2026 SESSION

ENROLLED

HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 344

Commending Bay Aging.

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, March 10, 2026

WHEREAS, for 48 years, Bay Aging has been dedicated to helping older residents of the 10 counties on the Middle Peninsula and the Northern Neck age with dignity and remain active members of their communities; and

WHEREAS, Bay Aging was established on June 26, 1978, as the Area Agency on Aging for Planning and Service Area 17/18; the organization quickly earned the community's trust by providing essential supports, including Meals on Wheels, Active Lifestyle Centers, and expert information and referrals; and

WHEREAS, Bay Aging expanded its mission in 1981 to include housing services, focusing on home repairs, weatherization, and indoor plumbing rehabilitation to ensure older adults could remain in their homes safely; and

WHEREAS, recognizing a critical need for rural mobility, Bay Aging established Bay Transit in September 1996 with a single vehicle; the program has since grown into a premier regional fleet of more than 50 buses serving 12 counties and providing more than 132,000 annual rides; and

WHEREAS, in 1999, Bay Aging launched its multifamily housing program with the construction of Winters Point, a vision that expanded in the early 2000s with communities such as Daffodil Gardens and Port Town Village, and today encompasses 11 senior apartment complexes and a workforce housing community; and

WHEREAS, in 2008, Bay Aging pioneered Veteran Directed Care as a pilot program for four local veterans, which has since evolved into a multi-state “Super-Hub” currently serving more than 1,700 veterans; and

WHEREAS, the 2012 formation of the Eastern Virginia Care Transitions Partnership created a landmark foundation for health care contracting, ultimately evolving into the successful VAAACares program, through which Bay Aging helps provide case management services statewide; and

WHEREAS, in 2015, Bay Aging partnered with the Virginia Housing Alliance to establish Homeless Solutions and the AmeriCorps VISTA program, eventually becoming the lead agency for the Middle Peninsula and Northern Neck Housing Coalition; and

WHEREAS, in 2021, in direct response to the national unpaid caregiver crisis, Bay Aging established its Caregiver Support program to provide vital resources, education, and relief to those caring for loved ones in local communities; and

WHEREAS, Bay Aging stands as a decorated national leader across its three core divisions of health, housing, and transportation, successfully serving more than 36,400 individuals annually; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That Bay Aging hereby be commended for its years of contributions to older adults on the Middle Peninsula and the Northern Neck; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Bay Aging as an expression of the House of Delegates' admiration for the organization's legacy of life-changing service to Virginians.