Mary Tritsch

Note: Three Kansas cities made the list of Best Cities for Successful Aging. In the large metros category, Wichita ranks 27th Best City, and in the smaller metros category, Lawrence ranks 30th and Topeka ranks 60th. Wichita Mayor Carl Brewer signed the mayor's pledge to make his city work better for older adults. You can check it out at the link below. In addition, the Wichita Grandparents Park, a collaboration between AARP Kansas, the City of Wichita, the Central Plains Area Agency on Aging, and the Older Adult Alliance, is featured in the Programs with a Purpose section.

The Health Insurance Marketplace open enrollment period provides an important opportunity for Kansans who have coverage through the marketplace to review your plan and compare options to make sure your plan still works for you. Last year, a little more than 57,000 Kansans signed up for health care coverage through www.healthcare.gov, which was created by the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

AARP Kansas honored its 2014 outstanding community service volunteer during a luncheon banquet on November 14 at the Ritz Charles in Overland Park. Each year, AARP presents its most prestigious award, the Ethel Percy Andrus Award for Community Service, to an individual or individuals who, through volunteer service, significantly enhance the lives of those in their community. This award symbolizes that individuals have the power and ability to make a difference in the lives of others.

With diabetes prevalent among Native Americans, AARP Kansas set out to not only call attention to the problem, but also to do something about it. That’s why AARP Kansas is working with the American Association of Indian Physicians (AAIP) to sponsor cooking classes for members of the four federally recognized indigenous tribes in Kansas (e.g., Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska, Kickapoo Nation of Kansas, Sac and Fox Nation, and Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation). The classes are held in November in conjunction with Native American Heritage Month and Diabetes Awareness Month.

AARP Kansas congratulates retired educator Jack Melhorn, Emporia, winner of the 2014 NRTA With Our Youth! Excellence Award in the individual category. Melhorn was chosen to receive the award in recognition of his nearly 20 years of volunteer service helping youth through the Juvenile Offenders Citizen Review Board (JOCRB) in Kansas.

If you haven't already cast your vote in the 2014 elections, be sure to check out the AARP Voter's Guide to find out where Kansas candidates stand on issues that are important to those 50 and older. The topics to which candidates were asked to provide a response include Caregiving, Medicare, Social Security and Financial Security. You can print or email the information to use as a reference when you vote.

Will You Volunteer for Tax-Aide?

The following is testimony provided by AARP Kansas past state president David Wilson on March 26, 2014 before the Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee in regard to the healthcare compact bill.

The following is the testimony provided by AARP Kansas past sttate president David Wilson on February 18, 2014 before the House Federal and State Affairs Committee

AARP Kansas invites you to attend an interactive and dynamic workshop on outsmarting investment fraud. The workshop will also provide ways to protect your hard-earned nest egg. Experts from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and AARP Foundation will be on hand to walk you through ways to protect your investments and ways to prevent becoming a victim of investment-related scams.