NEWSLETTER
NATIONAL INDO-AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR SENIOR CITIZENS INC.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Web site:
www.niaasc.org E-mail: niaasc@aol.com Toll-free
phone: 866-6-niaasc (866-664-2272)
Office: 1824 Fairfax Street, Elmont, NY 11003 Mailing Address: 7 Roberta Avenue,
Farmingville, NY 11738
Summer/Fall
2004 issue Editors: Rajeshwar Prasad & Ashwin Pandya, MD
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BRIEF
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE ABOUT NIAASC:
The National Indo-American Association for Senior
Citizens (NIAASC), incorporated in early 1999, is a nonprofit 501C3
organization. Its mission is to serve seniors through information, referral and
advocacy services. NIAASC has organized eight full-day conferences/workshops
and the subjects covered included: Social Security, Supplemental Security
Income (SSI), Medicare and Medicaid Basics, Long Term Care, Transportation, Family
Conflicts & Compromises Faced by Seniors, Senior Housing, Respite Care,
Process of Knowing and Availing Services for Seniors, Advocacy Process, Elder
Law, and Planning, Development and Administration of Senior Housing Complex.
NIAASC through formal surveys, informal discussions and observations, has
identified problems faced by Indian seniors, their needs and aspirations in
USA. It has periodically published its newsletter or progress report. Its
representatives have appeared on television, and written articles of interest
to seniors and their families. Its pamphlet
'How to Set Up Senior Citizen Program' is available on request. Its
Board of Directors is composed of individuals with dedication and professionalism
in different fields. It provides a continuity of efforts by virtue of the fact
that only one-third of its Board members retire every year, though eligible to
be reelected. Its membership is open to all but decision-making rests with
members 50 years of age and over. NIAASC remains to be an information, referral
and advocacy entity without reinventing wheels and bringing to the attention of
seniors and their families services available in their local communities and
encouraging them to utilize them. Its collaborative efforts extend to a number of
local, national and international entities. NIAASC works closely with a number
of organizations, and maintains working relationship with a number of groups.
NIAASC
COLLABORATION with OTHER GROUPS:
-
NIAASC contributed an article, took an advertisement in the Journal and
attended the 26th Annual Fundraising
Dinner of India Association of Long Island on June 12, 2004. It was
attended by some 200 people in LI.
- India's 57th Anniversary of
Independence: NIAASC attended the
ceremonies sponsored by the Senior Citizen Center of New York at the Vaishnav
Temple in Holliswood, NY; and another set of ceremonies sponsored by the Indian
American Kerala Center in Elmont. Both events attracted large audiences on
August 21, 2004.
-
NIAASC regularly participated at the monthly
program for seniors launched by the India Association of Long Island in May
2004 at the Senior Citizen Center of the Town of Huntington. Also attends
programs by Senior Citizens Center of NY.
COLLABORATIONS:
NIAASC has maintained steady
collaboration with a number of agencies: Among them are: the Indian American
Kerala Civic and Cultural Center, Global Organization of People of Indian
Origin, Senior Citizen Center of New York (Vaishnav Temple), India Association
of Long Island, Guru Gobind Singh Senior Center at the Plainview Gurudwara,
Senior Forum by the Long Island Gujarati Cultural Society, Hindu Temple Society
of North America, Asian American Federation of New York, and Asian Americans
for Equality.
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___________________________________________________________________________________________
NIAASC
WILL BE HOLDING ITS GENERAL BODY MEETING and 2 -HOUR CONFERENCE ON AN IMPORTANT
ELDERLY RELATED ISSUE ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2004, 10:00 A.M. to 3:00
P.M. PROGRAM INCLUDES RECOGNITION OF
COMMUNITY LEADERS, AND FUNDRAISING LUNCHEON. PLEASE MARK THE DATE. REGISTER
EARLY. DETAILS INSIDE.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENT: This issue of Newsletter has been supported by Drs. Satish Varma and
Samir K. Dutta. NIAASC gratefully acknowledges their support. We are looking
forward to the sponsorship of our next
issue due in winter 2004.
