June is World Elder Abuse Awareness Month and June 15, 2017, is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. The Gloucester Police Department, SeniorCare Inc. and the Gloucester Council on Aging are holding a rally on Wednesday, June 14, to increase awareness of this growing issue in our society.

10,000 people turn 65 in the US every day.  That trend is going to continue for the next 20 years.  Our demographics are shifting, and we will soon have more elder people in the US than ever before.  At the same time that the population is growing, we know that a startling number of elders face abusive situations.  Every year an estimated 5 million, or 1 in 10, older Americans are victims of elder abuse, neglect, or exploitation. And that’s only part of the picture: Experts believe that for every case of elder abuse or neglect reported, as many as 23.5 cases go unreported.

Elder abuse and neglect and take on various forms. It can be physical, emotional/verbal, sexual, financial, neglect by a caregiver, or self-neglect. Elder abuse can occur anywhere – in the home, in nursing homes, or other institutions. It affects seniors across all socioeconomic groups, cultures, and races. In Massachusetts, an elder is anyone 60 or older.

If you suspect abuse or self-neglect, don’t assume that someone has already reported it. In cases of immediate danger call 911. Otherwise, you can call SeniorCare at 978-281-1750 during business hours or the elder abuse hotline at 800-922-2275 after hours.

Concerned citizens are invited to participate. Join SeniorCare and our local safety agencies in bringing light to the horrendous crime of elder abuse. Please stop by to show your support!

SeniorCare is committed to identifying and stopping Elder Abuse!

About SeniorCare

SeniorCare Inc. serves an area that represents more than 27,000 residents aged 60 and over.  We provide services to adults with disabilities and elders in nine communities. Established in 1972, SeniorCare has approximately 100 employees and nearly 400 volunteers. The volunteers and staff work to fulfill its mission as a consumer-centered organization which provides and coordinates services to elders and others. This allows them to live independently at home or in a setting of their choice, while remaining part of their community.

The Gloucester Rotary Club has named Joseph Ciolino and Mara Destino as Paul Harris Fellows, the prestigious award named after the Chicago lawyer who founded the Rotary movement in 1905. Ciolino was selected by a club committee of previous recipients of the award, while Destino was chosen by members of the Interact Club, the very active group of Gloucester High School Junior Rotarians. Ciolino and Destino will be honored at a special dinner on Wednesday, June 14, at Cruiseport Gloucester, located at 6 Rowe Square in downtown Gloucester. The social hour will begin at 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m.

Joseph Ciolino was born in Gloucester and graduated from Gloucester High School before attending Wentworth Institute in Boston and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. After college, Joe began his career in 1970 at the Building Center in Gloucester, where he spent 21 years, rising in the company to become Store Manager and Vice President. He later managed Three Lanterns Ship Supply for three years, but the highlight of his work’s life came in 1991 when he opened The Weathervane Gift Shop on Main Street in downtown Gloucester.

Joe is heavily involved in the political life of the community, serving as Ward One City Councilor (2002-2006), City Councilor at Large (2008-present), and as City Council President since January 2016. Ciolino has been a member of the Gloucester Rotary Club since 1992 and was its President in 2004/2005. He was a founding member and is currently a Director of the Gloucester Downtown Association. Ciolino is Vice President of the Board of Directors of the North Shore Health Project and a Corporator of the Sawyer Free Library. Former affiliations include Addison Gilbert Hospital and North Shore Red Cross. Joe and his wife Joan have been married for almost 30 years and reside in Gloucester.

Mara Destino was born in Seekonk and moved to Gloucester in the mid-1990s. Mara has an undergraduate degree in Elementary Education from the University of Rhode Island and a graduate degree in Early Childhood Special Needs from Wheelock College, and has put her training to great use in her professional life over the past 25 years. She has taught a variety of preschool classrooms in Brookline school system, at Sandy Bay Preschool, at St. Ann’s School, and currently at Cape Ann Preschool.

Mara’s resume includes the quote “working with children is my passion.” She has exhibited that passion not just in her career, but also as a volunteer for several community groups, including Our Lady of Good Voyage and the Cape Ann YMCA. Mara is especially proud of her role as Founder and Co-chair of the Adaptive Lacrosse Program, designed to provide girls and boys with physical, learning, and/or cognitive disabilities the chance to learn the game of lacrosse in an appropriate environment. Established in 2012, the Program now numbers 30 adaptive players and over 75 mentors who assist in skills development.

Mara and husband Alex have been married for almost 22 years and reside in Gloucester. They are the proud parents of Tess (20), Maggie (18), and Tucker (14).

Tickets to the Paul Harris Distinguished Service Award Dinner are $47 per person and may be reserved by contacting event Chair Steve Kaity at 978-879-1051. The Dinner is open to the general public, and friends and colleagues of Ciolino and Destino are encouraged to attend.

The mission of Rotary International is to provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through its fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders.

June is World Elder Abuse Awareness Month and June 15, 2017, is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. The Gloucester Police Department, SeniorCare Inc. and the Gloucester Council on Aging are holding a rally on Wednesday, June 14, to increase awareness of this growing issue in our society.

