The Senior Jubilee will be held at the County Extension Office on October 14, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The program is a mini-health conference for seniors, with no fee, and includes a free luncheon. Jubilees are under the auspices of the NM Behavioral Health Division, Human Services Department.
The program includes an enactment of a love story, how to decipher food labels, how to deal with changes and making life choices, and tips for preventing falls.
Reservations are required by Oct. 9, by calling Judy Bonnell, director, at 575-921-7585.
The Senior Jubilee concept was specifically designed by a rural New Mexico resident to celebrate seniors while building a strong voice for rural and senior health services. Designed as a micro mini 5- hour conference, speakers from state level, county, and local agencies, as well as other organizations, address a wide variety of health topics. A complimentary luncheon served by volunteers creates an informal friendly atmosphere for meeting, greeting, learning, and networking. These events strengthen connections between different levels of government and seniors by "taking the city to the country" with quality programs packed with health information.
Senior Jubilees are open to the public at no cost, and a complimentary luncheon is included. In the spirit of unity, the Jubilees have a policy of "no preachin', no politikin', and no commercials." The focus is on rural health needs, particularly the needs of seniors and elders.
Over 85% of New Mexico counties are designated rural or frontier, with the least populous county having .05 persons per square mile. The great distance between many towns and villages hampers communication and networking for our rural residents, especially for our seniors and elders who often have mobility, transportation, and communication limitations. The Jubilees are building new networks of communication and socialization as well as communication pipelines between local, county, and state levels.
Since October 2009 the program has served over 1200 participants, a number of whom return for repeat events. Almost one third of attendees are men. The program strives to be culturally competent, focusing on the needs of the community being served. Senior Jubilees are now going statewide, having held events in Gallup, Villenueva, Roswell, Carlsbad, Deming, Alamogordo, and Cloudcroft.
The Senior Jubilees focus on prevention, a positive, upbeat approach to health topics, and an air of celebration for our seniors, honoring their unique contributions and collective wisdom. The atmosphere is always very positive and informal, with interaction between speakers and audience.
Senior Jubilee Mission Statement:
Building a strong voice for health services in culturally diverse rural communities, while focusing on the needs of rural seniors. Enhancing senior- to -senior and senior/professional interaction while increasing senior health literacy by partnering with local, county, and state level agencies, churches, higher education institutions, the medical community, and other interested community individuals and organizations.
The program is under the auspices of and support of the NM Office for Peer Recovery and Engagement, NM Behavioral Health Services Division, NM Human Services Department.