What’s New at Council on Aging Martin County

Dear Friends,

Summer days are busy ones at the Kane Center. If you're looking for something cool to do, check out our Kane Center calendar on our website and join us for activities like exercise programs, card games, or knitting groups, and/or consider becoming a volunteer. The need for services to seniors continues to grow, and we are growing with it.

In this newsletter, you'll read about the 2025 impact grants from United Way of Martin County that assist us in offering our Elder Care Mobile Outreach program, Adult Day Club, and Meals on Wheels. These programs are a lifeline to seniors throughout our community. And be sure to check out our Summer Send Off event on August 28.

Thanks for reading our newsletter. Please pass it on to others who could possibly benefit from the Council on Aging Martin County.

Gratefully,

Karen Ripper, President and CEO

The Council on Aging Martin County is the grateful recipient of three 2025 impact grants from the United Way of Martin County to support key resources for seniors within the Martin community.

The first grant, for $25,000, will go toward Council on Aging’s newest services, the Elder Care Mobile Outreach program.

Another $25,000 grant will provide scholarships to seniors for the Adult Day Club for seniors with mild to moderate dementia or mobility issues who can benefit from social activity with peers, memory care, brain fitness and physical exercise.

Meals on Wheels, a program that provides a hot noonday meal and a warm smile to the homes of more than 500 seniors every Monday through Friday, received a $35,000 grant.

It only takes a moment – a loved one with memory issues wanders away, and the panicked search begins. Sometimes the person is found quickly and returned safely – but not always.

The Council on Aging Martin County is offering a better way to help individuals with cognitive conditions like dementia and Alzheimer’s and the families that love them.

The Circle of Safety Program provides SafetyNet bracelets to those in need. The bracelet is lightweight and worn around the ankle, where it stays in place and isn’t bothersome like a wrist bracelet. It stays on all the time. It’s waterproof. And it’s free.

To find out more about the program, call us at 722-223-7800 or visit our website www.coamartin.org.

Michele Leigh Jacobs, Chief Philanthropic Officer for the Council on Aging Martin County, attended the recent presentation at the Kane Center by a Holocaust survivor and shares her impressions with us.

It is becoming increasingly rare and a truly special honor to meet a Holocaust survivor and hear a first-person account of their experience. Only those who were among its youngest victims are still alive to tell their stories today.  This is one reason why the Council on Aging Martin County was so proud to present guest speaker Mary Eckstein at a special summer speaker seminar, held at the Kane Center on Wednesday, June 18, 2025. 

According to Vanishing Witnesses: An Urgent Analysis of the Declining Population of Holocaust Survivors, a population projection report published by the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, 70% of world’s Holocaust survivors will be gone in the next 10 years, and there are estimated to be more than 1,400 Holocaust survivors alive today who are over 100 years old.

Mary Eckstein is a dynamic and skilled speaker who freely shares her experiences with community organizations and schools in an effort to help educate others as to what happened to 6 million Jews who were systematically killed in the Nazi concentration camps.

She herself was only 8 years old when her father was taken and forced into labor. She would not see him again until the following year. Eckstein and her mother were forced into the Budapest Ghetto in Hungary by the Arrow Cross Party, of whom she recalls being terrified because “they could shoot you at the drop of a hat.”  

Michele Jacobs, Mary Eckstein, and COA Past Board Chair Nicki Schoonover

Her family was moved to “Jew Houses,” identified by a large yellow Star of David affixed at the street gate to the building and locked.  For all intents and purposes, these “Jew Houses” were separate little ghettoes where the Jewish people were confined in crowded conditions and were easy to find for future selections and deportations. One day the Arrow Cross militia came to their building and selected all the women. By sheer luck or a miracle, some of the women escaped, along with her, her mother and two aunts. She recounted her story and answered questions from the audience.

Among those in the audience, many of whom were new to the Kane Center, were second generation survivors, often referred to as "2Gs," who have taken on the task of sharing their families’ traumatic stories.

The Council on Aging recognizes the value and contributions of our community’s seniors. This impactful and emotional talk is just the first in a speaker series we plan to introduce this year. If you know of a dynamic speaker for this new speaker series, please contact Lisa Bharath at 772-223-7807.

We are fortunate to have a Board of Directors that cares deeply about our organization and uses their leadership, dedication and heart to keep us true to our mission. They serve as volunteers and give their all in support of seniors and their family.

Here’s a testimonial from one of our longest-serving Board members, Nicki Schoonover.

