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Emergency Fund Coalition MembersTeam up to Feed Hungry SeniorsGenPhilly Focuses on Senior HungerThe Emergency Fund for Older Philadelphians provides alifeline for seniors in financial crisis. Each year, more than 10percent of Emergency Fund assistance is used to provide foodto frail needy seniors.PCA employees and Emergency Fund Coalition (EFC)members actively take part in fundraising efforts to supportthis vital community resource for seniors.Each spring, EFC members lace up their sneakers for theGreater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger’s Walk+RunAgainst Hunger. This event raises money for more than100 food pantries, soup kitchens and hunger-relief agenciesthroughout the region, including the Emergency Fund.All money raised by the EFC team is earmarked to provideEmergency Fund assistance to seniors for food. On Saturday,April 13, five PCA employees joined 16 other EFC membersin a brisk three-mile trek around the Philadelphia Art Museum.The dedicated contingent of PCA staff alone raisedmore than $1,100! At the time of publication, the final totalraised by all EFC members was not known.WPVI-TV Honors PCA’s Sung Young YunPCA’s Asian Outreach Coordinator SungYun Young was one of eight recipients ofthe “Unsung SHEro of the Year Award,”presented by the WPVI-TV 6ABCCommunity Advisory Board on May22. The annual award recognizes women“who have initiated new programs; usedinnovative methods to create a positiveimpact on people; implemented positive changes; andprovided examples for other groups or organizations.”Yun became PCA’s Asian outreach coordinator in 2004.She serves as PCA’s liaison with major Asian groupsin Philadelphia, including Chinese, Korean, Laotian,Vietnamese, Cambodian, Filipino, and Asian-Indian.Working with community-based agencies serving thispopulation and with members of PCA’s Asian AdvisoryCommittee, she disseminates information on PCA servicesand relays information to PCA on the needs of older adultsin the city’s Asian community.Volunteer cooks at the Klein JCC (left to right):Lenore Jacobson, Shellie Stark, Bonnie Wittenberg,Lynore Eisman and Shirley Davis.“One in six people 65 and over say they do not knowwhere their next meal is coming from. One in 10 reportskipping meals,” said Ginger Zielinskie at a March 20GenPhilly forum, that focused on ways to increasefood access for seniors. Zielinskie is executive directorof Benefits Data Trust (BDT), which works to helplow-income seniors obtain benefits.More than 80 people attended GenPhilly's forum,entitled “What’s Cooking? Exploring Innovations inSenior Hunger Relief.”A PCA program, GenPhilly is a network of young professionalsfrom a variety of fields, such as the arts, socialwork, urban planning, public policy, and communitydevelopment.Panelists highlighted four successful programs inPhiladelphia.•Uplift Solutions, Inc. develops supermarkets inlow-income neighborhoods.•West Philadelphia Fresh Food Hub’s Healthy FoodCarts program is a mobile farmers market that travelsto senior centers, block parties, community events andother West Philadelphia locales to increase access tofresh produce.•The Raymond and Miriam Klein JCC’s volunteerbasedCook for a Friend home-delivered meal program(pictured above) serves homebound elders and its Growfor a Friend community gardens program providesseniors with fresh produce.•A model nutrition program is sponsored by theSalvation Army of Greater Philadelphia at its BoothManor senior housing facility.For more information about GenPhilly, visitwww.genphilly.org; email GenPhilly@gmail.com; orcall Kate Clark, PCA planner for policy & programdevelopment at 215-765-9000, ext. 5072.page 3update SUMMER 2013 ISSUE

PCA will Distribute Produce Vouchers to Low-Income Seniors Starting July 8Seniors may receive produce vouchers one time per year only.Proof of age and Philadelphia residency is required toreceive vouchers. Acceptable forms of identification includePennsylvania driver’s license or a Pennsylvania non-driver’sID. Other forms of ID that include age and residency willbe considered.Vouchers can be used to purchase Pennsylvania-grown produce.This summer, PCA will distribute $20 worth of Senior Farmers’Market Nutrition Program produce vouchers to incomeeligiblePhiladelphia seniors. Since 2000, PCA has distributedthe produce vouchers to encourage seniors to eat more freshfruits and vegetables. Starting this year, the vouchers can beused to purchase only seasonal Pennsylvania-grown produceat certified farmers’ markets throughout Philadelphia.A variety of delicious produce is grown here in Pennsylvania,including apples, beets, berries, broccoli, cabbage, carrots,mushrooms, pears, potatoes, and more.Distribution of the produce vouchers will begin onMonday, July 8 and continue while supplies last. IncomeeligiblePhiladelphia residents, age 60 or older by the end ofthe year, may receive the vouchers at PCA, 642 North BroadStreet in Philadelphia (weekdays, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.). Voucherswill be distributed at other designated sites, including theReading Terminal Market, 12th & Arch Streets, on July 10and 17 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.The 2013 household income guidelines are: $21,257(1 person), $28,694 (2 people), $36,131 (3 people), and$43,568 (4 people). Income test is self-declaratory.For questions about eligibility and more information,including distribution sites and farmers’ markets thataccept the produce vouchers, call the PCA Helpline at215-765-9040 after July 1.The produce vouchers, made