City of PInole support for Older Adults education
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Hi everyone,
I wanted to share the great comment from Pinole's mayor, Devin Murphy, regarding the City Council's vote to support Older Adults education. Note that he will write letters to state leaders including the governor, Buffy Wicks and Nancy Skinner requesting that funding for Older Adults programs be restored in furtherance of the goals of the Master Plan for Aging.? Many thanks to Mayor Murphy and the Pinole City Council for their support!??
Kristen
Last night, the Pinole City Council took decisive action and affirmed its commitment to recognizing that adult education classes for older adults are a vital resource for and the State of California. In 2013, the State of California defunded the once-robust network of free educational opportunities for older adults through adult schools and community colleges. Education programs are a low-cost way to combat isolation ¡ª a serious challenge facing older adults ¡ª and can save the state money in the long run. What¡¯s more, older adult programs provide the support needed for seniors to add significant value to our communities and our economy through volunteer work and recognize everyone¡¯s potential for learning and growth. A study of West Contra Costa Older Adult programs found that participating students provided ~6,463 hours of service during just one year of school¡ªa value of about $76,780 per year. Over the past year, I have engaged in efforts to further the goals of the California Master Plan for Aging () through our countywide efforts with , , and . Through these efforts, I¡¯ve learned a lot about the issues that are impacting Contra Costa County elder residents and Californians across the state. I remain committed to ensure our region is a leader in addressing issues that relate to older residents and promote citizen involvement in the planning and delivering of community-based systems of care. Furthermore, I will send a letter to our state leaders, including , Senator , and Assemblymember requesting that funding for adult school classes for older adults be restored in furtherance of goals of the California Master Plan for Again. I encourage my colleagues across the county and state to do the same. Isolation is one of the most serious challenges facing older adults, and it can lead to physical and mental deterioration and even death. Through restored funding for these programs, we can expand existing services in Pinole, promote inclusion and equity for seniors, and further the goals of our City¡¯s Strategic Plan and California¡¯s Master Plan on Aging. Together, we can¡ª& will¡ªbuild a better Pinole and California. Thank you for being in the fight with us.
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