The Area Agency on Aging for Southwest Florida (AAASWFL), a nonprofit organization serving Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Glades, Hendry, Lee, and Sarasota Counties, has been honored with two statewide awards for public relations. The awards were presented at the Florida Public Relations Association (FPRA) Golden Image Awards ceremony. AAASWFL earned an Award of Distinction and a Judges’ Award for the agency’s “SHINE on” public affairs campaign, which educated Southwest Florida residents about the importance of free, unbiased Medicare counseling and encouraged citizens to advocate for continued federal funding for these programs. The Golden Image Awards have set the standard of public relations excellence in the Sunshine State since 1968. Awards of distinction are presented to entries that meet the standards of excellence set by a panel of judges. Judges’ Awards may additionally be conferred upon entries that achieve maximum results while using a minimal budget.

The Agency’s “SHINE on” public affairs campaign was seen by more than half a million Southwest Floridians at an expense of only $250 to AAASWFL. In 2017, AAASWFL assisted more than 33,000 older adults, caregivers and others in Southwest Florida through its programs and services, including the Elder Helpline, SHINE Medicare counseling, and health and wellness workshops.

Area Agency on Aging for Southwest Florida