1 00:00:01,639 --> 00:00:05,360 Speaker 1: Welcome to Get Connected with Nina del Rio, a weekly 2 00:00:05,480 --> 00:00:09,440 Speaker 1: conversation about fitness, health and happenings in our community on 3 00:00:09,440 --> 00:00:12,119 Speaker 1: one oh six point seven light FM. 4 00:00:12,360 --> 00:00:15,960 Speaker 2: Thanks for listening to Get Connected. Chances are whenever you 5 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:19,239 Speaker 2: are listening to this conversation, there is a packed room 6 00:00:19,440 --> 00:00:23,200 Speaker 2: in the theater district. The kitchen is bustling at Encore 7 00:00:23,280 --> 00:00:26,840 Speaker 2: Community Services. People are eating and chatting and playing games. 8 00:00:26,880 --> 00:00:32,320 Speaker 2: There's music. Since nineteen seventy seven, Encore has served many 9 00:00:32,440 --> 00:00:35,480 Speaker 2: thousands of older adults in Midtown and Manhattan's West Side 10 00:00:35,760 --> 00:00:39,000 Speaker 2: or in their homes with food, with fellowship, with social connection. 11 00:00:39,760 --> 00:00:42,720 Speaker 2: Now Encore is at a critical moment as demand for 12 00:00:42,800 --> 00:00:47,320 Speaker 2: services continues to rise and current public funding isn't enough. 13 00:00:47,920 --> 00:00:51,440 Speaker 2: My guest is Marcus Jackson, manager of Advocacy, community and 14 00:00:51,479 --> 00:00:55,640 Speaker 2: government Relations with Encore Community Services. Nice to see you, Marcus, 15 00:00:55,640 --> 00:00:56,600 Speaker 2: Thanks for being here today. 16 00:00:57,120 --> 00:00:59,279 Speaker 3: Thank you so much for having me and is an 17 00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:01,640 Speaker 3: honor to represent and on Core Community Services today. 18 00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:06,520 Speaker 2: The website is ONCORENYC dot org. Marcus, I was so 19 00:01:06,720 --> 00:01:09,920 Speaker 2: lucky to visit the center before the holidays. You guys 20 00:01:09,920 --> 00:01:11,040 Speaker 2: were so kind to me. 21 00:01:11,680 --> 00:01:12,000 Speaker 3: Thank you. 22 00:01:12,360 --> 00:01:16,240 Speaker 2: It was packed, the kitchen was busy, the tables were full, 23 00:01:16,319 --> 00:01:18,720 Speaker 2: people were chatting, and there were you know, games and music. 24 00:01:18,760 --> 00:01:22,920 Speaker 2: As I mentioned, tell me about the people at the center. 25 00:01:23,240 --> 00:01:25,600 Speaker 2: Who is there and who are you serving at home? 26 00:01:27,160 --> 00:01:31,080 Speaker 3: Okay, So at our community centers, our Older Adult Center, 27 00:01:31,080 --> 00:01:33,319 Speaker 3: I believe you came to our flagship site at the 28 00:01:33,360 --> 00:01:37,959 Speaker 3: basement of Saint Malachie's Church. This is our aging through 29 00:01:38,160 --> 00:01:41,520 Speaker 3: Arts center and which you will see when you walk 30 00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:45,560 Speaker 3: into an OnCore community service Older Adult Center is community. 31 00:01:46,319 --> 00:01:50,960 Speaker 3: You see a diverse population of older adults aging from 32 00:01:51,040 --> 00:01:56,400 Speaker 3: sixty to anything above that. Honestly, they come from very 33 00:01:56,400 --> 00:01:59,720 Speaker 3: diverse backgrounds, and we have a population of well over 34 00:02:01,120 --> 00:02:05,000 Speaker 3: five thousand members honestly homebound and in person together, and 35 00:02:05,040 --> 00:02:08,239 Speaker 3: you can typically see about two hundred and fifty to 36 00:02:08,440 --> 00:02:12,600 Speaker 3: about three hundred people pass through our doors on a 37 00:02:12,680 --> 00:02:15,760 