Thursday, March 11, 2010

CT Allaince for Retired Americans Meets Mar 26

The Peoples Center is a chapter of Alliance for Retired Americans.

Below is a notice of a special meeting of the CT ARA on Mar 26 from 10 am to 3 pm at the AFT offices in Rocky Hill. We will carpool. If you would like to attend, please leave a message at 203-624-8664.

See meeting notice below.


The CT Alliance for Retired Americans is 53,000 members strong. When this large number is mentioned at legislative hearings, public meetings and media contacts, it never fails to impress. However, this number alone is not enough to show the impact of our voice as we articulate those issues that are important to us as retired persons and to our families, including our children and grandchildren.

The key to our strength is to “organize.” Our purpose in organizing is three fold:

1.) We must organize to defend and improve the quality of our lives for ourselves and our children.

a. Right now, health care, Medicare programs and Social Security are under attack and we must be knowledgeable of and ready to speak to those issues.


2.) We must organize to recruit and develop volunteers, leaders, and activists in our local communities, and on the state level.

a. We want our members to clearly understand the issues for which we advocate and become involved in our advocacy.


3.) We must organize so that our CT Alliance is always bringing in new members.

a. The cliché “there is strength in numbers” is very true. We need to be able to communicate this to our members, so they will be encouraged to get involved and get active.


Organizing around the issues is our first goal. To that end, we are having an information and training session so that members can learn of the legislative issues that are our priorities, understand the implications if we don’t win on these issues, and plan strategies for achieving our goals.

We have planned an important meeting;

When: 10 A.M. Friday, March 26, 2010
Where: AFT CT offices at 35 Marshall Road, Rocky Hill, CT


Bob Kearney, ARA National Field Mobilization, will inform us on the national issues that effect seniors, and experts involved in the Connecticut struggle for services including falls prevention, Alzheimer Respite Care, Senior Dental services,
and Long Term Care will inform us on those issues.

The general membership meeting begins at 10 a.m. The information and training session will begin at 11 a.m. and end by 3 p.m. Lunch will be provided.

Thursday, March 4, 2010

March for America - Sun Mar 21 Bus to D.C.

Immigration Reform for New American Families
Economic Justice for All American Families


DEAR PEOPLES CENTER FRIENDS,

This is to invite you to participate in a bus trip and rally in Washington DC at no cost. You can be a part of the large "March FOR America" calling for immigration reform and economic justice for all families.

I attended a meeting yesterday at City Hall called by Mayor DeStefano. He is leading the New Haven mobilization to Washington DC on Sunday, March 21. Many church groups, community, youth and labor groups are involved as is Unidad Latina en Accion. The Peoples Center has been allocated one bus, and ULA has been allocated two buses.

Will you be one of the 50 people to travel with the Peoples Center? The bus will leave from Gateway Community College at Long Wharf at 6 am on Sunday, March 21 and will return to New Haven by 11 p.m. on the same day.

The election of President Barack Obama and the shift in Congress has unlocked many doors. It is up to the grass roots to push those doors open and walk through. Let's go together to the nation's capitol on Sunday March 21 and send a unity message that can get the ball rolling.

Please reply by Monday, March 8 (International Women's to reserve a seat on the Peoples Center bus. Call 203-624-8664.

Information from the March organizers is below.

In Solidarity,
Joelle


MARCH FOR AMERICA
Immigration Reform for New American Families
Economic Justice for All American Families

March 21, 2010
Interfaith Service at 1 p.m., March at 2 p.m.
National Mall
Washington, DC

Join thousands from across the country for the March for America in DC on March 21st to demand that President Obama and Congress keep their promise to enact comprehensive immigration reform for new American families and insist that
they act boldly to make the economy work for all American families.

We will give the President and Congress no choice but to act. For information on how you can participate, visit www.WeMarchForAmerica.org

Join our cell phone action network by texting “JUSTICE” to 69866 to receive the latest updates on the March for America and the fight for immigration reform.

March for America is organized by hundreds of grassroots organizations nationwide.

www.WeMarchForAmerica.org

Here are just a few of the national organizations sponsoring the March For America:

AFL-CIO
America’s Voice
Asian American Justice Center
Casa de Maryland
Center for American Progress
Campaign for Community Change
Coalition for Humane Immigration Reform of LA
Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc.
Ecumenical Advocacy Days
Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights
Interfaith Immigration Coalition
Fair Immigration Reform Movement
Jobs for America Now
Mexican Americans for Immigration Reform
National Council of La Raza
National Immigration Forum
National Korean American Service and Education Consortium
SEIU
UFCW
United Farm Workers
UNITE HERE
US Conference of Catholic Bishops