Philadelphia’s programs
Throughout the city, there are programs designed for older adults that are waiting to be used, addressing issues from loneliness to help with accessing state assistance benefits to free SEPTA fares.
One of the stalwart programs Waller mentioned was the Senior Community Service Employment Program, which is “the job training program for individuals 60 and older in the city of Philadelphia.”
We “make sure that older adults, whether they want to continue to be in the workforce or coming back to the workforce, are able to be trained in the proper ways to make their skills and make their resumes grow,” Waller said.
Some other job related programming is run through community colleges and Temple University, making sure older adults’ resumes are up to date.
And, if an older adult doesn’t want to work but wants to stay involved, “we recommend that they volunteer within the city of Philadelphia,” Waller said.
This is the avenue Amelia Mitchell took, volunteering in the kitchen at Star Harbor Senior Community Center. She’s a member — which is free — and a regular at the center, coming everyday, working out and enjoying company.
“We’re just like family,” Mitchell said.
Senior centers like Star Harbor, which is a Philadelphia Corporation for Aging affiliated site, are another great resource for older Philadelphians, Young said.
“Some are simply congregate meal sites where they have limited programming, but a daily meal available, and the others are full blown senior centers that have a plethora of programming, education, health and wellness,” she said.
One example of this programming at Star Harbor is a “phone tech,” as Kenneth Munson put it. He is also a member and said he appreciates learning from the phone tech, notably being taught how to post on Facebook.
Kenneth Munson is a center regular who enjoys the educational programming the center has to offer (Nate Harrington/WHYY)
Another one of the programs Munson said he is a fan of is when a social worker comes in for a discussion about the topics most pressing to the center’s members, which happens on Wednesdays.
This education is a core tenet of both the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging and the Mayor’s Commission on Aging. Waller said one of the commission’s main missions is to make older adults their own best advocate by educating and supporting them.
When it comes to the most important issues that older adults face whether that is health and Medicare related or income and Social Security related, the commission is there to help with the BenePhilly program that offers free, personal help applying for public benefits.
When talking about Social Security, Walker said that “unfortunately, right now, all you get is the call center or you get the phone that just constantly rings and older adults get frustrated. So, sometimes we have to be that person that goes in and calls or maybe contact our state representative.”
After Waller’s time working at a senior center, she began working on boards for organizations helping older adults, later shifting her focus to work on the staff of Isabella Fitzgerald, a former Pennsylvania state representative.
Mayor Cherelle Parker led her return to senior advocacy, picking her to lead the Mayor’s Commission on Aging.