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MARCH 2008
ISSUE | ||||||||||
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Practical
Solutions for Everyday Problems |
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a Link to Jump to that Section | |||||||||
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The
goal of Latino Enews is simply to provide information that helps the
Latino Boomer and older reader find solutions affecting their everyday
life. Areas of
emphasis will include health & wellness, financial & real estate,
career, senior, social and networking opportunities and national, state
and local issues such as legislative efforts impacting Latinos. The
Latino Enews will also cover
political issues on a non-partisan basis. There will also be opportunities
to share ideas about issues of interest to you, the reader. The Latino Enews will be published on a
quarterly basis. |
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AARP
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Latin
American Research and Service Agency
(LARASA) LARASA’s mission is to lead
and influence change to improve the quality of life for Latinos in
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Racial
and Ethnic Health Disparities Report | ||||||||||
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According to a report
published by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment,
Office of Health Disparities, entitled Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities in
Colorado 2005: “When compared to other racial and ethnic groups
in |
The
Office of Health
Disparities, under the
Colorado Department of Public Health and
Environment, is a state program of multi-cultural professionals dedicated
to eliminating racial and ethnic health disparities in Their web site
is http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/ohd/ | |||||||||
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Workshop
Focused on Managing Pain and Depression | ||||||||||
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Invisible
Burdens: Managing Pain and Depression in
Fibromyalgia, Lupus, Osteo and Rheumatoid Arthritis
is planned for April 3, 2008, 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the
Cherry Creek Hotel, This workshop will educate
those affected by these chronic diseases as well as the health
professionals and community organizations that support them. Topics will
include a basic overview of these conditions, creative strategies to
manage both pain and depression issues, as well as resources and next
steps. Ten organizations have come together for this collaborative
effort. Registration fee of $10
include a full breakfast and all material. Scholarships are
available. For further information and to register, please contact: Kathy
Jensen, Arthritis foundation, 303-756-8622 ext. 229 or mailto:kjensen@arthritis.org. |
According
to the Arthritis
Foundation, arthritis
and other rheumatic conditions continue
to be a large and growing public health
problem and the leading cause of disability
among those 18 to 64 years old. Recent
data show rates of disability due to
arthritis among African Americans and
Spanish-speaking Hispanics almost twice
the rates found in the white population. | |||||||||
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9Health
Fairs Scheduled Throughout | ||||||||||
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9Health
Fair is Anyone 18 and
older can participate in a 9Health Fair. With over 25 screenings
available, your 9Health Fair results, along with an explanation on how to
read your results, are delivered directly to you within three to six weeks
of your visit. 9Health Fair’s team of volunteer registered nurses and
physicians will contact you within 72 hours of your 9Health Fair visit
and, if necessary, provide you with local follow up resources if your
results indicate that a critical or alert health situation is
occurring. |
9Health
Fairs are held at dozens of
locations in Saturday,
April 12 and running through
Sunday, April 20 To find
the location and date for your
community’s health fair, visit
the 9HealthFair web site | |||||||||
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Foreclosure
Hotline Facilitating Successful Outcomes | ||||||||||
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BRI received a contract from
the Colorado Division of Housing to administer the Colorado Homeownership Preservation
Project. The project’s main program is the statewide
foreclosure hotline. The hotline has received over 21,000 calls from
The
In
addition to foreclosure counseling, BRI offers reverse mortgage counseling
and first-time homebuyer classes. BRI is
located at |
Additional
local and statewide
finance assistance
sources: Finance
Authority 303-297-2432 www.chfainfo.com 303-866-2033 http://dola.colorado.gov/cdh Assistance
Corporation 303-572-9445 | |||||||||
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Refinancing
to Save Your Home: Steps to Consider | ||||||||||
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1.
Avoid
interest-only mortgages as well as those where you
pay low teaser rates of don’t need to verify income. Traditional 30 year
fixed rate mortgages are best. If you
have an adjustable rate mortgage, find out when, how much, and
how often the interest rate will change; the likely amount of your new
payment; and whether there’s a prepayment penalty. Start looking for a new
loan months before your payments will rise, but don’t close before the
prepayment penalty period expires. Ask if you qualify for a rate freeze
under the voluntary program agreed to by the Bush Administration and some
lenders. 2.
Get
advice from a housing counseling agency
approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to
find a reliable lender or evaluate the terms of a
loan. |
3.
Ask three
or four lenders to fill out a Good Faith Estimate of Settlement
Costs, a HUD form showing all the
expected costs of the mortgage. Compare lenders’ interest rates and fees,
and check them against current market rates posted online of published in
newspapers. 4.
Request
the HUD-1 Settlement Statement listing fees
charged to the loan-a day before the settlement. If the fees are higher
than the estimate, complain and threaten not to go forward.
5.
If you
have poor credit, you may be ineligible for lower rate
loans. See whether local housing
of state housing finance authorities can help you avoid a sub prime loan
or losing your home. 6.
At the
settlement, read the Truth in Lending Act
disclosure, required by the
government, which includes the amount of the loan, finance charges, and
payments. If you don’t agree with the terms, you can cancel the loan in
three business days. If you asked to waive your right to cancel, don’t do
it. 7.
Ask for a
Spanish-language document or have a translator explain the
details if you’ve negotiated a loan
in Spanish and get a contract in English.
