We gathered at the West Berkeley library on University Avenue and on Zoom on Wednesday, March 26, 2025!

Our special speaker this month for Women's History month was Ann Squires (right), who wrote the original proposal as an intern for what is now the Over-60 Clinic that was established by Gray Panthers back in the early 1980s. Come out and hear a little about that history.

 

Then, we shared stories of the other members of our Chapter as we focus on what’s happening today and how we can speak up and make the right phone calls to make change still happen in our lifetimes.

 

Ann Squires not only was an early intern for Gray Panthers back in the early 80s, but after a life as a nonprofit fundraiser, she moved into Strawberry Creek Lodge where she has been the president of the board of trustees of the foundation that is working ardently to buy back Strawberry Creek Lodge and institute its own management.

 

So come learn about that project and what’s happening in April and May and how you can be involved in housing as a human right here in the Bay Area.

 

Note: This is an experiment with using this location and doing a hybrid meeting. Stay tuned to find out what we are doing for April and May.

 

Note that our member socials will also be moving around, with the April one possibly at the library and the May one at Strawberry Creek Lodge as part of Affordable Housing Month in the East Bay.

 

---

ANNOUNCEMENTS/CAMPAIGNS: Phone Banking to Save Medicaid!

There are several campaigns we want to bring forward to our members and supporters.

 

One thing in particular is one of the most successful strategies is to call and encourage constituents of Republican districts here in California so we have a phonebank partnership going on where you can reach out to the top three vulnerable republican candidates and reach their vote voters in order to in order to alert them to what’s going on with the cuts to Medicaid to food stamps the threats to Social Security and the cuts to affordable housing all of this on the agenda in Congress this this spring thanks a lot come on out feel free to bring us a snack or something to share if you’d like to stick around Afterwards.

 

00:50:26 Carol Crooks: [email protected]

00:50:29 Betsy Morris, EBGP Co-Convenor: Nancy Ibsen, prescott AZ, grandmother was folk singer Malvina Reynold; [email protected]

01:04:20 Norma J F Harrison: I slept long - so didn't get to go - I don't like to miss being there ..   also, it took me more than 20 minutes to find - receive a connection to the meeting.  At last I phoned Betsy and she told me to send the link connection - which I had to go through 3 of before I finally was able to connect what was told as a connection - that connected

01:05:35 Arlene Hipp: I went to the February's link to get in today Norma.

01:05:56 Arlene Hipp: Good afternoon everyone.

01:07:06 Norma J F Harrison: GOOD!! Arlene

01:07:17 Arlene Hipp: Reacted to "GOOD!! Arlene" with 👍

01:07:56 Hannah Karpilow: What year was this?

01:09:15 Arlene Hipp: Hello Hannah!

01:09:43 Hannah Karpilow: I have questions about the ombudsman program

01:10:15 Hannah Karpilow: Hi Arlene!

01:12:08 Arlene Hipp: I love the clarity that you are speaking to.

01:16:52 Betsy Morris, EBGP Co-Convenor: i’m holding stack

01:20:40 Hannah Karpilow: I was wondering when Over 60 became part of LifeLong

01:25:34 Hannah Karpilow: I know a nurse there who is in her 80’s

01:25:51 Hannah Karpilow: I actually know a couple of nurses there

01:26:03 Hannah Karpilow: The other one is in his 70s

01:29:51 Hannah Karpilow: Marty’s retired, hasn’t he?

01:32:16 Arlene Hipp: That is so right on Betsy

01:34:25 Norma J F Harrison: hope is just another form of prayer - mystical - to that cloud in the sky

01:37:53 Robert Canfield: Hey, Betsy: I am going to have to leave the meeting early—wonderful to meet y’all and thanks Ann! Betsy: please contact me for connections to the national office/group. Thanks so much for the invitation.

01:41:26 Norma J F Harrison: I use captions to read along with speech

01:44:28 Arlene Hipp: Norma I would love to talk to you about the omsbudman startup you would like to see for ltss

01:44:34 Arlene Hipp: opps

01:47:38 carole marasovic: This is going back over 20 years ago but the ombudsman was worthless. Good in theory; bad in practice like the Dept. of Licensing and Certification.  

M

01:48:15 Arlene Hipp: I meant Ann not Norma

01:48:42 Betsy Morris, EBGP Co-Convenor: Replying to "I meant Ann not Norm..."

hannah was the person who raised the issue

01:50:48 Arlene Hipp: especially with the growth of seniors growing

01:51:20 Norma J F Harrison: we are all in the institution - the slave institution - we are our Owners' work force - with little or no choice about how that works, regardless unions

02:02:04 Arlene Hipp: more criminalization and punishment

02:02:43 Norma J F Harrison: Yes, Arlene.  It's because of health care that we're not dieing so much.

02:03:20 Arlene Hipp: Replying to "especially with the ..."

That is true

02:03:38 Norma J F Harrison: Buffy is so lame

02:06:03 Norma J F Harrison: I repeat - I use captions to assist my hearing

02:06:39 Arlene Hipp: We still need emergency preparedness especially in housing for seniors and methods of escape.

