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| xxx176 West State StreetxxxTrenton, NJ 08608xxxTel: 609-421-0206xxxFax: 609-421-2006 office@njfoundationforaging.org |
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Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Initial Stakeholders' Meeting for the Elder Economic Security Initiative ("The Initiative") at the
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in Princeton, NJ
The NJ Foundation for Aging is partnering with WOW (Wider Opportunities for Women) out of Washington, D.C. on a nation-wide campaign called the “Elder Economic Security Initiative (EESI)”.
· The “Initiative” is a national campaign to ensure that all older Americans are able to age in place with dignity and economic security.
· The Initiative builds economic security for older adults through a multi-pronged approach that includes organizing, advocacy and research.
· This Initiative seeks to enable policy makers, aging advocates and others to develop policies and programs to help seniors again, age with dignity while promoting their economic security. The New Jersey Foundation for Aging is convening stakeholders on the index for New Jersey. The index provided a county by county analysis of actual living costs for seniors.
We hope you can join us and be a part of this campaign!!!
If you are interested in joining our mailing list for updates and meeting notices, please email Amanda Botti at abotti@njfoundationforaging.org |
Friday, October 31, 2008
NJFA's 10th Anniversary Celebration in downtown, historic Red Bank, NJ
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The Foundation is celebrating its 10th Year Anniversary with a Dinner and Show Event on Friday, October 31, 2008 in downtown, historic Red Bank, New Jersey. A cocktail reception and dinner will be held at Buona Sera on Maple Avenue followed by an 8pm performance of “Capitol Steps” at the newly renovated Count Basie Theatre on Monmouth Street.
At the celebration on Friday, October 31, 2008, the Foundation will recognize two honorees: 1) The Fannie and Morris Sklaw Foundation; and (2) Johnson and Johnson. The Fannie and Morris Sklaw Foundation has been a primary supporter since 1999. This Foundation’s funding enabled the New Jersey Foundation for Aging to establish the Community Grant Program which over the years has funded more that 30 community services across the state. Special mention will also be made about the late Harvey Sklaw, Esq. a principal Trustee of the Sklaw Foundation, who took a great personal interest in the work of the NJ Foundation for Aging. Johnson and Johnson will also be honored. Johnson & Johnson’s funding has provided resources to the Foundation to monitor the Community Grant Program.
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We hope you can join us for this celebratory event!!!
If you are interested in more information regarding this event, tickets and sponsorships, please email Amanda Botti at abotti@njfoundationforaging.org |
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PAST EVENTS
June 12, 2008
10th Annual Conference:
Promoting Successful Aging: "Live Well, Love Much, Laugh Often"
Gene M. Cohen, M.D., Ph.D., spoke at the New Jersey Foundation for Aging’s 10th Annual Conference which was held on Thursday, June 12, 2008. He is the author of more than 150 publications, including two books The Creative Age: Awakening Human Potential in the Second Half of Life; and The Mature Mind: The Positive Power of the Aging Brain. Dr. Cohen challenged conference attendees “to use it or lose it.” Studies on developmental intelligence show that “many positive things happen later in life, not ‘despite’ aging, but because of aging.” Dr. Cohen emphasized the positive aspects of an individual’s pragmatic creativity, i.e. practical intelligence, in the second half of life. This is essentially derived from life-long psychological growth and an accumulation of experiences together with our ability to reason, to think; and to create. Dr. Cohen encourages everyone to strive to maintain a sharp mind with aging – to exercise both our minds and our bodies. In efforts to exercise our minds, Dr. Cohen recommends playing games and puzzles; planning book/video discussion groups; traveling; enrolling in continuing education classes; exploring new hobbies or craft; volunteering; considering part-time employment; corresponding with family and friends; and/or writing about our dreams, memoirs or family history.
The Foundation was pleased to welcome Ramsey Alwin, Wider Opportunities for Women’s (WOW) National Director of the Elder Economic Security Initiative (EESI) as its afternoon keynote speaker. The “Elder Economic Security Initiative (“the Initiative”), a national project examining the actual living costs for seniors compared to typical types of income in retirement as well as the national poverty guidelines. WOW has recently announced its newest partnership with New Jersey (New Jersey Foundation of Aging). The New Jersey Foundation for Aging will work with WOW and other local stakeholders to construct an index “calibrated to household size, geographic area and life circumstances” which will be “broken down on a county-to-county basis” throughout New Jersey. Kindly contact the Foundation for additional information regarding this upcoming project and kick-off meeting.
