Senior citizens are most vulnerable to contracting COVID-19, which means access to food, housing and other services, provided safely, are even more important to them than the general population.

That is part of why representatives from the City of Los Angeles’ Department of Aging and the nonprofit Jewish Family Service LA provided information at an EmpowerLA Zoom meeting last month about their programs and services to help the elderly during the pandemic. The “Purposeful Aging Town Hall” also included updates on Mayor Garcetti’s Purposeful Aging Los Angeles (PALA) Initiative.

Some of the programs available include:

• The curb-to-curb program, operated by the LA Department of Transportation, provides rides to older adults and other individuals with disabilities for a deducted rate, according to the Department of Aging’s website.
• The “New Freedom” program provides free rides to older adults and people with disabilities. Vehicles with wheelchair accessibility are also available.
• The City of Los Angeles Housing Resource Center offers a free online property search tool that shows people low-cost and accessible homes in their communities.  
• The Housing Rights Center gives equitable housing opportunities to L.A. County residents by listing housing prices, providing housing information to renters, counseling tenants and landlords, and investigating housing discrimination complaints.

A representative of Jewish Family Service LA, which aims to provide services that help area residents “live with dignity and exercise self–determination,” also attended the meeting.

 Nancy Volpert, director of Public Policy and Strategic Initiatives for the organization, said at the meeting that the group offers services related to domestic violence, mental health, addiction prevention and nutrition. 

Jewish Family Service also offers shelter for people and their kids to stay while they attempt to “mend their lives and move on,” according to its website. It offers support groups, individual therapy, and programs for children. Staff at the shelters also assist people in finding housing, jobs, legal and social service advocacy.

The group fights hunger in several ways, including its SOVA food pantry locations. People can retrieve groceries once a week, depending on the food they prefer to eat and their family size. The food will be given out in the parking lot behind the building, which is in Pico Rivera.  People can get more info by going onto the organization’s website for information and when they go, they must wear masks and maintain social distance.

Community News reporters are enrolled in JOUR 3910 – University Times. They produce stories about under-covered neighborhoods and small cities on the Eastside and South Los Angeles. Please email feedback, corrections and story tips to [email protected].