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Planning, Development and Administration of Senior Housing Complex:
A
Brainstorming Session by NIAASC on August 22, 2004
The National
Indo-American Association for Senior
Citizens (NIAASC) held a
"Brainstorming" Session on
Planning, Development and Administration of Senior Housing Complexes, on August
22,2004, at the Kerala Center in
Elmont, NY. This NIAASC initiative was prompted by
its mission of serving
seniors through information,
referral and advocacy services and to address
the increasing concerns of
seniors regarding adequacy
and affordability of
decent housing, in their twilight
years yearning to lead rich and independent lives. The session, attended by 26 participants, and
coordinated by Dr. Ashok Satkalmi, NIAASC Vice President, was punctuated
with valuable information
and insights by a
specially-chosen panel of experts actively
involved in the area of Housing
in general and
Senior Housing in
particular.
Introductory
Remarks:
In his
welcoming remark, Mr. Rajeshwar Prasad, NIAASC President,
briefly alluded to
NIAASC's general mission
of information dissemination, referral and advocacy
services and how in that spirit,
this brainstorming session
was conceived in response
to the Indian Seniors'
community needs for housing articulated
by the NIAASC members in various NIAASC meetings. Mr. Prasad also
informed that the media coverage of the proposed brainstorming session
generated calls from Indian community leaders
from Chicago, Houston, New Jersey expressing that the session could be a good starting point on senior
housing subject.
---------------------------
Mr. E.M. Stephen , president of the Kerala Center, welcomed all
participants on behalf of the Center. He emphasized close working relationship
between NIAASC and the Center. He also informed that the Center runs two senior
programs, along with many other activities.
The
panelists were introduced
by Messrs. M.K.Ramasubramanian, NIAASC Board Member and Rajeshwar Prasad.
The Panelists
structured their discussions
into three broad categories: PLANNING, DEVELOPMENT and
ADMINISTRATION with each
area being covered by
a pair of panelists.
The format was
not only designed
to tap into the "expertise"
of the panelists in the subject areas
assigned to them,
but also to
facilitate a free exchange of
ideas, recognizing the overlap
of the three components and looking
at them in a
comprehensive manner rather
than strict
compartmentalization.
PLANNING:
The PLANNING session was led by
Ms. Aleyamma Mathew and Ms. Michelle Santantonio.Ms. Aleyamma
Mathew, Director of Programs
for the National
Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development (National
CAPACD), outlined her
organization's broad spectrum
of planning, implementation andcoordination activities with community-based organizations across the
US. Although not directly involved in Housing activities per se, she
reiterated the vast
resources available from
her organization by virtue
of their wide
reach across the US and how
these could be
tapped into by
local communities embarking
upon community-building
activities with Housing as
the cornerstone. The queries and discussions that followed
her presentation highlighted
the opportunities for follow-up. Ms. Michelle Santantonio,
Executive Director, Long Island Housing Services, then traced the
historical development and advancement of civil rights
issues as they
pertain to immigrant, minority
communities with housing
discrimination as one
of the thorny issues
and how her
organization namely the
Long Island Housing Services successfully, valiantly and
effectively fought to advance
the cause over the
last thirty years, in
alliance with Human Rights
Commissions. She unequivocally outlined the do's
and don'ts of Senior
Citizens Housing development
emphasizing the need
to eschew any overt/covert "exclusiveness" perceptions, however inadvertent
and benign the attempts may
be. She also
pointed out that the rules
and regulations have to
be observed strictly
irrespective of whether the projects are Govt. or private
funded. Given the vastness and
diversity of the communities dispersed in the
US the Indo-American Communities
involved in Housing development activities must
be cautioned to be
fully aware and adhere
to local laws
on fair housing.
