NOVEMBER E-NEWS

Our country is deeply fragmented. Many of us are feeling a range of deep emotions in these divisive and uncertain times, anxious about what the future may hold for ourselves, our families and loved ones, and our communities. The rhetoric of division has not lessened and may, in fact, increase. How do we find common ground when we are so deeply divided? Perhaps one thing we can agree on is that older people in our country – our parents, grandparents, veterans and neighbors – deserve our attention and gratitude. That we have an obligation to those who came before us, who built and fought for this country. That older Americans should not be abused, exploited, homeless, or hungry. And that our work fighting for their rights, fighting poverty, homelessness, abuse and injustice is more important than ever.

My parents, Peggy and Paul, always encouraged us to use our talents and skills and professional lives to lift up our communities and pursue the equality and respect that all people deserve. And when I remember that, and read the story of courageous women like Sharon, below, I am hopeful. I believe that "the light of America's promise will always burn bright." You are a part of that light, and a part of our team which continues our essential work for equal justice, fairness, and the dignity of all people. We are grateful to you and wish you warm, safe holidays. We hope you will be able to share them with an older person in your lives, who represents our history as well as our future, where we came from and where we are going. Let’s work together to ensure justice is there for all of us.  

Ever Grateful,

When 77-year-old Sharon was released from the hospital after suffering a stroke, the first thing she saw was an eviction notice. In a mere few days, she was going to be locked out of her home of over ten years.

While she was still recovering, her landlord sued her for eviction, and she missed her court hearing, while she was in the hospital. Sharon was running out of options until she called SeniorLAW Center. 

Our Tenant Rights team stepped in and took immediate action. We filed a petition to stay the eviction process and contest the judgment. We represented Sharon and negotiated for her to be able to stay in her home. With SeniorLAW Center’s help, Sharon can now age in place, with dignity and respect, with all the comforts of home.

Thanks to caring people like you, Sharon didn’t have to pack up her life and look for a new house – at her age, with a walker, thrown out with an eviction on her record.

To read the rest of Sharon's story and to support our work, click here for our 2024 Annual Appeal page.

Left to right: Steven Zelinger, Esq., Homeownership Rights Supervising Attorney Kevin Boswell, Esq., Director of Legal Services Leah Finlayson, Esq.

Left to right: Director of Intake, Education and Pro Bono Joanna Jarzebowska, Esq., Scott Small, Esq., and Executive Director Karen C. Buck, Esq.

Left to right: Robert Levicoff, Esq., Tyler Mullen, Esq., and Board Assistant Secretary Jason Conn, Esq. 

Left to right: Natalie Romano, Esq. and Chloe Mullen Wilson, Esq.

Left to right: Executive Director Karen C. Buck, Esq. and Sierra Applegate, Esq.

Left to right: John Turner, Esq., Access to Justice in Guardianship Staff Attorney Heather Kelly, Esq., and Julie Currie, Esq.

On November 14^th, SeniorLAW Center held a Volunteer Appreciation Reception to recognize and celebrate our superb volunteers and partners in our mission to seek justice for older adults. Executive Director Karen C. Buck, Esq., Board Chair Joe Silverstein, Esq., and Intake, Education and Pro Bono Director Joanna Jarzebowska, Esq. shared their heartfelt gratitude for the invaluable contributions our volunteers make as well as the array of opportunities to lawyers and nonlawyers alike to join our work.

We are grateful to Board Member Jesse Krohn, Esq. and Saul Ewing for their generous hospitality. 

Thank you to all of our volunteers for their commitment to providing access to justice, serving individual clients and strengthening our organization.

Join us in congratulating staff members Jonathan Lopez, Olivia Brintlinger-Conn, Madeline Jarvis and Heather Kelly, Esq. on their new positions within SeniorLAW Center.

Iso Hayes

Administrator Coordinator, Victim Services

Hal Reed

Administrator Coordinator, Tenant Rights

Anthony Sole, Esq.

Staff Attorney,

Tenant Rights

We are proud to welcome three new staff members to the SeniorLAW Center team.

As our new Administrative Coordinator, Victim Services, Iso Hayes (he/him) supports the Victim Services team in providing legal services to older adults who have experienced abuse, violence and/or exploitation. He has a degree in Social Justice Education from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Hal Reed (he/him) joins us as Administrative Coordinator, Tenant Rights, and supports the Tenant Rights team as they provide direct representation, education, and advocacy for older tenants. He has a degree in Information Science & History from Cornell University.

Anthony Sole, Esq. (he/him) joins us as Staff Attorney, Tenant Rights, where he provides direct legal services to and engages in education and advocacy on behalf of older tenants facing eviction, housing instability and/or homelessness. Before SeniorLAW Center, he clerked for the Honorable Glenn B. Bronson in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, Criminal Trial Division, Homicide Section.

Welcome, Iso, Hal, and Anthony!

Beth Rubin, Esq.

Immediate Past Board Chair

Last month, we welcomed our new Executive Committee of the SeniorLAW Center Board, including Joe Silverstein, Esq. as the new Board Chair. As we welcome Joe into this role of leadership, we want to profoundly thank our outgoing Board Chair and new Immediate Past Chair, Beth Rubin, Esq., for her years of exemplary, skilled and inspiring leadership. Beth, who serves as the Chief Counsel for Healthcare at PNC Bank, has served as Board Chair since 2021 and as an officer of the Board since 2018. She has been a vibrant and dynamic Chair, spending countless hours leading the Board and the organization as we navigated the COVID pandemic and its aftermath, as well as a time of exceptional growth and change. We are immensely grateful for her service and are looking forward to her continued leadership on the Board as Immediate Past Chair.

“Serving as the Board Chair of SeniorLAW Center has been a great honor and privilege. I have personally seen firsthand how life-changing our legal services are for older, low-income adults in our area. Together, in the past four years, we’ve navigated the COVID pandemic, staff growth and program expansion, and many other exciting opportunities and challenges. I am excited to see where SeniorLAW Center will go as I continue my Board Service as Immediate Past Chair.” - Beth Rubin, Esq.

Save the date for SeniorLAW Center’s 2025 Annual Celebration of Justice on Wednesday, March 26, 2025!

We hope you can join us at The Grand Belle at the Bellevue Hotel (200 S. Broad Street) to celebrate justice and our mission to serve older people by using the power of the law, educating the community and advocating on local, state and national levels. 

Tickets and sponsorship opportunities are on sale now!

We are also elated to announce that former SeniorLAW Center leader and acclaimed journalist Renée Chenault Fattah, Esq. will be joining us at the Celebration as MC and host for the evening! Join Renée and other SeniorLAW Center supporters to celebrate access to justice for older people on March 26, 2025.

Stay tuned over the coming weeks as we announce our Champion for Justice honorees!

SeniorLAW Center remains committed to the pursuit of justice for our clients and for all. We remind ourselves that our work fighting poverty, homelessness, abuse and injustice together is more important than ever.