February 2026 Newsletter

Published on February 02, 2026

Download the Februrary issue of our newsletter, The Buzz(PDF, 4MB)

A Message from the Office for the Aging Director

Dear Ulster County Older Adults!  

Spring draws ever closer! You can see the light stays longer, you can feel the sun on your face stronger, and folks are already talking about garden preparation!

Personally, I want to wait till the soil won’t freeze my fingers! 

Our planning for the year has already begun and we have had some special education requests. So far, there are folks wanting to know how to order food online, meaning

groceries, and perhaps also how to get them to your home if you cannot drive to pick them up. We are scheduling a tech class for that on March 6th – call us to register if you are interested. Also, some requests regarding guidance for those who may have lost a spouse who handled all the finances. Where do you begin? How to you ensure you are safe financially, and have what you need? How do you start? These are questions we hope we can answer about folks left by a spouse or partner who has passed, or who can no longer manage finances due to an illness or new disability. We will be scheduling all these come spring and summer. 

We would also like to “take our show on the road”! (AGAIN!)

  A few years ago we were able to visit many senior groups with the lawyer, the Medicare expert, and our NYConnects staff to answer both general questions and have appointments for people in their neighborhood, rather than them having to come to Kingston. We are already planning a trip to Wallkill for these services, and hope to see interest from some other older adults groups/housing/ social clubs. Please let us know! We can try and accommodate you!  

This year we hope to explore the idea of in-home respite for those caregivers needing to get a few hours to themselves. We are always looking for volunteers for this (among other positions) and training is available. Please contact our office.  

Also, we are looking for nominations for our Senior of the Year. If you know someone who is a wonderful volunteer and like to nominate them, please see our website for the nomination form, pick one up at our office, or give us a call and we can mail it. We appreciate all those who make a difference in their communities.  

Everyone stay warm – the real warmth is on the way!  

Susan Koppenhaver, Director, Ulster County Office for the Aging