This summer, State Senator Joe Addabbo (D-Howard beach) is looking out for seniors with two ongoing seminars. One focuses on senior nutrition and elder law, the other on women’s safety.
On August 9, Addabbo’s third nutrition and elder law seminar will take place at the Howard Beach Senior Center, at 156-46 84th Street. Attorney Linda Marshak, a partner with the firm Brady & Marshall, will discuss wills, trusts and estate planning. Lisa Baez, president of Ageless Home Health Care, will address good nutrition, senior food pyramid guidelines, vitamins and minerals, basic tips for wholesome eating and tips for eating out.
At a similar event last month, 55 older adults came to the Ozone Park Senior Center.
“During June’s … series held at senior centers in Woodhaven and Ozone Park, great hand-outs were given to all attendees to take home and keep as a handy reference,” Addabbo said. “The nutrition brochure featured different exercises, weight control tips, the importance of reading food labels at the supermarket … just wonderfully useful information for them.”
Citing the rise in violent crime against seniors and recent cuts to senior center funding, Addabbo said it just makes sense to team up with Evon Reyes, founder of Fearless Fighting Females, to bring self-defense education to local seniors
“Most of my district’s senior centers are predominantly attended by women,” Addabbo said. “When I met Evon Reyes and she described her self-defense classes, which specialize in personal development and assertiveness training for women of diverse ages, I knew my seniors would welcome the idea. Evon’s training methods have produced positive results in the lives of her students who don’t want to become tomorrow’s crime statistics. We’re hoping many men at the centers will also fearlessly join the classes.”
According to Reyes, 1 in 6 women will be assaulted in their lifetimes. Every two minutes a woman is assaulted in the U.S. She said that according to New York City crime statistics, rapes have increased 30 percent from 2010.
“I felt compelled to do something. I needed to help other women and girls,” Reyes said. “There are six basic things we can do as women to help reduce our chances of being attacked. Every time I teach those basics in a class, I feel empowered by my women students and it fills me with so much joy … I am excited to teach older adults how to fight off an attacker.”
The defense classes began July 14 at the Forest Park Senior Center in Woodhaven and the next will be held on August 2 at the Middle Village Senior Center at 69-10 75th Street. Addabbo said he plans to add more classes throughout the summer. For more information, contact Pete DeLucia in Senator Addabbo’s Howard Beach office at 718-738-1111.
