Council on Aging’s Veterans and Friends Support Group Provides Connection, Camaraderie Year-Round

The Cambridge Council on Aging offers a Veterans and Friends Support Group. Open to Cambridge veterans ages 60 and older, their families, and their friends, the support group meets the second Wednesday of the month at the Cambridge Senior Center (806 Massachusetts Ave.), from 1-2 p.m.

Dee Cannon is an Outreach Case Manager at the Council on Aging. He is also an Army veteran and the founder and moderator of the Veterans and Friends Support Group. Below, Dee shares more about his experience and the value that the Veterans and Friends Support Group provides to older adults and their loved ones.

What was your personal path to working with older adults in your current role?

After leaving the Army, I knew I wanted to go to college. While doing my electives, I met a professor at the community college who was a social worker. One day after class, I asked her exactly what she did, because I was unaware that social workers could be teachers. The professor sat down with me, explained her role, and at the end of the conversation, I knew that I wanted to be a social worker. From there, I had an internship as an undergrad at the Marion Manor Nursing Home in South Boston, where I learned that I loved working with older adults. In graduate school, I requested to work with older adults again, and I loved the work even more. The experience led me to apply for the Information and Referral Specialist role at the Council on Aging, where I am also a SHINE Counselor, helping older adults understand and enroll in Medicare, and moderator for the Veterans and Friends Support Group, which I started in 2022.

What do participants do during the Veterans and Friends Support Group?

The group welcomes veterans and non-veterans to check in, share stories, discuss life experiences, socialize, and discuss military culture in a nonjudgmental space. The focus is on promoting self-care, wellness, and peer support. 

Are there people from different military branches and decades of service who participate in the group? 

Yes, there is a diverse range of individuals in the Veterans and Friends Support Group. Recent participants include a Navy Submarine officer, Vietnam veterans, and Army Veterans.  Their stories, each unique and compelling, span different generations of wars and often touch on the theme of discrimination. I vividly remember a Navy wife's account [of her experience], which provided a unique perspective on the life of an Army wife when her husband was away from home for months at a time.

Why are Veterans Support Groups important for older adults?

Veterans, like all of us, thrive in the company of their peers. However, with less than 1% of Americans serving, finding this camaraderie can be a challenge. This is especially true for older adults, who often self-isolate, making them a more at-risk population. Many older adults also face technological barriers, hindering their access to potential benefits. This underscores the importance of groups like mine, which provide crucial community support for this vulnerable population.

Anything else you would like to share about the group?

Veterans' families are welcome too, because the family is part of the military just as much as we are.

Photo Description: Dee Cannon, second from left, enjoys a lunch outing with participants in the Council on Aging's Veterans and Friends Support Group.

Helpful Resources

If you have questions aboout the Veterans and Friends Support Group, contact Dee Cannon at dcannon@cambridgema.gov.

For more information about resources for Cambridge veterans, visit the Department of Veterans Services' webpage.

For more information about Social and Support Groups and other resources available to Cambridge residents ages 60 and older, visit the Council on Aging's website.