Forty-two years ago this month, the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence inaugurated a “Day of Unity.” The coalition hoped to forge stronger working relationships among domestic violence advocates across the nation. Six years later, October 1987 saw the coalition’s first observance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month as well as the initiation of the first national domestic violence toll-free hotline. Finally, in October 1989, Congress passed Public Law 101-112 designating October of that year as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. It has continued to pass such legislation every year since.

For much of the twentieth century, society viewed domestic violence as a family affair – something to keep hidden behind closed doors. Thanks in large part to the efforts of the Women’s Liberation Movement of the 1960s and 1970s, attitudes began to shift. While awareness and perceptions have changed, too many closed doors remain. So many myths and so much misinformation persist. And worst of all, a powerful, if often unspoken, stigma attaches to survivors. 

If charity begins at home, then so does violence. Each of us bears responsibility to educate ourselves, our loved ones, and each other about the realities of domestic violence. Silence equals consent. As long as we look away and “mind our own business” the cycle of abuse will continue. 

As Pennsylvania’s only nonprofit legal aid organization focused solely on the needs of older adults, SeniorLAW Center continues to advocate for older victims of domestic violence. For our attorneys and advocates, every month is domestic violence awareness month. 

I ask that we all reflect on what we can do to raise awareness and help prevent and stop domestic violence, including against older people who are too often overlooked and underserved. Each of us, whether we care to acknowledge it or not, has witnessed or experienced first-hand the brutal and devastating trauma domestic violence causes. Start a hard conversation, take a class, volunteer, join an advocacy group, join us – refuse to stand by. Nothing will change until we do.

The eight attorneys, five legal advocates, and administrative coordinator that make up our Victim Services Team represent a diverse array of backgrounds, life experiences, and perspectives. What they all share, however, is a dedication to SeniorLAW Center’s mission of justice, our vision, and our culture of philanthropy. We are deeply grateful to our partners at the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency who generously support our work with federal Victim of Crime Act funds. We now serve older victims in all 5 counties of the Delaware Valley region with legal assistance, education, and advocacy, and also support victims in far corners of Pennsylvania with legal advice and information through our statewide SeniorLAW HelpLine. Every member of the team has received extensive and specialized training and utilizes a trauma-informed delivery of services to each of our clients. We have the privilege to work with individual survivors of elder abuse and financial exploitation. We strive to apply holistic approaches that support empowerment, independence, and self-esteem.

In addition to providing the highest level of direct services possible to our clients, we engage in systemic advocacy, conduct community outreach and educational events, and provide training and advice to diverse professionals.

SeniorLAW Center hosted an informal luncheon, training, and Q&A session with Josh Mera, Claim Specialist, PCCD’s Victim Compensation Assistance Program (VCAP). Coordinated by Janet Baldo, the convening was an important educational opportunity on VCAP, which helps victims and their families through the emotional and physical aftermath of a crime by easing the fiscal impact placed upon them by the crime. VCAP can help fund out-of-pocket medical expenses, funeral expenses, and money defrauded or stolen from individuals on a fixed income, such as social security or pension, and is a vital tool for SeniorLAW Center and other victim services providers. 

Partnership and collaboration are essential to our work in seeking justice and improving access to justice. We are proud to collaborate with diverse partners across PA and the country in the legal, social service, health care, aging services, law enforcement, and government spheres to address individual and systemic needs of our clients and their communities. Our strong partnerships are key to building awareness, appropriate referrals and preventing legal crises. SeniorLAW Center presents outreach events for thousands of older people each year in the 5-county area and throughout the state. Venues include local senior and community centers, assisted living facilities, long-term care facilities, and senior public housing communities.

One enduring example is SeniorLAW Center’s successful collaboration with the Chester County Sheriff's Department as Sheriff Fredda L. Maddox, Esq. and SeniorLAW Center’s Susan Nolen, Esq. continue to travel across the county to empower older people with tools to protect themselves from abuse, fraud, and exploitation. The collaboration has visited senior centers across the county and has an upcoming event at the Kennett Area Senior Center on November 19, 2023. 

SeniorLAW Center is also a member of the Philadelphia Elder Abuse Multidisciplinary Team (PEAMDT), which meets monthly with partners from the City of Philadelphia's District Attorney's Office, Center for Advocacy for the Rights and Interests of Elders (CARIE), Penn Memory Center, and Philadelphia Corporation for Aging. PEAMDT works collaboratively to address elder abuse and financial exploitation cases occurring in Philadelphia, our nation’s poorest large city and home to one of the largest populations of older people in the nation. Member organizations refer cases to each other so that the older adult victim is not burdened to find and connect to key services in the community. SeniorLAW Center is the only partner providing civil law expertise and proud to work with these diverse and talented colleagues to better serve older victims of abuse.

