Fall Newsletter September 2011 (reprinted – originally sent to all CARP members by email)
ATTENTION ZOOMERS
Your CARP Chapter here on Vancouver’s North Shore is getting active and we want you to get involved!
CARP has a new vision for aging…….
• CARP is the leading champion of a new vision for aging for 14.5 million Canadians 45-plus and those who care for them
• CARP is committed to promote social change that will bring financial security, equitable access to health care and freedom from discrimination to all Canadians as they age
• Collectively by contributing our ideas, our energy and our unique experience CARP members have the power o to influence government policy o to improve lifestyle by leverage buying power o to make a difference in our community
MEET AND GREET
An Opportunity to network with others who share the CARP vision…. An invitation to volunteer and be part of the North Shore Zoomer team as we create an agenda that works for us….
Wed. Sept. 14th NOT Tues. Sept.13th 6:30-8:30pm Churchill House Retirement Community 150 West 29th Street, North Vancouver
ADVOCACY PRIMER UPDATE With Susan Eng/AGM Meeting
CARP’s Vice President, Advocacy is a fiery (powerful/passionate) speaker. She will update the status of CARP’s primary positions on pension reform, access to health care and other issues of concern. She will be looking for input from North Shore CARP members about issues that concern us. Come out to listen – Come out to be heard and vote for your board Mon. Nov. 21st Keep checking our website www.carp.ca (NorthShoreVancouver) for details
WORD ON THE STREET, VANCOUVER
Sun. Sept. 25 Library Square, we will be there! http://www.thewordonthestreet.ca/wots/vancouver
VANCOUVER ZOOMER SHOW
Saturday & Sunday November 19 & 20 Vancouver Trade & Convention Centre
Chair’s Report and Hello…. Hello friends and fellow members. Hoping that you have enjoyed a wonderful summer taking time to enjoy the wonderful vistas we share here on the North Shore. I have enjoyed riding my new bike with my husband, having my daughter home from Queens University, a teenage son who is eating us out of house and home and trail walks with our dog Mel! Getting outside and being surrounded by friends and family makes me feel so alive.
I do however look forward to getting back to some routine and lacing up my hockey skates as I prepare to play hockey on my all female team The Stanley Cupcakes – a wonderful group of North Shore woman 45+ who have taken life by storm and who like me, feel that age is no barrier to enjoying a full life. I did also discover this year when attending the BC Health Active Aging Symposium 2011 that the Ministry of Health, Director Seniors’ Healthy Living is also a female hockey player! Look for a story in the next Zoomer Magazine about a local North Shore mother/daughter who share the love of the sport of hockey also one of my teammates. I do continue to enjoy writing stories for the local community paper about living as a boomer and share them with you on our NorthShoreVancouverCARP website. CARP is about drawing the range of ages 45 to 100+ together so collaboratively we can learn from one another and make our communities a better place to live. One of the current board members say’s it very well, “This board would like to be part of the great big voice that works to improve health care and social well being of boomers while encouraging them to get involved as a CARP member so they too can be instrumental in this change”.
Zoomers account for 58 percent of all consumer spending, spent $1.5 billion in online purchases and they buy 80% of health care so we need to have a voice. Those who know me say that I have a contagious appetite for meeting new people and helping them to live their best life and proudly, I can say that my board shares this same passion. We can’t wait to meet you and to learn from you.
I continue to be proud to represent the CARP membership here on the North Shore and appreciate the team of volunteers who put so much of their own personal time into supporting our membership. I am indebted to Jennifer Abbott, Heather Grue, Helen Wright, Nicole Shandler and not to forget the support staff in Toronto who help chapter chairs like myself stay effective and connected. They are a big force behind the success of CARP and the growth of our regional chapters. I will be attending the Toronto Zoomer Show and CARP AGM in October 2011 and look forward to networking with the other chapters from across Canada. Continuous improvement is important as a leader and your board is always looking at more effective ways to improve our representation of our members locally.
