All disruptors have one thing in common: they are change agents. A disruptor is a person or thing that prevents something, especially a system, process, or event, from continuing as usual or as expected. In 2018, the Juanita C. Grant Foundation challenged the status quo, amplified the voice of older adults, listened and took the path to be a disruptor in elder abuse. "Financial fraud, scams, and elder abuse have seen alarming increases in recent years, with older adults often the most vulnerable targets." Elder Financial Abuse Statistics 2024: Common Scams & Frauds | ConsumerAffairs® . Over the next 6 years, in partnership with Prince George's Parks and Recreation, we developed and executed the Elder Abuse and Fraud Prevention Training Series in all 9 districts of Prince George's County. During that time, we diversified partnerships to include training panelists from local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, banking, elder law and victim restoration services. After each training, the evaluation data showed that "awareness" is the key to prevention, but it also highlighted the need for targeted intervention. Breaking the cycle of viral scams requires empowering the community to create its own solutions through innovative collaboration with government agencies. On May 15 th , 2024, the Juanita C. Grant Foundation and the United States Attorney's Office District of Maryland will present a full day invitation-only summit on Victim Impact, Financial Fraud Prevention and Legal Rights. This collaboration brings together Federal and State prosecutors, medical experts, elder abuse and older adult advocates and representatives of diverse communities to establish common ground in developing targeted interventions to address "The Intersection of Elder Abuse, Traumatic Impact of Scams and Residual Health Repercussions."

When the second week of February comes around, do you mark your calendar with events for your participation in the celebration of Black History Month? Do you think of your family’s footprints in the America’s story? Do you remember why Black History Month was created? Do you know the architects of present-day Black History Month? Quick summary. The story starts with one man’s need for all to know the accomplishments made by black Americans and their rightful place in American history. In 1915, Harvard-educated historian Carter G. Woodson founded the Association of the Study of African American Life and History. In 1926, Dr. Woodson and ASALH officially declared the second week of February to be “Negro History Week”. In the 50 years that followed, the Negro History movement became an intellectual insurgency that was a larger effort to transform race relations in America. In 1976, to solidify this change, President Gerald Ford declared February, Black History Month. Is this landmark journey of the brave Black Americans who overcame adversity and built resilience part of narrative and landscape when you celebrate Black History Month? My relationship with Black History Month is Advocacy. Pushing forward through art, music, literature, documentaries, film and seeking thought provoking leaders with the hope to find a conscience voice to advance social justice, whether tethered to conceptions of civil rights, black nationalism, or our legacy in America history. Maya Angelou, Zora Hurston, Literature, Gordon Parks, Lorna Simpson, Photography, the Tuskegee Airmen, Buffalo Soldiers, Lloyd Austin, Military, Marjorie Lee Brown, Katherine Johnson, STEM, Ethel Waters, Viola Davis, Actors, Alexander Miles, Elevators, Garret Morgan, Traffic Signal, Dr. Charles Drew, Blood Plasma, Dewey Sanderson, Urinalysis Machine, and what about me? To live in the shared experiences of Black Americans is to fight against everyday racism, systemic repetitive poverty and the self-destruction of generational pride and we must be vigilant in completing countless impressive firsts. Looking at an unvarnished past, we must commit to creating a better future by embracing black history by examining where we have been, how we made it happen but most of all how we continue creating history. Be a part of the narrative and the cause, leave a legacy. Powerful, indifference or disinherited, your choice. Advocacy is voiced by those seeking change. To quote the Godfather of Soul, James Brown, “Say It Loud – I’m Black and I’m Proud.”

“Be aware, Be Prepared”  The Center for Disease Control and Prevention, defines elder abuse “is an intentional act or failure to act that causes or creates a risk of harm to an older adult.” Scammers are targeting older adults at an alarming rate. During our Elder Abuse and Fraud Prevention training sessions, our law enforcement partners have shared with the audience that there is no way to litigate fast enough to eliminate the crisis. Just think, as reported by the National Center on Elder Abuse, 1 out of 10 older adults 60+ will experience some type of financial scam this year. There are many stories of financial ruin that go unreported due to embarrassment and a sense of shame for having been susceptible to the scam. The 2024 tax filing season began January 29 th . Tax season is a particularly ripe time for scammers to use pressure and deceptive tactics for financial gain. Here are some red flags and concrete steps to take to keep you safe: Never, ever be pressured or convinced to sign a blank tax form. Make certain your refund goes to your account, not your tax preparer’s Be alert for tax preparers making claims they can secure larger refunds than most preparers or who require the tax prep fee as a percentage of your tax refund. Check the credentials of the tax preparer. Use a reputable tax professional who signs and enters a preparer tax identification number (PTIN) on your tax return and provides you with a copy of the return for your records. Protect your personal and financial information. Don’t click links or open attachments in unsolicited emails or text messages about your tax return or those claiming to be from the IRS. These messages are fakes and could compromise your personal financial information.

