Throughout the pandemic, LiveOn NY’s members and the entire aging services network have found new ways to provide critical services to older New Yorkers in the face of unprecedented demand and a public health crisis. Technology has been the core to making this work possible. Overnight Senior Center classes went virtual and phone calls became the main mode of communication with clients. This work is critical, as isolation is now understood to be a significant health risk and predictor of morbidity. The ability to remain connected virtually has undoubtedly saved lives.

Further, providers are tired of being promised funding, like through the ICR initiative, that never comes to fruition. For aging service providers, this is the third unfulfilled promise from this Administration: Senior Centers were also promised $10 million through the City’s Model Budget process for much needed raises for staff, that was inevitably reneged without a word, and were promised $5 million for Senior Center kitchen staff, that also went unfulfilled.