SAVE
THE DATE:
(Please
note that Long Island Housing Services, Inc. will be celebrating its 35th
Anniversary Dinner-Dance-Fundraising on Thursday, December 9, 2004 at Villa
Lombardi's in Holbrook, Suffolk County, New York from 6:00 to 10:00 P.M. More
information will be made available at the NIAASC General Body meeting on
October 30, 2004. Save the Date)
DEVELOPMENT:
The
session on Development was
led by Mr. Doug Aloise , Housing Administrator for the Catholic
Charities in Hicksville, New York, who manages in excess of
1250 housing units in
Nassau/Suffolk Counties. Doug
stressed the importance of
proper scouting, selection of
sites for housing
developments, being
thoroughly aware of
zoning requirements laid out
by the local communities
and the need
to ensure harmonious
relations with the Planning
Board officials and
other lawmakers in
the community and be attentive to the sensitivities of the
local populace. He referred
to the rent
"thresholds" (namely
what % of income
should rent account for
in these units ) and how
units' rental requirements, exceeding this threshold can be met by
subsidies etc. subject
to the prevailing laws applicable
in the communities concerned. Mr. Frank Lang, Director of Planning and Development at
Asian Americans for Equality (AAFE), and a licensed architect, then followed
on the Development segment and
outlined his experiences
in this area by virtue
of being involved
in the Asian-Americans For
Equality. Frank stressed the
importance of clearly-defined objectives, mission statements
in undertaking Housing projects, the need
to tend to the administrative burdens
of scrutinizing applications (with limited staffing resources)
winnowing them down to
the available housing
units—often a fraction of the
applications received given the
inherent difficulties of
laying down criteria that are
deemed fair and equitable in the
allocation process.
Frankalso provided some insights
into the Capital Outlays
involved which are a function of
the community neighborhoods and the sizes of the units proposed. While rental-ceiling formulas (e.g. not exceeding 30% of
income) can be used as a
norm in assessing the "economics" of the
housing projects, these can
be suitably modified
using historic rents (wherever they exceeded
the "thresholds") paid by
the prospective applicants.
Needless to say these
guidelines have to
be tailored to
the local community
conditions and needs.
ADMINISTRATION:
The session
on Administration was
led by Mr. Subash Midha, currently CFO for
Consumer Information and
Dispute Resolution Inc.. He
emphasized the need
to be clear about the
path(s) we plan
to take - whether we choose the
HUD-Subsidized route of
Tax shelters or private-initiatives
in the setting up of the Senior Housing Projects. The inevitable
delays involved in Govt-funded
schemes need to
be carefully evaluated before
embarking upon the projects.
Any covenants or restrictions that accompany such
funding schemes need to be adhered to in the light of the community's needs/objectives.
Mr. Midha cautioned that the
administrative aspects such
as -- the budgeting, cost
containment, staffing levels etc.
are far more
demanding than the setting
up of the housing units. Mr.
Basant Kohli , an Executive with
Metropolitan Life and AARP Ombudservice volunteer, the other panelist in
the Administrative segment
outlined the activities
of Ombudservice (an adjunct
of AARP)—one of which
involves Assisted Living
entailing periodic visits
and inspections of the
facilities.
INTERACTIVE
DISCUSSION:
The after-lunch
session was punctuated
by lively, interactive
discussions on the presentations, moderated by Dr.
Ashok Satkalmi. The consensus amongst the panelists was
that the whole process of
the Senior Housing Developments ,from
conception to consummation must
be thought through with
clearly laid out
objectives regarding location, size of units,mode of financing, adherence to
local laws (zoning, fair housing
statutes etc.). The panel
also stressed that meeting the " unique
needs" of the Indo-American
Senior Communities has
to conform to the need
to be inclusive and
this delicate balance has
to be carefully preserved in
the true spirit of the American Immigration experience
and history.
FOLLOW-UP:
The discussions
hovered on the
next steps to
be taken by
NIAASC building on
the ideas/concepts thrashed out at the session. The group also discussed possibilities of developing retirement
communities by interested individuals, who will be acting as owners. It was
decided a Working Committee
be set
up, to be coordinated by Mr. M.K. Ramasubramanian, with the
help of Board
members and some of
the panelists. This Committee
will focus on
the salient aspects of
senior Housing Issue, delve deep into the
specifics wherever deemed appropriate, meet with
some of the panelists and other agencies
deemed knowledgeable on the
subject and develop a report
which NIAASC could peruse and decide on the
suitability for dissemination to the Community.
CONCLUSION:
The
panelists were equally impressed with the group of this brainstorming session.
