An organization is guided by the values expressed in its mission statement, therefore it is very important that the mission statement of the PEI Senior Citizens' Federation is kept in mind when presenting an overview of the PEISCF activities:
The Federation acts as a voice for seniors and advocates for a better quality of life on their behalf. It is governed by a volunteer board of directors and offers the services of a full-time executive director, an office and a library.

In the past couple of years Island seniors have become proactive and are speaking out on issues that have a great impact on their daily lives. However, this has been causing a lot of confusion to the extent that people think that seniors' groups are in competition with each other. In fact what has been happening is that seniors' groups are NOT in competition but are working in harmony to create a stronger voice for all seniors. The SUN (Seniors United Network) is one of those groups, structured as a networking group for all associations of retirees. SUN recently elected a board of directors and new executive. Congratulations to the new Chair, Ian MacDonald; Vice President, Arthur Hudson; and Secretary-Treasurer, Tom Connors. Voice for Island Seniors: Our monthly newspaper, Voice for Island Seniors, is a publication of the PEI Senior Citizens' Federation which has been published in collaboration with The Guardian since January 1994. The terms of our contract with The Guardian called for "The Voice" to be distributed as an insert in The Guardian which has a wide distribution across PEI - except in the Prince County area. As of today, "The Voice" will also be distributed as an insert in the Journal Pioneer, and we extend a very warm welcome to all readers of that publication.

General Meeting & Workshop Series We wish to encourage all seniors, particularly members of seniors' clubs, to participate in the upcoming General Meeting of the Federation on November 10th (see details elsewhere) and in the following workshops: a workshop entitled: Seniors Health Care: How Health Policies Affect our Quality of Life at the Star of the Sea Senior Citizens' Club in North Rustico on November 1st ; and a workshop entitled: Housing: More Than Just a Roof over Your Head at the Maple Leaf Seniors Club in Kinkora on November 15th. (Both workshops to run from 1:30 to 4:00 pm). These workshops are part of our project to educate ourselves about public policy and to find ways to influence policy change.

Seniors and the GIS We really appreciate that one of our PEI senators, Percy Downe , is raising the issue in Ottawa that many low-income seniors are not receiving the Guaranteed Income Supplement. This is not a new issue as the Federation, with the help of Dorothy Smith, Income Security Outreach Programs Officer for PEI who contributes articles monthly to "The Voice", has advised seniors to apply for this annual supplement. (Syd Clay, a frequent contributor to "The Voice" also touched on this subject in a recent column.)

Seniors Secretariat Promised! As I write, I hear a big news flash from CBC that PEI will be receiving several more millions of dollars in equalization payments. The cash cow has arrived and the time has come when our politicians must look at some of their promises of a year ago. The Seniors' Secretariat is needed on PEI and will be a valuable tool for both politicians and seniors alike. We are told we need to do a better job of speaking out on issues that concern and have an impact on our daily lives (as stated in the Guardian editorial of September 22). The time has come for our politicians to keep their promise to seniors!

New Horizons Program A new version of the New Horizons Program was launched on October 2nd by Hon. Tony Ianno, Federal Minister of State (Families and Caregivers), at the Seniors Active Living Centre. (See article on Page 17 for more information.)

Type II Diabetes Tool Kit Launched: A very special thanks goes to John Kenny and the Mayflower Seniors Club for hosting the October Federation board meeting and sharing the launching of the Type II Diabetes Tool Kit. We had a wonderful turnout with many receiving the kits and agreeing to be involved in the follow up program as presented by Jim Ward, Canadian Pensioners Concerned Project Manager.

Lest we Forget: November 11 is quickly approaching and we seniors cannot allow the memories to fade. Any of us over 65 will remember the devastating effect the wars had on our families, our communities and our country. So every chance you have speak and share your memories with the youth of today.

Remember too: The PEI Senior Citizens' Federation is here for you. Drop in at our new location (40 Enman Crescent), enjoy our library and let us know what your issues and concerns are.