The media spotlight recently cast on a senior bus monitor subjected to bullying by middle school students is an extreme illustration of the kinds of issues senior citizens may endure. However, more common issues confronting senior citizens include affordable and quality health care, maintaining their homes, homelessness, hoarding, and safety.

These issues and others will be discussed at the 5th Annual Seniors Are Jewels Resource Conference, on Wednesday, July 11, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Masjid Bilal, 7401 Euclid Ave. The conference is free and open to all. Pre-registration is strongly encouraged.

“The purpose of the conference is to provide a day of activities, information and access to resources geared specifically towards seniors and those that care for seniors,” said Tynnetta Harris-McCall, the program’s originator. “The program is designed to ensure that senior adults remain a viable commodity within their neighborhoods.”

The conference includes a continental breakfast, lunch with a keynote address, breakout sessions, mini spas, vendors and CEU credits for those professionals attending the conference.

Topics covered in workshop sessions include:
• Foreclosure Prevention
• The Hoarder in Your Family
• Our Health and the Choices We Make
• KidzSafe: A Walk Into Cyberspace
• The Many Faces of Homelessness
• Eating on the Go

Participating organizations include the American Diabetes Association, Benjamin Rose Institute, Black Nurses Association, City of Cleveland Department of Aging, Case Center for Reducing Health Disparities, Cleveland Police and Fire Departments, and many more.

This Year’s Keynote Speaker is Marsha Mitchell-Blanks, MSW, LSW, president of Blanks Training and Consulting Services. Ms. Blanks also is an adjunct professor at Cleveland State University School of Social Work and the Multicultural Outreach Coordinator for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of Greater Cleveland.

Because of their age and ultimate removal from the workforce, seniors often become forgotten members of society, said Hameeda Rahman, president of the Clyde Rahman Community Center (CRCC), a co-sponsor of the program. “With adequate information and consistent accessibility to available resources, and with support from the total community seniors can maintain their rightful place in society with dignity and respect,” she added.

In addition to the CRCC, co-sponsors of the Seniors Are Jewels Resource Conference include Masjid Bilal, the Muslim Women’s Association and Neighborhood Connections. For additional information please call the Clyde Rahman Community Center, at 216-704-6131, McCall Consulting, at 216-451-1433, or email seniorsarejewels@yahoo.com.

Article written by Alan Seifullah, a Glenville resident and a member of Masjid Bilal.