Safety is important for all, which is why the Golden Hour Senior Center is hosting a safety conference.
The GHSC and the AARP are working together to present a dinner and conference, which will discuss home, internet and community safety issues.
GHSC activities coordinator Megan Brown said the center hosted an aging brain conference last year; and although the class was well received, the seniors were wanting a class that focused on safety issues.
Brown said the center is answering that request by providing this conference, which will take place Sept. 28 from 5-8 p.m. at the GHSC. Those who pre-register by Sept. 25 will receive a free chicken parmesan dinner that evening.
Five guest speakers will inform attendees on what to do in various situations. FBI Special Agent, Paul Kanish, will talk about internet scams and safety, while Sandy Goodman, SMP program manager and WSHIP coordinator, will discuss Medicare fraud. Rock Springs Police Department community service officer Randy Hansen will inform the group about Sweetwater Citizens Crime Stoppers, while Trona Valley representatives will discuss elder abuse. If presentations were not exciting enough, the center is also hosting a self defense demonstration from Ryan Fotheringham, owner and lead instructor of the freestyle combative system.
Fotheringham will have an assistant with him so he can show the audience how to ward off attackers.
Brown said lately it seems like the seniors are receiving more and more fraudulent letters. She said a lot of those letters are telling the seniors they are in trouble with the law for some reason or another. The letter then asks the seniors to send money to stay out of trouble, which is just a big scam.
Some of the seniors just don’t know what to do. Everyone at the center jumped behind this idea; and that is why this conference is being offered.
“It’s a way to make our community safer,” Brown said. “They can learn how to take their own safety into their own hands.”
Although the conference is taking place at the GHSC, it is open to people of all ages.
“Anyone who comes, whether they are 18 or 80, will take something from it,” Brown said. “We hope the community comes out and supports the event. Just because we are a senior center doesn’t mean we are just for seniors.”
Those interested in the conference and who would like to pre-register can call the AARP at 1-877-926-8300 or at the GHSC 872-3223.
“We are limiting the event to 150 people so if anyone is interested in going they need to preregister for the event,” she said.
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