FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
SeniorLAW Center Annual Gala Celebrates Justice with Esteemed Honorees and Generous Sponsors
PHILADELPHIA (April 3, 2024) – SeniorLAW Center, a leading advocate for the legal rights of older adults, holds its exciting Annual Gala, on Wednesday, April 10, 2024, at The Lucy in Philadelphia, PA. This year’s gala proudly embraces the theme of “Celebrating Justice,” and honors the older Americans it serves and those dedicated to championing their rights.
SeniorLAW Center seeks justice for older people, educates the community and advocates on local, state and national levels, fighting homelessness, poverty, abuse and exploitation and serving over 10,000 individuals annually through the efforts of its nonprofit staff and volunteers. All of its services are free.
The annual Gala will pay tribute to three exceptional individuals and one distinguished Council for their unwavering commitment to justice and advocacy. The esteemed honorees are:
- Larry Felzer, Esq. (Champion for Justice Honoree): A leader in the public interest, legal, and LGBTQ+ communities, Larry brings passion and humor to all he does. From chairing the Public Interest Section of the Philadelphia Bar, the Gay and Lesbian Lawyers of Philadelphia, and the Temple Law Alumni Association, to co-founding Gay Community Night at the Phillies, serving as a member of the PA Bar House of Delegates and a committed Gay Bingo and ACLU-PA volunteer, Larry’s leadership and community service is extraordinary and expansive. Larry has dedicated the past 20-plus years of his career to SeniorLAW Center, currently as Sr. Director of Finance and Operations.
- Susan Lessack, Esq. (Champion for Justice Honoree): Susan has generously shared her talents and experience to counsel and guide SeniorLAW Center in all aspects of employment issues for the past decade. A partner at Troutman Pepper, Susan focuses her practice on employment counseling and employment litigation, counseling employers on compliance with federal and state employment laws, conducting investigations of employee conduct; negotiating and drafting employment and separation agreements, developing employment policies, and defending employers in litigation under federal and state employment-related statutes.
- Stephen Stewart, Esq. (Hall of Fame Inductee): Stephen is this year’s Hall of Fame Inductee, recognizing enduring leadership and contributions to SeniorLAW Center’s success. For ten years, Stephen served on the Board of Directors of SeniorLAW Center in a variety of officer and leadership capacities, including serving as co-chair of Media & Communications, on the Executive Committee , and leading the transformation of our website. Stephen is an attorney, business consultant, and entrepreneur.
- Grandparents Justice Advisory Council (Champion for Justice Honoree): Comprised of former clients of the Grandparents Raising Grandchildren (GRG) program, those raising grandchildren in Philadelphia when birth parents cannot, the Council has dedicated time and effort to sharing their stories to shine a light on the thousands of grandfamilies raising grandchildren in Pennsylvania, keeping them out of foster care to thrive in the care of kin. This Council was formed last year to advise SeniorLAW Center of the ongoing barriers to justice, share their lived experience and raise the visibility of our services and impact for these intergenerational families.
These distinguished honorees epitomize the values and mission of SeniorLAW Center, demonstrating exemplary leadership and dedication in advancing justice for older adults.
In the words of SeniorLAW Center’s Executive Director, Karen C. Buck, Esq., “Our annual gala is an opportunity for us to tell the stories. The stories of our clients and the legal crises and hardships they face as well as the many contributions they have made to our communities, families, and country. The stories of the powerful work our staff pursues every day to address these crises. And the story of aging. We are all on this road of aging; it is one of few conditions we all experience, if we are lucky enough to have long lives. The gala is also an essential fundraising tool to enable us to serve over 10,000 older people each year with our multitude of unique services, and is our one big fundraiser of the year.”
The Gala’s sponsors include the Presenting Partner PNC Bank, N.A.; Champion sponsors Blank Rome, Comcast NBCUniversal and Troutman Pepper; Ground Breaker sponsors ASTM International, Duane Morris, Morgan Lewis and Saul Ewing; Innovator sponsors DLA Piper and Margolis Edelstein; and Trailblazer sponsors Chubb, the E. Rhoda Shaten Charitable Foundation, Feldman Shepherd Wohlgelernter Tanner Weinstock & Dodig, Fox Rothschild, Independence Blue Cross, Philadelphia Corporation for Aging, Gay Parks Rainville and Mark Douglas Rainville, Reed Smith, and Vector Choice.
These generous sponsors demonstrate their commitment to supporting justice for vulnerable individuals and communities and empowering SeniorLAW Center in its mission.
Founded on the principle of harnessing the power of the law to protect and empower older adults, SeniorLAW Center has been at the forefront of advocating for the rights of seniors. Through legal advocacy, community education, and legislative efforts on local, state, and national levels, SeniorLAW Center continues to make a profound impact in ensuring that older adults live with dignity, respect, and autonomy.
The Annual Gala serves as a platform to recognize and raise vital funds to support the Center’s unique work, as the only nonprofit in PA dedicated to the legal rights of older adults and one of few in the country. This year SeniorLAW Center celebrates significant accomplishments with diverse partners in housing justice, guardianship reform, voting rights advocacy, and responses to fight devastating and deadly forms of elder abuse and financial exploitation. Most notably, SeniorLAW Center will celebrate a decade of advocacy resulting in Act 61 of 2023, which established a right to counsel for individuals facing guardianship in Pennsylvania. Attendees will hear more about important issues facing older Philadelphians and Pennsylvanians, including how SeniorLAW Center’s work advances justice for these communities.
The evening will include client stories, dinner, live auction, and call to action. For support or sponsorship information, visit the 2024 Gala OneCause website at https://onecau.se/slc2024gala or contact Justine Dougherty at jdougherty@seniorlawcenter.org or 215.967.3462.
About SeniorLAW Center
SeniorLAW Center is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit legal services agency founded in 1978 as Senior Citizen Judicare Project by members of the Philadelphia Bar Association. Our original focus was to protect the legal rights and interests of Philadelphia’s needy, elderly residents through a volunteer-driven program. Today as a $5 million legal services staff with volunteer pro bono program, the Center seeks justice for older people by using the power of the law, educating the community, and advocating on local, state, and national levels.
We serve over 10,000 older people each year. Our vision is a world that values older people, hears their voices and guarantees their rights. SeniorLAW Center changes individual lives and works to change systems to promote justice, security, and independence for older Americans and their families. To learn more, visit SeniorLAWCenter.org.
# # #