Area Agency on Aging & Southwest Arts at Hope School

My friends at the Area Agency on Aging of Southwest Arkansas invited me to the 29th Annual Meeting and allowed me to be the Keynote Speaker for the luncheon. We talked about this weeks reduction in the forecast by Governor Beebe and how I thought that would affect their programs. I suggested that this cut would likely not hurt but that future cuts would be painful. I talked about my grandmothers and how aware I was of the issues and concerns of the aging and those who are tasked with helping take care of them. The Area Agencies on Aging do good work with not enough funds. I really enjoyed the meeting - in spite of driving down there and back home in the pouring rain.

On the way home I was able to stop and visit at UACCH with Chancellor Thomason. We discussed his construction projects and the impact of the forecast cuts on UACCH. From there I dropped by the Hempstead County Health Unit to inquire about flu shots, tour their facility and just generally check on things. There is a large percentage of our population in rural Arkansas that depend on the local health units for the majority of their health care and I believe in the work that the local health units do.

Before leaving Hope and heading back to Nashville for my First Responder class last night I had the opportunity to join Mayor Ramsey, Representative Powers, Superintendent Kenneth Muldrew, Mark Keith from the Chamber and others at the Yerger School as we honored and celebrated the after school program between the school, the young people and the Southwest Arkansas Arts Council. In my remarks I told them that I believed in them and that I believe the youth of our country are our great hope for the future.

It was a busy day but I enjoyed it.