March is Social Work Month and at LiveOn NY, we celebrate our members who are essential to the work we do in making New York a better to age. Throughout the pandemic, social workers in the human services sector have been on the frontlines working tirelessly to ensure all New Yorkers have the support they need. Here are quotes from some of our members on what moved them to become social workers and their experience as an essential worker.
Today, LiveOn NY announced a partnership with the Reframing Aging Initiative, which is a multi-year strategy to counteract ageism and improve the way policymakers, stakeholders, and the public think about aging and older people.
LiveOn NY unequivocally opposes the continued, systemic attacks on older adults in need of assistance, namely low-income seniors, immigrants, communities of color and other marginalized populations.
At LiveOn NY, we work hard to make sure that the public hears about the issues affecting older New Yorkers, as well as the incredible momentum that exists as we grow old. To this aim, we are proud of each and every time we are able to share this narrative with the press and our local communities.
Through our network, we’ve seen the importance of transportation as a top concern for older New Yorkers and one’s ability to access reliable and safe transit. And yet, we know that for many older adults who live in transit deserts getting to doctors’ appointments, going grocery shopping or taking advantage of the City’s resources including Older Adult Centers is a constant challenge.
It’s time for the City to address elder parole as an aging issue with an older adult population re-entering into community, looking to move forward in their lives. At LiveOn NY, we believe no one is disposable, nor should anyone be defined by the worst thing they’ve done. Further, we believe in redemption and transformation. We believe in families, communities, and collective care.
Fully funding city contracts for human services provides economic security for the more than 662,000 workers who are directly employed in the field, the majority of whom are women, and people of color.. As we look ahead, LiveOn NY encourages the City to create long-term solutions to the chronic contract challenges and issues, nonprofit organizations have experienced for decades.
This Tuesday, Governor Hochul held her State of the State address, articulating policy and budgetary priorities for the coming session including aging related commitments to support all New Yorkers as we age. LiveOn NY applauds Governor Hochul commitments outlined in the agenda, which serve as significant markers of what's likely to come on the state level this year.
As 2022 comes to a close, we reflect on all that we have accomplished to support older adults and professionals in New York. Nonetheless, we know this work wouldn’t be possible without our LiveOn NY network—our member organizations, government partners, stakeholders, advocates and older adults — that have shown up everyday to provide critical services and support to older New Yorkers. We thank each and everyone of you that showed up to ensure all older adults regardless of their background can age in community.