The Juanita C. Grant Foundation is committed to delivering the Elder Abuse and Fraud Prevention Training Series to all 9 Districts in Prince George’s County. We have accomplished that goal in 2023. It has been quite a journey. Engaging with the community grounds us as an organization. It allows us to “listen” and “learn” what is important in the community. While we usually conduct preventive elder abuse training in senior activity centers, we have extended our reach by partnering with The Skybridge at Town Center in Largo, Maryland. The Juanita C. Grant Foundation presented the Elder Abuse and Fraud Prevention Training on November 1st, 2023 at The Skybridge. Our keynote speaker was the Honorable Kym Taylor, Maryland State Senator for District 22. Ms. Taylor’s message stressed the importance of staying informed about current scams, recognizing signs of elder abuse, and being proactive in reporting suspected scams to authorities. Here are some basic precautions I take and urge you to as well during the holiday season: Place shopping bags in the trunk…out of sight. Be aware if someone may be watching or trailing you to your car. Trust your gut instinct to return to the store. Avoid walking to the car alone. Go out with others or have security accompany you. Resist answering unknown phone numbers and restricted numbers. Let them roll over to voicemail. If you do, do not say "yes" or your name, which may be recorded and used by scammers. Do not open “track your purchase” emails if you are not expecting a delivery from that delivery service. Avoid using a debit card when shopping. Use a credit card with features to stop a transaction, and dispute unknown charges. Be safe and do enjoy the holiday season! S. Orlene Grant President & CEO, JCGF

The Juanita C. Grant Foundation held its second Elder Abuse and Fraud Prevention Series on October 17, 2023, at Southern Area Aquatics and Recreation Complex (13601 Missouri Ave, Brandywine, MD. Our keynote speaker was Linda Thronton Thomas, NAACP Prince George’s President.

Donna Satterthwaite, JCGF Board Vice Chair presented at the Kettering Baptist Church Employment Ministry’s “Working After Retirement Workshop” on September 23rd. During the virtual workshop, Ms. Satterthwaite underscored not only the challenges of continuing in the workforce post-retirement. Alternatives are seeking another full job, gig work, or joining the 40+ entrepreneur boom. Whatever the direction, creating a plan is essential if you are thinking about retirement. Ms. Satterthwaite emphasized taking the following empowering steps on returning to work: Start building relationships Take and show great initiative Exhibit a positive attitude Remember employers need you Be a lifelong learner Be up to date with technology Learn to be observant of the work culture Make a plan! One area Ms. Satterthwaite stressed that each of us can become more comfortable with is knowing your purpose. Just answer these 5 questions to get started and start planning! Who are you? What do you do? Is it what you love to do? Who are the recipients of what you do? What do they want or need from you How do they change or transform as a result? Donna Satterthwaite Board Vice Chair

It was in the early fall of 2019 when I met S. Orlene Grant, President, and CEO of the Juanita C. Grant Foundation. We It is timely that National Employ Older Workers week is celebrated September 24th – 30th. A whopping 150 million jobs will shift to workers over the age of 55 by 2030, according to a new global study from Bain & Company. I think of my family which seems by heredity to be averse to retirement. My father, who was two generations from slavery, fought for his path to become a surgeon and establish a medical practice in Gary, Indiana which at that time had the highest per capital income for African Americans.. That pathway was hardscrabble in cobbling together finances and overcoming health challenges to graduate from Howard University Medical School in 1942. My father maintained his medical practice for as long as possible while putting equal efforts into the civil rights movement. For the Grant kids, it was understood, work was one means to realize your potential and a conduit to meaningfully impact the community. In the Group of Seven countries, Bain predicts, older and experienced workers will make up more than a quarter of the workforce by 2031 led by Japan having the older workforce. Bain research shows worker motivations evolve with age, with attributes such as work and autonomy rising to the top around age 60. That is no less astounding because of the numbers, but also the changes anticipated in the work culture, retail marketing, investments, retirement strategies, and healthcare coverage. Our interviews with older adults seeking work have a frequent refrain of desiring to work in an environment that offers creativity, respect of experience, and growth. The Juanita C. Grant Foundation was proud to conduct two very successful 50+ Refresh Bootcamps in 2022 and 2023. These intense 7-week Bootcamps were conducted under a grant in partnership with Employ Prince George’s. The individualized instructor support refreshed and invigorated the participants with competitive transferable business skills. This approach allowed each participant to pursue the employment area of his or her choosing. These 23 Bootcamp graduates exemplify the seismic shift in how older adults perceive the next 15-20 years ahead of them. What was revealed through interviews, group learning exercises, and personal stories were individual desires to present themselves in a “new light”. This required the graduates to dig deep into their reservoir of resilience to reposition themselves with the goal of employers recognizing the value of lived experience, loyalty, and commitment that older workers infuse into the workplace. We will continue through outreach and workforce training to advocate the value of hiring older adults. We are happy to announce in our Fall program schedule a presentation on the 50+ Returning to Work by Donna Satterthwaite, Board Vice Chair on September 23rd at Kettering Baptist Church Our Countywide Fall Elder Abuse and Fraud Prevention Trainings Fall schedule will convene on September 27th at Suitland Community Center and October 17th at Southern Regional Technology and Recreation Complex. We look forward to seeing you at our upcoming events! S. Orlene Grant President & CEO, JCGF

