“I earn $400 in Social Security and $400 for supplemental. But I pay more than $600 in rent… [and] I have to pay for other bills and food is expensive. I also have to pay for medicines. If Social Security is cut, are we going to end up in the streets?”

– Ana Margarita, Los Angeles NHCOA 2013 Regional Meeting

Just like Ana Margarita, there are thousands of seniors across the country who are facing difficulties in meeting their daily basic needs.  Today, Giving Tuesday, is an invitation for us to share the best of us with those most in need. 

Each year, we gather around an abundant and plentiful table with our loved ones to be thankful for what we have received through the year. Today, on Giving Tuesday we remember those who depend on soup kitchens, local organizations, and dedicated grassroots and community leaders to receive at least one meal a day.

Over the past several years we have been on a mission to give faces to the statistics that reflect the situations many Hispanic older adults across the country live on a daily basis. Perhaps the most difficult reality we grappled with was listening to older adults repeatedly admit, embarrassed and in tears, that they were going to bed hungry and were lucky to eat once a day.

As the leading organization focused on improving the lives of Hispanic older adults, their families, and caregivers, we wanted them to know that we cared about them. We wanted them to know that we understood their plight and wanted to ensure they had a better quality of life: affordable housing, access to health care, and the ability to eat three nutritious meals each day.

Giving Tuesday is a tremendous opportunity to support organizations like NHCOA who are working on behalf of older Americans. Today, we invite you to give what you can to those who are in need. It could be volunteering at a social service center, giving time to accompany the lonely, offering a word of encouragement to the afflicted, or sharing a contribution to feed the hungry. Anything you give can help make seniors’ lives in your community better and brighter. NHCOA promises to continue working to ensure that all older adults can make the best of their golden years.