Pictured are Det. Jim Manning, Greenwich PD, Michelle Beltrano, Beltrano Law LLC, and Emily Newcamp of FBOG at an informational event on financial literacy and fraud last fall. Beltrano is a former board member of At Home in Greenwich who served for several years as president.
(Ad) At Home in Greenwich’s mission is to help older adults who wish to reside at home do so while staying safe and healthy.
“While the majority of adults want to age at home, wanting to do it and being successful at it are two different things. That is why we exist, to close that gap,” said the organization’s Executive Director, Ann McCarthy.
“We connect them with resources, practical support,and a community of like-minded people who also want to age at home. Our vision is to create a community of older adults who want to age at home and support each other in that goal,” she said.
At Home in Greenwich offers rides to medical appointments, weekly check-in calls for those who just want a friendly hello, a book group, a walking group, lots of educational programming, and get-togethers just for socializing.
That educational programming is where The First Bank of Greenwich came in.
Emily Newcamp, Senior Vice President of Retail Banking, said community involvement is very important to the bank.
“We love to support our local organizations who in turn help our community,” she said.
In partnership with At Home In Greenwich, the Greenwich Senior Center and the Commission on Aging, Newcamp set up an informational event on financial literacy and fraud.
“This is extremely important to the bank, and I thought, what better than to do this because we have that relationship with At Home in Greenwich,” Newcamp said.
The event, broken into two parts, was held last September and included a Greenwich Police Department detective – so all aspects of the fraud aspect were covered.
One of the main takeaways from the event is to know who is calling you and never provide information over the phone – when in doubt, hang up and call the person who claimed to be calling you, as AI can fake voices.
“We hosted two programs with At Home in Greenwich, one was a luncheon at The Wallace Center, available to its members, and the other as an evening event, open to the public at Greenwich Library,” Newcamp said.
It was such a popular event that the group hopes to do it again this September.
“it is unfortunate that seniors are targeted, and it was such a perfect fit given what At Home in Greenwich does for the community. We’d love to do it again,” Newcamp said.
“This type of programming aligns perfectly with what our members are looking for, and it keeps them safe,” McCarthy said.
Bank Human Resources Director Paulette Pitt-Bannon said supporting these community organizations is “all part of the plan.”
“You’ve got to support these people. They live here, and fraud and elder abuse are on the rise. Criminals are pretending to be banks and taking advantage of vulnerable people,” Bannon said.
“So, if we can plant the seed and say you need to be more careful and give them tips, that is important. We care about the community, and don’t want to see anyone lose their life savings,” she said.
About At Home in Greenwich
At Home in Greenwich is a membership organization that supports and empowers older adults to live independently in their preferred environment, safely and with confidence. They offer a carefully curated mix of resources, services, and events designed to keep members connected, inspired, and active.
Visit https://www.athomeingreenwich.org/ to learn more.