Region IV Area on Aging’s (RIV AAA) announced that the organization’s Campus for Creative Aging would be renamed the ‘Lynn & Freeborn Kellogg Campus for Creative Aging’. At RIV AAA’s annual meeting and celebration. Board president Bernie Williamson made the announcement, and presented a plaque to Lynn Kellogg , during a tribute honoring the retiring CEO and her 45 years of service to the agency and the aging population of Southwest Michigan.
“Lynn Kellogg’s career has epitomized commitment not only to satisfying the needs of aging adults, but also to helping them maintain an independence and quality of life that is all-too-often sacrificed as people age. Her husband Free, was her greatest supporter, her daily inspiration, and in keeping with AAA’s mission – a true testament to a life well-lived,” explains Bernie. “It’s hard to imagine the Area Agency on Aging without Lynn and Freeborn Kellogg, and the dedication of the Campus for Creative Aging will ensure that we don’t have to! The programs and services provided here will be a daily reminder of their vision and their shared commitment; and their work – as carried out in the days ahead by so many that they have inspired – will continue to touch the lives of seniors and people with disabilities every day.”
The Campus for Creative Aging launched in the summer of 2019. Kellogg noted during the ribbon cutting that ‘30 years of life expectancy have been added in the last 30 years. That leaves people with plenty of time, and they are wondering how they can contribute.’
The Campus for Creative Aging seeks to respond to this need by giving older adults the tools they need for successful aging, to stay engaged and to stay active.
The Campus holds classes in computer learning, brings groups together through artistic and intellectual pursuits, provides classes to learn new skills and provides volunteer opportunities to the community.
“The renaming of the Campus to honor Lynn and Freeborn’s legacy of lifelong learning and personal reinvention couldn’t be more fitting,” says incoming RIV AAA CEO Christine Vanlandingham. “Carrying that legacy forward, Campus offerings and partnerships are being expanded to allow older adults to connect, learn about new technologies, and opportunities as well as other virtual and in-person ways they can participate in activities and events. The future is wide open. We are thankful to the Kellogg’s and to the growing network of business and individuals that support the Campus for Creative Aging’s vision of making our community one where older adults come together to share, expand, and unlock their capacity for creative expression, lifelong learning, personal growth, and living with purpose.”