Speaker 3: daily basis. So that's two hundred to three hundred meals 38 00:02:16,080 --> 00:02:19,520 Speaker 3: being served almost daily, and it's all coming right from 39 00:02:19,520 --> 00:02:22,959 Speaker 3: our kitchen. So you walk in, you'll see community. You'll 40 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:26,600 Speaker 3: see older adults sitting, laughing, playing, eating. You'll see our 41 00:02:26,680 --> 00:02:29,880 Speaker 3: staff members working hard to prepare these meals. We cook 42 00:02:29,960 --> 00:02:32,560 Speaker 3: them in house, and we pack them and we prepare 43 00:02:32,600 --> 00:02:36,080 Speaker 3: them and we deliver them all ourselves. So you'll see 44 00:02:36,120 --> 00:02:39,079 Speaker 3: that going on. You'll see activities being had, either it's 45 00:02:39,560 --> 00:02:42,679 Speaker 3: bingo or if it's a writing club, or if it's 46 00:02:43,240 --> 00:02:47,079 Speaker 3: a book club or singing club, you'll see activities. It's 47 00:02:47,200 --> 00:02:51,320 Speaker 3: very lively, it's very energetic, it's very happy and pleasant, 48 00:02:51,600 --> 00:02:53,280 Speaker 3: and we do our best to make sure we meet 49 00:02:53,280 --> 00:02:55,639 Speaker 3: the needs and the demands of our older adults. 50 00:02:56,160 --> 00:02:58,080 Speaker 2: Is food the center of what you do? Kind of 51 00:02:58,080 --> 00:02:59,880 Speaker 2: talk a little bit about all the services that a 52 00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:00,720 Speaker 2: court guys. 53 00:03:00,919 --> 00:03:04,079 Speaker 3: Oh, most certainly, so, I would say food is one 54 00:03:04,120 --> 00:03:08,880 Speaker 3: of our primary services. We have a strong commitment to 55 00:03:09,639 --> 00:03:13,440 Speaker 3: end hunger, so to speak, for older adults throughout New 56 00:03:13,520 --> 00:03:17,160 Speaker 3: York City, not just in the West Side Hell's Kitchen area, 57 00:03:17,200 --> 00:03:21,080 Speaker 3: which is where we predominantly serve. We ideally want to 58 00:03:21,440 --> 00:03:25,520 Speaker 3: expound what we do our services to all of New 59 00:03:25,600 --> 00:03:29,560 Speaker 3: York and with that, I would say our home delivered 60 00:03:29,600 --> 00:03:33,400 Speaker 3: meals program is probably one of our prominent forces out there. 61 00:03:33,960 --> 00:03:37,440 Speaker 3: We got our meal packers from the people in the 62 00:03:37,520 --> 00:03:40,800 Speaker 3: kitchen all the way to the people delivering to your 63 00:03:40,840 --> 00:03:44,720 Speaker 3: front door. It's all on core in house, our staff, 64 00:03:44,800 --> 00:03:47,880 Speaker 3: our deliverers, our staff of meal packers, our staff of cooks, 65 00:03:48,560 --> 00:03:52,080 Speaker 3: under our head chef. They all work together in tandem 66 00:03:52,120 --> 00:03:54,880 Speaker 3: to make sure that we are delivering meals to homebound 67 00:03:54,920 --> 00:03:58,120 Speaker 3: clients throughout the west side of Heal's Kitchen and the 68 00:03:58,160 --> 00:04:01,240 Speaker 3: broader community districts four or five and six. You will 69 00:04:01,280 --> 00:04:05,520 Speaker 3: also see case management services happening as well. We have 70 00:04:05,760 --> 00:04:09,640 Speaker 3: on site case assistant workers who are there to support 71 00:04:09,680 --> 00:04:14,080 Speaker 3: older adult needs, whether they need help with entitlements, benefits, 72 00:04:14,480 --> 00:04:18,960 Speaker 3: protection from writ eviction, you name it. Honestly, our social 73 00:04:19,320 --> 00:04:23,479 Speaker 3: services team handles what I like to call the ultimate 74 00:04:23,560 --> 00:04:26,520 Speaker 3: problem solve right. Client