Action Alert: Reach out to State Legislators to Ask them to Help Prevent Cuts to Senior Centers

Action Alert

CONGRATULATIONS - You are all AWESOME!

 14,000 Letters from 104 Senior Centers and Programs Sent to Governor Cuomo Opposing Cut that would Close Down 65 NYC Senior Centers 

We Need Your Help to Keep Fighting!

What is Happening:

1. The Governor had until yesterday to remove the troubling Title XX language that would affect NYC senior centers in the state budget – but he did not remove it, leaving at least 65 centers at risk. 
   • The provision requires a set amount of federal Title XX funds to be used to support child care subsidy costs, instead of leaving the discretion to the counties on how to use the funding. Federal Title XX funds have been used to support senior centers in NYC for decades. NYC will lose $17 million in Title XX funds, forcing 65 senior centers to close in virtually every Assembly and Senate district.  This represents almost 30% of our Neighborhood Senior Centers.  6,000 seniors per day would lose their local senior center and lose access to vital nutrition, socialization and health promotion activities.  1.5 million meals per year will be lost.  There will be 24,000 of lost hours of case work assistance for benefits, housing and other needs. 
   • Seniors responded loudly. 14,000 letters from 104 centers and programs were sent to the Governor about this issue in just two weeks – an amazing job by all!
2. In addition, the 2017-18 State Executive Budget contained $13 million in cuts and cost shifts to the State Department for the Aging.  
3.  The budget now moves to the Assembly and Senate to work out the final details.  The final budget is typically passed in mid/late March.
4.  State Assembly Members and Senators are home in their district offices the week of February 20. We need to ask them for their help.

What You Can Do: Week of February 20, 2017

1. Invite your State Assembly Member and Senator to come to your program/center the week of February 20.  Call them at the district office to invite them.  When they come, talk about your program, the Title XX issue and the need for aging services in the final budget. Click here for LiveOn NY’s Budget Response.  Click here for the full state budget priorities agenda. Print out and give them a copy of the documents. Ask them for their help on these issues and thank them for their support.
2. Ask seniors/staff to call their Assembly Member and Senator in the district office to ask for support in the budget for senior centers and programs.  The message is simple but important. Tell Them:
   • Don't let my senior center close.  Restore Title XX Funds. Thank you for your support of seniors.
3. Arrange a meeting with your State Assembly Member and Senator to talk about your program and the need for funding.
4. Keep Sending Letters to the Governor: If seniors at your program haven’t already sent letters – please do so now. We need thousands more to tell him to allow Title XX funds to be used for senior centers so they don't close.  Click here for instructions and the model letter which is in English, Chinese and Spanish.  Mail the letters directly to the Governor and let us know how many you sent (see instructions)
5. Email Andrea at acianfrani@liveon-ny.org to let us know of the events you are holding, meetings you have and key relationships you have developed with legislators so we can continue to build a supportive network.  

How to Find your State Legislators

• Click here to find your New York State Assembly Member
• Click here to find your New York State Senator

Thank you for your support!

Contact Bobbie Sackman Contact Bobbie Sackman, Assoc. Executive Director of Public Policy at 212-398-6565x226 orbsackman@liveon-ny.org or Andrea Cianfrani, Dep. Director of Pub. Policy at 212-398-6565x233 or acianfrani@liveon-ny.org

Printable Version for this Alert

Press Release: Title XX Funds to Support Senior Centers at Risk

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 17, 2017
Contact: Bobbie Sackman
Associate Executive Director of Public Policy
917-690-2805 or bsackman@liveon-ny.org

IN STATE OF STATE, GOVERNOR ANNOUNCES MAKING NY THE FIRST AGE FRIENDLY STATE AND THEN PROPOSES CLOSING OF 65 NYC SENIOR CENTERS

GOVERNOR IGNORES PLEAS OF 13,800 SENIORS TO REVERSE THE CUT OF $17 MILLION OF TITLE XX FUNDS FOR SENIOR CENTERS

13,800 LETTERS FROM 104 SENIOR CENTERS SENT TO GOVERNOR CUOMOOPPOSING CUT THAT WOULD CLOSE DOWN 65 NYC SENIOR CENTERS 

In his State of the State address in January, Governor Andrew Cuomo proudly announced that he would make New York the first age-friendly state in the nation. Then his budget sent a shock wave through senior centers in New York City as its proposal to cut $17 million of Title XX funds would result in the closing of 65 senior centers citywide. Not the right direction for an age-friendly state which requires community based services. According to the city’s Department for the Aging, there will be about one senior center closed per Assembly district. The last time the Governor attempted this was in 2011, but the cut was avoided by strong opposition from seniors.

In an astounding outpour of opposition, in only two weeks, 13,800 letters in English, Spanish and Chinese were sent to the Governor urging him to change the language within the 30-day amendment period. The Governor’s budget shifted Title XX federal funds from senior centers to child care. A letter was sent to the Governor from aging and child care advocates stating opposition to pitting generations and services against each other.

