NISC Programs of Excellence 

• Year Awarded: 2022
• Programs of Excellence Name: Veterans and Valor are Valued
• Hosting Organization: Jacksonville Senior Center, Baltimore County, Maryland
• Baltimore County Population: 849,316
• 60+ Population: 212,021
• Senior Center Members: 1,900

About Veterans and Valor are Valued

An annual event hosted at Jacksonville Senior Center in Baltimore to honor veterans, the Veterans and Valor are Valued celebration brings together various organizations and people of many generations to show the value of our U.S. veterans and their valor to our country.

A local Air Force Junior ROTC from a Baltimore City high school started the ceremony outside with a color guard.  The senior center's flagpole was surrounded with veterans, center members, Girl Scouts, parents, and community members as the Pledge of Allegiance was recited, and the National Anthem was sung by a soloist from the senior center. 

Veterans and the Junior ROTC proceeded inside to hear three senior center members tell their military story.  One spoke of his Navy submarine service.  One Army veteran spoke of the military brotherhood, and the oath taken to preserve freedom.  The last speaker discussed his National Guard service, which transformed into him becoming an American Legion Commander.  Four World War II veterans in the audience stood and briefly summarized their service.  The Girl Scouts donated a box of girl scout cookies for each veteran to take home and wrote a thank-you note for their service.  An elementary school made USA posters, while flags of all military branches hung on the senior center's walls.  A local restaurant donated lunch and beverages. 

Key takeaways from Veterans and Valor are Valued:

• An entire community can unite around an effort to honor veterans and thank them for their contributions to our country.
• The veterans enjoyed the inclusion of the different generations in the event and they thanked the children and teenagers in attendance.
• The senior center benefited by giving back to members who wore a uniform, and every single one of was grateful for being recognized at our event.   
• A local restaurant provided all of the meals, beverages and paper supplies and two staff to plate the food, while volunteers served the plates to the veterans.

About the Jacksonville Senior Center

The Jacksonville Senior Center in northern Baltimore County, Maryland, welcomes adults age 60 and older and offers a fitness center and studio, classrooms, and a multipurpose room with a kitchen for a variety of programs and activities. Among its many offerings, the city is the site of the Eating Together congregate meal program and participates in the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program.