A soldout crowd of 350 people attended the 90th birthday celebration of Will Parry, editor of the Senior Advocate and past president of the Puget Sound Alliance for Retired Americans (PSARA) on April 24. Parry agreed to have this milestone celebrated only if it was a benefit for PSARA, which is part of the national Alliance for Retired Americans, an organization of 3 million that advocates for older Americans and their families.
The attendees were a who’s who of labor leaders and social justice activists, and included several SSHP residents who are active in PSARA. The program began with the reading of an official proclamation by Congressman Jim McDermott honoring Parry, and the list of speakers included family members and colleagues who spoke of the different periods of Parry’s very full life.
Parry grew up in Queen Anne, where in high school he set a state track record in the low hurdles. He also saw his father’s business collapse during this time in the Great Depression, was taken to see many of the labor leaders speak, saw firsthand the Hooverville shantytown built along the Duwamish river, and watched the folk singer Woody Guthrie perform.
After attending Washington State University and serving in the Coast Guard during World War II, Parry began his lifelong activist journey by writing for the People’s World and becoming involved in the Left and Labor movements.
Because of his activism, Parry also be-came a target of the FBI’s investigation of communists and labor leaders during the McCarthy era.
He was questioned about his activities by the House Committee on Un-American Activities, where he invoked his first amendment rights. This attention also caused Parry to lose his job at the People’s World because of the loss of advertising revenue.
He and his wife Louise — who had worked as a “Rosie the Riveter” during World War II, and who was beginning a career as a welder — moved into Holly
Park (now NewHolly) during this period in the early 1950’s. Jeff Johnson, speaking on behalf of the Washington State Labor Council, noted that much like today, there were politicians who wanted to stop funding public housing, including a senator from our state.
The Parrys organized the United Projects Council, which may have been the first public housing resident council, according to Johnson. The Parrys went door to door getting residents to meetings. Louise would organize the potluck, and the group would write letters to politicians about the importance of saving public housing.
To this day, Parry has been a very important ally to Seattle Housing Authority residents, including speaking before the Board of Commissioners about the need for fair grievance hearings.
After moving out of Holly Park, Parry worked for 21 years at Western Pulp and Fiber, a cardboard box company, where he continued as a labor leader. He also taught courses in labor history at Shoreline Community College. In retirement, he became involved as a senior leader in PSARA, working on national issues such as protecting Social Security and Medicare. He also worked on local issues, such as securing funding to keep local senior centers and community health centers open.
Parry also addressed the crowd at the event, after blowing out the candles on his birthday cake.
He stressed that this wasn’t a retirement party, since he intends to keep active. He noted that one of the next big causes in his and PSARA’s agenda is the fight for a fair taxation system in Washington state.
Then he picked up his guitar, and seeming almost like the reincarnation of Woody Guthrie himself, led the crowd in a rousing rendition of “This Land is Your Land”.
For more info on PSARA or to join the Alliance call 206-448-9646 or visit the website www.psara.org, or e-mail info@ psara.org.
At the direction of the state legislature
and the Governor, the state’s General Assistance – Unemployable program, usually
referred to as GAU, is undergoing a change
of name and changes in how it operates. The
program provides cash and medical benefits
to people with physical or mental disabilities
that cause them to be unable to work for 90
days or longer.
On June 1, the program’s name was
changed to “Disability Lifeline.”
Eligibility for the program remains basically
the same. To qualify for assistance, a
person must provide proof of being medically
or psychologically incapacitated and
unable to work for more than 90 days.
Further proof must be submitted every six
months to stay on the program. The recipient
must be a Washington state resident, prove
financial need, and undergo treatment and
referral assessment.
People whose sole disability is alcoholism
or drug addiction and people in the criminal
justice system are ineligible.
In a significant change, effective this
September, GAU/Disability Lifeline recipients
may receive benefits for no more than 24
months out of any 60-month (five year) period.
This time limit will be etroactive, and
will affect clients who received GAU benefits
for 24 months as of September 2010.
By July 1, the state Department of Health
and Human Services (DSHS) is required to
identify participants who have been on the
program for at least 20 months, review their
files, and come up with a case management
plan to connect people to additional services.
DSHS needs to do the same in September
for clients who have received 12 months of
benefits. Benefits cannot be terminated untilthose reviews have taken place.
The 24-months limit doesn’t apply to
people who are aged, blind, or permanently
disabled.
The change in the program will affect
many of Seattle Housing Authority’s tenants.
As of last month, nearly 750 participants in
the Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8)
program and tenants of the Public Housing
program combined were recipients of
GAU.
