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Piedmont Senior Resources Area Agency on Aging, Inc. (PSR) Executive Director Justine Young is being deployed on active duty in the U.S. Army.

Young, an Army Captain and nurse, said many local residents may not be aware of her military background.

“I don’t think most people do know. They never see me there in uniform. My unit is in Richmond and it is a medical unit, so people who know me well know that I go off every summer for active duty training … but I don’t think a lot of people really associate or realize that I’m still active and can be deployed at any time.”

PSR provides supportive services and advocates for persons 60 years of age and older. The agency is a private, non-profit agency serving residents of Amelia, Buckingham, Charlotte, Cumberland, Lunenburg, Nottoway and Prince Edward counties.

Young, who has served in the Army for 14 years, said she found out Sunday, April 19, she was being deployed. She could not provide details about where she is headed or what she will be doing while on active duty.

“I think of course we’re all in uncharted territory with this COVID-19 situation, but PSR is very active and all of our employees are at work, and we are trying to be very creative with ways to get things to the senior population and working with other organizations in the community,” Young said.

Young highlighted that PSR recently partnered with the North Street Press Club restaurant in Farmville to provide fresh, hot meals to clients in the area, with the hope of expanding the program to more counties.

“That went well, and we’ll continue to try to do those things. We’ve been delivering toiletries and necessities to our senior population as they need it and they contact us. I believe PSR, in this unusual and somewhat emergency-based situation, has very much shown that we are capable of moving out into the community even during an emergency and getting things to people that need them.”

Young added that PSR Director of Nutrition and Transportation Thomas Jordan Miles III will be temporarily taking over in her absence.

“He’s quite qualified and very engaged, and the agency is in a good position for him to manage things. My board is very solid and very supportive.”

Young asked that the community continue to support PSR and Miles in her absence. She added that she very much looks forward to coming back, although she cannot say when she will return.