available through funds fromthe U.S. Department of Agriculture and the PennsylvaniaDepartment of Agriculture, will be distributed on a firstcome,first-served basis and must be used before November30, 2013. In 2012, more than 36,500 older Philadelphiansreceived free produce vouchers. This year, funding has beenincreased to allow the program to serve an additional 250older adults.According to Helen Cooke, PCA assistant director for healthand nutrition services, fruits and vegetables provide importantvitamins, minerals, and fiber that may help decrease the riskof chronic disease.First “Senior Strut” Health and Wellness Event Set for June 18 on Boathouse Row“We see this as an entertaining and fun way to promotethe health benefits of walking for older adults,” said JoanZaremba, PCA director of marketing and corporate relations.The event is a collaboration between PCA, the FairmountPark Conservancy and Philadelphia Parks & Recreation.The Mummers will help to kick off the "Senior Strut."Adults age 60+ are invited to join in the “Senior Strut,” aone-mile walk and health event that pairs two Philadelphiaicons: the Mummers and picturesque Boathouse Row.The “Senior Strut” will take place on Tuesday, June 18, startingat Lloyd Hall, 1 Boathouse Row on Kelly Drive. Walkerswill be outfitted with brightly colored t-shirts and pedometers,and will receive a musical sendoff on the one-mile loopwalk from members of a Mummers string band.“This event grew out of our joint efforts to encourage seniorsto visit city parks more often,” Zaremba said. “We hope thatthe 'Senior Strut' might spur older adults to join walkinggroups or perhaps to form walking groups of their own.”After the walk, participants will return to Lloyd Hall for a freehealth fair with health screenings, fitness activities, a healthysnack, giveaways and healthy cooking demonstrations usingsummer produce. Mike Quick, Eagles radio network sportsanalyst, and former Eagles wide receiver, will make a specialappearance.For information or to register, see the events calendar on theback page.SUMMER 2013 ISSUE update page 4

Skip Voluntad Honored for a Lifetime of Outreach, Advocacy for Asian Elders“Skip Voluntad has dedicatedhis professionaland volunteer efforts tobuilding coalitions andadvancing opportunitiesfor Asian elders. He hasbeen a tremendous force,”said Louis Colbert, PCA vicepresident of operations, ata meeting of PCA’s AsianAdvisory Committee onApril 26. Voluntad, aFilipino-American, who recently retired from his role chairingthat committee, was honored for his 12 years of service. Hewas also recognized for his longtime work advocating for Asianseniors’ concerns and helping them to access aging services.When PCA formed the Asian Advisory Committee in 2000 toreach out to Asian elders, “Skip Voluntad helped us to find ourway. He has been an endless source of knowledge. We couldnot have done it without him,” said Rick Spector, PCA directorof community relations. Today, working with that committee,PCA reaches out to a diverse Asian population that includesKorean, Vietnamese, Chinese, Filipino, Cambodian, Laotianand Asian Indian elders — helping them overcome languageand other barriers to obtaining services.A 2008 recipient of the P4A Advocacy Award presented by thePennsylvania Association of Area Agencies on Aging, Voluntadis a past member of the PCA board of directors.He helped guide PCA on strategies to improve its service toAsian elders and also served as chairman for planning PCA’s annualAsian health and information fairs, which target a differentsegment of Philadelphia’s Asian community each year.Over the years, he has worked with a variety of key organizationsto help improve services to Asian elders, includingthe Pennsylvania Council on Aging; Pennsylvania AARP; theMayor's Commission for Asian Pacific American Affairs inPhiladelphia; and the Delaware County Office of Services tothe Aging.Philip Lai, director of Philadelphia Senior Center’s Coffee Cupbranch, co-chaired PCA’s Asian Advisory Committee with Voluntadfrom September 2012 until Voluntad’s retirement at theend of that year. Lai and Mary Faustino, president of AARP’sAmerican Asian/Pacific Islander Delaware Valley Chapter, currentlyco-chair the committee.PCA Study Explores the Walkability of Philly NeighborhoodsIn 2011, PCA began a research project to investigatehow “walkability” affects senior health. A study titled“Walkability’s Impact on Senior Health” (WISH), set outto determine if residents in more walkable neighborhoodsexercise more, eat healthier, and are less obese — and ifolder adults are more affected by walkability than youngeradults. The study is part of PCA’s efforts to foster an “agefriendly”Philadelphia, one in which the physical and socialenvironment helps people remain healthy and independentas they age. It was funded by the National Institute of NursingResearch of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).