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Are you or someone you know a member of the east Austin senior community, and need assistance with Medicare Part D Enrollment or a flu shot? Catholic Charities of Central Texas, in partnership with the Texas Department of Insurance, Travis County Health Department, and the Area Agency on Aging is sponsoring a community outreach, Medicare Part D Enrollment, on Friday, November 21st, 2008 from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at their main office at 1817 East 6th Street, Austin, TX. 78702. (Caridades Católicas de Tejas Central, en sociedad con el departamento de Tejas de Seguro, el departamento de la salud del condado de Travis, y la agencia del área en el envejecimiento están patrocinando ayuda a la comunidad, con inscripción de la parte D de Seguro de enfermedad Medicare y prescripciones de medicinas, el viernes 21 de noviembre de 2008 del 10:00 de la mañana hasta las 2:00 de la tarde en su oficina principal en 1817 la calle seis del este, Austin, TX. 78702. ) In addition to the Medicare Part D Enrollment, free flu shots will be available on a first come first served basis. The target audience for this event is the east Austin senior community as well as Catholic Charities internal clients. Their mission is to help with the high costs of prescriptions by equipping participants with knowledge and access to the on-line open enrollment, in a safe, friendly environment. Several bilingual staff and volunteers will be available to help seniors access their information. Catholic Charities […]

Do you smoke or know someone who does? The American Cancer Society, over at sharinghope.tv, is sponsoring a video contest–tell the story of how you quit smoking in a video, and upload it to their website. The prize is very cool–a brand new Flip camera. Click here to get the details on the contest.

From yesterday’s NY Times, a must-read article about nutrition and a low-income diet: The World Bank says nearly a billion people around the world live on a dollar a day, or even less; in the United States, the daily food-stamp allowance is typically just a few dollars per person, while the average American eats $7 worth of food per day. Last year, Dr. Drewnowski led a study, published in The Journal of the American Dietetic Association, comparing the prices of 370 foods sold at supermarkets in the Seattle area. The study showed that “energy dense” junk foods, which pack the most calories and fewest nutrients per gram, were far less expensive than nutrient-rich, lower-calorie foods like fruits and vegetables. The prices of the most healthful foods surged 19.5 percent over the two-year study period, while the junk food prices dropped 1.8 percent. Do you think it’s possible to eat healthy on a dollar a day in Central Texas? Click here to read the entire article.

Today is Election Day! Your vote counts! Use the power of advocacy and vote! Find your Voting Site today! Check out the Stateman’s Voting Guide! Mando

A sobering article appeared yesterday in the Austin American Statesman. There are plenty of misconceptions about who the uninsured are in this state, and this article helps dispel some of them. When we partnered with The Ray Marshall Center at UT, to research the most pressing health and human service issues facing Central Texas, we received similar disturbing wake up calls about the reality of limited health care access in our community. Our new approach to funding Health-related programs is focused on filling gaps in community healthcare that need the most attention–because we know that with funding, volunteer and advocacy support, articles like this can be replaced with good news of more Central Texans receiving the healthcare access they deserve. An excerpt of the article: Texas still has more uninsured children than any other state, and a new analysis shows that those children aren’t who people may think. The majority of uninsured children in Texas — 89.5 percent — have at least one working parent, according to Families USA , a Washington-based nonprofit group that commissioned the analysis from the U.S. Census Bureau. “There’s some mythology about uninsured families and uninsured children, and that mythology essentially tends to think about the uninsured being people who are looking for a handout, who are seeking welfare, when the precise opposite is true,” said Ron Pollack , executive director of Families USA, which advocates making health care available to all Americans. “These are people who play by the rules. They work hard; they […]

Last night we had our 4th Annual Speaker Series with the noted political married pundits James Carville and Mary Matalin. Between the 2 of them, they have worked for every president for the last 25 years. They provided a fascinating insight for the over 600 attendees, into the world of politics and agreed to disagree on the outcome of this election race, and just about everything else for that matter. Thanks to everyone who generously supported the event, especially the main sponsors Wachovia. All photos are Courtesy Gregg Cestaro & GivingCityAustin.wordpress.com.

Austin Groups for the Elderly is celebrating a centennial anniversary. On Sunday November 2, the Historic AGE Building, located near the intersection of 38th Street and Guadalupe will celebrate 100 years of service to Central Texas. Opened in 1908 originally as the Confederate Women’s Home by the United Daughters of the Confederacy, the Historic AGE Building continues to care for one of Austin’s most vulnerable populations: the Elderly. The building also houses dozens of important Central Texas non-profits, including: Austin Voices for Education and Youth, Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) Texas, Elderhaven Adult Day Centers and Travis Audubon Society. Click here for the complete list. The Austin Groups for the Elderly will celebrate this anniversary on November 2, from 1-4PM at 3710 cedar street, Austin, Texas. Get a map to the AGE Building here.