Age-Friendly Oxford (AFO)

Age-Friendly Oxford (AFO) is a community improvement initiative working to create livability in the greater Oxford area, which includes the surrounding townships that make up the Talawanda school district (Hanover, Milford, Oxford, Reily). It is based on the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Age-Friendly Cities Project and AARP’s U.S. Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities.

The leadership of AFO is composed of three “pillar” organizations that work together to realize AFO’s vision for an inclusive livable community with housing, transportation, social opportunities, and services that support the well-being of citizens of all ages. Oxford Seniors, Inc. is the AFO fiduciary agent and the contact address and phone number; Scripps Gerontology Center at Miami University manages administrative responsibilities (coordination, meeting scheduling, listserv, website, and communications); and the City of Oxford serves as the official applicant to the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities and provides guidance on local regulatory and governance matters.

Representatives from these pillar organizations, along with a small panel of Oxford area community members, make up the AFO Leadership Team, which meets monthly to oversee AFO business. AFO is guided by a Community Advisory Group made up of individuals and representatives of organizations across various sectors of the greater Oxford area/Talawanda School District. This group meets quarterly to ensure that AFO’s initiatives reflect the diverse perspectives and needs of the greater Oxford community.

In November 2017, Oxford City Council voted unanimously to pass a resolution for Oxford to apply to the AARP Network of States and Communities. AFO became the 3rd community in Ohio and the 191st member nationwide. In 2023, AFO again received support from the Oxford City council to continue with a second 5-year cycle of work.

The work that happens within the AARP Age-Friendly Network – which is a program within the larger Livable Communities Initiative – is hands on and locally determined and directed. The AARP Process is a four-stage program cycle spanning five years involving a continuous process of improvement.

While AFO’s primary focus is to develop support for older adults living in the greater Oxford area, age-friendly work builds community features of livability that are good for people of ALL ages.