SAN FRANCISCO, April 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Today 1 in 4
San Franciscans are seniors or adults with disabilities. By
2030, 1 in 3 San Franciscans will be over the age of 60.
For this growing population, a first of its kind mayoral
candidate town hall for seniors and people with disabilities on
Thursday, April 26, 2018 at the
Herbst Theater in San Francisco
from 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., comes at a critical time.
"Seniors and adults with disabilities are facing unprecedented
challenges in today's current economic climate," said Fiona Hinze, Co-Chair of the Dignity Fund
Coalition sponsoring the event. "Our ability to remain safely
and actively a part of local life is under threat and with it, the
diversity of our great city."
The leading candidates for mayor, Angela Alioto, London Breed, Jane Kim and Mark
Leno will share their leadership vision for addressing
the needs of San Francisco's
seniors and adults with disabilities before a live audience of more
than 800 people and a live-streamed audience of hundreds more.
Community and disability rights advocate Yomi Wrong, will
emcee the event which will take questions from the live and
live-streamed audience.
Participants are eager to hear how the candidates will integrate
seniors and adults with disabilities into their plans for governing
San Francisco."Seniors and adults
with disabilities must be a part of the conversation and solutions
on the major issues facing San
Francisco today," said Marie
Jobling, Co-Chair of the Dignity Fund Coalition. "It is
not an exaggeration to state that the life and dignity of our city
and thousands of San Franciscans is at stake."
In 2016, more than 40 community organizations joined together as
the Dignity Fund Coalition to support the ability of seniors and
adults with disabilities to age safely at home in San
Francisco. The Coalition together with 9 members of the Board
of Supervisors and Mayor Ed Lee,
successfully passed Proposition I (the Dignity Fund) which
guarantees baseline funding for supports and services for
San Francisco seniors and adults
with disabilities, veterans, those aging with HIV and other chronic
conditions and caregivers.
Timely implementation of the Dignity Fund is underway, but more
will be needed to ensure equitable access to Dignity Fund supports
and to address growing need.
The Dignity Fund Coalition calls on the mayoral candidates
to:
- Champion the Dignity Fund. The City has gone on
record in support of efforts to make San
Francisco an aging and disability friendly city. Leadership
is urgently required to protect and implement the Dignity
Fund.
- Elevate issues of seniors and adults with disabilities as a
citywide concern and resource. Challenges facing seniors
and adult with disabilities should be at the forefront of current
city strategies and discussions to address housing, homelessness,
street/sidewalk safety, transportation and employment to name a
few.
- Harness all city resources and lead innovative
collaboration within city departments and offices, among
service providers, non-profits and business. Challenges facing
senior and adults with disabilities cut across multiple issue areas
beyond the supports offered through the Department of Aging and
Adult Services (DAAS).
- Promote a vision that leverages the prodigious resource
of 25% of the city's population on behalf of San Francisco's overall quality of
life.
The mayoral candidate town hall is being co-sponsored by the
SCAN Foundation (http://www.thescanfoundation.org) and the San
Francisco Bay Times (http://sfbaytimes.com).
San Francisco Thrives With Dignity. To learn more about the
Dignity Fund Coalition and the Dignity Fund visit
www.sfdignityfund.org.
Media Contact: Erin Saberi (916)
952-5080 / esaberi@me.com
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SOURCE The Dignity Fund Coalition