Creating Community for a Lifetime
Update Report July, 2005

in this issue

Granholm Establishes LTC Office and Commission

CCFL Update

Calendar

The Big Picture

Boomer News


 

Granholm Establishes LTC Office and Commission


A Long Term Care Supports and Services Office as well as a Long Term Care Supports and Services Advisory Commission have been created under an executive order signed by Governor Jennifer Granholm. The Office and Commission will be important resources for CCFL as we work to implement community recommendations.
Read more...


Creating Community for a Lifetime Sponsors


Ensuring Kent County is a community that optimizes quality of life, independence and choice for older persons and all residents through collaborative planning and community action.


  • CCFL Update
  • Congratulations goes out to the three work groups that have successfully completed their work! The Caregiving, Transportation, and Awareness of Services groups are sending their recommendations to the Core Council. In addition, the Social and Civic Engagement work group is well on its way to completing its recommendations. And, the Community Based Services work group will be launched on July 28. Read on for more information about each of the work groups:

    Affordable Housing and Home Modification Work Groups

    The Vision to End Homelessness is developing community recommendations that ensure the sufficiency and adequacy of housing in Kent County for all populations. CCFL will be monitoring their efforts and will create complementary recommendations once their process is complete. Click here for more information.

    Awareness of Services Work Group

    The CCFL Awareness of Services work group has completed the draft recommendations which address elder knowledge of services - especially for those who are isolated, of low income, or people of color - in order to ensure all elders can access needed information and available resources. Click here for more information.

    Caregiving Work Group

    CCFL worked in concert with the Caregiver Resource Network to develop recommendations that address support for elder caregivers. The group has completed a draft of the community recommendations for review by the Core Council. Click here for more information.

    Community Based Services Work Group

    The Community Based Services work group will hold its first meeting on July 28 at 9:00 a.m. The work group will be lead by co-chairs Andy Zylstra, Department of Human Services, and Tom Czerwinski, AAAWM. Please contact Nora Barkey at (616)222-7012 to join! Click here for more information.

    Social and Civic Engagement Work Group

    The Social and Civic Engagement work group is addressing the desire of older adults to maintain connections, to remain active through volunteer or paid activities, and to have opportunities to share their experience, creativity and wisdom in order to ensure that Kent County benefits from the contributions of older persons. Click here for more information.

    Transportation Work Group

    The Kent County Emergency Needs Task Force Transportation Subcommittee created time on its agenda to discuss the needs of older adults and to develop recommendations. The final draft of recommendations has been completed and is being passed to the Core Council for its review. Click here for more information.

  • Calendar
  • Community Event - Save the Date

    The Advocates for Senior Issues, Area Agency on Aging of Western Michigan, and Grand Rapids Community Foundation will be co-hosting a community-wide event during the morning of October 7, 2005 at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. The event will feature Washington Post columnist Abigail Trafford. Trafford is also the author of "My Time: Making the Most of the Rest of Your Life." More details will be released in the coming months. Mark your calendars now - you won't want to miss it!

    CCFL Meeting Dates

    For a complete listing of all upcoming CCFL meeting dates click here.

    Learning Opportunities

    Click here for a listing of upcoming forums and conferences throughout the region.

  • The Big Picture
  • Grand Rapids Older Adults Featured in New York Times Article

    "Living with Social Security: Small Dreams and Safety Nets" by John Leland and Jodi Wilgoren graced the front page of the New York Times on Sunday, June 19, 2005. The article featured in-depth interviews with area residents exploring their views on Social Security reform and how they are fairing as current Social Security recipients. Read more...

  • Boomer News
  • New Survey Explores Boomers' Work Interests in Retirement

    "Half of Americans age 50 to 70 want jobs that contribute to the greater good now and in retirement," according to the recently released MetLife Foundation/Civic Ventures New Face of Work Survey. That is one of many key findings from a nationwide survey of 1,000 Americans in their 50's (boomers) and 60's (pre-boomers) conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International.

    The survey results show:

    • Half of all Americans age 50 to 70 want work that helps others.
    • Second careers in the retirement years are about people, purpose and community.
    • Many think it won't be easy to find second careers doing good work and strongly support public policy changes to remove obstacles.

    For more information on the MetLife Foundation/Civic Ventures New Face of Work Survey click here.

    The Boomers' Guide to Good Work

    With support from MetLife Foundation, Civic Ventures has published "The Boomers' Guide to Good Work: An Introduction to Jobs That Make a Difference." This 16-page pamphlet, written by Ellen Freudenheim (author of Looking Forward: An Optimist's Guide to Retirement), is designed to help baby boomers find public service jobs - whether full or part time - in the second half of life. It offers advice on seeking work in critical fields such as education and health care, and provides links to dozens of web sites listing resources and jobs in the nonprofit sector. To read the guide online or download a PDF of the printed version, click here.


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