SENIOR ADVOCATES
FOR SOCIAL SECURITY
The National Committee, a non-profit,
non-partisan organization acts in the
interests of its membership through
advocacy, education, services, grassroots
efforts and the leadership of the Board of
Directors and professional staff.
The work of the National Committee is
directed toward developing betterinformed
citizens and voters.
After 74 Years, Social Security still keeps
millions from poverty, even during
tough economic times.
Yet, lack of COLA (Cost of Living
Adjustment) has many concerned for
our retirees.
Social Security provides the only
stable and predictable income in this
uncertain economy where shrinking
investments, rising food and fuel costs
and skyrocketing healthcare expenses
make living on a fixed income increasingly
difficult.
While Social Security remains the
bedrock of retirement security, the
average Social Security retirement
benefit is modest – only $13,800 a year,
less than the annual minimum wage
income of $15,080.
Projections that lower inflation will
mean no cost of living increases for the
next two years. This has many beneficiaries
worried about their ability to
keep pace with rising expenses.
The National Committee speculates
that in this economy, the Social Security
COLA is especially important for
seniors. But as time goes by, more and
more of their Social Security benefit
checks will be eaten up by rising health
care costs.
In fact, it’s predicted Medicare
premiums and out-of-pocket expenses
will consume nearly $3 of every $10 of
the average Social Security benefit.
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LIFESTYLES
ANTIQUE TALK
By Ellen Charland
Fall is an ideal time for to start
thinking about a collection of your own,
or guiding grandchildren as they get
started on their personal collections.
Collections are meant to be fun and they
needn’t be expensive.
One of my favorite collections started
with an old jar filled with buttons that my
grandmother gave me. Start your hunt at
local antique malls, garage/yard sales, flea
markets and eBay.
Remember that as you gain knowledge
on these and other collectibles, they will
vary in price.
Hard-to-find and uncommon buttons
are available in many shapes, sizes and in
a variety of materials. Whether you are a
clothes designer or you remember seeing
your mother stitching away, collecting
buttons will bring lots of warm memories
back at an affordable price.
Another interesting
collection to start is that
of vintage
handkerchiefs. I
recommend an acid-free
photo album to use for
storage and display. A
fun collectible, you can
usually find them at
yard sales, estate sales,
and even on the Internet
for a few dollars or less.
Yet another unique
collectible would be
vintage marbles which
promise an interesting
search. Past variations
include marble chips,
sea-rounded pebbles,
and even nuts and fruit
pits; marbles today are
typically crafted from many materials,
including baked clay, glass, steel and agate.
General collectors display their marbles in
clear vases and Mason jars, or the marbles are
used in craft projects. Varieties are available
online for less than $10. For more ideas and
information on marble collections, visit
www.marblemansion.com.
Lastly, vintage sheet music is yet another
unusual collectible. Before television many
relied on radios and the in-house musician for
entertainment, so large quantities of sheet
music were produced.
Dating back to the early 1900s through the
1940s, some vintage music sheets feature
beautiful illustrations while others contain great
photos of wonderful past entertainers. There
are nice examples available for around $10.
Enjoy them by displaying some of your
favorites in a framed group setting. This is
definitely a great conversation starter at friendly
gatherings. Let the hunt begin!
NATION'S BEST FOR WORKER'S OVER 50
AARP recognizes VA's Health System as One of the Nation's Best Employers for Workers Over 50
The health care network operated by
the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
has been named as one of the best
employers this year for workers over 50 by
the American Association of Retired
Persons (AARP).
“Quality care is what drives VA and is
our primary mission,” said Secretary of
Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “VA is
proud to be recognized as a top employer
for the most experienced employees.”
AARP’s annual awards program
recognizes companies and organizations
with the best policies for an aging labor
force.
VA’s health care system – the Veterans
Health Administration (VHA) – has more
than 251,000 people in a wide array of
clinical and administrative professions,
including some of the most demanding
medical specialties. Nearly half of VHA
employees are over the age of 50.
“Quality care...,” said Dr. Gerald Cross,
Acting Under Secretary for Health. “In
today’s health care industry, this is very
appealing to employees who want to give
the best care possible to each life they
touch.”
VA’s health care system includes 153
medical centers, with at least one in each
state, Puerto Rico and the District of
Columbia. VA also operates 942
ambulatory care and community-based
outpatient clinics, 134 nursing homes, 50
residential rehabilitation treatment
programs, 232 Veterans Centers and 108
comprehensive home-care programs.
VA health care facilities provide a broad
spectrum of medical, surgical and
rehabilitative care.
Recipients of the AARP “Best
Employers for Workers Over 50”
designation are selected for their policies
and practices in meeting the needs of an
aging workforce.
Key areas of consideration include
recruiting practices; opportunities for
training; education and career
development; workplace accommodations;
alternative work options, flexible
scheduling, job sharing, and phased
retirement, employee health and pension
benefits; retiree benefits; and age diversity
of the workforce.
To learn more about VA career
opportunities visit
www.vacareers.va.gov.
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