DURHAM, December 15, 2004) — Improving the status and living conditions of Granite State senior citizens is the focus of a unique community outreach project recently launched by New Hampshire Public Television and Easter Seals NH/Seniors Count. With the aid of a $60,000 grant from Sound Partners for Community Health, a year-long campaign called Seeing Seniors will center on increasing awareness of specific health issues and encouraging citizen involvement in making health care decisions.“Seeing Seniors will open a statewide, community-based discussion among seniors, caregivers and organizations responsible for ensuring the well-being of our older citizens,” noted Lynn Zuccarelli Austin, NHPTV Community Outreach Coordinator and project manager for this effort. “Census 2000 indicates that 12% of New Hampshire’s population is 65 and older. That figure is expected to more than double by 2025. The Seeing Seniors project will help seniors of all ages optimize their quality of life.”“This is a unique public television/nonprofit community organization collaboration,” said Peter A. Frid, General Manger and CEO of New Hampshire Public Television. “We are pleased to be one of 36 public radio and television stations selected to forge alliances between community health care service providers and public broadcasting.”Easter Seals NH/Seniors Count was awarded a $7,500 grant to support its role as a community partner in the Seeing Seniors campaign. “Together, NHPTV and Easter Seals NH/Seniors Count aim to make a difference in the way the public understands and influences issues related to the needs of our growing senior population,” said Arlene Kershaw, Director of Senior Services for Easter Seals NH. Throughout the year, six feature stories on New Hampshire Public Television’s nightly newsmagazine, NH Outlook, along with other media efforts, will focus attention on this issue. Community forums in four locations across the state will bring seniors and caregivers together with local leaders to begin planning the kind of communities we want for ourselves and our neighbors as we age. Information will be provided on the NHPTV and Easter Seals’ Web sites and by ServiceLinkNH, a statewide resource and referral agency. Visit www.nhptv.org in the months ahead for more information about the Seeing Seniors project. Sound Partners for Community Health is a program of the Benton Foundation. Support for the Seeing Seniors project was provided by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.Beyond its award-winning local and national television programs, New Hampshire Public Television is a leader in education and community outreach. NHPTV provides instructional services for 206,000 students from kindergarten through high school; offers Ready To Learn programs and services for children preschool to age 8, parents, and early education professionals; and provides professional development programs and advanced technology training for educators in New Hampshire and neighboring states. For more information about NHPTV programs that entertain, educate and enrich, visit www.nhptv.org.
About New Hampshire PBS: New Hampshire PBS inspires one million Granite Staters each month with engaging and trusted local and national programs and services on-air, online, via mobile, in classrooms and in communities. Beyond its award-winning television programs, New Hampshire PBS is a leader in education and community engagement. www.nhpbs.org
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