Many of these participants had professional background in various fields such
as medicine, insurance, health and human services, social work, administration
and management, coordination of senior programs, accounting. Panelists confided
that the work ahead is challenging but not impossible. The success of the
project requires collaboration and partnership, and they reiterated that NIAASC
in its future deliberations on the issue of senior housing can depend on the
agencies represented by the panelists. In
his summary remarks,
Rajeshwar Prasad
reiterated the role of
NIAASC as a information source
for the communities embarking
on projects on key
issues affecting Seniors
like Housing. He emphasized
that implementation of
housing schemes would be
undertaken by the communities involved,
with NIAASC acting
more as a facilitator. Mr. Prasad stated that NIAASC
has played similar role as facilitator in various senior citizen programs,
sponsored by different community organizations.Ms. Tara Kotecha,
Secretary NIAASC, proposed a vote
of thanks to
the panelists and
the participants in the
sessions. She underlined the cooperation extended by the Kerala Center
under Mr. Stephen's leadership. The
unanimous consensus amongst
the participants was
that the brainstorming session
was an unequivocal success and
the participants left with a great sense of accomplishment. They
recognized the difficult task ahead and encouraged the NIAASC to play a leading
role on this important issue.
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MEETINGS OF
THE NIAASC BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
The
NIAASC Board of Directors meets four times a year and the Executive Committee meets in between. If you are interested
to attend the Board meeting, please call NIAASC Secretary, for date, time and
place. Next meeting will be a telephone conference. The NIAASC Board can have a
maximum number of 21 members. Currently it has 20 members.
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NIAASC BOARD
OF DIRECTORS: 2004
Officers:
Rajeshwar
Prasad, president (631-698-0512), Ashwin Pandya MD, vice president
(516-292-9741), Ashok Satkalmi Ph.D., vice president (718-343-9038), Tara
Kotecha, secretary (516-826-0486) and Romesh Tewari, treasurer ( 732-727-9456)
Board Members:
Samir
K. Dutta MD, Floral Park, NY; Sushila
Gidwani-Buschi: Dobbs Ferry NY; Satpal Malhotra: Westbury, NY; Satya
Malhotra RN: Westbury NY; Kamla
Motihar: Flushing NY; Chandubhai Patel: Bellerose, NY; Manoj K. Patel Esq.:
Jersey City NJ; M.K.Ramasubramanian: Fresh Meadows NY; Asha Samant DDS: Livingston
NJ; V.N.Sehgal MD: Jackson Heights NY;
Suprabhat Sengupta: Flushing NY; Chandrakant Shah: Floral Park NY; Vipin Shah:
Old Bridge NJ; E.M.Stephen: Elmont NY;
Satish Varma MD: New Hyde Park NY.
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MARK THE DATE
OF OCTOBER 30, 2004 AND REGISTER TO ATTEND THE MEETING,
CONFERENCE AND
LUNCHEON: HELP SPONSOR THE EVENT: Details inside
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NOMINATIONS FOR THE NIAASC BOARD OF DIRECTORS: On July 16, 2004
NIAASC members were notified that any one interested to serve on the Board of
Directors of NIAASC should so notify
the Nominating Committee ASAP. Those eligible may still send in their desire to
serve on the Board to: NIAASC at 1824, Fairfax Street, Elmont, NY 11003 (marked
Nomination Committee), latest by October 10, 2004.Nomination Committee will
present its recommendations to the General Body Meeting on October 30, 2004.
One-third of NIAASC Board members retire every year but they can be
re-nominated.
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GENERAL BODY MEETING, LUNCHEON AND CONFERENCE
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2004
Place:
Indian American Kerala Cultural and Civic Center, 1824 Fairfax Street, Elmont,
Nassau County, New York
10:00
A.M. Registration,
Reception and Breakfast
11:00
A.M. Conference
1:00
P.M. Luncheon,
Recognition of Sponsors , Community Leaders
&
Award
to Honorees*
2:00
P.M. General
Body Meeting, Nomination Committee Report
Annual
Progress and Fiscal Reports April 03 to March 04
3:00
P.M. Organizational
Meeting of the Board of Directors
(All
are invited to attend)
Election
of Officers
*
In 2003, NIAASC honored two distinguished community leaders for their foresight
and commitment for seniors of Indian
origin:
They were Dr. Uma Mysorekar,
president of the Hindu Temple Society of North America, and Ms. Chan Jamoona,
Executive
Director and Founder President of the
United Hindu Cultural Senior Center
The
Conference Subject will be "Social
and Cultural Interventions & Elderly Abuse." As always NIAASC will
have professional speaker/s for the conference, and there will be an
interactive discussion on this important issue. NIAASC recognizes that in many
cases it is the elderly parent/s who are likely to be abused, and in certain cases
it is the reverse.