We look forward to our Sept 14th meeting (NOTE rescheduled from Sept 13 as promoted in Zoomer Magazine) so that we can rally up new energy and utilize the volunteers that are eager to help out this year. This is your association and we want to support you. Comments and suggestions always welcome! Please find your way to our Social Media sites and to our website as this is where you will find the most up-to-date information about meetings and events. Warmly, Denise Kelly
HERE’S WHAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING FOR OUR CARP MEMBERS…
ACTIVE AGING SYMPOSIUM JUNE 2011, VANCOUVER
Bruce Bird and I attended the symposium on behalf of our regional CARP members. It was a great opportunity to promote our new vision of aging to an audience who has likely not yet heard about CARP. Our CARP booth was very busy and I personally spoke to many prospects that had never seen the Zoomer magazine or thought the organization was only for those who were retired. Being able to share why at 48 years I got involved gave them insight that this organization might also be for them!
I share the summary from Bruce Bird: The Healthy Aging Symposium, presented by the B.C. Ministry of Health. Dr. Margaret MacDiarmid Dr. Margaret MacDiarmid, Parliamentary Secretary for seniors to the Minister of Health, opened the session. She pointed out that: • Chronic disease management will be crucial in the future. • Chronic diseases will increase by 60% in BC over the next 25 years. • A healthy lifestyle can reduce chronic disease by 80%. • A new government initiative, Healthy Families BC, will encourage people to manage their own health. Silas Brownsey Silas Brownsey, Seniors’ Healthy Living Secretariat, MC for the event, said: • Planning for old age is critical, but to most people, planning is anathema. • People don’t like to admit to growing old. • The recent financial crisis caused people to think about planning for old age. Keynote Speaker Dr. John Millar, MD, FRCP(C ), MHSc. Dr. John Millar, Executive Director, Population and Public Health, Provincial Health Services Authority (on leave), gave the keynote address. Read more … http://www.carp.ca/advocacy/adv-article-display.cfm?documentID=5999
CAPILANO UNIVERSITY ELDER COLLEGE CONFERENCE MAY 2011
denise Kelly attended this conference at Capilano University promoted as a No Limits To Learning with representatives from all corners of the province including Vancouver Island, Kootenays, Caribou, Lower mainland and Fraser Valley. Like minded, passionate about lifelong learning were inspired to continue to promote education in our communities with no age barrier. Over 100 people were in attendance with strong keynote speakers. We are working to establish a CARP on Campus program with Elder College and are looking for volunteers who are interested in facilitating this new project. Capilano University also welcomes CARP’s own advocate Susan Eng to speak to the registered participates at Hugh Millar’s Elder College Issues and Ideas class this November 2011. Watch for the TEDxCapU event (www.tedxcapu.com). Learn more about Elder College http://www.capilanou.ca/ce/Eldercollege/
UBC STAFF PENSION PLAN FAIR, MAY 2O11@UBC
CARP was invited to exhibit at the lunchtime fair for union team members 11:30-1:30. Heather Grue and I hosted a table to promote CARP. We spoke to over 75 people about CARP and the vision of new aging. This group was most interested in the benefits of CARP and most conversations were around this and that we are trying to help people be proactive. “UBC provides several programs and resources to assist its staff, faculty, and community with retirement planning” http://www.pensions.ubc.ca/staff/search.html
AGING REVOLUTION TRADE SHOW, WEST VANCOUVER JUNE 2011
CARP was invited to participate in a large healthy aging fair in West Vancouver biggest shopping mall. We received mention on all their media releases and on their event website and mention in the local paper as a participant in the 8 piece event flyer in the North Shore News community paper. Jennifer Abbott, CARP Board member and owner of Hear at Home kindly shared her table with CARP and handed out Zoomer Magazines and displayed the banner. We handed out information promoting membership discounts and upcoming events. This helped create great word of mouth for CARP and as a result we are starting to put a face on CARP here on the North Shore! Dr. Art Hister, Don Copeman, (Copeman Healthcare Centres) and Patty Randall (long term care specialist) all drew a strong crowd to the event and were the key note speakers.
YOUR CURRENT NORTHSHOREVANCOUVER CARP TEAM:
Denise Kelly – Chapter Chair Marketing Consultant and TheBoomerVine ambassador
Jennifer Abbott – Social Media Owner, Hear at Home
Heather Grue – Communications Marketing Consultant
Nicole Shandler – Marketing Sales Manager, Churchill House Retirement Community
Volunteer Coordinator – vacant
Helen Grant – Treasurer ReMax, North Vancouver
Follow us at http://www.carp.ca/NorthVancouver/index.cfm Twitter @ NorthShoreCARP Facebook North Shore CARP (Chapter 4) [email protected]
Article By: Denise Kelly
