Today, the Social Security Administration celebrates its 80th anniversary.
On Aug. 14, 1935, Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act, legislation that continues to help some of the most vulnerable members of society.
Social Security helped my parents and other older members of my family significantly.
I recently wrote about how Social Security, and Medicare, which recently celebrated its 50th Anniversary, helped keep my parents from being poor. They talked about the how in their parents’ day, people who ran out of money want to the poor house. It seems like back them, poor people were actually taken to poor farms or buildings that were part of a prison or public institution. If they were able bodied, they were required to work.
America needs to continue to make sure that its Social Security program is strong and able to help older adults.
"As Social Security celebrates its 80th anniversary, we remain the underpinning of economic security of this country, and will continue to be a strong foundation for the next 80 years and beyond," Acting Commissioner Carolyn W. Colvin said. "Social Security is the most successful domestic program in America’s history.”
Earlier this year, Social Security launched an 80th anniversary. The agency said the public is using the website, www.socialsecurity.gov/80thanniversary, to submit stories that show how Social Security has benefited them or their families and Social Security employees are offering accounts of "Why I Serve.”
