Long-time Volunteer Charlie Hunt of Vienna Honored

Fairfax County Department of Family Services
12011 Government Center Parkway, Suite 500
Fairfax, VA 22035-1102
Contact: Belinda Buescher, Public Information Officer
703-324-7758, TTY 703-222-9452
DFSPIO@fairfaxcounty.gov

June 7, 2007

The National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) has selected Charlie Hunt of Vienna, Virginia, for a MetLife Foundation Older Volunteers Enrich America Award. Administered by n4a, the national program celebrates outstanding older volunteers and their contributions to their communities. Mr. Hunt received a Team Spirit Award for his work with the Virginia Insurance Counseling and Assistance Program, administered by the Fairfax Area Agency on Aging in Fairfax County’s Department of Family Services.

Charlie Hunt, age 82, has spent 14 years as a VICAP volunteer advising other seniors about health insurance matters. In the Washington D.C. metropolitan area, this requires that he must not only understand Medicare and Medigap health plans, but also various health plans for federal government employees and military personnel. A former Internal Revenue Service tax assistance volunteer, Mr. Hunt is detail-oriented and has recruited other tax preparers to volunteer. His experience and calm demeanor have been especially valuable since the advent of the Medicare Part D program, which has triggered a 44% increase in VICAP clients since 2006.

“You get a good feeling when you volunteer,” says Charlie Hunt.  “You give helpful information, but you also learn from the experiences.  Volunteering makes you healthier, happier and wiser.”

Mr. Hunt and the 27 other award recipients, nominated by organizations and programs nationwide, will be honored during a ceremony on June 8, in Washington, D.C. Nominees were required to be age 50 years or older and to have volunteered for the program or organization for at least one year. Members of the Older Volunteers Enrich America Awards Blue Ribbon Panel and Advisory Board made award selections in three categories. Team Spirit Awards honor older volunteers who assist other older adults; Mentor Awards recognize older volunteers who work with young people and their families; and Community Champion Awards recognize those who use their time and talent to make their community a better place to live. Mr. Hunt will receive an engraved gift celebrating his achievement, and the Fairfax Area Agency on Aging will receive a monetary award to further its work.

The National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a)is the leading voice on aging issues for Area Agencies on Aging across the country and a champion for Title VI-Native American aging programs in our nation's capital. For more information, visit www.n4a.org.

MetLife Foundationwas established in 1976 by MetLife to carry on its longstanding tradition of corporate contributions and community involvement. Grants support health, education, civic and cultural programs throughout the United States. For more information about the Foundation, visit www.metlife.org.