|
Register for the April Quarterly Community Meeting
by Denise Denton
I hope you aren't going to miss the Spring Quarterly Community Meeting on Wednesday, April 20, 2016 from 2:00-4:30 at Spalding Rehabilitation Hospital because it will be a very special one. Not only are we meeting at Spalding for the first time, where I bet many of you have never been, but we're also going to be treated to a performance by the Kaiser Permanente educational theater group called "Loose Change."
But wait -- there's more! This is also our annual meeting, so we'll be asking for your input on what AHA's priorities should be if we are, indeed, going to "create a healthier Aurora," as included in our mission statement. We've come up with a unique way to gather your input. Here's a hint - there will be actual money involved! You don't want to miss this.
Spalding Rehabilitation Hospital is located at 900 Potomac St., Aurora, CO 80011. There is ample, free parking in the facility parking lot (on either side of the building) and on the street that encircles the building (on either side).
|
AHA's 2nd Annual Senior Forum: Registration Now Open
Registration for both participants and exhibitors is now open for AHA's 2nd Annual Senior Forum to be held on Tuesday, June 21, 2016 at The Summit Conference and Event Center, 411 Sable Blvd. N, Aurora, CO. Last year we had to cut off the registration for both exhibitors and participants because it filled so quickly, so don't delay. Reserve your spot now by clicking on the appropriate link below.
Sponsors: There are corporate sponsorships available for this event. You will want to get in on this opportunity early, so that we can promote your name as we roll out promotional materials for the event. For more information about sponsorship levels, please click here to download a flyer or contact Sharon at admin@aurorahealthaccess.org. InnovAge/PACE, Citywide Bank, and Shalom Cares have already come on board as sponsors! AHA is very grateful for this strong show of support for our work for seniors.
AHA Allies: Please distribute and display the attached flyer for the Senior Forum.
|
Get Paid for your Opinion!
Aurora Health Access is helping Colorado Children's Healthcare Access Program (CCHAP) by hosting focus groups in the NW Aurora area in April. Can you help us reach a very specific target group? We are looking for:
1) parents of children under 16;
2) with Medicaid insurance;
3) who use smart phones.
Participants will receive a meal and a generous $35 grocery gift card.
Please share this opportunity. If you or someone you know would be willing to participate, please email Sharon at admin@aurorahealthaccess.org.
|
 Community Awareness Night at Comitis
It's coming right up! Comitis invites you to visit Aurora's ONLY 24/7 homeless shelter. This event is limited to 20 guests, so sign up before it's too late.
Thursday, April 7, 2016 ,5:00 pm-6:30 pm at the Comitis Crisis Center, 2178 Victor St., Aurora, CO 80045.
Shelter Tour: 5:00-5:30 pm
Networking: 5:30-6:30 pm (next door at Fitzsimons Credit Union).
|
It's 9HealthFair Time Again!
The Spring 9News Health Fairs are coming up! Here's a list, by date, of the events being held in Aurora. Don't miss this opportunity for free basic screenings -- mark your calendars now! For more information, click on the link below.
|
April 9
Afrikmall
10180 E Colfax Ave
Aurora , CO 80010
|
April 10
Community College of Aurora
16000 E CentreTech Pkwy
Aurora , CO 80011
|
April 12
Mississippi Ave Baptist Church
13231 E Mississippi Ave
Aurora , CO 80012
| |
April 15
Holy Love Lutheran Church
4210 S Chambers Rd
Aurora , CO 80014
|
April 16
Heritage Eagle Bend Community Ctr
23155 E Heritage Pkwy
Aurora , CO 80016
|
April 23
New Life Mission Church
15051 E Iliff Ave
Aurora , CO 80014
|
|
The 9HealthFair reminds us on their website:
"You might think that because you have health insurance, you don't need 9Health Fair. But, if that were true, we probably would've closed our doors in 2010 after the federal health reform passed. There are a number of ways 9Health Fair can complement your insurance while saving you money in the process!"
Click here for more information about the 9Health Fair.
|
|
Meeting Community Needs with Donated Goods
Providers Resource Clearinghouse (PRC) is a home and office furniture store open to the public. The huge selection of new and like-new home and office furniture in our showroom is ever changing. Find furniture at PRC at just a fraction of the cost of other retail stores.
The mission of PRC is to help your nonprofit to achieve its mission by providing inexpensive new and like-new furniture, home and personal goods. Through the "Partners in Sharing Program," PRC provides new and like-new donations to help deserving individuals, families, veterans, and local nonprofit organizations.