"As a long-time Board Member of the Council on Aging, I have witnessed the foresight and dedication of the Council on Aging’s leadership and staff to align their initiatives and comprehensive programs with the growing needs of our senior population. As a team, they are caring for seniors on so many levels with purpose, knowledge, and compassion, and I have experienced, first-hand, the heartwarming and effective results of their efforts. How fortunate is Martin County to have such a senior-minded organization in its midst that is truly making a difference in the quality of life of our aging population! I am extremely proud to be associated with the Council on Aging and gladly offer my time and financial support to foster its meaningful work."

Scammers who prey on seniors are definitely the lowest of the low. Every day our staff at Council on Aging meet seniors who have been victimized by one of the latest, ingenious, creative, and just plain criminal scams.

Here are a few tips to help you protect yourself and your loved ones.

• First, if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. No one is giving away money or prizes without a catch. Always be skeptical of unexpected phone calls or emails, especially if they ask for personal information, payments, or access to your computer.
• Never give out your Social Security number, bank info, or credit card details to someone who contacts you out of the blue. Government agencies like the IRS or Medicare will never call to demand payment or ask for personal info over the phone. If in doubt, hang up and call the organization directly using a number you trust—not one they give you.
• Talk to someone you trust. If you get a suspicious message or phone call, run it by a family member or friend before taking action. Get advice before you agree to any big financial commitment
• Consider taking advantage of call-blocking services and keeping your computer and devices updated with the latest security software.
• Report a scam. This is hard, because no one wants to look foolish. You’re not foolish; scammers are just incredibly clever and unprincipled.

Seniors vs Crime is a free state program that helps seniors be alert to scams, and it follows up on any that are reported. Check the website www.seniorsvscrime.com or call 1 (800) 203-3099 to learn about a multitude of scams - financial, travel, telemarketers, tech support, romance, charity scams – and what to do if you or a senior you love has been a victim. 

This past quarter, the Council on Aging’s Elder Care Mobile Outreach team brought essential services to 335 seniors across 29 locations. The Case Manager Navigator continues to meet older adults where they are—connecting them with resources like utility assistance, health care navigation, and emotional support.

One senior received help repairing her A/C unit just in time for the summer heat, while another is being guided toward the PACE program to improve her long-term care. These mobile visits are truly a lifeline!

The Council on Aging Martin County is incredibly grateful to our vendor community for their ongoing commitment to our seniors in need of services and repairs. Many of the people we serve are financially unable to meet their needs on their own. The dedication of the vendors who provide professional services to our seniors significantly enhances the lives of those we serve. We thank them for joining our mission in providing their services without hesitation. They are a vital part of our team!

This month please join us in thanking:

• Elite Electric, Plumbing & Air – Port St. Lucie
• Immaculate Air – Vero Beach
• NisAir -Air Conditioning - Fort Pierce
• Port Salerno Animal Hospital – Stuart
• Sharkey Air - Stuart

There’s always something happening at the Kane Center!

Check our website www.coamartin.org for details and join us.

The generous contributions you make to the Council on Aging Martin County directly support our Mission. When you make a gift to benefit our programs, you help seniors reduce loneliness, anxiety and depression. By supporting our work you help build a sense of purpose and social connection for our community's seniors.

You can make a gift today or plan for the future. Please contact Michele Leigh Jacobs, Chief Philanthropic Officer, to discuss opportunities that best suit you, your philanthropic priorities and your passion for our senior community.

Email: mjacobs@coamartin.org
Direct: 772.223.7803
Secured Online Giving: www.coamartin.org

About the Council on Aging Martin County

For seniors, their families, and caregivers, the Council on Aging Martin County is their trusted and comprehensive hub for the resources they need for a safer, healthier, and happier life. 

From services like the Adult Day Club and Day Primary Care Center to exercise classes, games to improve memory, concerts and social events, the Kane Center on Salerno Road is a beehive of activities. Services also take to the road – like Meals on Wheels, providing a hot meal and a warm smile to more than 500 homebound and needy Martin County senior residents in their home each day, or Senior Dining Centers at locations throughout the county in East Stuart, Jensen Beach, Indiantown and Hobe Sound, offering a healthy lunch and socialization through exceptional programming. The Elder Care Mobile Outreach Bus, the newest member of our family of care management services, brings knowledgeable and compassionate staff directly to seniors in local neighborhoods. 

For 51 years, the Council on Aging Martin County has been working tirelessly to inspire a community that embraces, uplifts and encourages seniors to maintain lives of quality and purpose. 

We invite you to visit us in person, explore our website at www.coamartin.org, or connect with us on social media to learn more about the wide range of services offered by the Council on Aging Martin County. Our staff and volunteers are ready and eager to help.