It was in the early fall of 2019 when I met S. Orlene Grant, President, and CEO of the Juanita C. Grant Foundation. We were panelists discussing challenges faced by low-income older adults. I represented the Senior Community Service Employment Program, and she discussed the mission of the Foundation and their focus on the residents of Prince George’s County in Maryland, the county where I reside. I found the mission of the Foundation to be inspiring and her message compelling. She spoke of workforce hiring events for 50+ residents. She also spoke about roundtable events and programs hosted around the county about Elder Abuse and Financial Fraud around the county. No other similar organizations were doing this. I thought that supporting Foundation efforts around workforce and employment for older workers would be a place where I could contribute my many years of corporate recruitment experience. After completing the application process, I was approved by the Executive Committee and officially became a board member in late 2019. Since that time the Foundation and its efforts have grown in terms of visibility and exposure, both locally and nationally, through our advocating for older adults, community engagement pursuits and the forming of partnerships and relationships due to Orlene’s efforts and those of our committed board members. Through Orlene’s leadership and vision, the Foundation established a national Village Connector Experience Program to address social isolation of older adults during a critical time – the pandemic. In 2022 we relaunched our in-person Elder Abuse and Financial Fraud programs around the county. In November 2022, we launched our first 50+ Refresh Bootcamp for adults seeking to get into or return to the workforce. And we completed another Bootcamp in Spring 2023. I found my place with the Bootcamp, where I can make a direct impact as a board member serving residents of Prince George’s County. Just by drawing upon what I have learned throughout my career. You will find your place, too. In addition to our commitment to a diverse board representing the communities we serve; we must have a diversity of talent to achieve our mission of improving the lives of older adults. Join us. Unleash your passion for serving others through the Juanita C. Grant Foundation. TO APPLY, PLEASE FILL OUT THE APPLICATION FORM (CLICK HERE) Donna Satterthwaite Board Vice-Chair

This May, join us as we recognize the 60th anniversary of Older Americans Month (OAM) and challenge the narrative on aging. The 2023 theme is Aging Unbound, which offers an opportunity to explore diverse aging experiences and discuss how communities can combat stereotypes. Join us in promoting flexible thinking about aging – and how we all benefit when older adults remain engaged, independent, and included. Think You Know the Services and Programs Available to Older Adults in Your State? Older Americans Month offers us no better time than to refresh on the services available to us as we age. Before I worked in aging, I must admit I did not know how many services and programs were available to help older adults live self-sufficiently. I did not know that local organizations that help older adults exist in all our communities. It can’t just be me, can it? The Older Americans Act of 1965 (OAA) established a national network of federal, state, and local agencies to provide services that help older adults to live independently in their homes and communities. This network is referred to as the National Aging Network. These programs and services are overseen by the Administration on Aging , an agency within the U.S. Administration for Community Living. There are public or private non-profit agencies, designated in each state as “Area Agencies on Aging” established to address the needs and concerns of all older persons at the regional and local level. The National Aging Network includes 56 State Agencies on Aging, 622 Area Agencies on Aging, and more than 260 Title VI Native American aging programs. Assistance may be available in the following areas: support services, housing, transportation, insurance and benefits, elder rights, and health matters. Most, but not all the programs offered are for older adults 60+ years old. And individual programs or services may have their specific eligibility requirements. Here is where you can find the area agencies on aging in your state and more via the Eldercare Locator website. So, how else can you find out about the programs in your area or get assistance to address your specific needs? Here are several additional resources: NCOA BenefitsCheckUp® ( https://benefitscheckup.org/ ) developed by the National Council on Aging, is an online tool to connect older adults and people with disabilities to benefits. It is supplemented by Benefits Enrollment Centers providing counselors who can answer questions or help with program enrollment. Your Guide to Public Benefits ( http://www.aarp.org/quicklink ) created by the AARP Foundation provides a list by state of key programs and services provided in the state for older adults. A Local Assistance Directory also provided by the AARP Foundation allows for searching for free or reduced-cost services like medical care, food, job training, and more. And remember those other types of discounts that might be available from companies who want your business! Here is a recent article, The Financial Perks of Growing Older, that might be of interest! Well, now you know, too. And let’s spread the word! Want to ensure our programs and policies continue to exist or even improve as we age? Reach out to your representatives in Congress. Want to get involved? Visit the Juanita C. Grant Foundation’s website at https://www.jcgfdn.org/ to learn more, to advocate and to volunteer! For more information about Older Americans Month, visit the official OAM website, follow ACL on Twitter and Facebook, and join the conversation using #OlderAmericansMonth. Donna Satterthwaite Board Vice Chair and 50+ Refresh Bootcamp Instructor