Sherlea Dony of Rochester, New York, had a 50-year career as a sign language interpreter. Through it all, she saved diligently for retirement.

But in her early 70s, Dony found herself facing the possibility of living in her car.

In a matter of weeks, a scammer had taken every cent of her savings. Dony went from having a comfortable retirement income to living on just $1,300 a month in Social Security.

“I am a person who has my glass half full, and this emptied my glass and all the other ones in the cupboard,” Dony said. “This is not how I wanted to spend the rest of my life living on a shoestring budget.”

Dony turned to Lifespan, one of NCOA’s Benefits Enrollment Centers (BECs). Funded through the federal Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA), BECs help eligible older adults and individuals with disabilities enroll in government benefits programs that can help them afford daily expenses. These include the Medicare Savings Program, which helps pay for Medicare Part B premiums and coinsurance, and Medicare Low-Income Subsidy (LIS or Extra Help), which helps pay for prescription drug coverage.

Counselors at Lifespan helped Dony apply for these programs, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and more. Of the eight programs she applied for, she received six of them within months, adding $200 per month to her budget.

“My income went to $1,500 a month and that allowed me to buy more groceries, hearing aid batteries, and my inhaler because I have asthma,” Dony said. “Having an organization that you can go to get all your needs met when you are in crisis—big time crisis—has been amazing.”

You can urge Congress to support this work and older adults like Dony by sending a letter to Congress today.