Back by popular demand, GrandRally 4 is scheduled for this coming September 15th. Gather with us on September 15th at 1:00 p.m. at the U. S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., as grandparents and other relative caregivers from across the country take part in the 4th National GrandRally. The GrandRally is a powerful way to gain lawmakers’ attention and to focus on the importance of relative caregivers—the challenges they face and the contributions they make. In the midst of scarce resources and a tumultuous economy, relative caregivers keep children safe and in stable homes. The GrandRally will be an historic opportunity to celebrate, create momentum, expand awareness and build upon the success from previous Grand Rallies. There are additional activities planned for the day before (September 14th – Details to follow. For more information, visit www.grandrally.org or email.. Registration, hotels, and transportation to follow soon. Keep checking the site for updates. You can also e-mail grandrally.yvonne2011@yahoo.com or speak with GrandRally staff at 215-844-4744. GrandFamilies Of America is once again one of the sponsoring organizations again, as we have been for all three of the past rallies. We are looking forward to seeing all of you again. HOT OFF THE PRESSESS!! It has just been announced that there will be another GrandRally for relative caregivers of children in September, specific date to follow soon. GrandFamilies Of America, will once again partner with other national organizations to make this a reality. Stay tuned for details as they become available. The Annual Urban Child Symposium, Center For Families, Children and the Courts, University of Baltimore School of Law, will be held on April 7, 2011 from 8:30 – 5:00p.,m. The title of the symposium is “Straight Talk: A Facilitated Discussion. You can learn more about this exciting event, by going on the web site http://law.ubalt.edu/template.cfm?page=1532 . This is a great opportunity for relative caregivers to get their message to the courts out there and I am truly honored to have been asked to participate. Pat Owens, President/CEO of GrandFamilies Of America will be a panelist on the above panel. This would be a worthy event for everyone to try and attend. Remember, issues with the courts is often the main obstacle for relatives trying to protect their relative children. AARP will be filming a piece paying tribute to grandparent advocates and their accomplishments on March 22, 2011. Showing time to be announced soon. AARP will be filming and featuring Pat Owens and her grandson Michael for that presentation on March 22, 2011. During this filming, Pat will attempt to pay tribute to all of the grandparent/relative caregivers across the country who have given a voice to this population. Generations United will be hosting their 16th national conference. The conference will run from July 26th – 29th, 2011, at the Washington Court Hotel. The title of this years conference is ReThinking – ReVitalizing. Be sure to get your early registration discount by doing to www.gu.org to learn more about this exciting upcoming conference and to register. GrandFamilies Of America is partnering with Morgan State University in a one day conference for gerontology entitled “Multiple Caregiver Responsibilities of Grandmother Caregivers. The conference will be held on Thursday, July 14, 2011 at the Morgan State University student center. For more information e-mail gerostudents@gmail.com and ask for Gaynell. On March 28th, 2011, Michael Owens, grandson/son of Pat Owens, President/CEO of GrandFamilies Of America spoke at the capitol in support of not making any cuts to Social Security. More than 300 supporters of Social Security turned out at an event on Capitol Hill to stand in support of this important intergenerational program. Among them, 14 year old Michael Owens gave his testimony about the impact Social Security has had in his life. Michael and his Grandma Pat Michael's grandparents raised him since the day he was born. When he was four, they became his legal guardians. Unfortunately, before he could be legally adopted by both of them, his grandpa passed away in 2006. But in 2008 his grandma carried through with the adoption and ever since then he’s been fortunate to receive Social Security. Even at the age of 14, Michael knows how important Social Security is for his family. “Social Security means a lot of things to me, especially since my grandpa died. It helps my grandma and me with the basic things, but also means I can do things that other children get to do, like participating in sports. My grandma takes very good care of me, but we could not survive without Social Security. “ Later in the event, five U.S. Senators announced their support for protecting Social Security for today’s recipients and future beneficiaries. For two of the Senators protecting Social Security is not just political, it’s personal.