“We often focus on the behavior adults need to have inorder to be healthy – the need to exercise and eat healthily,for instance, but we also need to focus on whether they haveopportunities to do so,” said Allen Glicksman, Ph.D., PCA’sdirector of research and evaluation and principal investigatorfor the study. “Do they have easy access to fresh food, forexample? Are the sidewalks broken, making it difficult forpeople to go and take a walk, even if there are desirabledestinations, like parks and stores, nearby?”In the first two years of the WISH study, GeographicInformation Systems (GIS) computer technology was usedto map information about the environment, such as thelocation of public transportation and food stores; incidenceof crime; and information about residents’ health.Data was provided by the City of Philadelphia; thePhiladelphia Horticultural Society; Philadelphia HealthManagement Corporation; and Azavea, a local technologyfirm that specializes in GIS.While the study still has months to go, researchers havealready found that environment matters most in the mostdistressed areas, Glicksman said. “The more distressed aneighborhood is in terms of characteristics such as crimeand proportion of abandoned properties, the less peoplewere physically active and the higher the rate of beingoverweight or obese,” he noted.The outcomes of the WISH study could help in targetingmore specific interventions in each individual neighborhoodto promote walkability, Glicksman said. Findings will beshared with other stakeholders involved in environmentalchange in Philadelphia such as planning organizations,environmental advocates, and government agencies.In addition to PCA’s planning department, the team forthe study includes the Asociación de Puertorriqueños enMarcha (APM) community development corporation;the School of Public Health at Drexel University;Azavea; ThirdAge, a division of LarsonAllen; and a statisticalconsultant.page 5update SUMMER 2013 ISSUE

Seniors "Celebrate Arts and Aging" During Older Americans Month in MayCentenarian Yuk Fai Tsang disavows the suggestion thathis impressive Chinese watercolors result from any specialtalents. Rather, it’s a matter of hard work and determination.“When you want to do something, you do it,” he says.“Nothing can stop you.”He was among more than 170 older artists whose work wasdisplayed during PCA’s 11th annual “Celebrate Arts andAging” festivities in May. Senior artwork was exhibited atthree locations: Center on the Hill … the place for activeadults (Chestnut Hill); the Free Library of Philadelphia –Parkway Central (Logan Square); and Philadelphia SeniorCenter – Main Branch (Center City). Artists’ receptionswere held at each site.Held during Older American Month and supported inpart by PECO, “Celebrate Arts and Aging” also offeredolder adults special discounts for an array of cultural andperformance venues and opportunities to participate in artsclasses and workshops.“Our goal is to encourage older people to experience thewealth of artistic possibilities our region has to offer andto showcase the outstanding work of senior artists,” saidHolly Lange, PCA president and CEO. The national themeof Older Americans Month in this 50th anniversary year,“Unleash the Power of Age,” “is especially apropos. Olderadults continue to grow and develop as they age and haveextraordinary talent and wisdom to contribute.”Leo Weisz: at 102, Taking as Much as He Can Getcreativity. A visit to his apartment reveals walls coveredwith art from floor to ceiling. He says proudly that he soldmore than 30 of his paintings in a recent sale.Some are made from life; others, like his submission on displayat PCA’s “Celebrate Arts and Aging” exhibit, (on thecover of this publicacion) are inspired by a photograph.“I took a little liberty,” he said. The watercolor paintingcaptures only a small segment of the photograph,but it is the most crucial. Eleven jockeys on racehorsesare bunched together, rounding the curve of a track, in arainbow of colorful silks and helmets. “I loved the color,the variety,” he said.Artist Lolly Grilli Pursues Passion Once Abandoned“I love what I do,” said Leo Weisz,who at 102 was the oldest artistto have work on display this yearin one of PCA’s “Celebrate Artsand Aging” exhibits. “That’s whatkeeps me going. I don’t know whyI’m lasting so long, but I’ll take asmuch as I can get.”Weisz graduated from the PhiladelphiaMuseum School of Art (nowthe University of the Arts) with a degree in advertising andillustration. By 1937, he was working for Warner Brothers,earning $32 a week for creating theatrical ads. “I gota raise to $35 and then got married,” he said. During thewar years, he worked for the Budd Company, a militarymanufacturing company, drawing illustrations to instructairplane maintenance crews.Other jobs followed; in fact, Weisz didn’t retire until age90, when he left the job as art director for ACME Marketsthat he’d held for 40 years.For more than ten years, Weisz has been holding weeklyportrait sessions at the Green Hill Condominium in Wynnewoodwhere he lives, inviting others to tap into theirChalk it up to retirement. “Celebrate Arts and Aging”poster artist Lolly Grilli would not have created “Dishingat Water’s Edge,” if she was still working.“I loved doing artwork my whole life,” said Grilli, 63,of Mantua, New Jersey. “When I was 5 years old, I wasrecognized in first grade for something I painted.” Otherrecognition during school followed. “But after high school,I realized that there was no money in the noncommercialart I like to do. I had to get a real job. I abandoned artfor 30 years while I worked and raised my daughter,” theartist said.After retiring last year from her job as a hearing officer forthe U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ Appeals Board,Grilli signed up for weekly drawing classes at ClearviewRegional High School in Mullica Hill, New Jersey.She said she was thrilled to find out in class that she hadn’tlost her talent for painting. She’s since studied paintingand drawing at the Main Line Art Center in Haverford,Pennsylvania and participated in an open studiowith fellow artists at the Perkins Center for the Arts inMoorestown, New Jersey. Like ‘Dishing,’ her favoritescenes are landscapes with figures.SUMMER 2013 ISSUE update page 6