DONATION: NIAASC is requesting a donation of $35.00 per person
for this event from non members and $25.00 per person
from
NIAASC members. NIAASC is also requesting the following sponsorships:
Collaborative
Sponsorship by nonprofit organization $100.00
Sponsorship
from commercial entity /corporation $250.00
Individual
Sponsorship $ 50.00
All
sponsors will be acknowledged in the program and announced at the General Body
meeting. Nonprofit organizations
interested
in senior programs may wish to be recognized as Supporting Organizations
without financial obligation. Let us know.
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Directions to the Indian American Kerala
Center: 1824 Fairfax Street, Elmont,
New York 11003 (Telephone of the
Center: 516-358-2000). From New Jersey, Take Verazano Bridge to Belt Parkway
and follow the direction below:
Take Cross Island Parkway: south if you are coming
from Long Island Expressway or Northern State Parkway; north, if you are coming
from Southern State Parkway or Belt Parkway. Once on Cross Island Parkway take
exit 26B for Hempstead Turnpike (going east). On the seventh traffic light
(landmark 2nd Mobile gas station), including one blinking light, make right.
You will be on School Road. Second left from School Road is Fairfax Street. The
Center is at the corner of Fairfax and School.
===========================================================================================
For further
information about Sponsorship and Registration for the October 30th Program
please call any of the officers of NIAASC listed under Board of Directors, or
send E-mail to NIAASC@AOL.COM, or you may fill out the form(s) below and send
the same with your check payable to NIAASC to NIAASC, 7 Roberta Avenue,
Farmingville, NY 11738.
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SPONSORSHIP:
Name:
....................................................................Sponsorship
(circle one): Individual, Non profit, For profit Corporation
Address:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Telephone: (
) ...........
...............
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Amount of check: _____________
===========================================================================================
REGISTRATION:
Name: ....................................................................NIAASC
Member: Yes /No Telephone:
( ) ......... .............
Address:
------------------------------------------------------------------------ E-mail:
.....................................................
----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Amount of check:
-------------------
==========================================================================================
NEWS OF
INTEREST TO SENIORS:
It
is to inform you that in Long Island and New York City following senior programs are available for Indian seniors:
*
United Hindu Cultural Council Senior Center: Monday to Friday 10:00 AM. to 3:00
P.M. 118-09 Sutter Avenue, South Ozone Park (Queens), NY 11419, Telephone:
718-323-8900
*
Senior Citizen Center of New York (Vaishnav Temple): 196-43 Foothill Avenue,
Holliswood, NY 11423, Alternate Saturday 2:00 P.M. To 4:00 P.M. Telephone:
516-292-9741
*
Senior Program by the Hindu Temple Society of North America: Every Wednesday,
10:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M., at 45-57 Bowne Street, Flushing, NY 11355, Telephone:
718-460-8484
*
Guru Gobind Singh Senior Center at the Plainview Gurudwara: Every
Thursday, 11:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M., at
Old Country Road, Plainview, Nassau County, New York.
*
Senior Forum by the Long Island Gujarati Cultural Society: Last Sunday of each
month 1:00 P.M. to 3:30 P.M. at 39 Montauk Highway, Blue Point, NY 11715: Town
of Brookhaven -- Recreation Center
*
Senior Citizens Program by the Indian American Kerala Cultural & Civic
Center at 1824 Fairfax Street, Elmont, Last Monday of the month 7:00 P.M. to
10:00 P.M. Telephone: 516-358-2000
*
Senior Program by India Association of Long Island in collaboration with the
Town of Huntington at 423 Park Avenue, Huntington, fourth Saturday of every
month. Telephone: 631-351-3253 or call IALI at 631-499-3059 (Mr. Uppal)
===========================================================================================
Home Chore Program: Funding for this
program is provided through the local Area Agency on Aging (AAA). The local AAA
receives it from a State Unit on Aging which is funded by the US Department of
Health and Human Services. The local AAA contracts with other entities to
provide the services under this program. NIAASC is pleased to provide
information from one specific program for the benefit of seniors. Seniors should
contact the local AAA to know about similar programs in their areas. Following
is an example of an ongoing program: (Adapted
from the Town of Brookhaven Flyer): Contact Person: Madeline 631-451-9092:
between 9:00 & 3:00 P.M.
