunch provided by Meals on Wheels of NEPA, health screenings conducted by local nursing students, resource information tables, and a sampling of activities offered by community organizations. Featured activities included healthy cooking demonstrations, chair yoga, performances by students of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic, and free admission to the Everhart Museum and recently reopened Brooks Mine.
Christine Marcos, Moses Taylor Foundation’s Senior Program Officer, highlighted the Foundation’s partnership with the Age Friendly Lackawanna Collaborative, noting, “Back in 2018, Moses Taylor Foundation’s Board of Directors introduced a strategic initiative to increase social connection for older adults. Research coming out at the time likened the physical impacts of isolation to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. The United Way of Lackawanna, Wayne & Pike along with dozens of other health and social services agencies, responded to our search for partners on this work and since then have created something truly extraordinary.”
Marcos further praised the Collaborative’s accomplishments over the past five years, noting that along with achieving the formal AARP designation, the Collaborative has built a robust system of social isolation screenings and volunteer navigators, introduced multigenerational tech tutoring and dementia-friendly initiatives, and deployed a regional awareness campaign to combat social isolation. She also emphasized that members of the Collaborative are continually exploring new ways to work together and to ensure that local older adults have access to high-quality, age-friendly health care and social supports.
Other speakers at the event included: Teresa Osborne, Director of State Advocacy for AARP Pennsylvania; Jessie Pierce, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Council on Aging; Bill Gaughan, Lackawanna County Commissioner; Jennifer Passaniti, Executive Director of the Center for Health & Human Services Research & Action; Sara McDonald, Director of the Lackawanna County Area Agency on Aging; and Lindsey Skripka, Executive Director of Meals on Wheels of NEPA. Additional elected officials and leaders who have demonstrated support for age-friendly initiatives also were recognized, including Paige Gebhardt Cognetti, Mayor of Scranton, who spent time visiting the resource tables and chatting with event attendees.
In her remarks, Osborne acknowledged the AARP designation as a “significant accomplishment” and thanked “all who have put their energy and efforts into ensuring that Lackawanna County is among the best of the 67 counties in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to live and age.”
To further illustrate the broader significance and focus on age-friendly efforts across the state, Pierce shared,
“A year ago, the Department of Aging stood with Governor Shapiro as he signed Aging Our Way, PA, Pennsylvania’s 10-year strategic Commonwealth-wide plan for aging. Pennsylvania recently became the 13th AARP Age-Friendly state in the country, in large part due to the hard work of Age-Friendly Communities—like Lackawanna County.”
Lackawanna County is currently home to nearly 60,000 residents over the age of 62, accounting for 27.4 percent of its population. Research shows that older Americans overwhelmingly want to remain in their homes and communities as they age, with access to quality health care, long-term services, and affordable housing. The AARP Age-Friendly designation, along with this vibrant community celebration, mark important milestones—and community wins—for older adults in the region.