Don't Throw It Out! Remodeling your home? Is your business moving? Donate your furniture to PRC -- it's tax deductible!
|
| | Sample inventory photo at Provers Resource Clearinghouse. |
|
|
| Sample inventory photo at Provers Resource Clearinghouse.
|
|
|
Why Care about Community
Oral Health?
Poor oral health impacts people of all ages. Dental pain is the number one reason children miss school. For adults, poor oral health impacts the ability to get and retain jobs. Poor oral health not only impacts the mouth, but increases the risk for other problems, such as heart disease and diabetes.
Thanks to Delta Dental of Colorado and The DentaQuest Foundation, Oral Health Colorado has the opportunity to work with a few communities who want to change policies that impact oral health. AHA is partnering with Oral Health Colorado (OHCO) to see if there is interest in pulling together a group to understand and address oral health issues in the Aurora community. If you, or your organization, would like to learn more and/or get involved, please contract Francois at francoise@oralhealthcolorado.org, or Sharon at admin@aurorahealthaccess.org.
|
Community Network Dinner
Get to know your community while enjoying free dinner at the next Community Network Dinner! Share your ideas, needs, concerns, and services with your neighbors.
|
Piggy Banks! They're Everywhere!
Piggy banks are sprouting up everywhere! The Cambio para el Cambio (CpC)/Change for Change Campaign is a grassroots philanthropic campaign providing a fun and creative way to start conversations about philanthropy with your family, friends or co-workers. Its mission is to educate Latinos on philanthropy and to promote philanthropic engagement. The campaign is a three-year initiative with the goal to distribute 5,000 piggy banks into the community in the hope that with each will generate an average of $50. Over three years this would translate to a $250,000 donation to help address community needs. 2015 marks the first year where people were invited to collect change in the provided piggy banks and donate those funds to a non-profit of their choice.
The Latino Community Foundation of Colorado and Citywide Banks will select the most creatively decorated piggy bank. If your piggy bank is chosen, LCFC will provide a $500 grant to the nonprofit organization of your choice. This decision will be announced in December.
|
Last Minute Tax Tip!
Did you know that working families with children that earned less than about $53,000 in 2015 could be eligible for up to $6,200 or more in tax refunds from the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)? Plus, for the first time in 15 years, families can claim up to an additional $620 from the new state EITC! Find out if you are eligible, and how you can get your taxes done for FREE by dialing 2-1-1 or visiting http://www.piton.org/eitc.
|
|
|
Together Colorado
by Eliana Mastrangelo, Lead Organizer /Organizadora Principal
Together Colorado is moving on access to health care for all people in Aurora! As a statewide, multi-faith, multi-racial organization, we develop the leadership and voices of everyday people of faith to take action on their own behalf through community organizing. Since the community organizing ministry at St. Therese sparked the idea for Aurora Health Access together with key partners, we have been involved in shaping AHA.
Out of our work with the AHA Adult Access Work Group, we started Bridges to Care (B2C) in partnership with Metro Community Provider Network, Aurora Mental Health and University of Colorado Hospital. Throughout the first three years of the B2C program, our team of volunteers conducted 100 relational visits with Bridges to Care patients and graduates and developed some of Aurora's rock star community leaders. Kristen Williams, a B2C grad and leader with Together Colorado, says, "I am forever grateful to the Metro Community Provider Network (MCPN) and their amazing coordination of the Bridges to Care program, they gave me my life back. I am also forever grateful for Together Colorado they encouraged me to share my story and taught me that my voice matters."
Kristen has been part of a team of community leaders working on two fronts:
1) Smoother Access to Non-Emergency Transportation for Medicaid Clients in Aurora;
2) Ensuring that minimum requirements for care coordination and client engagement included in the current Accountable Care Collaborative application process will meet the needs and include the voices of Aurora's most vulnerable people.
In early May, the Together Colorado Health Care Committee will hold a small public meeting on these topics, where Bridges to Care Graduates and other leaders will give testimony and solutions. If you're interested in joining us, email kirsten@togetherco.org
|
|
|
Copyright © 2016. All Rights Reserved.
AHA's mission is to collectively improve access to care and create a healthier Aurora with a focus on the most vulnerable and underserved. To accomplish this, AHA:
- hosts speakers relevant to the mission of AHA,
- engages in social media as well as traditional media to distribute information and resources,
- uses local facilities for meetings and functions,
- includes professional and community resource materials in the AHA library, and
- provides links to relevant reports and websites.
These inclusions are not intended as endorsements, but as continued and focused efforts to build collaboration throughout Aurora's healthcare community. While AHA is a facilitator of conversation and distributor of information relevant to its mission, it does not verify or endorse all speakers or information associated with its events.
|
|
|
|
|
