AARP has launched a national diversity initiative to ensure its membership base is representative of the increasingly diverse U.S. 50+ population. As part of that effort the AARP Colorado State Office has scheduled a series of activities to reach out to the diverse communities in our state. Hispanics make up approximately 20% of our state’s population and to better serve our Hispanic/Latino membership AARP has scheduled a series of Latino Consumer Workshops at the AARP Information Center in Pueblo.

Each monthly workshop will cover an issue that affects the Hispanic 50+ population starting with an overview of the benefits available under the newly enacted Health Care Reform Law on May 19th. Addressing the health disparities that adversely affect the state’s Hispanic/Latino population is central to our outreach efforts. AARP was a sponsor of the Hispanic/Latino Health Summit earlier this year were over 75 Hispanic health advocates and community leaders developed an agenda for combating health disparities.

We are also organizing a fall Health Fair in Denver with the Catholic Archdiocese and other community partners to provide low cost health screenings and educational workshops to Hispanic residents in the Denver metro area.

AARP Colorado is a primary sponsor of the Regional conference on Aging organized by The Center—the only statewide, nonprofit community center dedicated to providing support and advocacy for Colorado’s gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) population. We are also sponsoring other programming by SAGE—the world's oldest and largest non-profit agency dedicated to serving and advocating for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender seniors.

Other planned Denver metro activities include a Create the Good booth at the Juneteenth Celebration in the Five Points community—an annual commemoration of the end of slavery in the African American community. We will also hold a public benefits forum in the diverse northeast Denver neighborhood to inform members and community residents on the benefits of the newly enacted Health Care Reform law and to provide eligibility screenings for other public benefit programs. We look forward to having a strong presence at the Colorado State Fair’s Fiesta Day and to offering our members the opportunity for cultural enrichment through sponsorship of a performance by the nationally recognized Cleo Parker Robinson Dance troop.

For additional information on these activities contact Roberto Rey, Associate State Director—Multicultural Outreach at 866-554-5376 (toll free).