Are You One Break Away from Financial Crisis?

Even if you are not, chances are that you have a friend or family member who is struggling to make ends meet.

They're doing their best to get by on a fixed income. Most months, they have just enough money to pay for food, utilities, rent, trips to the doctor, and their medicine. Life is manageable for the moment.

But then a crisis strikes. They lose their job in a layoff. Or they take a bad fall that lands them in the hospital. Or they discover that their nest egg of savings was wiped out in the stock market.

Suddenly, at age 56, they're facing an uphill climb. The bills are mounting, but income is dwindling. More expenses start going on the credit card. Soon, it becomes difficult to pay the heating bill. Before long, they're facing bankruptcy. 

Sadly, these stories are all too familiar in today's economy. Millions of boomers and middle-income seniors are living on the edge—one bad break away from a financial crisis that can ruin their best-laid plans for retirement. With little savings, they have no cushion to protect themselves.

A National Campaign for Change

The National Council on Aging (NCOA) is pushing for an answer to this national problem. NCOA has launched One Away, an innovative video advocacy campaign to educate policymakers about the struggle millions of seniors are facing—and to offer concrete solutions to put them back on the track to financial security.

The campaign is not about giving seniors a handout—it's about giving them a hand up. First, by giving them a voice. With help from Local Advocacy Partners, NCOA is facilitating the capture of real stories of real seniors on video. In their own words, older adults are explaining their daily struggles to make ends meet.

NCOA is collecting these stories—in video and writing—on www.OneAway.org and will take them to Washington, DC, to convince policymakers that the problem is real—and that these seniors deserve solutions. The campaign will highlight what works when it comes to helping these older adults stay independent.

In over 60 years of improving the lives of older Americans, NCOA has developed a range of tools that can help older adults live securely and in their own homes as long as possible. These programs and services help seniors:

• Find benefits to pay for food, housing, health care, and utilities
• Use their home equity to stay at home longer
• Get training and assistance to find a job in their community.

Now we are helping seniors find their voice so legislators can hear directly from them what they need to make ends meet. You can help our campaign!

How You Can Help

You can help older adults in need by joining the One Away campaign today. Visit www.OneAway.org and watch video stories of older adults from across the country. Then contact your members of Congress to urge them to act.

Help us tell this story of struggle, and show Congress what it looks like for millions of older adults. Now is the time to act! For more information about One Away, please visit www.OneAway.org.