“How old is too old?” This has been a question I’ve been hearing often as aging is spotlighted in our national media and conversation about leadership, frailty and capacity. Aging is an individual journey, not a monolithic one. Mick Jagger at 80 leads the Stones through 2+ hour live concerts throughout the world. My dad, at 91, knows more about world news and events and reads more prolifically than I do. Each of us will have our own aging and health journeys and abilities which are unique to us. We are – even as we age – individuals first.  

Separate and apart from whether we each believe we should create opportunities for the next generation of leaders, what alarms me most is the common acceptance of ageism in our culture. It is one of the last remaining forms of discrimination that is widely accepted and rarely called out. Jokes and stereotypes about race, gender, sexual orientation, disability or culture would never be accepted as they are about age. Ageism – individually and systemically – exacerbates abuse, exploitation, poverty, depression, isolation and is an affront to individual dignity. We invite you to read our October 2023 blog and the World Health Organization and UN’s Global Report on Ageism. Join us in thinking about how you treat older people in your own families, communities and workspaces and how you want to be treated as you age. “They” will one day be each of us, should we have the privilege of long life.

This month we celebrate superb investment news for our organization from The Pew Charitable Trusts; welcome additional new staff and board member to our stellar team; and mourn the loss of a young leader in our SeniorLAW Center family. Thank you for being our valued partner in this work of justice. We wish you and your families magical summers.

Ever Grateful,

Karen C. Buck, Esq.

Executive Director

We are honored and grateful to share the news that SeniorLAW Center has been awarded a 5-year, $1.25 Million growth grant from The Pew Charitable Trusts. We are also proud to be the first legal services organization to receive a Pew growth grant, representing profound confidence in SeniorLAW Center’s leadership in the Philadelphia legal nonprofit community and the importance of civil legal aid services to the older, low-income and diverse communities we serve.

 “Since 1978, SeniorLAW Center has specialized in delivering critical and life-changing legal services to hundreds of thousands of Philadelphia’s most vulnerable residents who merit our collective attention for the contributions they've made to this country and their families and communities. This investment will ensure that we have the organizational capacity and structures in place to strengthen our impact and presence to improve access to justice for older people as our population continues to age and as older people face poverty, ageism, abuse, homelessness and injustice in shocking numbers.” – Executive Director, Karen C. Buck, Esq.

In an effort to serve more older adults in the greater Philadelphia area and ensure excellence in our client experience, we will work to codify, streamline, and improve the efficiency and accessibility of our intake processes; scale our development and communications structures; and assess data evaluation and outcome measurement to ensure programmatic excellence. 

This vision and grant builds upon significant growth we have experienced over the last 5 years. Since 2020, SeniorLAW Center has seen a 65% increase in our budget which represents hundreds of additional older people served each year. To maintain this growth trajectory, we must continue to raise critical funds which allow our legal teams to serve thousands of older people each year. While the Pew investment will strengthen our infrastructure and build capacity for more growth, your support and those of our generous supporters, foundations, corporations and other benefactors are essential to delivering specialized, trauma-informed legal services for immensely underserved populations. We believe the Pew partnership reflects SeniorLAW Center’s legacy as a strong, dynamic and vital organization ripe for additional investment to make powerful impact. 

To learn more about this grant and our work, visit the full news article on our website. View our posts and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram for future updates on this growth grant and other important SeniorLAW Center news!

Charlotte Perri

Associate, Grants & Development

Debbie Lee

Associate, Communications & Development

This month, we proudly welcomed two new members to the SeniorLAW Center Development and Communications team! Charlotte Perri has joined the team as Associate, Grants and Development. In this new role, Charlotte will build upon her background in prospecting, writing and managing complex governmental grants to help lead the procurement, management and organization of SeniorLAW Center’s philanthropic and government grants.

Debbie Lee has joined the team as Associate, Communications and Development. Debbie comes to us from Women in Transition, where she served as Development and Communications Associate, and later as Development and Communications Manager. In this role, Debbie will help lead SeniorLAW Center’s external communications.

In both their capacities, Charlotte and Debbie will support SeniorLAW Center’s dynamic development program maintaining and growing robust and diverse revenue streams.

Please join us in welcoming Charlotte and Debbie to SeniorLAW Center and the intersection of the legal and aging communities!

We are proud to welcome John S. Anooshian, Esq., partner at White and Williams, LLP and long-serving volunteer attorney to the SeniorLAW Center Board of Directors.

John oversees White & Williams pro bono partnership with SeniorLAW Center helping to plan and conduct life planning clinics for our clients. In his private practice, John has over 30 years of experience in insurance coverage, “bad faith” and other claims. He has been involved in sophisticated insurance-related cases in multiple states. John is the co-editor of White and William's Complex Insurance Coverage Reporter publication.

John's passion for justice and belief that older adults should live their lives with dignity and freedom from mistreatment will help inform his service as a member of the Board of Directors. When asked why others should support SeniorLAW Center, John shared:

“MLK once said that ‘Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’ It is a question we all must ask ourselves again and again. For its part, SeniorLAW Center answers Dr. King’s call every day by offering elders meaningful access to justice, advocating on their behalf, and helping to improve their lives. But the organization can’t do it all alone. I have been organizing colleagues to staff the Center’s life planning clinics and would encourage anyone that is interested in the work they do and the well-being of seniors to support their efforts either as a donor or volunteer.”

We celebrate the life of former SeniorLAW Center board member, Deanna Jenkins, who passed away last week after a brave fight against cancer. She was 39 years old.

Deanna was a Board Member and champion of SeniorLAW Center for the past 8 years, serving on the Resource Development and Gala Committees. Deanna has shared that she was especially inspired by SeniorLAW Center’s mission and work as she was raised by her grandmother.

A graduate of Spelman College and Georgetown University, Deanna won many awards for her leadership and community service and was a proud member of AKA.

Celebration of Life Services for Deanna will take place Friday, July 19 at Dare to Imagine Church, 6610 Anderson Street, Philadelphia 19119, beginning at 9am. We have been proud to know and advocate with her for a better world. We honor Deanna’s many contributions and her passionate dedication to justice. 

We are hiring for the following positions:

Staff Attorney, Access to Justice in Guardianship

(Philadelphia)

Full-time, Available immediately

Administrative Coordinator, Victim Services

(Philadelphia)

Full-time, Available immediately