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| The LVAA group with U.S. Senator Bob Casey, from left: Arlene Lund, Donna Zimmerman, George Treisner, Sen. Casey, Angela Velasquez, John Mehler |
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| The LVAA group in front of the Supreme Court building |
To Learn more about Public Policy Issues affecting the lives of Older Adults, click on the links below:
LVAA Advocates for Older Adults in Washington
The Lehigh Valley Alliance on Aging and the United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley sent five representatives to visit members of Congress on Tuesday, Sept. 18, in order to raise issues related to America’s Older Adults and those who work on their behalf. The local representatives – who were among more than 100 aging network advocates to visit Congress – included:
- George Treisner, Jr., Lehigh Valley Alliance on Aging (LVAA) chair, PSEA, and member of United Way’s local Board.
- Arlene J. Lund, senior director of community impact, United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley and lead staff, Lehigh Valley Alliance on Aging.
- John Mehler, director, Northampton County Area Agency on Aging.
- Angela Velasquez, project manager, LVAA, lead staff, Public Policy Committee.
- Donna Zimmerman, director, Lehigh County Office of Adult and Aging Services.
As part of the National Council on Aging (NCOA) Advocacy Day, these local representatives met with U.S. Representative Charlie Dent, U.S. Senator Bob Casey, and U.S. Senator Arlen Specter. Our local representatives advocated on behalf of issues affecting older adults, including:
- Many low-income seniors are still not receiving the help they are eligible for under Medicare, to pay for their prescription drugs and other health care costs.
- There is a significant shortfall in funding for the Older Americans Act (OAA) programs, which help older adults stay healthy and independent, and urged Congress to increase appropriations for OAA.
- Representatives also increased elected officials’ awareness of the LVAA as a resource, requested the assignment of a legislative liaison on aging issues, and requested the assignment of a local office staff member for the steering committee of the LVAA.
NCOA is a non-profit organization including a network of more than 14,000 organizations and leaders, and is based in Washington, D.C. The LVAA is a strategic partnership of the United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley. Its vision is to make the Lehigh Valley a community in which all older adults can age successfully by remaining in their homes and communities, and involved with family, friends, and neighbors.
Full article text courtesy of the United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley. |
