Harry Kiesler

President’s Message … Margaret Schieck

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Welcome to September, although the weather still feels like August.  At least we have Labor Day as a three-day weekend and Grandparents’ Day on September 10th to anticipate.  Let’s also remember that school is back in session, so drive carefully and be extra alert.

We have many upcoming events to look forward to.  The next Senior Safari at Happy Hollow will be on Thursday, September 28th.  Arrive between 9:00 and 9:55 a.m., and Admission and Parking are free.  In August, Ken and I saw two other Chapter 5151 members at the Picnic Basket where we happened to stop for a coffee break.  It’s worth the trip just to see the Giant Anteaters and to hear the zookeepers’ informative talks.

Saturday, September 30th, will be the next Lions Club glasses-sorting event. This takes place at the VISTA Center at 101 Bascom Ave. in San Jose near San Carlos. It starts at 9:00 a.m. and goes until 2:00 p.m. with a free lunch included.  It’s an easy way to earn 5 hours of volunteer activity.

We have received a grant from National AARP to reprint and update the trifold recruitment brochures.  We are working with ENCORE Printing in Campbell to get this accomplished.  Ken was the primary grant proposal writer for this project.  Thank you, Ken.

We are working on establishing a fundraising event with the Starbird Chicken Restaurant in the Pruneyard.  We should have more information in October.

Occasionally, we should brag about our Chapter’s accomplishments, so here goes.  So far in 2023, we have added 10 new members to our Chapter.  Over the past 3 years, 4 of our Volunteers of the Year have received awards from National AARP:  Thelma Bridges, Jeanne Ulrich, Harry Kiesler, and Mike Rose.  We are known by both State and National AARP organizations as one of the Chapters that actively contributes to our community.  Last year, our members put in over 4,000 hours of volunteer service.  Remember that every hour of service counts toward our total. We are also apparently known for the variety of programs we present to our members.  There is something for everyone!  Our speaker for September has presented programs to us in the past and she is always an interesting speaker. 

President’s Message … Margaret Schieck

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Happy 247th Birthday to The United States of America as of July 4th, 2023. It is the longest continuing democracy in the world, quite an achievement!

July 26th marks the 33rd anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990.  It still amazes me that people with disabilities have only had basic Civil Rights, such as access to housing, education and public buildings, etc. for only 33 years.

On another note, on a recent National AARP zoom presentation call, physicians were mentioning that as we get older our internal thermostats don’t react as quickly as they once did, so on these hot days it is important that we stay hydrated.  Keep taking drinks before you actually feel thirsty.

Our July program will feature a speaker from the Santa Clara County Fire Department.  The Program is on Safety at Home for Seniors, especially on Fall Prevention.  Feel free to bring a friend. This is an important issue for all of us. Visitors are always welcome.

The next glasses sorting event with the Lions Club will be on Saturday, July 29th, at the VISTA Center at 101 North Bascom Ave., near San Carlos St.  The event lasts from 9:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M.  Lunch is included.

Please remember that we have a Suggestion Box at each meeting.  If there is a particular topic that you would like us to explore, feel free to use the suggestion box.  If you have contact information for a particular speaker, include that with your suggestion.

Have a happy and safe Independence Day!  See you at the July 18th General Meeting. 

President’s Message … Margaret Schieck

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Here we are at the beginning of a month that supposedly comes “in like a lion,” but it feels more like a polar bear this year!  It is also Women’s History Month, so the best advice seems to be to stay warm and comfortable and watch some of the outstanding Women’s History Programs on PBS.

Speaking of Lions, our speakers for March will be talking about the Campbell-West San Jose Lions Club’s donated glasses program.  Some of our members will again participate in the glasses sorting event on Saturday, March 4th from 9:00-1:00 at the VISTA center on Bascom Ave.  Lunch is provided.

On March 12th, don’t forget to set your clocks AHEAD one hour for Daylight Savings Time.  After all, you wouldn’t want to be late for our Chapter meeting on the 21st, not to mention any other exciting events you may want to attend.