According to Bobbie Sackman, Associate Executive Director of Public Policy, LiveOn NY, “While Governor Cuomo’s announcement to make New York the first age friendly state in the nation is laudable, it is disturbing that his budget would then close 65 NYC senior centers. Governor Cuomo failed to respond to the 13,800 seniors from 104 NYC senior centers who sent him letters urging him to change his budget language to prevent the $17 million cut to Title XX funding. This unnecessarily leaves thousands of seniors in high anxiety that their beloved local senior center will close.  The closing of 65 senior centers would deprive 6,000 seniors a day of a local senior center, 1.5 million meals annually would be lost, and 24,000 hours of case assistance to help seniors access public benefits, housing concerns, and other necessary aid in their own language would disappear. Seniors are understandably fired up and left asking why the Governor would do this. We are concerned that senior centers will become a political football when they should be treated as the life sustaining programs they are. LiveOn NY and our partners will continue to work to return the Title XX funds to senior centers which they have funded for four decades.”

CONTACT BOBBIE SACKMAN TO GO TO A SENIOR CENTER AND TALK TO SENIORS.

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LiveOn NY is dedicated to making New York a better place to age with confidence, grace and vitality.  LiveOn NY’s 100 member organizations range from individual community‐based centers to large multi‐service organizations. LiveOn NY’s membership serves over 300,000 older New Yorkers annually and is comprised of organizations providing an array of community based services including elder abuse prevention and victims’ services, case management for homebound seniors, multi‐service senior centers, congregate and home‐delivered meals, affordable senior housing with services, transportation, NORCs, family caregiver supports and other services intended to support older New Yorkers and their family caregivers. 

Printable Verison for this Press Release

LiveOn NY Responds to 2017-18 State Executive Budget Proposal

Association on Aging in New York, Lifespan and LifeOn NY issue joint response to the 2017-18 State Executive Budget Proposal and the impact on Older New Yorkers. Click here to see State Budget Response.

Thousands more letters need to be mailed to Governor Cuomo to save senior centers!

Action Alert

SENIOR CENTERS KEEP UP THE HEAT!

GOOD NEWS – OVER 10,500 LETTERS FROM SENIOR CENTERS HAVE BEEN SENT TO GOVERNOR CUOMO OPPOSING THE TITLE XX CUT!

Governor Cuomo has until February 16th to change the budget language that made the cut. Thousands more letters need to be mailed by Wed. February 15.

What is happening and what you can do:

• LiveOn NY's recent state budget alert reported that the budget would require a set amount of federal Title XX funds to be used to support Child Care subsidy costs, instead of leaving the discretion to the counties on how to use the funding. Federal Title XX funds have been used to support senior centers in NYC for decades. NYC will lose $17 million in Title XX funds, forcing 65 senior centers to close in virtually every Assembly and Senate district.  This represents almost 30% of our Neighborhood Senior Centers.  6,000 seniors per day would lose their local senior center and lose access to vital nutrition, socialization and health promotion activities.  1.5 million meals per year will be lost.  There will be 24,000 of lost hours of case work assistance for benefits, housing and other needs.
• Ask seniors to take part in our letter writing campaign to urge the Governor allow Title XX funds to be used for senior centers so they don't close.  Letters should be put in the mail in bulk as soon as possible.  Click here for instructions and the model letter in English, Chinese and Spanish - seniors can fill out the section in their language.  Also Let your Assembly Members and Senators know about the letter writing campaign. They need to make sure no senior centers close.

Thank you and Stay Tuned!

Contact Bobbie Sackman, Associate Executive Director of Public Policy at 212-398-6565x226 or bsackman@liveon-ny.org or Andrea Cianfrani, Deputy Director of Public Policy at 212-398-6565x233 or acianfrani@liveon-ny.org

Reminder: Send Letters to Governor's Office to Protect Title XX Funding for Senior Center

Printable Version for this Alert

February 8, 2017

GOOD NEWS – OVER 5,000 LETTERS FROM SENIOR CENTERS HAVE BEEN SENT TO GOVERNOR CUOMO

WE NEED THOUSANDS MORE! GO, GO, GO!

What is happening:

LiveOn NY's recent state budget alert reported that the 2017-18 state budget proposal has over $13 million in cuts and cost shifts that would affect aging services in New York.  

Already Over 5,000 letters sent!

Of note, the Budget would require a set amount of federal Title XX funds to be used to support Child Care subsidy costs, instead of leaving the discretion to the counties on how to use the funding. Federal Title XX funds have been used to support senior centers in NYC for decades. NYC will lose $17 million in Title XX funds, forcing 65 senior centers to close in virtually every Assembly and Senate district.  This represents almost 30% of our Neighborhood Senior Centers.  6,000 seniors per day would lose their local senior center and lose access to vital nutrition, socialization and health promotion activities.  1.5 million meals per year will be lost.  There will be 24,000 of lost hours of case work assistance for benefits, housing and other needs.

Click here for news coverage on the Title XX issue.

What you can do:

Ask seniors to take part in our letter writing campaign to urge the Governor allow Title XX funds to be used for senior centers so they don't close.  Letters should be put in the mail in bulk as soon as possible.  Click here for instructions and the model letter in English, Chinese and Spanish - seniors can fill out the section in their language.