2012 Call to Justice Awards Ceremony
Bill Schuette, Tom Trainer, Paul Bridgewater, Frank Kelley, Julie Fershtman, Kate White, Judge Sosnick, Tonya Schuitmaker
To view more photos from the event, please click here.
On May 3, 2012, Elder Law of Michigan honored Attorney General Bill Schuette, Attorney Tom Trainer, Judge Edward Sosnick, State Senator Tonya Schuitmaker and President & CEO of the Detroit Area Agency on Aging Paul Bridgewater with awards for their contributions in the fields of law and aging.
Attorney General Emertius Frank Kelley hosted the event and Michigan Supreme Court Justice Stephen Markman presented the awards.
 Bill Schuette |
 Judge Sosnick |
 Paul Bridgewater |
 Tom Trainer |
 Tonya Schuitmaker |
To view the honorees biographies, please click here.
To learn more about how Elder Law of Michigan impacts the lives of older adults in need, please watch “Georgette’s Story.”
Part of the Call to Justice Awards is the opportunity to remember the life, work and contributions of Joe D. Sutton. Joe was an important role model and mentor to people in the legal profession. Enjoy this power point presentation to keep his legacy and inspiration alive in our hearts and to guide our decisions about our time, talent and treasure.
A special thanks to all of our sponsors for their support of this wonderful event!
Elder Law of Michigan Completes Strategic Planning
"Leadership is getting the right people to do the right thing for the right reason in the right way at the right time at the right use of resources." - Clark Crouch, Management Consultant
This March, Elder Law of Michigan Board of Directors along with staff completed its strategic planning process to set the strategic direction for the next 24 months. “We had wonderful participation and are poised to take our work in new and exciting directions while staying true to our mission and values,” said Kate White, Executive Director. As part of the process, Elder Law of Michigan has embraced a broader mission to meet the needs of its customers and stakeholders.
New Mission Statement: Elder Law of Michigan promotes, protects, and advocates for the rights, health, nutrition, housing, and economic well-being of adults and people with disabilities by providing information, legal advice, training, and professional services.
Tax Tips from the Legal Hotline for Michigan Seniors
The new year marks the beginning of the time period to file your taxes for the previous year. The end of the prior calendar year is the end of the tax year and so it’s time to begin thinking about gathering tax information in order to be able to file by the 2011 tax year deadline, April 17, 2012, which is 2 days later than the usual April 15.
The Legal Hotline for Michigan Seniors answers questions relating to various taxes at no charge to Michigan residents age 60 and over. Our lawyers are not specialists in tax matters and so are unable to answer complicated questions. But as we all know, taxes impact our lives in many ways and raise many issues and questions. Hotline lawyers try to answer these questions when possible. Set out below is some helpful information about taxes that often answers some of the frequently asked questions we encounter and may provide you with the information you need. If you have questions about taxes, or any other legal issues, by all means call the Hotline at (800) 347-5297. Our services are free, however donations are gratefully accepted. And, they’re tax deductible! For the full article, please click here.
Meet Ms. Phillips-- A MiCAFE Success Story!
Like many others that age into poverty, Ms. Phillips, a widow, in Hillsdale County did not feel that she deserved help and did not know what to do to make ends meet. With mounting bills and other medical expenses, she had to rely almost completely on emergency food pantries to put enough food on the table. This meant she was usually eating canned foods and making multiple, long drives to food pantries. Then, the director of Hillsdale County Senior Center gave her a Michigan Coordinated Access to Food for the Elderly (MiCAFE)— a program of Elder Law of Michigan— flier and suggested she contact MiCAFE to get help applying for the Bridge Card over the phone. Ms. Phillips did not realize that there were other options, she was not aware of the Bridge Card or how it helped people buy food or serve as a gateway to other benefits.
Working hard her entire life, Ms. Phillips was hesitant to ask for help, but with mounting bills and more than $550 in needed home repairs, she reached out to MiCAFE. She completed the application over the phone with the assistance of a MiCAFE staff member, who helped her to easily understand and answer the questions. She then went to Hillsdale County Senior Center to review and sign her application with the help of a MiCAFE volunteer, who sent the application to DHS for her.
Ms. Phillips remembers a day when she was unable to spare 98 cents to buy a cucumber, now she receives $93 a month to eat, fresh, healthy food. She is able to enjoy buying healthy food and shopping at the grocery store in her community. The MiCAFE volunteers also helped Ms. Phillips get in touch with other local agencies and programs that have assisted her with desperately needed home repairs and weatherization, making her home more energy efficient and lowering her monthly utility bills.
Choked with gratitude Ms. Phillips expresses that without the staff and volunteers of MiCAFE she would not have known that she was eligible to apply for food assistance, let alone make it though the application process on her own. She is so grateful to have fresh food to eat and feels a tremendous relief to have her home repaired in time for winter. If you, like Mrs. Philips, are struggling to make ends meet, find a MiCAFE Service Center near you! Call MiCAFE at 1-877-664-2233 or view our locations here.
Volunteer With Us!
At Elder Law of Michigan, we rely on volunteers like you to successfully and compassionately provide information and services to older adults. Our mission is to protect and promote the rights, health and economic well-being of older adults as they age. Thanks to our devoted, hard-working team of volunteers we continue be a trusted resource for older adults. “Volunteers are truly the backbone of Elder Law of Michigan” Shelia Robison, Benefits Enrollment and Options Center. If you are a law student, attorney, retiree, or someone interested in sharing your time with a charitable organization, please join us! For more information about volunteering with Elder Law of Michigan, please click here.
"The service and the support that your agency has shown Volunteers of America (VOA) Michigan over the last years have been excellent. Again I look forward to keeping that service and support near to our senior residents and population."
-Ross Howard, Service Coordinator, Coventry Place Apartments, Volunteers of America Michigan (June 8, 2011)
