To the editor:

In a recent meeting with the Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging, the Lawrence/Douglas County Advocacy Council on Aging was informed of the Lifelong Communities Initiative by Blanche Parks with the Kansas Department on Aging.

Kansas is the second state in the Union (behind Florida) to participate in the Lifelong Communities Initiative with six communities now involved. The initiative helps communities plan for and better serve their seniors of today and the future. The quality of life for residents of all ages in the community is enhanced through this initiative’s four-step process: 1) Obtain support from local government; 2) complete community self-assessment tool; 3) develop and implement action plan; and 4) verification and designation. Communities completing the process will be designated a Lifelong Community by the Kansas Department on Aging.

I urge the mayor and city commissioners to participate in this initiative. As a Lifelong Community, Lawrence can attract retirees as well as elders, offering an additional base of volunteers, an experienced work force and an increased tax base.

Bob Lewis,

Lawrence