July 3, 2026
North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Division of Aging Director Tammy Koger (center) presents members of Brevard’s Age-Friendly Task Force with the Ernest B. Messer award on Thursday. City of Brevard
Jonathan Rich
Brevard Beagle.com
Surrounded by supporters and representatives of the local AARP, members of the City of Brevard’s Age-Friendly Task Force received the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services’ Ernest B. Messer award Thursday afternoon, a recognition from the state agency that honors a community or community-based organization for addressing the needs of its local older citizens.
NCDHHS’s Division of Aging Director Tammy Koger presented the award to members of the task force for their “commitment to listening, commitment to innovation, and commitment to action.”
In 2024 the AFTF conducted a community survey of residents aged 65 and older to identify areas of need and tailor its outreach and advocacy efforts to those needs. More than 600 residents completed the survey. In January 2025, the volunteer group developed an action plan adopted by City Council that prompted Brevard to become part of the AARP network of age-friendly communities.
During the past year and a half, the AFTF organized 25 support programs that have focused on topics ranging from aging in place, increased intergenerational understanding, end-of-life preparation, and digital health literacy.
“You listened to the older adults and families, you built the community around that and the task force around that,” Koger said before presenting the task force with the award. “I think what it really shows is there can be these wonderful state initiatives, but it’s really at that local level that is here for the differences,, and you guys are certainly a testament to that difference.”
Following Hurricane Helene, the AFTF utilized its existing partnership with local nursing students to provide group sessions designed to help older adults recover from the emotional impact of the hurricane and hosted a series of free disaster preparedness events and distributed emergency kits.
The task force’s initiatives have been made possible in part by the organization’s partners and supporters, including AARP, Transylvania County health department, library and emergency management, Blue Ridge Community College, and Brevard College.
“It was the fact that we have such an incredible community where people volunteer and they step up when needed,” Brevard Mayor Copelpf said. “That type of partnership is so important, and the task force has become one of those essential partners that works closely with the city to ensure the needs of our older residents.”