【Epoch Times, May 21, 2026】- On May 20th, under the scorching sun, the “LiveOn NY” organization held the 31st Annual Elderly Advocacy Day rally at City Hall Park in Manhattan.
Chairman Susan Zhuang of the City Council’s Elderly Committee, Chinese-American council members Minyi Huang, Youxing Huang, as well as Shahana Hanif, Crystal Hudson, Lincoln Restler and nearly ten other council members, along with LiveOn NY Executive Director Allison Nickerson, gathered with representatives from various community organizations across the five boroughs and hundreds of elders in the heat to voice their concerns. They represented their districts and constituents on stage, launching the “Age Strong NY” movement and urging the city government to increase the elderly services budget to $2.3 billion.
At the event, AARP New York State Advocacy Director Beth Finkel raised her voice, stating that the elderly population in New York City already accounts for 20% of the total population (approximately 1.7 million people), but related program budgets amount to less than 0.5% of the total budget. This imbalance of “low budget, poor service” has resulted in significant gaps in essential services like meal delivery and community senior centers.
Chairman Susan Zhuang delivered the most impassioned speech of the event. She lamented that one in four elderly residents in the city go to bed hungry every day, with the poverty rate among Latinx elderly reaching 27.2%, Asian elderly at 24-25%, and Black elderly at 20%. She bluntly stated, “In Chinese culture, we must respect and take care of our elders. If the seniors have no food to eat, nowhere to live, how can officials sit comfortably in their air-conditioned offices? This city must do better by its elders because they have spent their whole lives building it!”
Representing the Chinese elderly at the Bensonhurst Homecrest Community Services Center, Susanna emphasized that the senior center is her second home. She revealed the current situation: “Due to high demand, sometimes the elderly have to rush to queue early in the morning just to ensure they get a lunch, which is unacceptable!” Representatives from various ethnic senior service organizations also spoke up, urging for an equitable allocation of funding from the city government.
Several council members also pledged support for the $2.3 billion demand raised at the rally, promising to advocate for the elderly during budget negotiations. This includes expanding “meal delivery” services to operate seven days a week without interruptions, repairing and expanding senior centers in all districts, and significantly increasing affordable elderly housing.
Executive Director Allison Nickerson emphasized that the budget reflects the city’s values and LiveOn NY will continue to unite the resources of the five boroughs to urge city officials to address the needs of the elderly, making New York a truly elderly-friendly city.