sit down in front of you 75 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:30,080 Speaker 3: and they tell you what their issues and their problems are. 76 00:04:30,120 --> 00:04:34,240 Speaker 3: And as an encore case assistance worker, you put on 77 00:04:34,279 --> 00:04:37,200 Speaker 3: a hat. One day it might be a lawyer hat, 78 00:04:37,279 --> 00:04:40,840 Speaker 3: one day it might be a benefits and entitlement's hat. 79 00:04:40,920 --> 00:04:43,440 Speaker 3: But either way, we meet our older adults where they 80 00:04:43,480 --> 00:04:47,520 Speaker 3: are and we try to give our services in the 81 00:04:47,560 --> 00:04:52,480 Speaker 3: best manner possible. We also, in addition, offer friendly visiting. Now, 82 00:04:52,600 --> 00:04:56,719 Speaker 3: this is one of the core concepts that older adults 83 00:04:56,760 --> 00:04:59,760 Speaker 3: are facing that may not get as much acknowledgment as 84 00:04:59,800 --> 00:05:05,080 Speaker 3: a should. This is social isolation. Social isolation can be 85 00:05:05,640 --> 00:05:08,360 Speaker 3: just as deadly as smoking a cart and of cigarettes 86 00:05:08,920 --> 00:05:12,440 Speaker 3: a week for older adult sixty and up. So we 87 00:05:13,200 --> 00:05:17,039 Speaker 3: developed a system where volunteers can come and be matched 88 00:05:17,160 --> 00:05:22,920 Speaker 3: personalized with an older adult who synchronizes with their personality, 89 00:05:22,960 --> 00:05:26,200 Speaker 3: their likes, their benefits, and we match those two together 90 00:05:26,279 --> 00:05:28,880 Speaker 3: so that there's a friendly visitor who can help that 91 00:05:28,960 --> 00:05:31,839 Speaker 3: older adult go shopping, who can help that older adult 92 00:05:31,960 --> 00:05:36,560 Speaker 3: just talk, share stories, and really fill that void of 93 00:05:36,600 --> 00:05:37,440 Speaker 3: social isolation. 94 00:05:38,160 --> 00:05:41,360 Speaker 2: My guest is Marcus Jackson. He's manager of Advocacy, community 95 00:05:41,400 --> 00:05:45,039 Speaker 2: and Government Relations with Encore Community Services. You can find 96 00:05:45,040 --> 00:05:48,680 Speaker 2: out more at encore NYC dot org. You're listening to 97 00:05:48,680 --> 00:05:51,120 Speaker 2: get connected on one of six point seven Light FM. 98 00:05:51,160 --> 00:05:54,240 Speaker 2: I'mina del Rio and we've had conversations on this show 99 00:05:54,320 --> 00:05:57,279 Speaker 2: numerous times in the last few years about how fast 100 00:05:57,760 --> 00:06:00,400 Speaker 2: the older population is growing in New York City. It's 101 00:06:00,400 --> 00:06:04,839 Speaker 2: growing faster than any other age group you serve. Technically, 102 00:06:05,120 --> 00:06:10,040 Speaker 2: you know so many people over sixty. How are you responding? 103 00:06:10,120 --> 00:06:11,839 Speaker 2: What are you seeing on the ground right now in 104 00:06:11,960 --> 00:06:12,760 Speaker 2: terms of need? 105 00:06:14,080 --> 00:06:17,239 Speaker 3: That's a really great question. We are on the ground 106 00:06:17,440 --> 00:06:22,600 Speaker 3: and Encore notices quite a lot. I'll start there. Encore 107 00:06:22,640 --> 00:06:25,160 Speaker 3: is working closely to close the gap, whether where other 108 00:06:25,279 --> 00:06:28,800 Speaker 3: systems fall short. We deliver hot meals, we offer mental 109 00:06:28,800 --> 00:06:33,440 Speaker 3: health counseling, We help older adults navigate housing and healthcare systems, 110 00:06:33,760 --> 00:06:37,520 Speaker 3: and we provide case management and support. Our staff are 111 00:06:37,520 --> 00:06:41,000 Speaker 3: on the front lines, literally every day, doing the work 112 00:06:41,040 --> 00:06:44,960 Speaker 3: that holds communities together. Whether that's delivering meals, whether that's 113 00:06:45,360 --> 00:06:49,239 Speaker 3: providing support through case management, or whether that's providing support 114 00:06:49,279 --> 00:06:52,560 Speaker 3: through our friendly visiting. We're on the front lines every 115 00:06:52,640 --> 00:06:55,440 Speaker 3: day and we're trying to hold the community together one 116 00:06:55,480 --> 00:06:58,600 Speaker 3: day at a time. Whether it's making someone you know 117 00:06:58,880 --> 00:07:02,160 Speaker 3: happy by helping them get groceries through our friendly visiting 118 00:07:02,360 --> 00:07:05,560 Speaker 3: or bringing the meals to them ourselves, or if it's 119 00:07:05,640 --> 00:07:10,000 Speaker 3: our case assistant managers helping people avoid eviction. These are 120 00:07:10,000 --> 00:07:12,240 Speaker 3: the things we see on the ground every day, an 121 00:07:12,280 --> 00:07:17,880 Speaker 3: increase in food insecurity, and increase in housing insecurity, and 122 00:07:17,920 --> 00:07:22,120 Speaker 3: an overall need for not only financial support, but social 123 00:07:22,640 --> 00:07:23,600 Speaker 3: connection support. 124 00:07:23,800 --> 00:07:26,680 Speaker 2: We wanted to have this conversation in February for two reasons. 125 00:07:26,800 --> 00:07:30,920 Speaker 2: Let's talk about the funding at the moment. So Encore 126 00:07:31,040 --> 00:07:34,800 Speaker 2: is currently funded to provide one meal per day to 127 00:07:34,920 --> 00:07:37,480 Speaker 2: many older adults. To the older adults you serve, what 128 00:07:37,520 --> 00:07:39,680 Speaker 2: does that look like for your clients? Who are most 129 00:07:39,680 --> 00:07:40,080 Speaker 2: in need. 130 00:07:41,760 --> 00:07:45,720 Speaker 3: That's tough. As you mentioned, Encore is currently funded to 131 00:07:45,760 --> 00:07:48,360 Speaker 3: provide one meal per day to many older adults, and 132 00:07:48,400 --> 00:07:51,720 Speaker 3: while that support is essential, it's not enough to meet 133 00:07:51,720 --> 00:07:56,440 Speaker 3: the daily nutritional needs for anyone, let alone older adults. 134 00:07:57,040 --> 00:08:01,120 Speaker 3: Food is foundational to health, especially for older adults managing 135 00:08:01,160 --> 00:08:05,120 Speaker 3: medical conditions. Access to additional nutritious meals can make a 136 00:08:05,160 --> 00:08:08,960 Speaker 3: difference between someone staying healthy at home or ending up 137 00:08:09,000 --> 00:08:15,080 Speaker 3: in a hospital. Ideally, these measures delivering food and being 138 00:08:15,120 --> 00:08:20,480 Speaker 3: that support is preventative strategies to stop older adults from 139 00:08:20,560 --> 00:08:22,840 Speaker 3: ending up in the hospital, from stop older adults from 140 00:08:22,880 --> 00:08:28,520 Speaker 3: having to rely on systems that might not benefit them 141 00:08:28,880 --> 00:08:30,440 Speaker 3: as an older adult in New York. 142 00:08:30,400 --> 00:08:33,920 Speaker 2: City, when you think about city and state leaders making 143 00:08:33,960 --> 00:08:36,120 Speaker 2: decisions right now, what do you want them to most 144 00:08:36,240 --> 00:08:40,000 Speaker 2: understand about investing in aging services? And I ask because 145 00:08:41,080 --> 00:08:44,640 Speaker 2: aging is one of the lowest funded departments of the city. 146 00:08:45,920 --> 00:08:48,680 Speaker 3: It is it is the New York Department for the 147 00:08:48,720 --> 00:08:54,440 Speaker 3: Agent is one of the lowest funded New York City agencies. Period. 148 00:08:54,920 --> 00:08:59,199 Speaker 3: Public funding is critical part of how Encore deliver its services. 