Out and About: Elderly consumers have a ball

Each year, TODCO Group, a community-based housing/community development non-profit corporation operating in San Francisco's South of Market neighborhood, holds its Yerba Buena Senior Ball to invite elders from neighborhood senior housing to enjoy a free lunch and entertainment and to socialize with others while receiving helpful financial information from local non-profit organizations. Consumer Action was in attendance at this year’s Hawaiian Luau-themed senior ball.

Ninety percent of senior ball attendees are Chinese-Americans, so TODCO invited about 20 non-profit organizations that provide free Chinese educational publications to take part. Consumer Action’s Cui Yan Xie gave out more than 200 packets of Consumer Action’s financial and marketplace education brochures, including ones on senior scams and ID theft; health records privacy law in California; money management; internet safety; and choosing and using mobile devices.

“I was shocked and happy to see that our materials were so popular that we ran out of them in 90 minutes!” Xie said. “It looks like we need to bring more publications next year, but this is a good problem to have since elderly consumers are often victims of scams and frauds and in need of the type of up-to-date information we offer to help them not only survive but thrive in today’s world.”

“There were about 1,700 elders who attended our senior ball this year,” added Christina Leung, a social worker with TODCO. “This number is almost double the number that attended in the last few years!”