AARP Virgin Islands has identified three legislative priorities to help protect the territory’s seniors following two Elder Justice Summit sessions this summer, in partnership with the V.I. Human Services Department.

These gatherings brought together legislators, financial professionals, advocates, legal professionals, first responders, law enforcement, and mandated reporters, the nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering Americans 50 and older said in a press release.
“The consensus was clear: existing protections are insufficient. Findings from the first two sessions have shaped AARP V.I.’s legislative priorities, and the organization has pledged to lead the charge in advancing changes that will safeguard the financial futures of our elders,” the release stated.
“So many of our territory’s elders and disabled adults find themselves vulnerable to abuse and exploitation by not only strangers, but often by their caregivers and relatives. We need to ensure that our aging population can live their remaining years safely and with dignity,” said AARP Virgin Islands State Director Troy De Chabert-Schuster.
AARP V.I. has already briefed Senators Novelle E. Francis Jr., Avery L. Lewis, Kurt A. Vialet, Kenneth L. Gittens, and Marvin A. Blyden of the 36th Legislature, and has engaged the Lieutenant Governor’s Office, according to the release.
The advocacy campaign centers on three priorities:

Enact Oversight and Enforcement by the Division of Banking, Insurance and Financial Regulations.

By law, the Division of Banking, Insurance and Financial Regulations, under the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, is legally responsible for implementing financial regulatory protections in the territory. AARP V.I. is urging the division to adopt and enforce protocols modeled after the Office of the Commissioner of Financial Institutions (OCIF) in Puerto Rico, specifically Regulation 9368. This regulation provides for:

Annual training: Mandate recurring training for all financial institution staff to detect, prevent, and respond to elder financial exploitation.
Standardized reporting: Require the use of a uniform Adult Protective Services (APS) reporting form to ensure consistency, accuracy, and timely communication of suspected cases of abuse or exploitation.
Civil immunity: Provide liability protections to financial professionals and individuals who report suspected exploitation in good faith.
Enforcement and penalties: Impose penalties, including fines up to $5,000 per violation, for institutions that fail to comply with regulation mandates.

Enact the “Protection of Specified Adults Act”

AARP V.I. will champion for legislation modeled on Florida Statutes, Section 415.1034, which authorize financial institutions to delay transactions when exploitation is suspected. The law requires notification of trusted contacts within three business days, establishes an initial 15-day hold, and allows for an extension of up to 30 business days if justified.

Enact Mandated Reporting for Notaries Public

AARP V.I. proposes an amendment to Title 34, Section 453 of the Virgin Islands Code to include notaries public among the list of mandated reporters of elder abuse and financial exploitation. Notaries often witness or authenticate major financial and legal transactions, making them vital partners in detecting and reporting abuse.
These proposed changes reflect AARP’s core priorities of financial resilience and security, the release stated.
“Across the United States, AARP works to safeguard the financial futures of older adults and their families. In the Virgin Islands, where elders often live longer but with limited resources, the financial harm caused by exploitation is devastating for both the victims and their families and strains our community,” it said.
“Our elders are our living history. They deserve protection, not abandonment. At AARP, we will continue to advocate on the principle that every Virgin Islander should be able to age with dignity, respect, and free from abuse,” said Pamela Toussaint, associate state director of Advocacy and Outreach for AARP V.I.
Looking ahead, the third and final session of the Elder Justice Summit series will take place on Sept. 25 on both St. Croix and St. Thomas. This session will focus on caregiving and the needs of caregivers themselves and the public is invited to participate, the release stated. Details will be forthcoming.

At the end of September, kallaloo lovers will be able to eat their fill at the third annual “Kallaloo Festival” on St. Thomas, where some of the best kallaloo can be found.
The event, created by Nekisha Isaac, is a competition to decide who can make the best kallaloo, also spelled callaloo. Held right in the heart of downtown, at the Emancipation Garden, locals, tourists, and participants can indulge in the cuisine. Originally slated to be held this past Sunday, Isaac postponed the event to Saturday, Sept. 27, from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. The event will feature food and clothing sales, music, and more activities that both adults and children can enjoy.

