Tuesday, April 22, 1997
Conference on Aging: "Texas' Most Precious
Resources"
By ROY A. JONES II Senior Staff Writer
A generation separated them, but Congressman Charles Stenholm
said he was honored to break bread with "Texas' most precious
resources" Monday.
"Many of the people you work with have more in common
with the children I had breakfast with than you may realize,"
the Stamford Democrat told more than 350 people attending the
16th annual Texas Joint Conference on Aging at the Abilene Civic
Center.
Stamford told the conferees - many of them grandparents like
himself - that he had shared breakfast with more than 250 Abilene
elementary students who receive breakfast free or at a reduced
price as part of federal program for economically disadvantaged
families.
"This is one of our success stories," said the ranking
Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee. "This may be
the only hot meal some of these children get each day - just like
some of our seniors who get a nutritious meal every day only because
of Meals on Wheels and volunteers like many of you."
He called the children, blessed with enthusiasm and an open
mind to learn, and the grandparents, with wisdom honed by experience,
"our most precious resources." He encouraged seniors
without grandchildren to become volunteer "mentors"
to young children through public school and church programs.
Stenholm defended Social Security as "the most successful
program government has ever created." He admitted, however,
that the children he breakfasted with will have "a better
chance of seeing a flying saucer" than receiving Social Security
benefits when they are grandparents "if we don't make some
constructive changes now."
Stenholm was interrupted by applause when he commented, "When
you have to choose between medicine and food we've got a problem."
Earlier Monday, a national director of the American Association
of Retired Persons spoke on managed care.
"The ability to remain with the family doctor you know
and trust must always be an option," said Dr. John Lione
of Austin. Most of those present nodded in agreement.
Almost five million Medicare beneficiaries are currently enrolled
in managed care programs in the United States, Lione said. He
said AARP also supports the right for a patient to appeal decisions
on coverage "outside the plan" to an independent medical
director.
The conference, which has attracted paid and volunteer seniors
workers from throughout Texas, continues through Wednesday. Texas
Attorney General Dan Morales will be Wednesday's keynote speaker,
at 8:30 a.m.
Send a Letter to the Editor about This
Story | Start or Join A Discussion about This Story
Send the URL (Address) of This Story
to A Friend:
Copyright ©1997,
Abilene Reporter-News / Texnews / E.W. Scripps Publications
|
