Joe Donnelly: “today I wish to recognize the 50th anniversary of REAL Services, an organization that works to support independence and…”

“today I wish to recognize the 50th anniversary of REAL Services, an organization that works to support independence and higher quality of life for the elderly, disabled, and low-income Hoosiers in northern Indiana. In 1966, Lester J. Fox founded REAL Services to create a service network for seniors in St. Joseph County. With the help of a Federal grant from the U.S. Administration on Aging, REAL Services developed programs to address the housing, health, employment, and legal needs of those aging in St. Joseph County. REAL Services expanded its reach in 1981 to include assistance programs for poverty-stricken Hoosiers. In 2013, REAL Services merged with the Alzheimer's and Dementia Services of Northern Indiana. Today REAL Services assists more than 30,000 elderly, disabled, and destitute Hoosiers annually in 12 northern Indiana counties through more than 20 programs. This would not be possible without those who volunteer their time to further REAL Services's reach and mission. On average, REAL Services has 2,000 volunteers each year. The effectiveness of REAL Services's commitment to preserving the self-sufficiency and life quality of elderly, disabled, and low-income Hoosiers has been highly praised over the years. In May 1974, then- Governor of Indiana, Otis R. Bowen, designated REAL Services as the Area Agency on Aging for five counties in northern Indiana. A little over a decade later, then-Governor Robert D.…”