What would you do if if you were appointed custody of your two grandchildren, a third grader and a six-month old baby, at the height of the pandemic, and weren't sure how you were going to afford baby formula?

This is Granny J's story. A 78-year-old grandmother, Granny J was living with a disability and a $648 fixed monthly income—and caring for her grandchilden wasn't something she had planned on. That's when she called Elder Financial Safety Center at The Senior Source, one of NCOA's 87 Benefits Enrollment Centers, with concerns for the children. 

They are hungry, and baby formula is expensive. I don’t know how I can afford to make them happy,” Granny J told her benefits counselor.

Caring staff from Elder Financial Safety Center went the distance for this loving matriarch. Assessing her immediate needs, they delivered food to her home and paid her utility bills. Then the team began to address longer-term needs by completing a benefits screening. That’s when they discovered that, after paying her Medicare premium, Granny J’s net income was less than $505 a month. With insurance help in the works, the team helped her apply for utility assistance and food benefits for the very first time. This kind-hearted Texan shared, “I was getting by and did not want to take away from someone else who needed help more than me.” 

Granny J now has a little more money each month and resources in place to care for herself and her grandchildren. We are inspired by Granny J and need your help to ensure more older adults have the peace of mind and benefits they deserve. 

Help NCOA help more people like Granny J

Stories like Granny J’s are why we’re so grateful for friends like you. Record inflation is hitting older adults particularly hard right now, and millions of our parents, grandparents, neighbors, and friends are struggling to make ends meet. When you support our mission, you help ensure that more people like Granny J have the resources they need—and deserve—to stay healthy and to age well. 

We know that many deserving organizations will be asking for your help, which is why we want to assure you that every donation to NCOA, no matter the amount, makes a real difference for real people.

Thanks to a generous major donor, gifts of $50 or more will be matched 2 to 1 through the end of December. This is the perfect chance to triple the impact of your generosity for older adults like Granny J.

^{*Granny J is not her real name. She chose to keep herself anonymous in the telling of this NCOA success story.}