AARP New York Celebrates 90 Years of Social Security with Statewide Takeover and Call to Protect It for Future Generations

From a double-decker bus tour through Manhattan, landmark light-ups from Times Square to Niagara Falls, to pizza shop conversations across the state, AARP New York brought Social Security’s impact to life

NEW YORK, N.Y. (August 14, 2025) — Today, AARP New York led a statewide celebration of Social Security’s 90th anniversary, bringing together communities across the state to honor a program that has provided generations of New Yorkers with financial security, dignity, and peace of mind. From Manhattan’s Times Square to landmark light-ups stretching from Grand Central to Niagara Falls, the celebrations highlighted the program’s historic success while emphasizing the urgent need to protect and strengthen it for current and future generations.

“In New York and across the country, Social Security is more than a check: it’s a lifeline earned through a lifetime of hard work,” said Beth Finkel, AARP New York State Director. “Social Security is one of the most successful and popular programs in our nation’s history, and for 90 years, it has never missed a payment. Today’s celebrations honored that promise of dignity and financial stability, while recommitting to protecting and strengthening it for our kids and grandkids.”

Social Security’s impact in New York is significant: nearly one in five New York State residents—about 3.76 million people—receive Social Security, pumping $79 billion into the state’s economy each year. For 38% of older New Yorkers, the program provides at least half of their income.

AARP New York’s events included:

• Times Square Takeover & “We Earned It” Bus Tour: The night kicked off at Times Square with a towering billboard celebrating Social Security’s 90th anniversary, followed by a double-decker bus tour featuring more than 50 AARP volunteers, everyday New Yorkers, State Director Beth Finkel, and special guest AARP CEO Myechia Minter-Jordan. As the bus traveled through Midtown and Lower Manhattan, riders shared personal stories about how Social Security has impacted their lives.
  
• Skyline Salute: Iconic landmarks across New York State, from Times Square to Niagara Falls, were illuminated in red, white, and blue as a visual tribute to a program that has never missed a payment in nine decades, highlighting its reliability, reach, and impact. Sites included:

1. Albany International Airport Gateway
2. Alfred E. Smith State Office Building
3. Empire State Plaza
4. State Education Building
5. The H. Carl McCall SUNY Building
6. The “Franklin D. Roosevelt” Mid-Hudson Bridge
7. Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge
8. Bronx Borough Hall
9. Brooklyn Borough Hall
10. Kosciuszko Bridge
11. 1WTC
12. Grand Central Terminal - Pershing Square Viaduct
13. Manhattan Municipal Building
14. Moynihan Train Hall
15. MTA LIRR - East End Gateway at Penn Station
16. NYC City Hall
17. Oculus
18. Times Square billboard
19. Queens Borough Hall
20. Staten Island Borough Hall
21. Niagara Falls
22. Niagara Parks
23. Peace Bridge
24. 3 City Center
25. Fairport Lift Bridge over the Erie Canal
26. Joseph A. Floreano Rochester Riverside Convention Center
27. Legacy Tower
28. Monroe County Government Office
29. One East Avenue
30. Rochester City Hall
31. The Bachelor Forum
32. The Metropolitan Rochester
33. The Nathaniel
34. Tower 280 Midtown
35. State Fairgrounds – Main Gate & Expo Center
36. Syracuse City Hall
37. Nassau County Executive Building
38. Suffolk County Executive Building

“Slice of the Story” Pizza Shop Conversations: In the weeks leading up to Social Security’s 90th anniversary, AARP brought the celebration to local pizzerias statewide, from Albany to Long Island and all five boroughs of New York City. Over a slice of classic New York pizza, older adults shared with their local Congressmembers how their earned Social Security benefits—“their slice of the pie”—have provided financial security for themselves and their families.

AARP’s New York celebrations are part of the AARP nationwide “We Earned It” campaign, which honors Social Security’s past while advocating for bipartisan solutions in Washington to secure its future. Social Security has helped generations of Americans avoid poverty, live with dignity in retirement, and provide financial security for their families. Nationwide, nearly 69 million Americans receive Social Security payments, while over 183 million workers contribute to ensure the program’s future.

“For 90 years, Social Security has been the bedrock of financial security and dignity in retirement, helping millions of Americans, especially the 40% of older adults who rely on it as their primary income, stay out of poverty after a lifetime of hard work. As a New Yorker, I’m proud to be here in New York City, surrounded by iconic landmarks lit up in red and white, to celebrate this milestone with New Yorkers. Together, we’re shining a spotlight on the urgent need to protect and strengthen Social Security,” said AARP CEO Myechia Minter-Jordan.

In honor of Social Security’s 90th anniversary, Governor Kathy Hochul issued a statewide proclamation recognizing August 14, 2025, as Social Security Day in New York.
In New York City, the New York City Council also passed a resolution to mark August 14 as Social Security Day annually, highlighting the critical role Social Security plays in helping millions of New Yorkers live with dignity, stability, and peace of mind.

AARP is proud to celebrate Social Security’s 90^th Anniversary while calling on our leaders to protect and strengthen the program for millions of New Yorkers, today and for future generations.

Connect with AARP New York on X: @AARPNY, Facebook: AARP New York and LinkedIn: AARP New York

About AARP
AARP is the nation's largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering Americans 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to the more than 100 million Americans 50-plus and their families: health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also works for individuals in the marketplace by sparking new solutions and allowing carefully chosen, high-quality products and services to carry the AARP name. As a trusted source for news and information, AARP produces the nation's largest circulation publications, AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org/about-aarp/, www.aarp.org/español or follow @AARP, @AARPenEspañol and @AARPadvocates on social media.
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Click here for photos and videos from the events, including the NYC “We Earned It” bus tour and landmark illuminations


Click here to learn more about Social Security in New York