On St. Patrick’s Day, Friday, March 17th, several of Chapter 5151’s members will be singing in the annual fund-raising concert for Next Door Solutions to Domestic Violence.  The concert will be held at the Campbell United Methodist Church on Winchester at 7:30 P.M.  Tickets are $25.00 at the door.  If you have never attended this concert before, you are in for a treat.  Several local choruses combine to put on a great show to support this organization.  There is always a wonderful “massed chorus” finale.

I hope you all have a Happy St. Patrick’s Day and that we’ll see you on the 21st at our general meeting.

President’s Message … Margaret Schieck

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Welcome to February, the shortest month of the year, which can often seem like the longest.  At least we have Valentine’s Day and President’s Day to look forward to celebrating!

In January, thirty-two members of Chapter 5151 enjoyed our 28th anniversary luncheon at Casa Lupe.  At that time, we were pleased to announce that members of our local chapter had amassed 4,606.75 hours of volunteer service to the community in 2022.  That is impressive!  Many thanks to all of you who volunteered in any capacity in 2022.  Let’s keep it up in 2023.  Remember to keep reporting your volunteer activity hours to Leona Fails.

For those of you who like to plan in advance, the next opportunity to accrue volunteer hours at a “glasses sorting” day, in co-operation with the Lions Club, will be on Saturday, March 4th, starting at 9:00 a.m.  The event takes place at the Vista Center on Bascom Ave.  It is actually fun to work with new people and across many generations.

Ken and I had the pleasure of attending the 2nd anniversary celebration of the founding of The Campbell Press, which took place at the Pruneyard Doubletree Hotel on January 21st.  We got to meet and chat with other contributors to the newspaper as well as members of the Chamber of Commerce.  We may even pick up some speakers from these contacts.

Remember that AARP tax preparation assistance starts on February 3rd at the Campbell Community Center in room C-35 on Tuesdays from 1:00 to 4:00 PM and on Fridays from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM.

Tune in to PBS Great Performances on February 17th at 9:00 PM to catch the AARP Movies for Grownups Awards.  You may get some good tips about films and performances that resonate well with older adults.

Hope to see you at the February 21st meeting.

Here we are at the beginning of a month that supposedly comes “in like a lion,” but it feels more like a polar bear this year!  It is also Women’s History Month, so the best advice seems to be to stay warm and comfortable and watch some of the outstanding Women’s History Programs on PBS.

Speaking of Lions, our speakers for March will be talking about the Campbell-West San Jose Lions Club’s donated glasses program.  Some of our members will again participate in the glasses sorting event on Saturday, March 4th from 9:00-1:00 at the VISTA center on Bascom Ave.  Lunch is provided.

On March 12th, don’t forget to set your clocks AHEAD one hour for Daylight Savings Time.  After all, you wouldn’t want to be late for our Chapter meeting on the 21st, not to mention any other exciting events you may want to attend.

On St. Patrick’s Day, Friday, March 17th, several of Chapter 5151’s members will be singing in the annual fund-raising concert for Next Door Solutions to Domestic Violence.  The concert will be held at the Campbell United Methodist Church on Winchester at 7:30 P.M.  Tickets are $25.00 at the door.  If you have never attended this concert before, you are in for a treat.  Several local choruses combine to put on a great show to support this organization.  There is always a wonderful “massed chorus” finale.

I hope you all have a Happy St. Patrick’s Day and that we’ll see you on the 21st at our general meeting.

President’s Message … Margaret Schieck

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With a cold snap in the air, snow in the mountains and the promise of rain here, winter is making her presence known! 

December is also the month of Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, Hanukkah, Winter Solstice, Christmas, and Kwanzaa.  A lot of celebrations in one month!

Our December program will be an entertainment program for the first time in quite a while. Musicians from Harpers’ Hall will perform for us.  After a two-year hiatus due to COVID, we look forward to hearing them again.

