The New River Valley Agency on Aging recently announced that Deena Flinchum of Blacksburg was selected as the 2017 Outstanding Volunteer in Aging Award winner at the Southeastern Association of Area Agencies on Aging Conference in Greenville, South Carolina.
Flinchum was selected from 40 other nominations spanning nine southeastern states.
She was selected for this award based on the extent and impact of her work with older adults, the community at large and her work in mentoring other volunteers. Ms. Flinchum currently volunteers through the Montgomery County RSVP in various capacities. Her primary focus is to advocate for those in need of assistance and information.
One of her volunteer roles is in the NRV Agency on Aging’s health insurance counseling program. In addition to annually assisting hundreds of older adults with Medicare concerns, she trains numerous volunteers to also assist during the Medicare Part D Open Enrollment period and to assist individuals new to Medicare.
Documented records show that she along with other volunteers assisting in this program have collectively saved thousands of older adults in the New River Valley over 2 million dollars over the past three years through informed decision making.
Ms. Flinchum also advocates for older adults in various ways such as sending letters to public officials and news publications. She writes a regular newspaper article that covers primarily health insurance and Medicare issues.
Additionally she has successfully written several grant proposals to obtain funding for various projects that directly benefit older adults, such as the Supplies for Seniors project sponsored by the Montgomery County RSVP and for medical transportation for older adults served through the NRV Agency on Aging.
Her dedication to helping others is outstanding and the New River Valley is fortunate to have such a tireless volunteer and advocate working to make a significant difference in our community.