ELIGIBILITY: Town of Brookhaven residents who are homeowners or
condominium owners, apartment renters (with signed consent of homeowner) ...
All of whom must be 60 years of age or older. Priority is given to those
persons with physical or financial limitations: The Program provides household
assistance with chores that do not require the skills of a licensed
craftsperson. This is not an Emergency Service. Hours limited to 16 hours per
fiscal year.
A. Plumbing: Replacing washers or faucets for kitchen sinks, wash
basins and tubs. Clearing clogged sinks and toilet drains only B. Electrical: Repairing or rewiring
lamps, replace light switches or receptacles, including fuses; replacing frayed
cords, No Appliance Repairs except hose connection. C. Carpentry: Install grab bars or safety rails for tubs and
toilets. Minor repairs to doors, floors, house trim etc. Install shelves. D. Painting: Exterior: house
trim, window trim, doors and overhang on house, only when necessary. No
Shutters Interior: ceiling of kitchens and
bathrooms and other ceilings where water or structural damage has occurred.
Patch walls and ceilings - no cosmetic work.
E. Weatherization: Caulking and weather-stripping of windows and doors. F. Exterior: Minor patching of
concrete or blacktop driveways, walks and masonry foundations. G. Crime Prevention: Installing - Door
and window locks, peepholes. H.
Miscellaneous: Replacing broken window panes; installation or removal of
storm windows and screens, Repair of screens. Clean gutters and drains (one
story high only).
Process:
The program coordinator will estimate work needed and cost of materials.
Materials must be provided and paid for by eligible persons. No Tipping ...
Free Labor
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
A Proposal to form an Indian Senior Singles Group: Soliciting Comments
& Suggestions
A
very involved social work professional from Texas has suggested to NIAASC to
explore the possibility of forming a Group of Single Seniors of Indian Origin,
age 60 + at the national level. The proposal underlines the suggested
eligibility requirements for such seniors: be very comfortable in speaking and
writing English; must be living by themselves meaning they are financial head
of the household; and must be able to access e-mail/website or willing to
learn. The format of membership is open for suggestions, whether it should be
an independent entity with membership dues or part of an existing organization
such as NIAASC where members identify specifically their preference for the
'Singles' group. The Group could also be an e-mail group so that members can
communicate with one another and share their experiences. The Group could be
South Asian in composition including Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal,
or it could be international composed of eligible seniors.
DO
YOU WISH TO JOIN IN FURTHER EXPLORATION OF SINGLE SENIORS GROUP PROPOSAL, SEND
YOUR E-MAIL TO NIAASC@AOL.COM AND WE SHALL FORWARD THE SAME TO THE PERSON
PROPOSING IT.
MISSION AND OBJECTIVES of NIAASC:
Mission
of the National Indo-American Association for Senior Citizens (NIAASC) is to
serve as the leading national information, referral and advocacy organization
committed to the well being and quality of life of Indo-Americans in their
senior years. The objectives include: creating awareness of Indo-American
senior issues and needs; providing information on issues and services; advocacy
at the local, state and national levels on seniors' issues; forging
collaborations with public and private service providers; providing advisory
support to Indian community, business and professional groups in developing
senior programs and services; educating the public through workshops,
conferences and seminars to address senior issues; and working with Indian and
other groups to collect and store information regarding senior issues and
problems.
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Membership
Benefits with
NATIONAL INDO-AMERICAN
ASSOCIATION FOR SENIOR CITIZENS
Membership
is open to all Indo-Americans, agencies and organizations which subscribe to
the objectives of NIAASC. Members will benefit through:
* A periodical newsletter on pertinent issues for seniors;
* Information about services identified earlier;
* Referral to service provider agencies in their communities;
* Advocacy on behalf of seniors;
* Job opportunity alerts for seniors;
* Workshops, seminars and conferences to
address issues affecting seniors.
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NATIONAL
INDO-AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR SENIOR CITIZENS Inc.
MEMBERSHIP /
DONATION APPLICATION
Name:........................................................................... Telephone
( ) ..................................
Address:................................................................................................................................ zip...................
Fax
# ( )
.................................................. E-mail......................................................
