Texas Labor Retirees to Celebrate 47th Anniversary of Medicare

Houston – 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday, July 30, at the Harris County AFL-CIO , 2506 Sutherland St., in Houston. Hosts include Eunice Parrish, TARA VP/Executive Board Member, and Judy Bryant, TARA Field Organizer. Contact Sister Bryant for more info: (214)729-0063.

Austin – 10 a.m. Monday, July 30, at the Texas AFL-CIO auditorium, 1106 Lavaca St., in downtown Austin. Hosts include Emmett Sheppard, TARA Regional Director (and former Texas AFL-CIO President), Tony Padilla, Secretary, and Caryl Yontz, VP/Executive Board Member. Contact Brother Sheppard for more info: (512)461-9187.

Fort Worth – 10-11:30 a.m. Monday, July 30, at the Community Room, Charles Griffin Tarrant County Sub-Courthouse, 3500 Miller Ave, in Fort Worth. Hosts include Gene Lantz, TARA President, Jim Rivers, VP/Executive Board Member, Clara Faulkner, VP/Executive Board Member, and Marty Alvarado, Community Outreach Director. Contact Brother Lantz for more info: (214)942-4236.
 

  From the Texas Alliance for Retired Americans:

To mark the 47th birthday of Medicare and Medicaid on July 30, the Texas Alliance for Retired Americans will host a celebration of these programs’ successes and release a new report detailing the impact of these programs on state residents.

The numbers in the report tell part of the story: how many people receive benefits in Texas, in its congressional districts and its counties; how many dollars flow into these jurisdictions in a year; the types of benefits and the types of people who receive benefits. The report also presents the stories of hard-working Texans like Leah Witherspoon of Dallas, and the families whose lives are immeasurably better because of the protections they have earned.

“People in my area are struggling to get by, but they know how much worse things would be without these programs. It is only because of our Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security that countless Texas seniors, for one, are able to pay bills, see a doctor, fill a prescription, afford a nursing home, etc.” said Alliance for Retired Americans Regional Director Emmett Sheppard.

Monday’s celebration is an opportunity for Texans of all ages to reflect on the importance of keeping these programs strong for future generations. The Texas Alliance for Retired Americans is also planning an event on Aug. 14 to celebrate the 67th Birthday of Social Security and one for Sept. 9 to honor Grandparents.