02:13:55 Norma J F Harrison: Dave - prepare that - all those points - I really need them often - on a list - that we can access - that we can individually print out - and have those details available any time the Buffy comes up in conversation

02:18:29 Arlene Hipp: Fabulous Friday Forums – CARA

02:25:47 carole marasovic: Speaking to  express environmental issues, Council just removed 2  items, that they had previously prioritized, during the Council RRV process. Has the environmental justice group explored whether those should still be pursued?

02:26:16 Hannah Karpilow: Join the LTSS4All (Long Term Services and Supports) Coalition this Wednesday, March 26 in making calls to voters in districts with key Republican reps who could be moved to vote against Medicaid cuts.

02:26:44 Norma J F Harrison: I will copy the chat at the end .  you can ask me for it [email protected]

02:27:12 Hannah Karpilow: Note: Fight for Our Health is hosting daily phone banks,, so if you can’t make it to this one, you can always join another (see phonebank times at this link).

02:27:13 meeting: Sat April 5 mobilize and indivisible sponsor rallies across the country. North berkeley bart at one. Sf city hall at noon.

02:27:45 Carol Crooks: Generalstrikeus.com

02:28:02 Carol Crooks: ThePeoplesUnionUSA.org

02:28:14 Carol Crooks: Work reform.us

02:28:42 meeting: I am SO jealous of Russia—I wish WE had two presidents.

02:29:30 Norma J F Harrison: Betsy - just make sure your connection from your computer works next time - because the sound from the room gets kind of echo-y

02:29:45 Lynne D , AZ: Need to leave.  Thank you for letting me attend your meeting. Very informative.

02:30:04 Arlene Hipp: Bye Lynne

02:30:58 Julia Cato: We definitely need to make sure everyone knows that both Social Security and Medicare are funded by deductions from our paychecks which are matched by the government.  Tell the young people they are not handouts.

02:31:55 Norma J F Harrison: Replying to "I am SO jealous of R..."

well, we've had two presidents helping our Owners rule us in favor of THeir profiteering for 240 years.  In Cuba, all the people organize re getting their governing body - elections.

02:31:58 Arlene Hipp: I am working with two groups that are doing some teach ins at Laney the last week of

02:32:11 Arlene Hipp: April or the first week of May

02:32:32 Norma J F Harrison: Replying to "I am SO jealous of R..."

Don't believe the media reports about what's going on in Russia

02:32:46 Carol Crooks: Workreform.us

02:33:03 Arlene Hipp: It will only be two hours but we can begin to educate individuals  and it is a hybrid.

02:33:48 Norma J F Harrison: Julia yay

02:33:55 Norma J F Harrison: Arlene yay

02:34:15 Norma J F Harrison: I don't 'go'  anymore

02:34:17 Douglas & Kathy: Sorry we were late, we are in Mexico and was trying to juggle the time difference. Take care Doug & Kathy

02:35:28 Hannah Karpilow: Hi Douglas and Kathy. I’m in Ecuador ;)

02:35:32 Norma J F Harrison: GREETINGS Douglas and Kathy

02:36:20 Douglas & Kathy: Thank you…….

02:36:29 Norma J F Harrison: Replying to "GREETINGS Douglas an..."

where in Mexico - San Miguel ?

02:36:42 carole marasovic: My hand was up but someone took it down.

02:36:55 Douglas & Kathy: Yes, San Miguel

02:37:02 Norma J F Harrison: Replying to "My hand was up but s..."

sometimes the system does it

02:40:43 Betsy Morris, EBGP Co-Convenor: justiceinaging.org is a resource on medicaid and social sec

02:43:24 Norma J F Harrison: San Miguel de Allende, Mexico - people do Monday broadcasts, zooms with speakers, and travel

02:43:51 Hannah Karpilow: I’ve only been getting my SS for two years, and its always come on the fourth wednesday of the month because I was born on the 30th of the month

02:44:13 Betsy Morris, EBGP Co-Convenor: socialsecurityworks.org - for latest info

02:45:02 Betsy Morris, EBGP Co-Convenor: budget academy— explains state budget california

02:45:04 Norma J F Harrison: Budget Academy California

02:45:20 Betsy Morris, EBGP Co-Convenor: Replying to "Budget Academy Calif..."

thank you Dirk, and Norma!

02:45:29 Hannah Karpilow: I appreciate the opportunity to participate from afar

02:45:49 Norma J F Harrison: For me - my bad hearing - this works better - regardless we talk over each other...  regardless the bad sound from the room in the library - the captions help a lot

02:47:44 Carol Crooks: Fyi, Norma, they have listening systems here at the library.

02:48:19 Carol Crooks: You can check them out, for use in the library.

02:50:04 Norma J F Harrison: uww!! thanks Carol - maybe next time I won't be catching up on sleep...being too late - and maybe next time we'll have accessible connecting links - which we haven't had for MONTHS!!!   Norma

02:53:33 Arlene Hipp: propaganda we receive

02:58:22 Norma J F Harrison: [email protected]