If, over time, GAU /Disability Lifeline
benefits are reduced for all of those people,
Seattle Housing will have to increase its
subsidies for their housing at a cost of well
over half a million dollars.
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Translated Articles from The Voice
Iska difaac kulayka kulaylaha
Waayeelku waa u nugul yihiin waxyeelada kulaylka kulaylaha waayo da’da ayaa wax u dhinta hadka isqaboojinta jirka. Xannuun joogto ah iyo daawoba waxay kaa dhigi karaan mid u nugul kulaylka. Hoos waxaad kala socotaa sidii aad isaga difaaci lahayd waxyeealadauu keeno kulayluhu.
Ha u bixin bannaanka marka ay aad u kulushahay.
Biyo badanna cb xataa hadii aaddab oomanayn. Markaad oon dareento, jiraagu waaba qallalan yahay.
Daahyaha dariishdaha sii daa, albaabadana xir,nalalkana dami si aad u celiso hawada qabow ee gudaha.
Isticmaal marwaxad ama qaboojiye ama aad meel qaboojiye leh sida mallka iyo dhimayaasha waaweyn. In badan oo ka mid ah KCHA malaha qaboojiyeyaal sababtoo ah cabsi dab. Baro dariskaaga, booqana goobaha jaaliddu isugu yimaadaan kuwaas oo ah bii’o qaboow.
Dadka qaarkiis waxay helaan shuqooyin qaboojiye leh curyaanimo darted. Si aad u ogaato arringtaas, la xiriir maamulka dhismahaaga. fiiro gaar ah u lohoow xannuunada uu keeno kulayka. Sida neef ku dhegga, madax xanuunka, diciifnimada, dhidid fara badan, lab-labbo, indho madoobaad, neeftuur, iyo wadno garaac.. haddii aad aragto qaar ka mid ah calaamadahaan, la xiriiir dhakhtarkaaga. Sameena arrin deg-deg ah oo aad jirkaaga ku qaboojiso.
HÃY TỰ BẢO VỆ TRÁNH ĐI SỰ NÓNG BỨC CỦA MÙA HÈ
Những người già cả thường dễ bị tổn thương bởi nhiệt độ nóng của mùa hè, nguyên nhân là do sự khiếm khuyết trong khả năng giải nhiệt nơi cơ thể người già. Các chứng bịnh kinh niên hay các lọai thuốc uống trị liệu cũng có thể làm cho qúi vị dễ nhậy cảm với nhiệt độ nóng. Dưới đây là những cách giúp qúi vị chống lại những ảnh hưởng bịnh họan do sự nóng bức gây ra:
Hãy tránh đi ra khỏi nhà lúc nóng nhất trong ngày
Hãy uống nhiều nước dù cho mình không thấy khát nước, vì lúc khi mình cảm thấy khát nước, thì có thể lúc đó cơ thể mình đã bị khô nước rồi. Những người lớn tuổi thường ít cảm thấy khát nước, và số thuốc men làm gia tăng việc cơ thể bị thiếu nước.
Hãy kéo các tấm màn che cửa xuống, hãy tắt đèn và đóng cửa lại để giữ cho khí lạnh ở bên trong nhà. Khi nhiệt độ mát lại, hãy mở cửa ra để cho khí mát lạnh lùa vào nhà.
Hãy lau người với miếng thấm nhúng nước lạnh, hoặc với khăn ẩm lạnh
Hãy mở máy quạt, hoặc tìm tới các cao ốc công cộng hay các khu thương xá (có máy lạnh). Có nhiều khu chung cư thuộc quận King (KCHA) không thể có máy lạnh được vì qui định luật phòng chống hỏa họan. Hãy làm quen với người hàng xóm bằng cách đến các phòng họp cộng đồng, khu vực công cộng mà có thể có máy lạnh.
Trong một vài trường hợp, thì cư dân có thể đuợc phép gắn máy lạnh vì lý do bịnh tật. Để biết có được phép gắn máy lạnh hay không ,xin liên lạc Người Quản Lý , manager của cộng đồng mình đang cư ngụ.
Hãy để ý đến các triệu chứng của các bịnh do thời tiết nóng gây ra, như bịnh ảo giác, nhức đầu, cảm thấy yếu ớt, ra mồ hổi đầm đìa, buồn nôn, ngất xỉu, tim mạch đập nhanh. Nếu qúi vị thấy bất cứ triệu chứng nào trên đây, hãy đi chữa trị ngay, và lập tức tìm trú nơi thóang mát