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These
steps to consider when refinancing came from an article in AARP Segunda
Juventud Magazine, spring 2008
Edition. | ||||||||||
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Metropolitan
State College of Denver is actively seeking a
variety of position for facility, staff and administrators. All
positions can be found on Online Application System at https://www.mscdjobs.com or www.mscd.edu. |
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A
Diversity Job Fair will be held on Wednesday,
April 2, 2008 from 10:00 a.m. to 3 p.m. at INVESCO Field at Mile High on
the United VIP Club Level. Featured exhibitors include:
Alliance Data, Adams County, Burt Automotive, Brinks Home Security, Climax
Molybdenum-a Freeport McMoRan Co, Colorado Technical University, Corporate
Express, County Insurance, Denver Health, DeVry University, DirecTV, First
Bank, Global Career Management, ITT Systems, King Soopers, MoneyGram
Int’l, Moneytree, Inc, Primerica a member of Citigroup, ProLogis, Safeway,
Stevens Transport, The Home Depot, US Army, US Bank, US Border Patrol, and
Walgreens. The event is free, free
parking and free employment seminars. Applicant information
line: 303-954-1101. You can pre-register online at www.postnewsads.com/pre-reg
and get your email confirmation for faster access to the
Fair. | ||||||||||
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Senior
Answers and Services is providing assistance for dental work,
eyeglasses and hearing aids. To qualify, individuals must be
age 60 and over. Preference is given to individuals who have the
greatest social and economic needs according to the Federal Poverty
Level. The dental program covers exams, x-rays, extractions,
fillings, dentures, partial dentures, and relines. The grant will
not pay for fixed bridges, crowns, or root canals. The grant pays a
portion of the approved costs based on the Old age Pension Dental Program
guidelines. The vision services pay a portion of the approved
charges up to $250. For hearing aids, patients can receive grant
assistance up to $750 for one hearing aid. Separate applications are
required for each program. For
assistance applications, call 303-333-3482 Article
from The Prime Time Senior Newspaper – February, 2008, pg
A-3. |
Senior’s
Resource Center, in partnership with the Internal Revenue Service, is
again offering tax assistance to lower-income seniors, disabled, and
others with special needs who cannot afford to pay for professional
assistance. The Volunteer Income
Tax Assistance (VITA) program generally provides assistance to people who
are filing forms 1040, 1040 EZ, and 1040A. The VITA program has
trained tax preparers who will also alert taxpayers to special tax credits
and deductions for which they may be eligible.
Tax
assistance is offered from Feb 1 through April 12.
To make an appointment, or
request more information, call the
The Prime
Newspaper – February, 2008, pg. A-3. |
The
Latin American Research and Service Agency (LARASA), in collaboration with
the National Alliance for Hispanic Health (NAHH) and GlaxoSmithKline
(GSK), is proud to present La
Promesa, a Medicare preventive benefits counseling
program.
La Promesa seeks to
provide one-on-one counseling, resources, and information on preventing
and managing diabetes and promoting Medicare Preventive
Benefits. The goal
of La Promesa is to build
community-based capacity in order to increase awareness and utilization of
Medicare's preventive care benefits in Latino/Hispanic communities, with
particular emphasis on the utilization of the new diabetes screening
benefit.
To achieve the
goals of La
Promesa, LARASA will be conducting one-on-one
counseling sessions over the next several months with Latino/Hispanic
Medicare beneficiaries and their families. The purpose of these sessions
will be to inform and educate beneficiaries and their families about the
new Medicare preventive care benefits, particularly diabetes screening
benefits; and to provide assistance on eligibility, preventive services,
and other related information available to beneficiaries through the mymedicare.gov website.
We
are interested in conducting presentations to groups of Medicare
recipients and/or individual recipients. Please contact
Dr. Steve Stewart at LARASA, sstewart@larasa.org, or
303-722-5150, ext. 102, if you have any questions, would like additional
information or if you have referrals. | ||||||||
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AARP Colorado’s El Comité is
in the process of finalizing their 2008 strategies. Tentatively, plans are
being discussed for a second Latino
Boomer Plus social networking event this summer with speaker,
entertainment, food and bar. As soon as the plans are firmed up we will
report on the upcoming event. | ||||||||||
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NFIB
Joins Divided We Fail
Campaign | ||||||||||
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What
does it say about us as a nation when so many honest, hard-working
families live in fear that they are one illness away from financial
ruin? What
does it say when small business owners are forced to choose between hiring
a new employee or facing yet another double-digit premium increase for
health insurance? It says
that its high time politicians put side their differences and find a way
to work out common-sense to ensure that all Americans have access to
affordable, quality health care and a secure financial
future. |
We heard the message at the
National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) from Divided We Fail, a national
initiative launched by three strange
bedfellows: ·
AARP, the 39 million-member
organization for people 50 and up. ·
Business Roundtable, an
association of CEOs from the largest companies in the
nation. ·
Service Employees
International Union (SEIU), the largest union in We liked what we heard and
signed on as the fourth member of the
coalition. Divided
We Fail speaks to us. The premise
is simple and compelling: Everyone ought to have access to quality,
affordable health care and a lifetime financial security – everyone, from
every generation. It sounds easy enough, but these two basic goals have
proved elusive so far. As a member of the Divided We Fail coalition, we plan to
raise the debate to a new level to address what has become a national
crisis for If you
are interested in finding out more about the Divided We Fail Campaign,
visit: www.dividedwefail.org. | |||||||||
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