Center for the Active Life of Minority Elders Adequate health care is a major concern for everybody. For the elderly it becomes even more important. And for the elderly in minority communities, areas that are already struggling to obtain adequate care for all age groups, health issues become serious problems that are in danger of being overlooked. Elderly minorities need an advocate to ensure they receive adequate health care. Thankfully, they have a group to look out for their interests: the Center for the Active Life of Minority Elders (CALME). Supported by the National Institute on Aging, CALME attacks these unique health issues by supporting young doctors and giving them the best opportunity to help bridge the gap in health between the majority and minority elderly. VOLUNTEER LECTURES like Dr. Adina Schneider educate minority seniors on topics such as diabetes. CALME uses its funding to encourage doctors and physicians to conduct research, host lectures, and administer health care services. Two examples of this strategy are CALME’s pilot grants and educational lectures at local senior centers. “We’re really giving back to the community,” says Dr. Nelson Peralta, the center’s project administrator, about the value of these projects. This year, four grants of $20,000 each will be awarded to minority researchers to help fund projects relevant to CALME’s mission. Not only will these projects help their intended targets, but they also will succeed in increasing the amount of minority investigators in the community of scientific research. The lectures CALME organizes and funds are aimed at educating minority elders in pertinent health issues, ranging from exercising proper dental care to dealing with diabetes. “We have probably reached more than 500 seniors already,” Dr. Peralta says. For those who have been unable to attend the lectures, the center reaches out to the community through a bilingual newsletter and brochures and a monthly cable television program, which is also transmitted in English and Spanish. These tools bring the same health-related information to an even larger audience. For more information, contact: Dr. Nelson Peralta 622 W. 168th Street New York, NY 10032 (212) 305-6262