The Foundation is thankful for its conference partners: NJ Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency, NJ Association of Area Agencies on Aging, Friends Foundation for the Aging, Theresa and Thomas Berry Foundation, Silver Century Foundation; and The Horizon Foundation of NJ.
In addition to the keynote presentations, concurrent conference sessions were offered on a wide variety of topics including:
1. “Life-Long” Learning: This is a session geared towards reaching out to, and serving the senior student. Speakers representing The Osher Institute, Dorot – University Without Walls, Stockton Center on Successful Aging, The Evergreen Forum; and The Academy for Life-Long Learning at Ocean County College will also discuss “model” programs and how to develop an attractive curriculum for seniors in the community and for those seniors who are homebound.
2. Laughter Therapy: A certified laughter leader will teach participants about the importance of: a) laughter in one’s own personal and professional lifestyles; and 2) reducing stress, anxiety and depression. The instructor will ultimately show how these techniques promote positive thinking and creativity in a senior service setting.
3. Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRC): The ADRC’s national goal is to have an ADRC in every community where people of all incomes and ages can turn to for information on a wide variety of long-term support options, programs & benefits. Panelists will represent the Middlesex County Department on Aging; the ADRC of Middlesex County, Mercer County Office on Aging; and Warren County Office on Aging.
4. Diversity and Cultural Competency: Panelists from the Piscataway Senior Center and Eldercare Services at United Jewish Communities of MetroWest NJ will discuss how to: 1) develop environments that encourage cross-cultural and intergenerational volunteer opportunities; 2) tap into constituency audiences to cultivate & empower new volunteers; and 3) create new opportunities for senior engagement benefitting seniors and their communities.
5. “Meet The Funders”: Executives from the Fred C. Rummel Foundation; Mountainside Health Foundation; Friends Foundation for the Aging; and the OceanFirst Foundation will discuss funding opportunities for community programs; as well as share experiences about their respective organizations’ priorities and funding procedures.
6. National HIV Prevention Educational Campaign for Older Adults: The coordinator for this campaign will teach session participants the importance of promoting HIV prevention, education and testing with older adults through national/local statistics. Participants will learn 1) ways to encourage proactive approaches to inform about HIV/AIDS; get tested for HIV; and, partner with others to disseminate the “Get Tested for HIV” message, as well as where to go to get information about testing, locate HIV testing sites, and access HIV/AIDS materials and resources for older adults.
Safe Mobility at Any Age
2004 Policy Forum Series
"Safe Mobility at Any Age” was cosponsored by the Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center and the New Jersey Foundation on Aging, and explored issues around driver license retesting and transportation options for those who cannot or choose not to drive. This timely topic has far reaching policy implications related to public health, public safety, community development and personal autonomy across all age groups. Because this is a complicated many-sided issue, each forum brought together policy and regulatory experts from inside and outside of New Jersey to aid the discussions. The forum series laid the foundation for collaboration and recommendations for future policy and legislative initiatives.
The policy forum series enabled attendees to explore “safe mobility” issues in the New Jersey context and consider a variety of topics including: what events and circumstances should trigger driver’s license retesting; what role health care and community professionals should play as “gatekeepers” of safe mobility; what resources are available to family members; and what community supports need to be in place to ensure safe mobility at any age.
The Foundation is grateful to its partners and funders including the Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers,The State University of New Jersey; the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services; the Automobile Association of America-New Jersey Automobile Club; the Stephenson-Klotzburger Foundation, the Wallerstein Foundation for the Improvement of Geriatric Life and the Berry Foundation.
To see the final report and proceedings from all sessions please click here. The proceedings include a summary of the presentations, presentation slides, the list of participants, comments and topics for future discussions.
If you are interested in learning more about the policy forum series and related ongoing initiatives please contact Grace Egan at the New Jersey Foundation for Aging, 609-421-0206 or Jon Carnegie at the Voorhees Transportation Center, 732-932-6812, ext 606.
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