149 00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:04,559 Speaker 3: Government support allows Encore to provide meals, case management, housing services, 150 00:09:04,600 --> 00:09:08,960 Speaker 3: and community programs consistently, especially for older adults who have 151 00:09:09,160 --> 00:09:12,640 Speaker 3: nowhere else to turn. That partnership makes it possible to 152 00:09:12,720 --> 00:09:16,560 Speaker 3: plan and to respond to the need at scale of 153 00:09:16,679 --> 00:09:20,000 Speaker 3: older adults. As an older adult population continues to grow, 154 00:09:20,120 --> 00:09:22,760 Speaker 3: there's an opportunity for the government to build on that 155 00:09:22,800 --> 00:09:27,280 Speaker 3: partnership by ensuring funding levels match the real cost and 156 00:09:27,440 --> 00:09:32,040 Speaker 3: scope of providing high quality, community based aging services. 157 00:09:32,360 --> 00:09:34,240 Speaker 2: One of the things that I wanted to also point 158 00:09:34,240 --> 00:09:36,560 Speaker 2: out while I was there was your kitchen was bustling 159 00:09:37,320 --> 00:09:41,400 Speaker 2: with volunteers in December. In November when I visited, a 160 00:09:41,440 --> 00:09:46,120 Speaker 2: lot of people were volunteering. February things get slow. So 161 00:09:46,880 --> 00:09:50,280 Speaker 2: let's talk about volunteers. How much do they contribute to 162 00:09:50,320 --> 00:09:50,800 Speaker 2: what you do? 163 00:09:52,280 --> 00:09:57,160 Speaker 3: Encoorse volunteers is a huge contributing factor to the services 164 00:09:57,160 --> 00:10:02,400 Speaker 3: we provide. Many of our home deliver meal deliverers are volunteers. 165 00:10:02,679 --> 00:10:05,400 Speaker 3: A lot of our major partners that we partnered with, 166 00:10:05,559 --> 00:10:09,640 Speaker 3: institutions and you know mom and pops often send some 167 00:10:09,720 --> 00:10:14,240 Speaker 3: of their workers to help Encore either pack meals, which 168 00:10:14,280 --> 00:10:17,199 Speaker 3: is a very important part of our home liver mail process, 169 00:10:17,280 --> 00:10:21,240 Speaker 3: or deliver them. We've even reached out to volunteers at 170 00:10:21,280 --> 00:10:24,800 Speaker 3: the political City level and state level. We've had city 171 00:10:24,800 --> 00:10:28,120 Speaker 3: council members participate in our home delivered meals. We've had 172 00:10:28,160 --> 00:10:32,160 Speaker 3: our executive director, Jeremy Kaplan, he had a home delivered 173 00:10:32,160 --> 00:10:36,400 Speaker 3: meal to challenge which he was challenging others elected officials 174 00:10:36,400 --> 00:10:39,280 Speaker 3: and city leaders to match his delivery and it was 175 00:10:39,360 --> 00:10:42,320 Speaker 3: very successful. We raised thousands of dollars for that, and 176 00:10:42,360 --> 00:10:45,640 Speaker 3: it all goes back to our kitchen. So volunteers really 177 00:10:45,760 --> 00:10:46,920 Speaker 3: keep our kitchen running. 178 00:10:47,240 --> 00:10:50,480 Speaker 2: Talk about home visits, that's another option for volunteer And 179 00:10:50,559 --> 00:10:53,200 Speaker 2: you were mentioning what is that for volunteers? What do 180 00:10:53,200 --> 00:10:54,040 Speaker 2: they need to know about that? 181 00:10:55,000 --> 00:10:59,840 Speaker 3: So if any volunteers interested in joining the Encore team, 182 00:11:00,240 --> 00:11:04,400 Speaker 3: basically there are a variety of ways you could become 183 00:11:04,440 --> 00:11:07,120 Speaker 3: a part of what we do. The most primary and 184 00:11:07,240 --> 00:11:11,560 Speaker 3: prominent way would be to join our home deliver Meals team. 185 