AARP New Mexico to Conduct Second Forum on Grandparenting

More and more grandparents are finding themselves in the role of raising grandchildren and are in desperate need of help. As a result, AARP New Mexico has decided to conduct a second free resource fair in Albuquerque to help grandparents or other caregivers who find themselves raising someone else’s children.

“We conducted a similar fair in the spring and it was very apparent that grandparents need all the help they can get,” said Stan Cooper, AARP New Mexico State Director. “Sometimes it’s just a matter of knowing who to go to get that help.”

“All though there are a lot of services out there, grandparents don’t know who does what or how to take that first step. This resource fair will put them in touch with the very experts they need across a broad spectrum of services,” he said.

More than 20 community organizations will be present to discuss the following topics: legal issues, covering areas such as guardianship, visitation rights and medial power of attorney; financial assistance, such as Social Security benefits and fraud protection; public benefits, such as obtaining food stamps, health care coverage and free prescription assistance; and family issues, such as behavioral challenges and navigating the school system.

The event will be held Saturday, Aug. 29th, at the Cesar Chavez Community Center, 7505 Kathryn Ave SE, from noon to 3 p.m.

The event is free and open to all grandparents raising grandchildren or other kinship caregivers. To RSVP, please call 1-877-926-8300.

Other sponsors include Outcomes Inc, the New Mexico Aging and Long-Term Services Department, Pegasus Legal Services for Children, the Senior Citizen Law Office, the New Mexico Financial Literacy Project, YDI, and the Albuquerque Area Agency on Aging. For more information visit www.aarp.org/states/nm call toll-free 1-866-389-5636 and ask for Stan Cooper or Beth Velasquez.