Don’t forget to wear your most outrageous “Ugly Christmas” sweater or sweatshirt to our meeting on December 20th; there will be a prize for the most outlandish garment.

Don’t forget to see Lynda Martinez to make your reservation for the January Anniversary Luncheon at Casa Lupe on Winchester Blvd. in January.  There will be no general meeting on January 17th as the luncheon will take its place.  Remember to think about items to donate as door prizes for the luncheon.  You can bring them the day of the luncheon.  Just let Lynda or me know that you have a prize to donate so we will know how many we have to give away!

We will be celebrating the 28th anniversary of the founding of the Campbell Area Chapter 5151 of AARP.

Happy Holidays to all and hope to see you on December 20th.

President’s Message … Margaret Schieck

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Happy August to everyone.  August is a rather uneventful month with no national holidays, but at least August 7th is Friendship Day, so if there is someone you haven’t contacted in a while, pick up the phone or write a letter and let them know that you are thinking of them!  Otherwise, enjoy the summer.

On a more somber note, another Chapter of AARP has closed.  The San Bruno Chapter folded this past week.  This has happened due to not having members step up to take on leadership positions rather than due to lack of membership.  The San Bruno Chapter had no one willing to be President or Vice President or Treasurer.  If nobody takes on these roles, chapters must close.  In 2016, there were 200 active chapters in California.  Now there are only 14, according to the State Office.  We cannot function without leadership.  Please think more than twice about filling a vacant post.  Many thanks to Lynda Martinez for volunteering to be Social Chair.

For those of you who may be interested in a one-day opportunity for volunteering, the West San Jose/Campbell Lions club is asking for assistance on Saturday August 13th.  Remember all those old glasses we bring into meetings to be donated?  They need to be sorted, cleaned and packed for shipping.  This event will take place at the Vista Center for the Blind at 101 N. Bascom Ave., San Jose.  For more information send an e-mail to: bob@lionstewart.com

The next Senior Safari will take place on August 25th at Happy Hallow Park and Zoo.  This is a walking (or in my case, wheeling) event that is free for Seniors.  Arrive after 9:00, but before 10:00; parking and admission are free.  Ken and I are planning to attend on August 25th, as our pool exercise class is over for the summer.  We hope some of you will join us.

The Campbell Press article for August features some of the comments from David More regarding what he misses about AARP.  Try to pick up a copy.

President’s Message … Margaret Schieck

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Welcome to February!  Happy Valentines’ Day and Happy Lunar New Year!  This month is packed with all kinds of celebrations and commemorations.  It is Black History Month, Women’s Heart Health Month, The Olympics are starting, and there is also Presidents’ Day!

Unfortunately, it does not represent a return to in-person meetings month.  It has been determined that many of our members are nervous about returning to in-person meetings, so for February we will still be on ZOOM.  We are allowed to have up to 50 people at a meeting in-person, but that will have to wait until April.

In March, we will have our annual luncheon for members and guests.  Again, we can have up to 50 people.  The venue will be Casa Lupe at 2165 Winchester in Campbell.  Enter the parking lot from Cherry.  The date is March 15th and the time is 11:30 a.m.  It will be in a private room and Buffet Style.  The menu will consist of cheese or chicken enchiladas, beef burritos, rice and beans and sauteed seasonal vegetables.  Coffee, tea, water or a soft drink is included as well as tax and tip. Cost is $23.25 per person.  Please send checks in advance to Sharon Levine, Treasurer, at 4622 Calle De Farrar, San Jose, Ca. 95118-1914.  Checks should be made out to Chapter 5151 AARP and write “luncheon” in the memo line.  NO MONEY WILL BE COLLECTED AT THE DOOR.  The deadline for payment is March 8th.

I have been on several COVID-19 state and national calls and the advice is as follows:  1. Get your Vaccinations.  2. Wear your masks.  3. Get out and LIVE YOUR LIFE!  We need to start doing this again! This “surge” is supposed to disappear by mid- February.  In the meantime, wear a mask to the Community Center in April until further notice.

