The founder of the United Senior Citizens Voice-for-Change Coalition is Kenneth G. Coghiel, a Canadian citizen born in Jamaica, who is inspired by hope, love, and kindness. I am a tenacious, persistent, and forward-thinking individual with over thirty years of experience in both private and public law enforcement. At the age of 59, I decided to make a career change and accepted a position in building maintenance. While working as a building superintendent, I had the opportunity to see and hear about many seniors who are having housing and food insecurity issues. Some of these people are now deceased, while some are still stuck in the deep cycle of POVERTY. Senior Citizen poverty is a silent crisis rooted in communities across Canada. The victims are the working poor and low-income earners.
Throughout a twenty-four-month period, I would start conversations with everyone I met regarding the issue of senior citizen poverty. Through my investigation, I learned that millions of Canadian seniors are living in extreme poverty and have no voice or representation to bring their issues to light. Many senior citizens’ only source of income is the government-supported Canada Pension and Old Age Security, which, in most cases, is less than what they pay for a month’s rent.
The conclusion of my investigation led me to start the United Senior Citizen Voice for Change Coalition. As a senior, I have two things to fight with my voice and my vote. But something else was missing: a unified voice. my investigation eventually became a spiritual journey and a calling to do something to help fill the gap of seniors’ poverty. You probably heard this saying: when one person cries for injustice, it is called a whisper, but when we cry together, the world listens. There is a silent crisis facing low-income elderly Canadians that needs a unified voice. It is a poverty crisis; an issue people don’t talk about; the victims are low-income elderly.
At the age of 61 years old, I started to embrace the idea of starting a movement to represent Canadian seniors and to make their needs a national interest and priority; a movement that will provide real help, benefits, programs, and services that will make a difference in the everyday lives of senior citizens. The commitment and dedication to serve humanity come from leaders such as Nelson Mandela, Marcus Garvey, Mahatma Gandhi, and the most honorable Tommy Douglas, father of Canada’s public healthcare. It is in the spirit of these great leaders that I take on the challenge of restoring the purpose of my life to make a difference, and I created the United Senior-Citizens Voice-for-Change Coalition to fight for the ones who cannot fight for themselves, seniors in need of help and support. At the age of 65, I consider myself a teenage senior, ready for the challenges ahead in doing the people’s business.
Did you know that nearly 10 in every fifty Canadian senior citizens are now living in poverty, especially those seniors without any other source of income other than the basic government retirement monthly support benefits? which in most cases is not enough to cover the cost of food and rent for a month. My investigation revealed that In communities across Canada, there are many elderly people whom we call the foundation builders of Canada, men and women senior citizens who have contributed to the growth and development of this country who were not fortunate enough to have the opportunity to create a better life experience for themselves upon retirement, in most cases no fault of there own, these people need your help. To help is because you care, get involved, and make a difference
What the coalition needs now is people who can reactivate the purpose of their lives to serve humanity. When we come together, we connect in a variety of ways. Most of us feel better when we are proactive and doing something good that gives us a sense of pride and the feeling that we are working towards something bigger than ourselves. I am asking you to join the TEAM.
You’ve probably heard the phrase “Teamwork makes the dream work” or seen it printed on office mugs and motivational posters. But what exactly does it mean, and what does good teamwork look like? The phrase “Teamwork makes the dream work essentially means that dividing tasks and responsibilities among a team can lead to better outcomes than a single person doing the task alone. The friendships we develop in teamwork and service are unlike any in our lives, the issues we face are not always easy or pleasant but with creative thinking and action, we become successful because we work hard through the struggles and solve the problems together, by contributing to our common goal and welfare of like-minded people there we find the real meaning of the purpose of our lives.
This letter is to invite you to join us in this national movement that represents the social well-being of Canadian seniors. This invitation is for individuals like you to use your life experience to inspire others, educate, and support each other in a vision that is bigger than any one individual’s dream. Our collective action is needed, especially when going up against powerful interests. Together, let us reactivate the purpose of our lives and make a difference now and for generations to come. You might start by finding a quiet place and pondering these not-so-simple questions:
1. Who am I?
2. What motivates you?
3. What am I here for?
4. What can I do to help?
As you continue going through this information, please take a closer look at some of the benefits our membership services provide and give us your comments. By donating and supporting the United Senior Citizens Voice for Change Coalition, you are giving us a strong voice, especially for seniors facing food and housing insecurity issues. You are also helping to improve the quality of life for seniors and giving the organization a stronger voice to advocate for Canadian seniors in need. Supporting the United Senior Citizen Voice for Change Coalition is the Right choice to fight for senior citizens and build a better tomorrow: Your voice matters, your vote matters, your membership matters, and your support matters. Together, let us fight for the ones who cannot fight for themselves. Let us love and support the elderly in our neighborhood as we love ourselves and give a helping hand when we can. Thank you in advance for taking the time to review this information.
Kenneth G. Coghiel
National Director, Founder & Senior Citizen Activist.
