Welcome to the September 2006 Seniors Digest

Don Moreland

We've got so much to tell you about this month! The Legislative Forum was a great success, and participants came out of the sessions energized and ready to continue to work for the rights of seniors and people with disabilities.

Numerous upcoming events this month also  provide opportunities to get involved. Caregivers are featured in the Digest this month as the Alzheimer's Association hosts the first annual African American Caregiver Forum on September 23. And in honor of National Grandparents Day (September 10), we take a look at Grandparents & Kinship Caregivers in Action, a group of grandparents raising grandchildren who are working to make things easier for other grandparents.

Wellness is also a focus for September:

• Sign up for the first Sound Steps Walk-N-Roll Funwalk on Wednesday, September 13.
  
  
• Learn about events throughout the area in honor of Fall Prevention Awareness Day on September 21.

Also in this issue....

• Exercise your brain with the "Book Bag Word Scramble"
  
  
• Find valuable online information in "Links You Can Use"

* More about Mary Paige and Marsha Miles

Mary Paige and Marsha Miles stuffed notebooks, pencils, and paper into book bags for two days straight, including one long late night overtime push to prepare for this year's Back 2 School Bash—an event providing free school supplies for southeast Seattle youth. Both Mary and Marsha are participants in the Rainier Beach Family Center's support group for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren. 

Mary Paige has attended the Grandparent Support Group at the Rainier Beach Family Center for three years. She is currently caring for five grandchildren ages 3-14, three of whom live with her full-time.  She has 23 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. Volunteer work has always been an important part of Mary's life, and when she isn't busy with her grandkids or her church, she likes to keep occupied by giving back to the community.  Before becoming involved with the support group, she volunteered in the food and clothing banks at the Operation Emergency Center. 

Marsha Miles has been attending the support group for over a year. After their first meeting, she was hooked.  She says, "The grandparents come from all walks of life and different circumstances...we learn from each other." Marsha is an inspired advocate on behalf of grandparents raising grandchildren and other kinship caregivers.  She says, "The world needs to know these people are out there. Most of the grandparents are trying to do this on their own with just their Social Security. There are a lot of resources to help them, but they need to be pointed in the right direction."

Both Mary and Marsha had a fun time volunteering for the Back 2 School Bash and will be there next year. Says Mary, "Time flew! We laughed and talked through the evening so we never thought it was hard work. We had a great team!" (See "Grandparents & Kinship Caregivers in Action" in this issue for more about this very active group.)