AGE OUT LOUD: Honoring the Voices of Seniors & Advocates for Elder Justice
Nonprofit SeniorLAW Center Celebrates Seeking Justice for Pennsylvania Elders, Honors Extraordinary Advocates and Partners, Features the Stories of Brave Seniors and the Attorneys Who Fought for Their Rights
Read more about our 2017 Honorees here
What: This event celebrates the work of the nonprofit SeniorLAW Center, which comes to the rescue of older Pennsylvanians when faced with life-changing legal problems, and pays tribute to remarkable leaders, advocates, and elders. This is an event for all ages, featuring compelling stories, video, and celebration of the contributions of seniors throughout Pennsylvania. AGE OUT LOUD is the national theme for May, Older Americans Month, to amplify the many voices of older Americans and raise awareness of vital aging issues across the country.
Who: The gala benefits the nonprofit SeniorLAW Center and its work seeking justice for Pennsylvania’s seniors. Based in Philadelphia, SeniorLAW Center protects the rights of older Pennsylvanians through free legal representation, education, and advocacy. Since its founding in 1978, SeniorLAW Center has served over 400,000 older Pennsylvanians, including survivors of elder abuse, grandparents raising grandchildren, seniors at risk of homelessness, eviction and foreclosure, and other seniors 60 -100+ years old. SeniorLAW Center’s staff of attorneys advocate locally, statewide, and nationally for access to justice, safe housing, victims’ rights, intergenerational families, and elder justice. This year’s Gala Chairs are William J. Donohue of Exelon, Roberta Jacobs-Meadway of Eckert Seamans, and Christopher Otten of FFG Nonprofit Benefits Group. Teresa Cavenagh of Duane Morris serves as Chair of the SeniorLAW Center Board of Directors. Cherri Gregg of KYW Newsradio will serve as Gala MC.
Lawrence J. Beaser, Esq. will be honored as the 2017 Champion of the Year. A trailblazer for justice and champion of the nonprofit and public interest law communities, Larry has a deep and enduring commitment to access to justice, equal justice for all, and service to the community and to the most vulnerable among us. Partner at Blank Rome LLP, long-serving Chair and now Chair Emeritus of The Philadelphia Foundation, former Chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association, and respected leader in diverse networks and professions, he is an outstanding partner, supporter, and advisor in protecting the rights of elders throughout the Commonwealth.
The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency will be honored as the 2017 Partner of the Year. Through the Office of Victims’ Services, PCCD works to help crime victims transcend their trauma by providing funding to victim service agencies, including SeniorLAW Center, that work directly with victims and collaborate with criminal justice and allied professionals that advocate and respond to the needs of victims. With PCCD’s support,
SeniorLAW Center has represented and served thousands of elder victims of abuse and exploitation and, in 2017, pursuing a groundbreaking expansion of services throughout the
5-county region with new offices serving elder victims in Delaware, Chester, Bucks and Montgomery Counties.
Eric P. Sando, Esq. will be honored as the 2017 Volunteer of the Year. Exceptional pro bono attorney and associate at Earp Cohn P.C., Eric began serving SeniorLAW Center’s elderly clients in need as a Public Service Fellow while at Drexel University’s Thomas B. Kline School of Law (Class of 2014). As newly minted attorney, Eric took on a complex two-day trial for a grandmother raising her infant granddaughter, with the support of his firm and colleagues, obtaining successful verdicts for his client which saved her home, addressing fraudulent deed conveyance and a host of other problems. Read more here to learn about Eric’s excellent lawyering and the impact on his client’s life.
Why: Elder abuse is a national legal and health crisis. Older Americans and their families lose more than $2.9 billion each year to financial exploitation. Senior veterans, grandparents raising grandchildren, and victims of elder abuse and exploitation have critical need of legal services to prevent homelessness, provide protection from abuse, and pursue safety, independence, and security. One in five Pennsylvanians are now senior citizens, growing to one in four by the year 2020. Philadelphia has the largest percentage of seniors of the ten largest cities in the country, and one of the poorest. Issues of aging will affect us all dramatically, both professionally and personally, in every sector of business and human service, our work, and our families.
When: Wednesday, May 17th, 2017 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Where: The Crystal Tea Room, 100 East Penn Square, Philadelphia, PA 19107
Who Should Attend: Leaders of the legal, business, health care, aging services and community services sectors, and other individuals and organizations who want to show their support for older Pennsylvanians and justice are invited to attend this event. Companies, foundations, law firms and individuals interested in supporting or attending the gala can call 215-701-3209 or visit www.seniorlawcenter.org or 2017 Gala.
Media Contact:
Karen C. Buck.
(215) 701-3201 (office)
(215) 901-3274 (cell)
kbuck@seniorlawcenter.org
1500 JFK Boulevard, Suite 1501 Philadelphia, PA 19102|
(215) 988-1244 | PA SeniorLAW HelpLine 1-877-PA-SR-LAW