Tulsa seniors to celebrate 90 years of Social Security at upcoming community event

As Social Security turns 90 this month, two major organizations are joining forces to celebrate the milestone and highlight the importance of protecting benefits for Oklahoma seniors.

Life Senior Services and AARP Oklahoma are hosting a public event in Tulsa on Thursday, August 14, to commemorate nine decades of Social Security, a program that continues to provide crucial retirement income for hundreds of thousands of Oklahomans.

Social Security celebrates 90 years

“Social Security is turning 90, and it's a big deal,” said Eileen Bradshaw with Life Senior Services. “It's been a compact between our country and our seniors forever. Ninety years, never missed a payment.”

Sean Bosco with AARP Oklahoma said the program is the backbone of retirement for many families in the state.

“It's the cornerstone of retirement income for hundreds of thousands of Oklahomans,” Bosco said. “In fact, 838,000 Oklahomans receive Social Security benefits.”

According to Sean Voskuhl with AARP, the program pumps $16.8 billion into Oklahoma’s economy each year.

“In Oklahoma, we have about 22 percent [of recipients] that rely on it for 90 percent of their retirement income,” he said. “And about 24 percent rely on it for about 50 percent. It’s a big deal.”

Protecting and promoting access

Voskuhl emphasized the need to ensure long-term access to the program.

“We’ve all earned it. You’re paying into Social Security. We have, our parents have. We need to make sure Social Security is solvent,” he said. “And we want to see it continue for another 90 years.”

Bradshaw added that making sure people know how to access Social Security benefits is just as important as protecting the system itself.

AARP and Life Senior Services team up

Both organizations say collaboration is key to better serving seniors.

“We feel like they’re our best friend,” Bradshaw said. “Life Senior Services is in lockstep with AARP. They’re a great resource for us.”

She said older adults are often an underserved part of the community, and partnerships like this help amplify services.

“Marshaling our resources and our ideas and our manpower… we can leverage it better,” she said.

Tulsa event details

The 90th anniversary celebration of Social Security will take place on:

1. Thursday, August 14
2. 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
3. Roma Berry Senior Center, part of Life Senior Services in Tulsa

The free event will include:

1. Music and games
2. Social Security trivia
3. Hot dogs, lemonade, and ice cream
4. Driller Dogs appearance

“It’s an Americana celebration,” Bradshaw said. “All of the things.”

More collaboration ahead

Bradshaw and Bosco said the celebration is just one example of how the organizations work together on policy, education, and community outreach.

1. “When something is affecting seniors, that’s a conversation we need to have with each other, then with our constituents, and then our legislators,” Bradshaw said. “We do a lot on policy and we’re hoping to do more in the education space — and more fun things too.”

For more information visit LIFE Senior Services website.