When asked what inspired her to start the festival, Isaac said, “This one day I was sleeping and I just woke up with the idea of doing the festival. I was looking at different islands and how they prepare their callaloo and realized that everyone has a different way of making it, as far as the different ingredients and what they use to make their kallalloo.” Isaac added that, “They’re not just St. Thomians that live in St. Thomas. Since we have a different diversity of people living in St. Thomas, people can come out and taste different kinds of callaloo from different origins.”
Additionally, Isaac said the Kallaloo Festival is a way to prevent the territory from “losing our culture,” and noted that the dish was introduced during the enslavement of people in the African diaspora. Isaac has been hosting the event once a year since 2023.

“When I first started the competition back in 2023, and posted on social media it was crazy. I’m doing it for the love of my people, the love of my culture,” she said.
Isaac added that after she shared information about the Kallaloo Festival, controversy between which island should host a food festival in the territory erupted. It essentially inspired the creation of other festivals.
“It became a little tension between St. Thomas and St. Croix,” Isaac said. “After that, my Kallaloo Festival was used as an opening for other vendors, then we were hit with the pate festival and the tart wars and what not. The Kallaloo Festival was the face at that given moment,” she said. “Because of the others that came out, they kind of like blocked the Kallaloo Festival from a lot of different things. But for me, I didn’t let it bother me, I just continued going. Especially knowing that I don’t really have help, I do it all by myself.”
Moko jumbies, steel pan, Jam Band, and more will provide entertainment at the event this year. There might even be a chance to watch or participate in maypole dancing. Isaac said she wants “to give it a cultural feel.”

The Kallaloo Festival will also have a johnny cake competition this year, with some participants competing for the best kallaloo and johnny cake title.
“Three Virgins have been winning consistently,” Isaac said of the competition. She is looking forward to seeing who will take the title this year and to seeing people out and enjoying themselves.
“The first year I could count on my fingers how many people attended,” said Isaac, and last year there were many more attendees. This year, she wants to change the setup to make it easier for spectators to participate.
“We’re going to be changing the setup for the vendors. Last year, the setup was inside, outside, and then it rained. So what we’re going to have is all the competitors facing the bandstand to make it easier for attendees to see who is competing.”
Currently, about 20 to 25 vendors will be present for the festival, but Isaac said the numbers can increase. Persons interested in becoming a vendor, providing a sponsorship, or donation can reach Isaac at 470-313-0515 or by email at kalaloofestival@gmail.com.

For Isaac, hosting this festival is ironic because she never liked cooking growing up.
“I have been cooking approximately 22 years,” said Isaac. “When I was growing up, I didn’t like the kitchen. When she [my mom] wasn’t looking I would throw a lil tip of her lil seasonings inside of her food when she was cooking, and I was like ‘Okay, I have something here going’.”
Isaac added that callaloo is one of her favorite dishes to make, especially seafood kallaloo.
“For kallaloo it’s a very distinct dish and nobody really knows much about it, especially the tourists,” said Isaac. “Kallaloo is a dish that’s not mainly made every single day … For a parent to cook it at home consistently, that rarely happens.”
Isaac said she is taking the Kallaloo Festival to Atlanta, Georgia, next year.
“I’m thinking on doing other festivals as well, thinking of using our fruits, using soursops and sugar apples. Thinking about doing a grill festival as well,” she said. “I’ve been receiving a lot of feedback and calls. It’s a lot of work behind the scenes because it’s just me alone, so I just thank God because He gave me this vision and He gave it to me for a reason. I was actually speaking to a Crucian when I started it [Kallaloo Festival] and he said ‘Do it. This event can be such a big event, even if it’s just 10 people who come.’”
Isaac ended by saying she hopes for the government to create a budget for the different festivals to help offset costs.
“It can be a big thing for the islands, for everyone to win,” said Isaac.