10,000 people turn 65 in the US every day.  That trend is going to continue for the next 20 years.  Our demographics are shifting, and we will soon have more elder people in the US than ever before.  At the same time that the population is growing, we know that a startling number of elders face abusive situations.  Every year an estimated 5 million, or 1 in 10, older Americans are victims of elder abuse, neglect, or exploitation. And that’s only part of the picture: Experts believe that for every case of elder abuse or neglect reported, as many as 23.5 cases go unreported.

Elder abuse and neglect and take on various forms. It can be physical, emotional/verbal, sexual, financial, neglect by a caregiver, or self-neglect. Elder abuse can occur anywhere – in the home, in nursing homes, or other institutions. It affects seniors across all socioeconomic groups, cultures, and races. In Massachusetts, an elder is anyone 60 or older.

If you suspect abuse or self-neglect, don’t assume that someone has already reported it. In cases of immediate danger call 911. Otherwise, you can call SeniorCare at 978-281-1750 during business hours or the elder abuse hotline at 800-922-2275 after hours.

Concerned citizens are invited to participate. Join SeniorCare and our local safety agencies in bringing light to the horrendous crime of elder abuse. Please stop by to show your support!

SeniorCare is committed to identifying and stopping Elder Abuse!

About SeniorCare

SeniorCare Inc. serves an area that represents more than 27,000 residents aged 60 and over.  We provide services to adults with disabilities and elders in nine communities. Established in 1972, SeniorCare has approximately 100 employees and nearly 400 volunteers. The volunteers and staff work to fulfill its mission as a consumer-centered organization which provides and coordinates services to elders and others. This allows them to live independently at home or in a setting of their choice, while remaining part of their community.

SeniorCare Inc. will hold a fundraiser at Jalapenos Authentic Mexican Restaurant, located at 86 Main Street in downtown Gloucester, on Wednesday, May 24, 2017, from 4:30 p.m. to closing. Jalapenos will donate a portion of all orders placed—both dine-in and take-out. Reservations are recommended. Call 978-281-3680. Please let them know that you are participating in SeniorCare’s Dine Out Fundraiser.

For more information on SeniorCare Inc., go to www.seniorcareinc.org or call 978-281-1750. Jalapenos Restaurant’s menu can be found at www.jalapenosgloucester.com.

About SeniorCare
SeniorCare Inc. serves an area that represents more than 27,000 residents aged 60 and over. We provide services to adults with disabilities and elders in nine communities. Established in 1972, SeniorCare has approximately 100 employees and nearly 400 volunteers. The volunteers and staff work to fulfill its mission as a consumer-centered organization which provides and coordinates services to elders and others. This allows them to live independently at home or in a setting of their choice, while remaining part of their community.

TownGreen 2025, a program of the Gloucester Meeting House Foundation, presents its second Cape Ann Sustainability Fair on Saturday, April 29, 2017 at O’Maley Innovation Middle School, located at 32 Cherry Street in Gloucester, MA, from 10 AM to 4 PM.

Come join the fun! We need volunteers throughout the day of the event. If you’d like to help please email Kelly Knox at TownGreen2025@outlook.com. We have a list of potential volunteer opportunities. Cape Ann is getting greener! Come help out!

The Cape Ann Farmer’s Market will be on site from 10 AM to 2 PM. There will be an arts and crafts area for young children. The high school and middle school kids will share what they are learning about climate change. Folks can bring their broken bicycles to be repaired by volunteers from the Cape Ann Timebank and unwanted bikes can be donated for refurbishing by Bikes not Bombs. There will be live music, speakers addressing clean energy technology, carbon neutrality, locally relevant impacts of climate change, and personal carbon footprint reduction and folks will be able to have enlightening conversations with our expert youth ambassadors about climate change concerns on Cape Ann. There will be Electric Vehicles to test drive! Admission is free.

For more information, visit our website at www.towngreen2025.org or follow us on Facebook.

You are invited to the Gloucester High School Interact Club’s 10th annual Pizza Taste-Off on Wednesday, March 29, 5:30-7:30pm at Cruiseport Gloucester, located at 6 Rowe Square in Gloucester, MA. Taste them all for yourself and vote on the best!

Tickets on $10 (children 5 and under $5). Tickets are limited to 300 and will be available at the door.

All proceeds will be donated to the American Cancer Society.

SeniorCare Inc. will hold its annual Valentine’s Day Breakfast Fundraiser Breakfast at The Gloucester House, located 63 Rogers Street in downtown Gloucester on Friday, March 10, 2017, from 7:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.  Tickets are $12 per person and include a buffet breakfast. Tickets are available in advance online or by calling 978-281-1750 or may be purchased at the door (cash or major credit card). Proceeds from the breakfast will benefit SeniorCare’s Meals on Wheels program.  For information about the breakfast, contact Paula Curley at 978-281-1750 x-560 or paula.curley@seniorcareinc.org.  (This event was postponed from its original February date due to inclement weather.

SeniorCare Inc. will hold its annual Valentine’s Day Breakfast Fundraiser Breakfast at The Gloucester House, located 63 Rogers Street in downtown Gloucester on Friday, February 10, 2017, from 7:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.  Tickets are $12 per person and include a buffet breakfast. Tickets are available online at www.seniorcareinc.org or may be purchased at the door. Proceeds from the breakfast will benefit SeniorCare’s Meals on Wheels program.  For information about the breakfast or to become a sponsor, contact Paula Curley at 978-281-1750 x-560 or paula.curley@seniorcareinc.org.