Get Ready for World Elder Abuse Awareness Day

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD), commemorated every year on June 15, is an opportunity to raise awareness, engage new partners, and renew our collective commitment to the cause of elder justice.

Each year, WEAAD draws more participants, garners more attention, and moves us closer to our national goals for elder justice. No matter who you are, you cantake action and play a part in this effort.

One way you can get involved is by organizing an event in your community. ACL is offering a variety of resources to help you and your community raise awareness around WEAAD 2016:

1) ACL’s WEAAD website, developed in partnership with the National Center on Elder Abuse, has just what you need to organize a WEAAD event, including:

A sample press release you can use to get the word out about your WEAAD event
A sample letter to the editor you can customize
A placemat with an elder abuse prevention message that your meals programs can use
A guide on engaging the faith community in elder abuse conversations
"Protect yourself" and "Red Flags of Abuse" flyers (available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Tagalog, and Korean) that you can distribute at a community event

2) Join us April 21st at 2pm ET for the “Ingenuity and Ideas for #WEAAD2016” Twitter chat. Whether you organize a WEAAD every year or are getting involved for the first time, follow #WEAAD2016 to share and discover ideas, resources, and more.

3) Stay tuned for more information on an ACL webinar in May on creating compelling communications and spreading the word about your WEAAD 2016 event.

Together, we can take a stand against against the mistreatment of older adults this World Elder Abuse Awareness Day.