WHEN? Friday, April 28, from 8:00 AM – 11:00 AM
WHERE? Carpenters Union Hall and Training Center (on the Parkway West)
Join your friends and colleagues for a delicious breakfast and an informative discussion with elected officials about legislation impacting our clients. SWPPA’s policy and advocacy committee will also share priorities for 2023.
Convened in 1988, the Southwestern Pennsylvania Partnership for Aging (SWPPA) is a volunteer-led organization with more than 300 members representing more than one million older adults across 10 counties of Southwestern Pennsylvania: Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Washington and Westmoreland counties. Our members include organizations and businesses, as well as individual members such as civic leaders, business owners, medical professionals, scholars, professionals in aging services, students and residents of all ages.
We act as a catalyst to promote policy, program and systems change that improves quality of life for all people, particularly for our oldest generations. We provide a neutral forum for collaboration, education, networking and advocacy.
We offer both individual and organizational/business memberships. We engage our members through education, training, advocacy, networking and collaborative efforts. Members are invited to serve on one or more of our committees. Visit our Membership page to learn more about membership and sign up to join us!
Ms. Jen Martchek has spent her entire career working with and in support of older adults. Her extensive and varied experiences in the field of Aging started as a clinical social worker in long-term care, moving onto serving older adults in local communities. As the last Executive Director for Southwestern PA Partnership for Aging, she was able to utilize her experience to advance programs, education, and policies on behalf of all older adults. Jen helped bring Age-Friendly and Dementia-Friendly Communities initiatives to the Greater Pittsburgh region with support of the SWPPA board. Ms. Martchek served on the Pennsylvania Council on Aging for 7 years and is currently serving on the Southwest PA Council on Aging, as a member of Social Workers in Aging Practice, and as a board member for Ursuline Support Services and SWPPA. She continues to enjoy direct contact with older adults as a Meals on Wheels drive, as an active member in her church, and in local community planning to support keeping older adults’ needs on the radar. Ms. Martchek enjoys spending time with her family and grandchildren (now all of them reside out of town), playing pickle ball, hiking, reading, and learning. For her years of service in all these capacities, SWPPA proudly presents her with the 2022 Pruitt-Kelly Lifetime Achievement Award.
Ms. RaNaja Kennedy is a community leader in her hometown of Duquesne and serves on the Age-Friendly Greater Pittsburgh Community Panel. When a fire broke out at a senior high-rise (Shady Park Place) in North Braddock in early July, RaNaja leapt into action to help provide support for the 39 older residents, one of whom is her great-grandmother. She advocated for a robust response from local agencies and led grassroots efforts to ensure the residents had the meals, shelter, medicine, and supplies they needed. Her advocacy led Age-Friendly Greater Pittsburgh, SWPPA, and AgeWell Pittsburgh to organize a fundraiser to support resident needs. Ms. Kennedy has led the charge since July to ensure these residents are supported and that local agencies continue to be responsive to their needs. Several residents are still in temporary housing or staying with relatives while work continues to restore the high-rise. All of this is volunteer and community service, as she works as a Senior Community Engagement Facilitator for the University of Pittsburgh Clinical and Translational Science Institute and is raising a family. She also supports her neighbors alongside her mother through their organization, Readiness, a drop-in support and resource center for Duquesne residents. As Ms. Kennedy, exemplifies the spirit of “age-friendly,” through her understanding of intersecting needs for older adults and her commitment to intergenerational solidarity and caring for neighbors, SWPPA proudly presents her with the 2022 Pruitt-Kelly Age-Friendly Leadership Award.
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