00:11:11,960 --> 00:11:14,120 Speaker 3: And that looks like, you know, you show up in 186 00:11:14,120 --> 00:11:18,160 Speaker 3: the morning, it's early, it's eight or packing meals. Our 187 00:11:18,240 --> 00:11:20,760 Speaker 3: chefs and our kitchen staff are already in the kitchen, 188 00:11:21,040 --> 00:11:24,320 Speaker 3: meals are already being cooked. You'll come in, you'll pack 189 00:11:24,400 --> 00:11:27,840 Speaker 3: those meals into bags, you'll get your route, and you'll 190 00:11:27,880 --> 00:11:31,080 Speaker 3: be accompanied with an experienced Encore meal deliverer so that 191 00:11:31,160 --> 00:11:35,360 Speaker 3: you know, one you're not getting lost or you're confused. 192 00:11:35,640 --> 00:11:37,960 Speaker 3: Un Two you have someone experience who knows the route 193 00:11:37,960 --> 00:11:41,320 Speaker 3: and also knows the community members so that it's as 194 00:11:41,360 --> 00:11:42,440 Speaker 3: smooth as possible. 195 00:11:43,240 --> 00:11:46,720 Speaker 2: And how much of a time commitment is that for someone, Oh. 196 00:11:46,640 --> 00:11:50,840 Speaker 3: This is a two to three hour time commitment out 197 00:11:50,840 --> 00:11:54,200 Speaker 3: of your day. Most of our volunteers, they come not 198 00:11:54,760 --> 00:11:59,400 Speaker 3: knowing or knowing what to expect. Oftentimes they return after 199 00:11:59,440 --> 00:12:02,040 Speaker 3: they do they livery route and they're telling our staff 200 00:12:02,280 --> 00:12:06,200 Speaker 3: how great the experience was, how enriching the experiences was. 201 00:12:06,480 --> 00:12:10,319 Speaker 3: Knocking on someone's door being that person who gives a 202 00:12:10,400 --> 00:12:13,400 Speaker 3: person you know, because these older adults are not just 203 00:12:13,520 --> 00:12:16,360 Speaker 3: numbers and statistics. These are real people. So when you 204 00:12:16,400 --> 00:12:18,400 Speaker 3: open that door and someone takes that meal and they 205 00:12:18,480 --> 00:12:20,640 Speaker 3: tell you thank you. This might be the only time 206 00:12:20,679 --> 00:12:24,199 Speaker 3: they eat today, there's a fulfillment that you get out 207 00:12:24,240 --> 00:12:26,840 Speaker 3: of that that A lot of our volunteers come back 208 00:12:27,679 --> 00:12:30,320 Speaker 3: they'd expressed that to us, and that's the feeling that 209 00:12:30,440 --> 00:12:32,640 Speaker 3: has them returned to volunteer again. 210 00:12:33,360 --> 00:12:36,319 Speaker 2: Finally, I was really touched by the staff at Encore. 211 00:12:36,600 --> 00:12:39,240 Speaker 2: Can you talk about what it means to do this work? 212 00:12:40,000 --> 00:12:42,880 Speaker 2: And what it means to have people support you and 213 00:12:42,920 --> 00:12:44,960 Speaker 2: your coworkers. 214 00:12:44,679 --> 00:12:47,880 Speaker 3: Doing this work social service work. Not only for Encore 215 00:12:48,040 --> 00:12:50,360 Speaker 3: in this particular moment, I would just speak for all 216 00:12:50,480 --> 00:12:54,000 Speaker 3: individuals who are in the human service sector. It takes 217 00:12:54,040 --> 00:12:59,080 Speaker 3: a lot from a person in terms of patience, understanding, daring, 218 00:12:59,320 --> 00:13:03,760 Speaker 3: having a art, empathy, sympathy. These are the qualities that 219 00:13:03,760 --> 00:13:05,840 Speaker 3: you would look for for in a person to be 220 00:13:06,520 --> 00:13:10,000 Speaker 3: exceptional in the human service industry, and there are hundreds 221 00:13:10,040 --> 00:13:13,520 Speaker 3: of thousands of workers right now in this industry who 222 00:13:13,600 --> 00:13:20,640 Speaker 3: have those qualities. Encore Community Services staff all embody these qualities. 