Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / July 23, 2009, edition 1 / Page 7
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Rand fnm page A2 bill just introduced on Capitol Hill last week, health care reform now dominates the conversation on Capitol Hill. This makes it a captious time for the senior lobbying group; older Americans are facing runaway health care and liv ing costs, compounded by evaporated retirement sav ings. With many unable to retire or get work, 50+ America is being hit especial ly hard by the recession. AARP has a powerful advocacy engine at the state level. It has over nine million volunteers and activists across the country and regional offices in all 50 states. "We have some opportuni ty to push forward," Rand says. "As an example, most of the states control most of the long-term health care legisla tion, as opposed to the federal |government|. We can give more support to the states in their efforts to bring about change. The volunteer work that we have is best at the ground level, in the communi ties." While spurring social change on -the-outside, Rand and his executive team must also address the lack of diver sity that exists within its member ranks. AARP's mem bership is 88.5 percent White while its Black membership is less than 5 percent, according to Edna Kane- Williams, AARP's vice president of African-American member outreach. Months before hiring Rand. AARP resolved that it must strengthen its, recruiting efforts in order to attract more members of color. "[Rand] almost becomes a billboard for our efforts," Kane-Williams said. "He's not the CEO of the African American community, but certainly him being African American helps us make the point that AARP is an organi zation that cares about the African-American community and that we are ready to work hand-in-hand to improve the quality of lives of older African- Americans." Voting from page A? disinterest, down from 37 per cent in 2004. Among other findings: ? The decline in percentage turnout was the first in a presi dential election since 1996. At that time, voter participation fell to 58.4 percent - the low est in decades - as Democrat Bill Clinton won an easy re election over Republican Bob Dole amid a strong economy. ? The voting rate in 2008 was highest in the Midwest (66 percent). The other regions were about 63 percent each. ? Minnesota and the District of Columbia had the highest turnout, each with 75 percent. Utah and Hawaii - Obama's birth state - were among the lowest, each with 52 percent. Frey The fig ures are the latest to highlight a generational rift between younger, increasingly minority voters and an older white pop ulation. A recent Pew Research Center poll found almost 8 in 10 people believe there is a major difference in the point of view of younger and older peo ple today, mostly over social values. It was the largest gen eration gap since divisions 40 years ago over Vietnam, civil rights and women's liberation. Last November, voters under 30 cast ballots for Obama by a 2-to-l ratio. Still, because of their smaller num bers - in population and turnout -young voters weren't critical to the overall outcome and only made a difference in North Carolina and Indiana, according to Scott Keeter, Pew's director of survey research. The census figures are based on the Current Population Survey, which asked respondents after Election Day about their turnout. The figures for "white" refer to the whites who are not of Hispanic eth nicity. Clinic friun page A I The Southside center was conceptualized by area rest dents, who. during neighbor hood association meetings, identified a need for a med ical facility in the communi ty, says Lavastian Glenn, a member of the center's nine member board and a former employee of Neighbors for Better Neighborhoods. "It really was the neigh bors doing a scan and realiz ing that there weren't any medical providers on this side of town," Glenn related. The area has been classi fied by the federal govern ment as a "medically under served area," underlining the need for the center. Lord said. Keeping a center like Southside operational is a challenge, he said, because so manj of its patients are unable to pay the high premi ums most medical outlets enjoy. "It's really hard to pro vide care for so many people who are uninsured." he com mented. "You're getting paid less for (providing) the same services. You can get paid 70 percent more, in some cases, for doing the same thing (for insured patients)." Board members are plan ning to apply this summer to become a " Federally^ Southside United Health & Wellness Center by I a> la Fanner Board members Suzanne Newsome, Levastian Glenn, Physician Richard Lord and Board President Julius Davis. Qualified Health Center, which would allow them to "receive funding subsidization and other assistance to offset the cost of providing care to the uninsured population. "It takes special people to be involved with this," Board President Julius Davis said of the project. "There's no pay, there's no glory, and it's quite a bit of work. You have to have the right people in place to be able to pull some thing like this off " The center's leaders have a goal of employing three full time physicians at the center - which is currently open abbreviated hours and staffed by four part-time physicians, including Lord - by the fall. Bringing the project to fruition has been no small task. Since 2002, when the idea was conceived, board members and supporters have worked to establish the partnerships and procure the funding necessary to make it viable. "There have been some huge obstacles that have been overcome," remarked Board Member Suzanne Newsome, a dentist. "It's challenging, but 1 think it's a very important project, and I think it could (positively) affect a lot of people." The center will continue to grow and change as its leaders learn more about how to provide the best care to the community. Lord said. "This is a work in progress," he commented. "But the hoard members have a deep vision for seeing that this project continues to exist. We're very interested in hearing feedback from the community." The Southside United Health and Wellness Center, located at 3009 Waughtown St., is open Mondays and Wednesdays, from I p.m. to-5 p.m.. and Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information, call [33()\ 293S730. Nationwide Insurance 1-877-Nationwide ? nationwide.com IAIV THE REACH-OUT-TO THE COMMUNITY GUY I am Lu Yarbrough III, AVP, Channel Marketing. My job at Nationwide Insurance? is to increase your financial awareness. I team up with community leaders and finance experts to bring resources that help you to provide your family with a secure financial future. I teach everything from selecting the right life insurance or retirement plan, to saving for your child's college education. It's my job to always have your best interest in mind. I am On^Your^Side" . Switch to Nationwide Insurance and save up to $523. Call 1-877-Nationwide or your local agent today. Underwritten by Nationwide Mutual Ins. u ancc Company and Afftliat* i( < mpanie* Co'umbua < )H Sub]e< t ?<> ..nderwi.t 5 au U ine* review and approval Products and discount* not available to everyone everywhere! Av?rag? anrtuai MvinoibM?d cm national p yhotd lata ttw .? f ?? ?? to f Monw ? Nat ? . . ? ? . . leframemeHislidOfiYlaiwSdewwsefykse' [_? '? -? 'j."-- i ? N' iMai <???. i .
Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
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