August 21, 2024
Kristin Smith is an Aging Services Program Coordinator at the New York State Office for the Aging who oversees the Naturally Occurring Retirement Community (NORC) Program. Kristin has more than 30 years of experience working in the field of aging services, previously serving as the Agency and Operations Manager at a licensed health care and staffing agency. She is also a Licensed Practical Nurse who holds a degree in health administration from Empire State University, as well as a degree in Human Services.
How long have you been with NYSOFA? What is your role with the agency?
I have been with NYSOFA for just over five years. I work as an Aging Services Program Coordinator in our Local Program Operations Division and I oversee the 43 New York State funded Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities, as well as the Foster Grandparent and Retired Senior Volunteer Programs.
You’ve assisted NYSOFA’s communications team with intergenerational projects recently. Can you briefly tell us about those?
I have had the pleasure of working at the New York State Fair and, in doing so, I noticed that there were many children attending the fair with their parents and/or grandparents and we did not have anything geared toward their age group to give them when they visited our booth. I am a grandmother of five boys, ages 2 to 22, and I love spending time with them and creating the special bond that only exists in the grandparent/grandchild relationship. Coupling that with NYSOFA’s mission of reducing ageism, I worked with our communication’s team to create an asset that would spur communication between generations. The Amazing Intergenerational Activity Book contains activities, coloring pages, word finds, and even a small interview section that a young person can do with an older adult in their life. The book aims to educate young people about ageism, and we hope to help create connections between generations. In the past two years, this project has grown exponentially. In 2024, we’ve distributed over 10,000 copies.
We’ve also got some other projects planned that will be featuring the book. Keep your eyes on NYSOFA’s social media for more information.
How do you maintain work/life balance? What are some of the things you enjoy outside of your workday?
I spend time traveling, reading, and taking care of my five rescue pups and one kitty cat. The loves of my lives are my children and grand-children and I live each day for them! Additionally, I am the Race Director of the Summer Smith 5K Addiction Awareness Memorial Run, in its 9th year. I created this race to stop the stigma surrounding the disease of addiction and did so in honor of my daughter, who was lost to overdose on January 9, 2015.
What are the greatest challenges you’re seeing in your silo of work?
Now, the greatest challenges for my programs are the lack of staffing available for the programs – and their need to stretch funding dollars in this challenged economy.
What do you love about working at NYSOFA?
The ability to impact change and to work in an environment that is supportive not only to me and to my colleagues, but to the 4.6 million New Yorkers who are age 60 and over. We work in an innovative environment, led by our Director Greg Olsen. He continually thinks outside of the box and promotes successful aging across the state. I am proud to be part of the NYSOFA team.
Five Questions is an ongoing Q&A series for NYSOFA's monthly newsletter featuring staff, people with interesting perspectives, and professionals in the field of aging services. Look for future editions of this series in the newsroom of NYSOFA's website.