Sex: Male:........ Female........ Age: 50 years
& older........
Under 50 years.........
Please
check one: Individual
membership..............
Organization membership................
Please
check one in category and one under membership fees:
Categories Membership
Fees
Regular
member (50 years and over): $10.00 per year ...... $40.00 for 5 years........ $100.00 for Life .........
Members
under 50 years (nonvoting): $10.00 per
year ...... $40.00 for 5 years........ $100.00 for Life .........
Not-for-profit
organization.................. $100.00
per year....... $400.00 for 5
years........
Other
agencies/institutions.................. $100.00
per year...... $400.00 for 5
years........
I,......................................................................,
have read the objectives of the Association and I shall subscribe to them.
I
am interested in volunteering my services to NIAASC -------- Signature:
----------------------------------------------------
Any
additional donation will be highly appreciated: Please check the donation
amount:
$50.00.........$100.00........$200.00........$250.00........Other(Please
specify)............
Please make check payable to National
Indo-American Association for Senior Citizens or NIAASC and mail to:
7 Roberta Avenue,
Farmingville NY 11738
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EDITORIAL:
We
have noticed that interest in addressing issues of seniors and undertaking some
programs for them has been increasingly getting attention from community
leaders. The National Indo-American Association for Senior Citizens (NIAASC)
has underlined the problems and concerns of the seniors from time to time and
they also appear at its web site: www.niaasc.org. As of August 2004 one of the
Indian Weekly newspapers 'India Abroad' has introduced a section: THE SIXTY
PLUS. The section also covers questions raised by seniors and/or their
families. You can mail your views to sixtyplus@rediff.co.in. The first issue
introducing this section appeared on August 13, 2004. In that issue, the paper
covered senior programs in different states: Arizona, California, Delaware, Georgia,
Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Texas. The issue also
requested that if interested individuals/agencies would like the senior
programs listed they should contact the newspaper. The August 13 coverage
highlighted NIAASC and listed its toll free telephone number and web site. As a
result of this column, NIAASC has received several calls and has contacted all
callers to fully understand their problems, concerns or inquiries.
The
National Indo-American Association for Senior Citizens is striving to expand
its current base which is confined to
New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. NIAASC has touch based with
Pennsylvania. Our communication through our toll free number is throughout the
USA. We have addressed problems brought to our attention by callers, generally
to the satisfaction of callers. We firmly believe that organizations which are
involved with programs for seniors or planning to venture in that direction can
benefit with partnership with NIAASC, and vice versa. Senior Citizen Organizations,
independent of any parent entity, can equally play the same role and we can
work together for the greater benefit of seniors. It may be underscored that
philosophy of NIAASC has always been not to reinvent wheels, instead develop
collaborative relationship with existing entities, both Indian and non Indian.
In the long run it is beneficial to the mission of NIAASC and helpful to our
seniors. Jointly we can develop a strategy to focus on problems, aspirations
and concerns of seniors from a national perspective, while concentrating on
close working relationship with seniors at the local level. A united voice of
some quarter a million seniors of Indian origin in this country can be louder
than the voice of one organization. It is estimated that about 12% of over 2
million Indian Americans in USA are above the age of 55, translating to about
¼ million. Those sixty and above
account for about 200,000 seniors of Indian origin. What NIAASC has learnt and
understood from various sources - media, contacts - that quite a few
organizations are involved extensively in programs for seniors, and others are
just initiating such programs. NIAASC can project a national picture of kinds
of programs undertaken so that the emerging groups can learn from the experience
of others. We therefore humbly urge organizations particularly the ones
involved in senior programs to extend their support and partnership by letting
NIAASC know about such senior activities.
NIAASC E-mail is niaasc@aol.com & its web site is www.niaasc.org.
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GET INVOLVED AND FOCUS ON COLLABORATION AND
PARTNERSHIP FOR A UNITED VOICE FOR SENIORS
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National
Indo-American Association
for
Senior Citizens Inc.
7
Roberta Avenue,
Farmingville,
NY 11738
COVERAGE
Senior
Housing Complex;
Home
Chore Benefits to seniors;
General
Body Meeting/Luncheon;
NIAASC
Mission & Membership;
Programs
for Seniors in NY area
DATED
MATERIAL