About Us
Kepina Hasegawa and Erika Murdoch
Below is our fall 2025 edition of To Serve, which highlights just a few of the ways we’re helping seniors facing financial hardship, hunger and discrimination. Thanks to incredibly generous people like you, AARP Foundation is making a difference in the lives of older adults across the country.
Our Litigation Team Fights for Seniors' Pensions
In the Summer 2024 issue of To Serve, we shared the story of Mary Hartshorne, who worked at the radiology department of St. Clare’s Hospital in Schenectady, New York. After 28 years of service to the hospital, Mary was counting on her pension to keep her going through retirement. But, in 2018, she and more than 1,100 of her colleagues were told that their pensions would either be slashed or entirely eliminated. That’s when AARP Foundation stepped up to help.
Louis Lopez with Mary Hartshorne in front of the US District Courthouse
“We didn’t know we’d have AARP Foundation representing us,” says Mary. “I can never thank them enough. They’ve gone above and beyond. They knew all the avenues they could explore. They made us feel like we matter.”
We’ve been working on this case for years, and in April, AARP Foundation held a hearing in Albany, New York. Covered by local newspapers and television stations, the hearing helped move the suit forward toward trial. For Mary, the long effort is worth it.
“It’s been a long road,” she says, “but I don’t have any regrets.” Work like this is only possible because of the generosity of AARP Foundation donors.
Helping Seniors Get the Benefits They Need
Together, we can use the power of the legal system to protect seniors' rights, fight age discrimination and promote financial wellbeing. Kepina Hasegawa, 85, was fired from her job as a truck driver because of her age. “He said I was too old to work,” Kepina remembers, adding, “As you get older, it’s hard to find a job. I had to start taking Social Security.” She moved into a Section 8 independent living community for seniors, where she survived on Social Security, Medicare and CalFresh, California’s version of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Kepina Hasegawa
Then, in 2023, SNAP recipients got a letter telling them the emergency allotment they’d been receiving because of the pandemic was canceled. “Our food stamps went from $200 to $23 overnight,” she says.
Kepina connected with Erika Murdoch, a benefits specialist at Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services (an AARP Foundation grantee), who told her that CalFresh recipients can qualify for a higher benefit by reporting costs such as housing, utilities, child care and certain medical expenses. Recipients often don’t know this is even an option, but Erika found all of Kepina’s unreported expenses and helped her gather all the necessary paperwork. It was a life-changing conversation.
Can You Solve This Health and Food Security Crossword Challenge?
What’s the name of the federal health insurance program for seniors? What do you call breakfast, lunch and dinner? Answer the clues and solve our health and food security crossword puzzle.
Make an Impact With Your DAF
Compassionate donors like you are using their donor-advised funds (DAFs) as a convenient, strategic way to support the causes they care about. With a DAF, you can maximize your impact for older adults and take advantage of valuable tax benefits.