Our team is excited to participate in PCCD’s Pennsylvania Pathways for Victim Services Conference, which provides an opportunity for victim services providers and allied professionals to gather, learn and share to better serve victims of crime and violence.

This year’s conference takes place November 29th - December 1st and will include a presentation on Older Adult Victimization using Trauma-Informed Practice by SeniorLAW Center’s Roseanne Milanes, Esq. and Sarah Schneider.

Kevin Boswell, Esq., presented a Continuing Legal Education course at the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network (PLAN) Conference in September in Harrisburg, PA. Co-created by Roseanne Milanes, this interactive presentation explored creative ways to increase recovery for victims of financial exploitation and elder abuse. The presentation encouraged legal aid colleagues to think about novel and creative ways to harness the power of civil litigation as a means to make victims whole. 

 “Unconventional solutions, including post-judgment relief, may offer victims the greatest chance to recover not only damages but their dignity and sense of self," Kevin shares. “Exploring creative ways to use courts of equity to deal with jurisdictional barriers and stop financial abuse in its tracks allows us to better serve victims and forces a change in our perspective and conceptualization of what defines a good outcome.” PLAN's Annual Conference provides a great opportunity for our attorneys and advocates to collaborate with the legal aid community across PA, sharing lessons that we have learned from our practice, with the goal of becoming better practitioners and improving the outcomes of the people we serve.

Our newly expanded office at 20 South Olive Street, Suite 303, in Media, PA is open and ready to serve older adult victims in the 5-county region.

Join us at the Ribbon-Cutting on November 30, 5:00-7:00pm.

RSVP to [email protected]. 

Daniel Hyman, Esq. has been promoted to the new role of Supervising Attorney, Tenants Rights. Dan has been representing and advocating for older tenants facing eviction and other legal problems as a SeniorLAW Center Staff Attorney since 2019, including testifying before City Council and pursuing systemic reform throughout the COVID-19 crisis. In this new role, Dan will work closely with Jacob Speidel, Director, Tenants Rights to provide supervision, mentoring and leadership for the Tenant Rights team, and its work in the Philadelphia Eviction Diversion Program and implementation of Philadelphia’s Right to Counsel for low-income tenants. 

Kevin Boswell, Esq., has been promoted to the role of Supervising Attorney, Homeownership Rights. Kevin has served as a SeniorLAW Center Staff Attorney both in homeownership rights and victim services since 2020. In his new role, Kevin will supervise and lead the Homeownership Rights team in fighting mortgage foreclosure, resolving tangled title, providing wills and advance planning documents, and other pressing legal issues facing low-income older homeowners in Philadelphia. 

Warm congratulations to Dan and Kevin. We know they will shine in these new roles supporting our teams, advancing access to justice and preventing homelessness.

SeniorLAW Center has proudly launched our new communications tool, our new blog: SENIORLAW INSIGHTS. Each month you’ll hear from one of the members of our team – our staff, board, partners – on a topic which we hope will make you think, and possibly take action in some way. Our first topic: Aging and Ageism.

Written by our Executive Director, Karen Buck, this inaugural article explores the pervasive and devastating impacts of one of the last accepted forms of discrimination: Ageism. Finding inspiration in the UN and WHO’s Global Report on Ageism, Karen challenges everyone to question ageism and ageist thinking: “Our culture is rampant with anti-aging slogans, products, stereotypes, memes, jokes. Changing our language is one of the first and easiest things we can do.” 

Read more about the UN and WHO'S Global Report on Ageism and how we can question and even help stop ageism in our language, behavior, stereotyping, and treatment of older people in our own lives and in the world.

SeniorLAW Center is delighted to welcome back Joseph B. Silverstein, Esq. to our Board of Directors. Joe has been involved with our organization for over 25 years in numerous roles of leadership and has proven himself to be one of our most dedicated and passionate volunteers and champions. From leading galas to serving in various Officer and Committee Chair roles, representing clients, and being one of our most successful fundraisers and storytellers, Joe is a leader among leaders. He is a recipient of our Hall of Fame Award, which recognizes outstanding and enduring champions for elder justice. Joe is a founding partner of Green, Silverstein, and Groff. He and his wife Dr. Felice LePar and their two beautiful daughters, live in Rydal, PA, where Joe has also served in leadership roles with his community, Democratic Committee, and synagogue. We are so proud to have him as a member and leader of our team.

Save the Date for SeniorLAW Center’s 2024 Gala on Wednesday, April 10th, 2024, at The Lucy located at 231 South Broad Street, Philadelphia! We’re excited to gather with our community of supporters and advocates in this exciting new venue as we celebrate justice and our mission of serving older people by using the power of the law, educating the community, and advocating on local, state, and national levels.

Stay tuned for more information on tickets and sponsorship opportunities!