After months of preparation, planning, engaging, and advocating, we are very excited that the 2015 White House Conference on Aging will be happening in Washington, DC on Monday, July 13th. While this year’s event has not been funded by the Older Americans Act as it has in years past, Executive Director Nora Super and other WHCOA organizers have worked diligently to put together this historic event. As our readers and colleagues know by now, the Diverse Elders Coalition and our member organizations have also been working diligently to represent our communities at the White House Conference on Aging, and we’re looking forward to the culmination of this work at next week’s event.
We will be hosting and participating in a number of events around DC during WHCOA week, and we’d like to invite our communities to join us. Because the White House Conference on Aging has been restricted to only a small number of invitees, the Diverse Elders Coalition will be joining Compassion and Choices and the National Caucus and Center on Black Aging for a viewing party. Join us at the Samuel J. Simmons NCBA Estates at 2801 14th St. NW, Washington, DC where we will have food, giveaways, and wellness information! The livestream begins at 9:30am, and you can check out this Facebook post for more information. If you’re not in DC on the 13th, you can use the White House Conference on Aging website to locate a viewing party near you, or register your own.
The work is not done after the White House Conference on Aging wraps. On Tuesday, July 14th, the day after the conference, the Diverse Elders Coalition will be hosting a congressional briefing on Capitol Hill for legislators and constituents. We will present a report documenting our engagement with the White House Conference on Aging as well as policy recommendations for improving the lives of diverse elders and their families. This briefing will be open to the public, and we encourage you to attend! For more information, check out our flyer, or use this link to RSVP.
The Diverse Elders Coalition has been working to make sure the needs and challenges facing our communities have been prioritized by White House Conference on Aging organizers, and we are hopeful that the conference will bring meaningful change to the lives of elders of color, indigenous elders, LGBT elders, and elders living with HIV/AIDS. The stories of diverse elders are inspiring, and we will continue to amplify the voices of our communities at the WHCOA and beyond.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Diverse Elders Coalition.