December 2005

Welcome to the latest edition of CA Focus, AARP California's electronic newsletter for volunteers, members and friends.

CA Focus is sent to subscribers automatically every quarter. If a friend has forwarded this newsletter to you, you may sign up to receive it automatically by going to www.cafocus.org/subscribe.htm. If you do not want to receive it, please click the unsubscribe button at the bottom of this email. Otherwise, please feel free to share it with as many friends as you feel might be interested in keeping up with what's happening at AARP California. If your friends do not have email, hand them a printout, or let us know and we can send them one via U.S. Mail.

If you have a story idea or wish to provide "your story" related to one of our key issues, please email CAFocus@aarp.org. Thanks. We hope you enjoy learning a little more about all that is going on with our volunteers around the state.

AARP Volunteers Play Key Role in Defeat of Proposition 78
On November 8, California voters emphatically rejected Proposition 78, a voluntary prescription drug discount plan sponsored by the pharmaceutical industry, which had vowed to take the proposal to the electorate state-by-state if it passed in California. AARP California was the primary opposition to the measure, running a direct-mail and telephone campaign focused on educating our members. Volunteers throughout the state were a vital part of the campaign, making hundreds of phone calls encouraging voters to go to the polls on Election Day and vote “no” on Prop 78.
Full Story

Staff and Volunteers Team Up for Statewide Medicare Part D Education Campaign
AARP California staff and volunteers have fanned out across the state over the past few months to educate members and the public about the new Medicare prescription drug benefit, also known as "Part D." Since June, AARP representatives have given more than 150 presentations in English and Spanish on the new benefit to diverse groups including: hospitals, AARP chapters and community presence teams, retiree groups, senior centers, aging workshops, older adult classes, nutrition sites, social work and nursing groups, health promotion groups, commissions on aging, and numerous other conferences and events.
Full Story

AARP Teams with KCET to Honor Adult Caregivers
AARP California teamed with PBS affiliate KCET to present the first “Local Caregiver of the Year Awards” at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles on November 6, 2006. The University of Southern California Andrus Gerontology Center, the Los Angeles Caregiver Resources Center, the Alzheimer's Association, and the Los Angeles County Department of Aging collaborated in helping build awareness for the project and in securing candidate nominations for the prestigious award.
Full Story

California Hosts Employer Conference on Caregiver Issues
AARP California hosted “Visions of a Changing Workforce,” a forum aimed at helping employers understand the issues associated with an aging population, especially the growing number of working family caregivers. The forum, which took place on Thursday, November 3, 2005, was also designed to provide resources to help employers address these workplace issues and the associated costs.

Held at the Mission Inn in Riverside, the event was attended by more than 100 employers. The keynote address was delivered by Ron Moore, founder of Family Care America, creator of the American Business Cares initiative, and an emerging authority on how the aging of America will affect businesses.

AARP Hosts Grandparents as Guardians Conference in Oakland
More than 200 people attended Grandparents as Guardians, AARP's first conference for grandparents raising grandchildren.

The event, which took place on Saturday, October 15, at the Taylor Memorial United Methodist Church in Oakland, was designed as part of AARP's ongoing outreach efforts to minority grandparent caregivers in the Bay Area.
Full Story

AARP Members Meet Actors at Movie Premier
More than 200 AARP members from the Los Angeles area attended an exclusive movie premier at USC on Sunday, October 16. The occasion was the DVD release of the film “Made-Up,” directed by Emmy-winning actor Tony Shalhoub, who currently stars in the popular television series “Monk”.
Full Story

San Diego Volunteers Enjoy at Day at Sea World
Nearly 100 volunteers joined in the fun on November 15th as the San Diego/Imperial region held its annual Volunteer Appreciation Day event at SeaWorld in San Diego. The day began with a special animal presentation about penguins, which allowed volunteers to learn about and interact with the birds.