Archive for February, 2010
We can’t start over
President Obama has called for a bipartisan health care summit to start the stalled reform legislation moving again, but once again, Republicans are stalling.
First, they released a long list of conditions that can’t possibly be met. For starters, they want the Democrats — the party that won the last election, by the way — to [...]
Snowed out
The Consumers Union Activists’ Summit got postponed, so I’ll have time to write some letters to members of Congress and some grant proposals.
Washington is snowed in, which means members of Congress are there to receive our letters. We need to keep up the pressure and let our legislators know we want health care done right [...]
Dreary days
More rain, ice and snow. We haven’t had four consecutive dry days in weeks and my yard is a mud pit. It’s hard to keep up one’s energy.
But things are taking off, and we’re looking for ways to raise money for Life o’ Mike. Word is spreading, and I frequently run into people I don’t [...]
We have an office
We signed the lease on an office today. I was hoping for something downtown in Asheville, but I never thought we’d be able to afford anything.
I came across this one quite by chance. I had been at a Homeless Coalition meeting at the United Way building. After the meeting I crossed the hall to the [...]
Never give up!
As they say in “Galaxy Quest,: Never give up! Never Surrender!
I’m heading to Sen. Kay Hagan’s Asheville office this afternoon with a group sponsored by MoveOn.org to deliver a survey that shows many North Carolinians won’t work to support candidates who didn’t come through on health care.
With five people dying every hour, this is not [...]
Patient Pals & Family Friends
Life o' Mike has a new peer support program for people newly diagnosed with chronic or serious illness or with a new disability and their caregivers.
Patient Pals are people who have experience with various illnesses and disabilities, who can help someone newly diagnosed or with a new disability work through the fear, frustration, confusion and grief often experienced in the first few months.
Family Friends are there to help caregivers and other family members grow into their new role.
People with new illness or disability fare better when they have a role model -- someone who can help them negotiate their new path in life.
We need volunteers, who are asked to donate a minimum of one hour a week. Training is free and includes information on active listening, ways to help and when to know more help is needed.
And of course, we need funding.
To learn more, call Leslie Boyd at 828-243-6712 or e-mail lifeomike@gmail.com.