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JPAC's intergenerational work

Interview with Rebecca Hoffman, Institute for Senior Action Project Director in New York.

August 17, 2000.

The Joint Public Affairs Committee (JPAC) is a multi-cultural social action coalition of older adult representatives from more than 200 senior centers and community groups throughout Metropolitan New York. Sponsored by the Jewish Association for Services for the Aged (JASA), the objective of JPAC is to assist seniors in promoting policies that will increase positive and constructive development and change. Since 1977, JPAC has given older adults the tools to influence the political process effectively.

Rebecca Hoffman works for JPAC in New York. She is the Institute for Senior Action Project Director. The Institute for Senior Action is a leadership and advocacy training program created in 1994.

Estelle Fabbri, intern at Global Action on Aging, interviewed Ms. Hoffman recently to discuss social services for elder persons.

Global action on Aging: Hello, Ms. Hoffman. It's a pleasure to meet you. What is, according to you, the objective of the Joint Public Affairs Committee?

Rebecca Hoffman: In my view, JPAC is a clearinghouse for information and resources to allow older adults to advocate on their own behalf on legislative and community issues. Our organization gives tools to older people to promote the policies that they need. JPAC also helps older adults practice direct lobbying and advocacy. We mobilize senior citizens in public hearings, meetings and forums. Older citizens also meet regularly with elected officials.

The seniors are a diverse and heterogeneous group. We have members from 55 years old to older seniors of 90 years old. We need to collect information from all over New York to focus on specific issues that older people have in common. We regularly visit senior centers throughout New York and we organize citywide meetings. We collect information from the media which convey senior issues.

GAA: In what way is the Institute for Senior Action concerned about older people's issues?

RH: Our goal is to promote a national health care system and a social security system for everyone. We want to make sure that these programs will not fall short of funds. We fight in pieces. We try to strengthen the existing Medicare and Social security systems. We are fighting to obtain comprehensive prescription drug coverage and lower drug prices. Moreover, alternative facilities are unaffordable to many older adults. Therefore, we are also involved in promoting long-term care.

GAA: What are the appropriate and effective ways of caring for older people?

RH: Our ultimate goal at the Institute for Senior Action is to have a universal health care policy but we can reach this goal little by little by the passage of particular bills.

Society is not sufficiently honoring older people. Some have resources and others live in extreme poverty. Struggle is therefore necessary to make sure that their needs will be met in the future.

GAA: What do you mean by "working intergenerationally"?

RH: The Institute For Senior Action strives to work as an intergenerational coalition precisely to make sure that the social insurance programs will continue for future generations. We work, therefore, with several networks such as the Welfare Rights Initiative located at Hunter College in New York, and which provides leadership training to students whose families are on welfare. We also work with diverse groups such as the Queer Economic justice network, a lesbian gay, bisexual, and transgender coalition, and with other antipoverty initiative groups.