Divided We Fail "Faith Week" To Raise Health And Financial Security Issues In Communities Of Faith

Main Category: Public Health
Also Included In: Seniors / Aging
Article Date: 22 Nov 2007 - 15:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   view / write opinions   rate article

From November 17 through the 25, AARP will be reaching out to more than 200 diverse communities of faith to ask them to reflect on the most important domestic issues facing the nation. As we approach Thanksgiving, religious leaders will be calling on their communities to create change by reviving the American Dream for their children and grandchildren. Recognizing the importance of health care and lifetime financial security issues and what each individual can do to inspire change is a critical step that these communities can take together.

In conjunction with Samuel De Witt Proctor Conference and the National Council of Churches, AARP has secured for Faith Week activities that will reach more than 100,000 individuals across the nation in more then 50 cities.

"America's faith communities have always led our nation through times of uncertainty," said Nancy LeaMond, Group Executive Officer of Social Impact at AARP. "Our churches, synagogues, mosques, and temples provide hope and inspire us to transform ourselves, our communities, and our country. They challenge us to rise above narrow self-interests and become stewards for future generations. AARP's Divided We Fail initiative is honored to be in fellowship with so many congregations to champion affordable, quality health care and life-time financial security for all."
AARP has consulted with faith and community leaders across the nation and will be working throughout the week to open a dialogue in numerous communities. Members of these communities will be able to hear the Divided We Fail message during services and will have access to materials so they can create change in their homes and communities by sharing their stories and learning what they can do to improve the health and financial longevity of their communities.

"Health care and financial security are not just buzz words for politicians and Wall Street executives" said Dr. Iva Carruthers, General Secretary of the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference. "Each day individuals in our faith communities feel the effect of lacking health care or not being able to afford retirement. When voices of faith unite in the name of education and change, the result is incontestable. Divided We Fail is indeed a unique opportunity for faith communities to voice their opinions and create change."

Collectively 45 national religious groups have been engaged to consider participation in Faith Week. Examples include: Islamic Society of North America, United Jewish Communities, African Methodist Episcopal Church, Baptist Joint Committee on Religious Liberty, Catholics in Alliance for Common Good, Church of God in Christ, Evangelical Lutheran Church, Evangelicals for Social Action, United Methodist Church, B'NAI B'RITH, Presbyterian Church, Seventh Day Adventist, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, United Church of Christ, United Methodist Church.

Individuals are encouraged share their stories online and among their peers and consider devoting a few hours a week to raising these important issues in their cities and towns.

To learn more about Faith Week, the efforts of Divided We Fail and share your story visit http://www.dividedwefail.org.

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to either political campaigns or candidates. We produce AARP The Magazine, published bimonthly; AARP Bulletin, our monthly newspaper; AARP Segunda Juventud, our bimonthly magazine in Spanish and English; NRTA Live & Learn, our quarterly newsletter for 50 + educators; and our website, www.aarp.org. AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. We have staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

American Association of Retired Persons