Your quarterly news & updates |
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The Muskegon Millage Minute is your source for regular updates on programs and services funded by the Muskegon County Senior Millage, which was approved by county voters in August of 2016.
Members of the Muskegon County Senior Activities Committee (MCSAC) make recommendations for programs and services to the full board of commissioners. MCSAC members are: Commissioners Kim Cyr, Marcia Hovey-Wright, and Bob Scolnik; Rachel Cereska, Peggy Foster, Nancy McCarthy, Greg Scott, Robert Sewick, and Steve Warmington.
Senior Resources of West Michigan, the area agency on aging for Muskegon, Oceana and Ottawa counties, is the administrator of grants, and produces this monthly newsletter update. If you have questions about the Muskegon County Senior Millage, please contact Karla Betten at Senior Resources, 231-733-3593, or email kbetten@seniorresourceswmi.org. Contact Lisa Tyler, communications director, at ltyler@seniorresourceswmi.org, if there is something specific you'd like to see covered in a future newsletter.
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Legal services providers share highlights of programs
At the February Senior Activities Committee meeting, several millage-funded programs were invited to share updates on their programs. Three programs - AgeWell Services, Fair Housing Center, and Legal Aid of Western Michigan - shared information.
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AgeWell Services - SafeSeniors Task Force |
SafeSeniors focuses on education, advocacy, and seeking justice. This long-time program of AgeWell Services takes a team-based approach to elder justice to tackle abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation.
Senior Millage funding helped form the SafeSeniors task force in 2020. Three dedicated detectives work with the county prosecutor's office to investigate and prosecute crimes against older adults. Individual case reviews and wraparound support are focused on stopping the crime, ensuring safety, and justice and restitution.
Education and outreach focuses on prevention of future scams and neglect or abuse. SafeSeniors also offers a Senior Symposium; this year's will be June 15. More details will be forthcoming.
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Fair Housing Center of West Michigan - Education & Outreach and Enforcement Services |
Fair Housing Center is focused on removing illegal barriers to housing, preventing discrimination, helping with complaints of discrimination, and doing systemic investigations. It's estimated that less than 1% of housing complaints are reported.
Discrimination on basis of disability is what Fair Housing Center sees the most frequently. They have the highest caseload of the past 12 years.
Senior Millage funding helps with education and outreach - they've opened up 64 senior housing units from discrimination, made one reasonable accommodation, given information to 135 people, and resolved 4 cases. There is $600,000 coming to the Muskegon area as the settlement of a successful lawsuit against Fannie Mae.
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Legal Aid of Western Michigan - Legal Services |
Legal Aid is a nonprofit law firm providing free legal advice and representation in a broad range of areas. Focusing on people in or near poverty, their legal services focus on family, housing, public benefits, tax law, power of attorney and basic estate planning, as well as consumer education.
Most of their services are for those under 125% of poverty. Thanks to senior millage funding they can serve adults 60 and over who are above that limit. Asset limitations are generally under $15,000 cash assets (excluding a home and vehicle).
For more information, visit their website or call 231-486-4887.
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First quarter reports show senior millage programming usage
Despite a pandemic that continues to challenge programming in several areas, older adults in Muskegon County were able to access a wide variety of programs and services in the first quarter of fiscal year 2022.
Senior Resources shared its quarterly reports with the Senior Activities Committee recently. These unaudited reports can be found here on the website.
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