Depression and loneliness are taking lives as well as the virus.  The Suicide Hotline number is 855-278-4204.

Hope to see you in March if not on-line in February.

AARP February Meeting … Paul Levine and Ken Schieck

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The speaker for our February 15, 2022, meeting will be Steve Bird, the Executive Director of 408 Food Rescue & Distribution, a Division of Lighthouse Ministries.  After 38 years in the high-tech sector (engineer, manager, trainer, and business owner), Steve retired.  Shortly thereafter, his wife “volunteered” him to help out the gleaning (food rescue) team, part of the Homeless Support Action Team or HSAT.  After his first food rescue, she asked him how he liked it.  He said, “This suits me to the core, I’ll do this until I can’t do it anymore.”  It’s been six years now.

Steve’s organization is a recognized non-profit, with a board of directors, and a team of 38 volunteers.  They just released their first “Annual Impact Report for CY2021.”  The calculations show that they collected and distributed 3.2 million pounds of food in CY2021, which translates to 2.68 million meals.  Steve’s talk will mainly consist of excerpts from their Annual Impact report, which will be emailed to our membership.

Membership … Shelly Schwartz

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For those of you who may have forgotten, it is past time for you to renew your membership for 2022.  Membership fees run from January through December and are due now.  Please send your check, including the Membership Application, to me ASAP.  All information is on the Application on page 3 in this issue of the Dispatch. Remember, effective March 1, 2022, dues for members receiving the Dispatch via email will be $15.00 and for those receiving it via snail mail will be $20.00.  These changes represent a $1.00 increase or a $3.00 increase, respectively, for a yearly

Legislative News … Daniel Nnorth and Claudia Schott

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February seems to be a perfect time to look to filling out those 1040’s and trying to get as much money back from the government as possible.  Then our minds should turn to the mid-term elections and looking at the candidates vying for the different positions.  It is important to do our due diligence. Here’s a snapshot of candidates:

US Senate:  Alex Padilla (Incumbent) (D), Akeyemi Agbede (D), Brian Ainsworth (R), and James P. Bradley (R) are the first four of 27 candidates that will most likely be on the June primary ballot.  That’s a lot of candidates to research.

17th Congressional District:  So far, only Sarah Katz (D).

18th Congressional District:  Anna Eshoo (Incumbent) (D), Rishi Kumar (D), Peter Ohtaki (R), Ajwang Rading (D), Benjamin Solomon (R), and Greg Tanaka (D).  Again, this list is incomplete.

19th Congressional District:  No candidates yet.

Governor:  Laura Smith (R) and Major Williams (R) are so far, the only two candidates that are vying for the position.  They will be up against Governor Newsom in November, pending the primary.

In Washington:

The Build Back Better bill is still stuck in the Senate.  Again, no matter how you feel about this bill, please let your Senators know how you feel about this piece of legislation.  AARP is campaigning for the Rx drug pricing and the family and medical leave issues within the bill to be kept.  Senator Manchin is still opposing the bill, citing inflation as the reason he could no longer support the bill.  In the meantime, President Biden met with CEO’s from 10 different companies at the end of January, in hopes of keeping the bill alive.  All ten were purported to be BBB supporters.  Biden said he thought the climate portion of BBB might be able to pass the House and Senate on its own, without the social programs.

“I think we can break the package up, get as much as we can now and come back and fight for the rest of it,” he said at a White House event.

In Sacramento:

The Governor and California lawmakers reached a deal to bring back two weeks of paid sick leave for California workers after the last round of supplemental sick leave expired in September 2021.  The plan is to give workers 40 hours of paid sick leave if they themselves get COVID, and on top of that, an additional 40 hours to take care of a family member who gets COVID.  It goes back to January 1 of 2022, so there’s a gap from when the last program ended to when this one starts.  So, there won’t be coverage for October, November, and December of 2021.  Employees of companies that have over 25 workers are covered by this proposal.  Part-time workers qualifying hours are dependent on the number of hours worked.