Join us for the Sumner Dems Elder Caucus Launch! This caucus is open to all ages but will focus in on the issues that affect our elder population.

This meeting will be the official launch of the SCDP Elder Caucus. While officers will be elected, this will also be a time to get to know your fellow caucus members (and bring a friend or two as well!). Join us at 7:00 PM at the office - feel free to bring a snack to share!

Read more from your organizers here:

Announcing the opening of the Elder Caucus! The SCDP has a commitment to improving the lives of our elders by encouraging them to stay engaged in life and also by identifying unmet needs and supporting solutions.

The Elder Caucus is a group of volunteers of any age who will identify priorities and plans of action to benefit elders age 65 and up. Here are a few initial ideas of things we might consider:

1) Brief training about ageism that lulls our elders into deciding they are used up and should spend their remaining years watching television. The alternative includes living a healthier and more satisfying life for decades to come; this would include service to others, at least part of the time. This assists in fighting the feeling of being cast aside and purposeless. It would help renew the sense of personal agency that our society strips away as people age.

2) Encouraging and assisting activism among elders. This might include phone banking, poll watching, and intergenerational activities such as tutoring, reading stories, or sharing life experiences from 70 years ago.

3) Another possibility would be shooting videos encouraging people to vote for budgets and agencies that support our elders featuring real elders - not paid actors!

4) Assisting elders with setting up letter-writing and phone-calling campaigns to our county, state, and federal representatives.

Those are just a few quick possibilities. We welcome your ideas.

For more information, call Kort Nygard at 615-289-3928.