Dear Seniors,
As the newly appointed Acting Director for the Department of Aging and Community Living, it is my pleasure to write my first “Living Boldly” column in the Senior Beacon. My name is Charon P.W. Hines, and I am a proud third-generation Washingtonian who has been serving our city for many years. Before I share a little more about me, I want to express my gratitude to Mayor Bowser for this appointment and her unwavering commitment to our city’s prosperity. I am incredibly thankful for her leadership in ensuring our city continues to thrive and for entrusting me to serve all of you.
As I step into this critical position, I must honor the exceptional leaders who you have all come to know before me, including E. Veronica Pace, Jearline Williams, Dr. Clarence Brown, Donna Duntston, Dr. John Thompson, Brenda Donald, Laura Newland, and most recently, Jessica Smith. Their legacy is a testament to the importance of DACL’s work in our communities.
My career has been defined by a deep commitment to service, particularly for those who are often underserved or marginalized. For the past four years, I had the privilege of serving our city’s youngest residents as the Senior Advisor to the DC Public Schools Chancellor, Dr. Lewis D. Ferebee. Before that, I was the Director of the Mayor’s Office on Community Affairs, also affectionally known as MOCA, where I had the opportunity to serve all 700,000 residents of our city, including seniors.
As the daughter of a disabled Gulf War veteran, I have a personal connection to the programs and services DACL provides to our residents and I want to ensure that older adults like you have access to information about senior housing, tax benefits/relief, transportation, nutrition, wellness, and social events. We want to keep you connected and engaged.
I recognize that there is much work to be done, but I assure you that our commitment to older residents has not and will not change. We will continue to ensure your most critical needs are met daily, while working together to build stronger communities for tomorrow. Over the past several weeks, I have had the opportunity to meet many of you in your neighborhoods and at our senior wellness centers and community dining sites. In the weeks and months to come, I look forward to meeting more of you and learning more about your priorities, ideas, and how we can serve you better. Until then, thank you for support and I cannot wait to see all that we will achieve together.
Sincerely,
Charon P.W. Hines