Community

HARLEM COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS Women History Month Salute: Dr. Marcella Maxwell – Living Life Like It’s GOLDEN

By Hazel Rosetta Smith

When I think of someone who epitomizes what being a seasoned citizen should look like, the first name that pops up is Dr. Marcella Maxwell. Age is a chronological number of a life journey, but it cannot

Dr. Marcella Maxwell surrounded by students

Seniors for Hearing Forum CB10 Senior Task Force Members Golden Life Partnership Forum Panelists

Dr. Maxwell with members of the Links Partners Join Hearing Matters in Aging

deter the ongoing work of a distinguished elder in her nineties, who has set her heart and mind to encourage seniors to live life like it is golden, healthy and spiritually wealthy.

An actively productive life has led to such a time as this when she is sharing her insight, knowledge and experience to light the way for seniors to grow gracefully in mind, body and spirit.

Through educational seminars, workshops and conferences that provide indepth information from speciaists in numerous fields, Dr. Maxwell opens the door for seniors to garner what they need to know from those in the know. She has a plan and a purpose that is the basis of all she offers – Knowledge is Power!

Leadership is the position she manages exceptionally well, however, her

ability to engage other like minded individuals and organizations is essentially why every thing baring her name has been successful with faithful followers clammering for more.

Community partnerships thus far have included AARP, Access-A-Ride, Dept. of Transportation, Esplanade Gardens, Dept. of Aging, Lighthouse Guild, New York Connects, Medicare & Health Plans, CaringKind Alzheimer, Center for Hearing & Communication, Mt. Sinai Medical Center doctors and health practitioners, NY Presbyterian Hospital Pharmacists and the Abyssinian Baptist Church Health Ministry among numerous others.

It is at the Abyssinian Baptist Church, pastored by the Rev. Dr. Calvin O. Butts, III, that Dr. Maxwell heads the Golden Life Senior

Ministry. Pre-COVID-19, numerous seminars were convened at the church.

Long before Marcella Maxwell was distinguished as a senior advocate and geriatric educator, she was a founding dean and clinical supervisor of teaching fellows at Medgar Evers College, part of the City University of New York. In this role, she trained and mentored teaching fellows to foster their profession-

al development. organized collaboration among principals, teachers and other faculty, spearheaded team-building seminars, curriculum design and development, and initiated instructional strategies and methods.

Additionally, Dr. Maxwell served as Commissioner of Human Rights and Chair of the Commission on the Status of Women under New York City Mayors

Koch and Dinkins.

Volunteerism has always been a commitment, as a platinum (50-year) member of the Greater New York Chapter of The Links, Inc., lifetime member of the NAACP and as an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority’s North Manhattan Alumnae chapter and its National Social Action Commission.

She successfully completed the extensive Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management Program at Harvard Business School. She is also the NGO representative for Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. at the United Nations. Dr. Maxwell received a master’s degree in elementary education from Long Island University and her doctorate in education from Fordham University.

The new normal of virtual presentation has come upon us but has not stifled Dr. Maxwell’s determination to keep seniors informed. She has zoomed into the Webinar arena with three successful sessions, Getting Here to There During COVID (Revisit Access-A-Ride); How to Age Successfully during COVID-19, and Emerging Perspectives on the COVID Pandemic (Vaccines).

It has been a personal pleasure for me to cover the works of Dr. Maxwell for Harlem Community News. I have no doubt there is more information gathering taking place right now and partnerships in place for scheduling. The aim is clear and calculated to keep seniors aware and able to maneuver through the changes that have already become our new normal.

God bless you mightily, Marcella Maxwell for your caring and sharing. You are appreciated, loved, and deservedly honored in this March 2021 Women’s Month. [Hazel Rosetta Smith is a journalist, playwright, and artistic director of HRS Speaks; retired former Managing Editor and Woman’s Editor of the New York Beacon News and current columnist for Harlem Community News, Inc. Contact: misshazel@twc.com]

How Can Women Overcome Obstacles to Financial Security?

By: Edward Jones Financial Advisor. Edward Jones, Member SIPC

On March 8, we observed International Women’s come full-time caregivers of aging parents or other relatives. Caregiving duties gained 16,000, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which also reported Day, a celebration of the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. Of course, women still tend to encounter more obstacles than men in the pursuit of financial security. Let’s consider a few of them.

