White House Conference on Aging to Being With Service Project

Nov. 28, 2005 – With the White House Conference on Aging only days away, the delegates are being invited to help renovate a building used by Latino senior citizens in Washington D.C. and the policy committee has finalized 73 resolutions to be presented to the delegates. The theme for the 2005 White House Conference on Aging is "The Booming Dynamics of Aging: From Awareness to Action."

	Related Stories
	White House Seeks State Aging Solutions By Christine Vestal, Stateline.org Staff Writer Nov. 18, 2005 - On the brink of the first baby boomers turning 60, the White House is about to assemble 1,200 state delegates to focus on ways state aging departments, the private sector and federal officials can gird for the nation’s much-heralded retirement stampede. Read more... List of Delegates Released for White House Conference on Aging Input for conference has been provided by 350 events Sept. 7, 2005 - The 2005 White House Conference on Aging (WHCoA) has announced the names of At-Large delegates who will participate in the WHCoA from December 11 to 14, 2005 at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, DC. Read more... Agenda Taking Shape for White House Conference on Aging Aug. 23, 2005 – A draft agenda for the White House Conference on Aging has been released. It focuses on six areas: retirement planning, working in later life, livable communities for older Americans, health and long-term care, social involvement and the change in the marketplace for seniors. Read more...

The fifth White House Conference on Aging (WHCoA) –the first of the 21st Century - will be held in Washington, D.C. from December 11 to 14 and is open to the public.

White House Conferences on Aging occur once a decade and have served as catalysts for the development and enhancement of national, state and local aging policies in the United States.

The mission is to make aging policy recommendations to the President and Congress, and to assist the public and private sectors in promoting dignity, health, independence and economic security of current and future generations of older persons.

The volunteer service project will take place from 10:00 am to 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, December 11 at the Educational Organization for United Latin Americans (EOFULA), located one block from the conference hotel – the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, 2660 Woodley Road, NW.

The service project highlights one of the key policy tracks of the White House Conference on Aging – the importance of civic and social engagement, say the organizers.

"Older Americans – and particularly the 77 million Baby Boomers starting to approach retirement age – represent an unprecedented opportunity for social good," says their message to delegates.

"As the largest, healthiest, most energetic, best-educated generation in history, Baby Boomers are a powerful resource that can be tapped to serve as mentors for at-risk youth, provide independent living support for seniors, and meet other vital community needs," it continued.

The project is organized by the Corporation for National and Community Service and the Washington DC Jewish Community Center.

The building is for the Educational Organization for United Latin Americans at 1842 Calvert St. EOFULA is a community-based non-profit agency dedicated to serving Spanish-speaking senior citizens. It provides counseling, recreational programs, transportation, health information, and a daily lunch.

Policy Committee Actions

Last week, on November 22, the WHCoA Policy Committee voted unanimously to approve 73 resolutions to send to the WHCoA delegates for their review.

These resolutions are based on public input solicited by the WHCoA over the past 15 months from testimony and reports submitted at nearly 400 Listening Sessions, Solutions Forums, Mini-Conferences, and Independent Aging Agenda Events as well as general public input that has been received by the WHCoA.

Though these resolutions reflect diverse opinions and are not specifically endorsed by the Policy Committee, the Policy Committee believes that they accurately reflect the emerging issues, interests, and concerns of individuals who participated in these events as well as the unsolicited input from across the country.

Delegates will be asked to vote on up to 50 resolutions and develop implementation strategies that they believe are "the most important for current and future generations of seniors."

Following are links to more information.

● Chairman's Letter to Delegates (PDF)

● Policy Committee Members:

Honorable Dorcas R. Hardy, Chairman

Alejandro Aparicio, MD

Barbara B. Kennelly

Robert Blancato

Hon. Howard P. McKeon (R-CA)

Hon. Larry Craig (R-ID)

Hon. Jim Nicholson

Clayton Fong

Thomas E. Gallagher