Advocacy

Advocates for Senior Issues

Join Advocates for Senior Issues for their monthly meeting on Friday, February 21, 2025, at 10 am located at the Salvation Army Kroc Center.

Be sure to arrive early and bring a friend!

Meeting packet can be downloaded here.

Questions? Contact Sheri Harris, Director of Advocacy and Planning, at [email protected].


 

AFSI Membership

Couples are defined as two people living in the same residence.

Upcoming meetings

18
Apr
10:00 am - 12:00 pm

What does Advocates for Senior Issues do?

The Advocates for Senior Issues is a non-partisan group empowering seniors through education and advocacy. The group meets regularly to: 

Advocate

Meetings include legislators who speak on current issues and answer questions from the audience. Strategy groups meet prior to the meetings to address the housing crisis, healthcare, and other issues relating to long-term care.

Educate

The program portion of the meetings educates members on topics affecting Kent County seniors' quality of life.

Build Community

Members socialize with others of like interests who are active and informed. Many members also engage in activities outside of the group.

History

Through a long-standing partnership with the Area Agency on Aging of Western Michigan, the Advocates for Senior Issues have been the leading, premier, senior advocacy group in Kent County since 1982.

Founded as the “Senior Citizen Senate” under the direction of Sister Agnes Theil, originally the group only had a few dozen members. Today the Advocates for Senior Issues boasts a membership of over 300+ older adults and organizations.

The group was instrumental in bringing the Medicaid Waiver program to Kent County in 1992, making it one of the first counties in the state to have this cost-efficient program to help aging individuals remain in their own homes.

In 1998, 2006, 2014, and 2022 the Advocates for Senior Issues led the campaigns for the Kent County Senior Millage renewal. 

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Meetings

Members meet regularly with legislators on issues such as in-home care options, state and federal budget issues, the housing crisis, and elder abuse.  All AFSI meetings have a legislative component and a program component that are sure to be of interest to active and engaged older adults.

AFSI is open to the public and free to attend for first time guests.  Yearly membership fees are $30 for individuals and $45 for couples.  AFSI meetings are held on the 3rd Friday of the month, with the exception of July, August and December when there are no meetings held. 

If you are interested in learning more or would like to attend a meeting, please contact Sheri Harris at [email protected] or 616-222-7015.  

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What does Advocates for Senior Issues do?

The Advocates for Senior Issues is a non-partisan group empowering seniors through education and advocacy. The group meets regularly to: 

Advocate

Meetings include legislators who speak on current issues and answer questions from the audience. Strategy groups meet prior to the meetings to address dementia, healthcare, and issues relating to long-term care.

Learn

The program portion of the meetings educates members on topics which affect the quality of life for Kent County seniors.

Socialize

Members socialize with others of like interests who are active and informed. Many members also engage in activities outside of the group.

History

The Advocates for Senior Issues boasts a membership of over 350 older adults and organizations. 

Through a long-standing partnership with the Area Agency on Aging of Western Michigan, the Advocates have been the leading senior advocacy group in Kent County for over 30 years.

The group was instrumental in bringing the Medicaid Waiver program to Kent County in 1992, making it one of the first counties in the state to have this cost efficient program to help aging individuals remain in their own homes.

In 1998, 2006, and 2014, the Advocates for Senior Issues led the campaigns for the Kent County Senior Millage renewal and increase. 

Members meet regularly with legislators on issues such as in-home care options, state and federal budget cuts and elder abuse legislation. 

In 2012, senior advocates played a major role in getting 11 elder abuse bills signed into law.

Learn about upcoming meetings by visiting www.advocatesforseniorissues.org