223 00:13:20,679 --> 00:13:23,640 Speaker 3: We are all working towards improving the quality of life 224 00:13:23,880 --> 00:13:25,720 Speaker 3: of older adults in New York City so that they 225 00:13:25,760 --> 00:13:28,800 Speaker 3: can age in place where they are with dignity and 226 00:13:28,840 --> 00:13:31,800 Speaker 3: grace for as long as they plan on it. And 227 00:13:32,240 --> 00:13:36,320 Speaker 3: these qualities really reflect throughout all of our employee and 228 00:13:36,360 --> 00:13:40,160 Speaker 3: staff at all levels. Our case management, our friendly visiting, 229 00:13:40,559 --> 00:13:43,760 Speaker 3: our home delivered meals team, and our social service team, 230 00:13:44,040 --> 00:13:48,040 Speaker 3: our directors down to our maintenance staff who keeps our 231 00:13:48,200 --> 00:13:51,120 Speaker 3: buildings warm and keeps our buildings clean so that our 232 00:13:51,120 --> 00:13:54,760 Speaker 3: older adults can enjoy these facilities and not have any 233 00:13:54,800 --> 00:13:59,480 Speaker 3: issues or worry about dilapilation or unsafe. 234 00:13:59,200 --> 00:14:01,400 Speaker 2: Buildings, anything else you want to add. 235 00:14:01,679 --> 00:14:06,760 Speaker 3: On Core Community Services is very committed dedicated to improving 236 00:14:06,760 --> 00:14:10,240 Speaker 3: the quality of life for older adults. The most important 237 00:14:10,240 --> 00:14:12,840 Speaker 3: thing for this city and for the state leaders to 238 00:14:12,960 --> 00:14:17,679 Speaker 3: understand is that investing in aging services is a proactive, 239 00:14:18,080 --> 00:14:22,040 Speaker 3: cost effective way to support public health and community stability. 240 00:14:22,440 --> 00:14:25,440 Speaker 3: When older adults have access to meals, housing support, and 241 00:14:25,520 --> 00:14:29,520 Speaker 3: social connections, they are healthier, they are less isolated, and 242 00:14:29,640 --> 00:14:34,760 Speaker 3: less likely to experience the prices that require expensive interventions. 243 00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:38,360 Speaker 3: Funding at the community based level. A community based organization 244 00:14:38,560 --> 00:14:43,360 Speaker 3: level like Encore and other organizations help older New Yorkers 245 00:14:43,440 --> 00:14:46,680 Speaker 3: age with dignity while strengthening communities. 246 00:14:47,280 --> 00:14:51,040 Speaker 2: My guest is Marcus Jackson of OnCore Community Services. You 247 00:14:51,080 --> 00:14:52,840 Speaker 2: can find out more about their work and ways to 248 00:14:52,960 --> 00:14:57,960 Speaker 2: volunteer and support them at ONCORENYC dot org. Marcus, good 249 00:14:57,960 --> 00:14:59,560 Speaker 2: to speak with you and thank you for being on 250 00:14:59,600 --> 00:14:59,920 Speaker 2: the show. 251 00:15:00,520 --> 00:15:03,000 Speaker 3: Thank you so much for having me. I'm honored to 252 00:15:03,040 --> 00:15:06,320 Speaker 3: represent Encore Community Services. Thank you for your time today. 253 00:15:07,760 --> 00:15:10,720 Speaker 1: This has been get connected with Nina del Rio on 254 00:15:10,720 --> 00:15:13,480 Speaker 1: one oh six point seven Light FM. The views and 255 00:15:13,560 --> 00:15:16,240 Speaker 1: opinions of our guests do not necessarily reflect the views 256 00:15:16,240 --> 00:15:18,280 Speaker 1: of the station. If you missed any part of our 257 00:15:18,360 --> 00:15:20,720 Speaker 1: show or want to share it, visit our website for 258 00:15:20,880 --> 00:15:23,760 Speaker 1: downloads and podcasts at one O six to seven lightfm 259 00:15:23,880 --> 00:15:25,920 Speaker 1: dot com. Thanks for listening.