Assemblyman Billy Jones (D-Chateaugay Lake) announced that, in recognition of Older Americans Appreciation Month, he is continuing to advocate for older New Yorkers and working hard to help ensure they can access the resources they need during this difficult time.

“The seniors in our community have helped build and shape the North Country into a perfect place to live and raise a family,” Jones said. “May is Older Americans Month, which gives us the opportunity to thank the older folks in our communities and recognize them for all that they’ve done. As we keep battling the ongoing public health crisis, it’s especially important that we do all that we can to support seniors, and I’ll continue to fight to ensure these New Yorkers can access the programs and services they rely on day in and day out.”

As a member of the Assembly Committee on Aging, Jones has been a strong voice for seniors in the North Country and will continue to advocate for their rights going forward. Earlier this year, Jones secured $200,000 in the 2020-21 state budget to fund the Older Adults Technology Services, Inc’s (OATS) Senior Planet North Country, which offers computer literacy programs as well as free services and internet access for people aged 60 and up. The OATS program not only gives seniors crucial access to broadband, but also training to use it as continued social distancing measures have made technology necessary to communicate with one another, Jones noted.