Advocacy

Advocates for Senior Issues

Join Advocates for Senior Issues for their monthly meeting on Friday, November 15, 2024 at 10 am located at the Salvation Army Kroc Center. There will be a special pinning ceremony for Veterans to honor their service.

See the meeting packet here.

Be sure to arrive early and bring a friend!

Questions? Contact Sheri Harris, Director of Advocacy and Planning, at SheriH@aaawm.org.


 

Special Veteran Program- Nov 15

Dear AFSI Veteran, AFSI Member, and Veteran Advocates!

The Advocates For Senior Issues Committee is pleased to invite you to a special Veterans Program for our November 15, 2024 meeting!

In honor of Veterans Day, we will have a “Veterans Pinning Ceremony” recognizing, honoring, and thanking our AFSI members who are Veterans! We will also Honor & Remember those who never returned home with a special POW/MIA Ceremony.

In addition, we encourage our AFSI Members to invite a Veteran they may know, so they can be honored on this special occasion!

Attached you will find a Veteran Biography Form. Veterans are encouraged to complete this form with information they are “comfortable sharing”.

During the formal ceremony, the information provided will be condensed and read aloud as each Veteran is individually honored by a fellow Veteran/Veteran Service Organization Member.  Each Veteran will be “Pinned” and will receive a “Certificate of Thanks” for their service on behalf of the AFSI.

To ALL Veterans, know that regardless of your time of service, or place of service, YOU served, and we would be privileged to Honor & Thank you!

Should you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Margaret Howard, AFSI Secretary at 616.330.8881.

On behalf of the AFSI Committee, we look forward to you joining us at this special meeting as we Honor & Remember those who served!

With gratitude,

Margaret Howard

AFSI Secretary

616.330.8881


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Want to get involved? You can join AFSI as an individual through membership or as an organization as a sponsor. 

AFSI Membership

Couples are defined as two people living in the same residence.

Upcoming meetings

15
Nov
10:00 am - 12:00 pm

What does Advocates for Senior Issues do?

The Advocates for Senior Issues is a non-partisan group empowering seniors through education and advocacy. The group meets regularly to: 

Advocate

Meetings include legislators who speak on current issues and answer questions from the audience. Strategy groups meet prior to the meetings to address dementia, healthcare, and issues relating to long-term care.

Learn

The program portion of the meetings educates members on topics affecting Kent County seniors' quality of life.

Build Community

Members socialize with others of like interests who are active and informed. Many members also engage in activities outside of the group.

History

The Advocates for Senior Issues boasts a membership of over 300+ older adults and organizations. 

Through a long-standing partnership with the Area Agency on Aging of Western Michigan, the Advocates have been the leading senior advocacy group in Kent County since 1982.

The group was instrumental in bringing the Medicaid Waiver program to Kent County in 1992, making it one of the first counties in the state to have this cost efficient program to help aging individuals remain in their own homes.

In 1998, 2006, 2014, and 2022 the Advocates for Senior Issues led the campaigns for the Kent County Senior Millage renewal. 

Members meet regularly with legislators to discuss issues that directly affect the quality of life of seniors.

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What does Advocates for Senior Issues do?

The Advocates for Senior Issues is a non-partisan group empowering seniors through education and advocacy. The group meets regularly to: 

Advocate

Meetings include legislators who speak on current issues and answer questions from the audience. Strategy groups meet prior to the meetings to address dementia, healthcare, and issues relating to long-term care.

Learn

The program portion of the meetings educates members on topics which affect the quality of life for Kent County seniors.

Socialize

Members socialize with others of like interests who are active and informed. Many members also engage in activities outside of the group.

History

The Advocates for Senior Issues boasts a membership of over 350 older adults and organizations. 

Through a long-standing partnership with the Area Agency on Aging of Western Michigan, the Advocates have been the leading senior advocacy group in Kent County for over 30 years.

The group was instrumental in bringing the Medicaid Waiver program to Kent County in 1992, making it one of the first counties in the state to have this cost efficient program to help aging individuals remain in their own homes.

In 1998, 2006, and 2014, the Advocates for Senior Issues led the campaigns for the Kent County Senior Millage renewal and increase. 

Members meet regularly with legislators on issues such as in-home care options, state and federal budget cuts and elder abuse legislation. 

In 2012, senior advocates played a major role in getting 11 elder abuse bills signed into law.

Learn about upcoming meetings by visiting www.advocatesforseniorissues.org