To begin with, women are still more likely to leave the workforce, at least temporarily, to raise children, resulting in lower contributions to employer-sponsored retirement plans such as 401(k)s. And women are often the ones who becan exact a big financial toll: The lost wages, pensions (including 401(k)s and similar plans) and Social Security benefits that a woman loses to become a full-time caregiver amount to more than $300,000 over her lifetime, according to the National Academy of Sciences. Women also may be more susceptible to financial downturns. Consider the COVID-19 pandemic: Just a few months ago, in December, women lost 156,000 jobs, while men that women accounted for 54% of the jobs lost from the pandemic in 2020. And women are not unaware of their circumstances and outlook. Just 41% of women are confident about retirement, compared with 56% of men, according to a survey by Edward Jones and Age Wave. But if you’re a woman, you can take steps to help improve your financial outlook. Here are a few suggestions: Take full advantage of retirement plans If you are still working and your employer offers a 401(k) or similar retirement plan, take full advantage of it. Put in as much as you can afford each year and increase your contributions when your salary goes up. Also, within your plan, you’ll want to choose the mix of investments that can help provide the most growth potential, given your individual risk tolerance. Also, even if you contribute to a 401(k) or similar plan, you may also be eligible to fund an IRA, which gives you even more investment choices.

Evaluate your Social Security options You can typically start taking Social Security benefits when you’re 62, but your monthly checks will be much larger if you wait until your “full” retirement age, which will likely be between 66 and 67. You might also consider whether you’d be better off by taking spousal benefits, if you’re married and your spouse earned more money than you. You’re generally even eligible for spousal benefits if you are divorced, as long as you were married at least 10 years and you haven’t remarried.

Look for unexpected income opportunities Even after you’ve formally retired, you may still find ways to receive some earned income. Perhaps you can work part time or do some consulting. And if you’re a caregiver, you might be able to receive some compensation for your work. Many local governments pay non-spouse caregivers who act as personal attendants, although the rules vary greatly by state and county.

These certainly aren’t the only ways you can improve your financial status, but they may prove useful to you. In any case, be aware of the challenges facing you and do whatever you can to brighten your future.

BROOKLYN UPCOMING EVENTS

Saturdays Until June 5 2021 11:00-12:00pm

FREE Family Culture Fest

The Billie Presents the FREE Family Culture Fest 2020, an interactive weekly series created to get the entire family up and moving. You and your family will have the opportunity to learn from world-class instructors in the fields of mediation, yoga, dance, and African drumming from your own home. View online at thebillieholiday.org

Thursdays Until

July 15 7:15-8:15pm

Arts Academy

Speak The Speech

Students will explore Acting techniques through various texts from African-American Authors. For ages 9-18. Join online at thebillieholiday. org $10

Now Until

December 2021

Classic Films at BAM

Presenting classic films, premieres, festivals, and retrospectives, with appearances by filmmakers, actors, and critics. Watch films like “Happy Together”, “In the Mood for Love”, “Chungking Express” and more at bam. org $12 each.

March 11 4:00pm

Know Your

Rights Workshop

Please join the Office of the Brooklyn Borough President and the New York Immigration Coalition for a Know Your Rights workshop. This workshop will cover COVID-19 resources, know your rights with ICE and more. Join online at brooklyn-usa. org FREE.

March 11 6:00-7:00pm

Brooklyn Tastes with Love, Nelly

Celebrate Women’s History Month and support women-run businesses with a virtual cooking class hosted by Ocean Hill bakery Love, Nelly. Take a close look at the artwork of feminist artist Roser Bru, whose engravings and etchings are featured in the Museum’s collection. Then, learn to make a triple-layered cookie bar inspired by Bru’s work Trocados, with bakers Stephanie Gallardo and Keavy Landreth, and close out the eveBrooklyn tastes with love nelly (Mar 11)

container gardening (Mar 16-17)

Sigrid Nunez (Mar 16) ning with a toasted coconut cocktail pairing provided by Haley Traub, general manager at Attaboy. Brooklynmuseum. org $10.

March 11 6:30pm

Jewish Brooklyn: From Gefilte Fish to Kibbeh

Join Sephardic food expert Jennifer Abadi, Russian food expert Boris Fishman, and culinary historian Jane Ziegelman, for an animated hour of conversation and demonstration moderated by The Gefilteria’s Jeffrey Yoskowitz. Online at brooklynhistory.org FREE.

March 12 7:00pm

A Focus on Latinx Abstract

Join curator Elizabeth Ferrer and exhibition artists Candida Alvarez, Know Your Rights (Mar 11)

latinx abstract (Mar 12) Karlos Cárcamo, and Vargas-Suarez Universal for a discussion about the exhibition Latinx Abstract. A cross-generational presentation featuring ten artists working in diverse media, this exhibition underscores the significant although little-explored role that abstraction has played among Latinx artists.Online at bricartsmedia.org FREE.

March 16-17 5:00-7:00pm

Container Gardening for Rooftops, Terraces, and Balconies

Want to start a rooftop garden or care for an existing one? This twoday workshop will give you the tools to get going! Learn about technical aspects like irrigation and container materials as well as soil, suitable plants, design, and proper care. Online at classes. bbg.org $88

March 16 7:30pm

Sigrid Nunez

Join Sigrid Nunez for an evening of intimate discourse and reflection at this digital event, rescheduled from last spring due to the shutdown. Moderated by Deborah Treisman. Online at bam.org $10.