by Eileen O'Callaghan, Senior Program Coordinator
Eileen O'Callaghan, Senior Program Coordinator
Cara Club ~ Brighton
Due to the severe weather circumstances this week the Cara Club was canceled. Our thoughts and sympathies are with all those affected by hurricane Sandy. Next Monday at the Cara Club we look forward to welcoming trivia enthusiast Neil Hurley. Neil will lead the group in an exciting and thought provoking trivia quiz. We look forward to seeing you all there for some lively entertainment and freshly baked goodies. All are welcome!
Café Eireann ~ Dorchester
Friends new and old gathered at Café Eireann this week. Although the boys of the Catholic Memorial School could not join us due to weather circumstances, all had a wonderful morning. The group enjoyed hearing about and telling stories of Halloween traditions in Ireland and the spooky beginnings of Halloween in Celtic Ireland. A special thanks to all the volunteers who made this morning such a success, as always. Next week Neil Hurley will also pay a visit to Café Eireann. Neil will test our knowledge on a wide range of topics, with special emphasis on the 1950’s and 60’s. All are welcome for what will be an engaging and fun morning!
Never Underestimate the Power of Your Vote: Many elections are decided by only a few votes. Recently, in one contest for the Massachusetts House, the election ended in a tie! Enthusiasm can win an election, just as apathy can lose it.
Knowledge is power! There are many issues, critical to the senior community, being debated in this election cycle. At the national level, there are many policies and programs around such issues as Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and the recently enacted Affordable Care Act (healthcare reform) which are all very important to seniors.
It is important to educate yourself regarding what positions each candidate has on these key issues. There are also many local races, like those for Massachusetts Senator and Representative Seats which will elect people who will have a say in how the Bay State budget looks in the coming years. In addition, there are three ballot initiatives (questions) to vote on this year, including one on assisted suicide, which could directly affect seniors in MA, (Michael Forbes Wilcox, 2012).
We would like to remind you that Only US citizens can vote however, and we remind legal permanent residents that a false claim to US citizenship is a deportable offense.
~ ‘Nobody will ever deprive the American people of the right to vote except the American people themselves and the only way to do this is by not voting’, (Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1944).
Please feel free to call Eileen at 617-265-5300 x13 for more information on IPC Senior Citizen Outreach Program activities and services.