Chula Vista wants to recognize local seniors

Chula Vista is looking to recognize its older adult population by sharing their photos and stories with the community as part of a new program launching in 2022.

“We Are Chula Vista: A Celebration of Our Older Adults” aims to affirm the city’s commitment to building and nurturing age-friendly communities by displaying appreciation for residents ages 55 and up, city officials announced this month.

Local residents have until Jan. 28 to submit nominations of older adults who have impacted their life, so that their stories can be featured on the city’s website and photos showcased on light pole banners throughout the city next year.

“This program ensures that the older adults in our lives know that they are appreciated for the important role they have in our community,” Mayor Mary Casillas Salas said in a statement.

Chula Vista’s program comes after receiving a share of nearly $3.2 million in grant funding from the American Association of Retired Persons Community Challenge.

The challenge is funding more than 200 “quick-action” projects across the nation that focus on helping urban, rural and suburban communities “make immediate improvements and jumpstart long-term progress to support residents of all ages,” according to AARP’s website. Several projects funded by the grants support revitalizing communities affected by the pandemic.

The South Bay city’s program joins other efforts that focus on addressing the needs of local seniors, who make up about 12 percent of the city’s population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

In November, the city also launched an automated phone line (619-409-1932) that provides access to food deliveries, COVID-19 vaccine and testing information, and other community events for seniors.

Soon to become available is a shuttle service — akin to San Diego’s Free Ride Everywhere Downtown program — exclusively for older adults. The City Council approved plans to have it launched by the spring of 2022.

To submit nominations for “We Are Chula Vista: A Celebration of Our Older Adults,” visit chulavistaca.gov/agefriendly.