Happy Holidays from EFPN!

Season’s Greetings!

As 2008 comes to a close, it is amazing to look back over the last year. We’ve accomplished quite a lot! This has been an exciting year for EFPN, and a tumultuous twelve months for the US. I hope that everyone reading this has a chance to relax, reflect and recharge over the next two weeks, because from the looks of it, 2009 isn’t going to be any calmer!

One need only look at the front page of any newspaper to see that we have enormous challenges up ahead. The Bernard Madoff story is tragic. Every time I read about his massive, $50 billion Ponzi scheme, there is a line or two about how much people trusted him. During the holidays, surrounded by friends and family, we must not forget that there are folks in our community who are isolated and vulnerable. Too often, these people are put into danger by someone who seems trustworthy, but whose intentions are sinister. It is imperative that we continue to fight elder financial abuse in the New Year with the same level of energy and passion that we showed in 2008.

A few end-of-the-year business items:

1) Subscribe to the blog! It’s easy! Go to FeedBlitz, enter this url (http://efpnreporter.wordpress.com), and then enter your email. You’ll receive blog updates automatically, and keep up with all the excitement here at EFPN.

2) If you haven’t already given, please consider making a donation to EFPN. We recently launched a final fundraising campaign for 2008, and we have been thrilled with the outpouring of support from our friends and partners. Don’t be left behind! Give today, or wait until after January 1, whatever suits you best. Visit our homepage, and look for the big, yellow Donate Now button in the top right hand corner. With your help, we can make elders in California and beyond safer in 2009!

3) Reserve a table for Call To Action 2009! It’s hard to believe, but March 26 is just around the corner. We already have a gold, silver and four bronze sponsorships, as well as new and past partners coming forward with support for our mission. C2A 2009 is shaping up to be the best yet. Don’t miss it! Call 415.956.5556 for details. Also, look at the Call To Action 2009 information section on the left hand side of the homepage. We recently uploaded a 3 minute video from last year’s event. Check it out!

We’ll be out of the office after today. Sam will be back on the 29^th, working on Call To Action, community education events and more. So give him a call at 415.956.5556.

Best,

Jenefer Duane

Founder & CEO

Two Big Events This Week for EFPN! CDAA and a Presentation at Smith Ranch!

It’s an exciting week here at EFPN! We have two big events coming up. First, we have the California District Attorneys Association’s Elder Abuse Symposium on Thursday, December 4. Then, the very next day, we’re teaming up with Bank of Marin for a presentation at Smith Ranch in Marin.

At the CDAA symposium, Jenefer will be giving a presentation with the Honorable Stephan Passalacqua, Sonoma County District Attorney. Their talk is titled Community Outreach, Education and Prevention. We are proud to present at the symposium, and the talk is sure to be a success.

On Friday, Jenefer will be presenting a Be Wise community education seminar at Smith Ranch in Marin. Sponsored by Bank of Marin, this seminar will give the seniors at Smith Ranch the information they need to protect themselves form financial abuse and exploitation.

What an exciting time for EFPN! Don’t miss your chance to be a part of the action. Please consider making a donation, and help us reach more seniors and the folks who work with them. For more information on giving, please call 415.956.5556.

Senior Resource Forum 2008 A Big Hit!

Jenefer Duane with keynote speaker Michael Finney.

On November 14, hundreds of seniors and their families gathered at the Santa Clara Convention Center for Senior Resource Forum 2008. SRF 2008 was made possible through the incredible generosity and planning of the title sponsor, Star One Credit Union. Other sponsors included the Financial Institutions Team (FIT) in Santa Clara County, Department of Corporations – SAIF, Department of Consumer Affairs, Key Point Credit Union, Elder Financial Protection Network and Santa Clara County. Representatives from these institutions worked for months to put together a top notch event.

SRF 2008 featured a hall of vendors, with representatives from local businesses and services of special interest to seniors in Santa Clara County. In the main hall, a program of expert panels, guest speakers, and a super keynote address from consumer watch-dog Michael Finney kept everyone entertained, while providing excellent tips for avoiding financial abuse. Panelists included reps from Rebuilding Together, the Bureau of Automotive Repairs, Contractors State License Board, Adult Protective Services, and many more. There were awesome individual speakers as well, including our own Jenefer Duane, who gave a terrific talk on hiring in-home care.

Attendees had a great time, and we are excited about the prospect of participating in this event next year. It was a wonderful opportunity to reach a large number of seniors, giving them the resources they need to protect themselves from exploitation.