History of Elder Care Network (ECN)

• Committees were established for ECN: workplace education, website, newsletter and conferences. 
• A condition of membership in the organization was active participation in one of these committees.
• First Embrace Conference was held in May 1997 with 40 people in attendance.

1998

• 2nd Annual Embrace Aging Conference in May 1998
• Completed brochure
• Hosted employer sessions on aging issues
• Website refined (hosted by Fort Net).  Bonnie Shetler designed original site.

1999

• 3rd Annual Embrace Aging Conference, Theme of: Pathways to Caring and Finding Help, 42 participants
• Collaborated with Girl Scouts to have them distribute information about upcoming conference
• 4 presentations made to workplace through Education committee
• Community grants received from Advanced Energy and Mildred Arnold Foundation
• Elderhaus became the fiscal agent for its 501 c3, and fiscal agent with Women’s Development council dropped
• Columbine Health Systems and Fort Collins Senior Center provided resources and publication support for ECN and conference
• 800 hits on website

2000

• Focus of ECN was in reorganization: created Steering Committee as participants on conference did not know about whole network.  Also decided to forgo annual conference as not enough participants for amount of work. 
• Newsletter: Pathways
• Phone: Acquired a voice mail phone system at a discounted rate
• Speakers bureau created
• Booth at Celebration of Neighborhood city event at Lory Student Center

2001

• 1st Edition of  Life Journeys: Caring Across Generations published in collaboration with Senior Mental Health Consortium.  Distributed to corporations and individuals  (Spring 2001)
• 2nd Edition of Life Journeys published and distributed at Bridging the Gap luncheon  
• Office on Aging paid for cost of newsletter
• Conversations started with Parent Magazine
• Speaker’s Bureau sent letter to churches of Larimer County about speaking with grant from Interfaith Council
• Booth at New West Fest shared with Senior Advisory Board, Foundation on Aging, and Office on Aging

2002

• Publication: First edition of insert in Parent Magazine published in May
• Website: 7320 hits on website (Feb 02)
• Letter sent again to churches re Speaker’s Bureau
• Annual meeting held  (June) at Foothills Gateway  (ECN members only not recruitment)
• Elderhaus still fiscal agent
• Steering committee Goals (July) included providing leadership in Marketing Strategies and Membership Drive

2003

• Annual Meeting held (October) at Home State Bank (meeting room) also recruitment time
• At Large members brought onto Steering Committee
• Committee called Ways and Means attempting to work with Elderhaus on possible grants (Kellogg Foundation)
• Publication: Parent Magazine published May issue and articles in other issues provided by publication committee
• Website: Started a section on non-medical companion care.  Website still hosted with FortNet
• Web hits: 100-200 per month
• Education committee looking into Brown bag luncheon meetings
• Continuing collaboration with Office on Aging
• Caregivers Book Group started at Barnes and Noble (monthly)
• Outreach Committee: Perpetual Calendar started (with Office on Aging)
• Family Connections committee formed

2004

• Annual meeting (October) Fort Collins Senior Center (early morning)
• Perpetual Calendar distributed  (ECN members had words of wisdom with their ads)
• Foundation on Aging became the fiscal agent with its 501 c3 and fiscal relationship with Elderhaus stopped
• Website: Started discussion with Gene Hodge (Impel Solutions) for hosting site
• Website launched in October (www.eldercarenet.org)
• Family Connections committee creating packet of information to be given to family members who are moving into long term care facilities.  (This project eventually dropped)
• Publication: Parent Magazine continuing
• Law Day committee started meeting (Fall) under Education Committee

2005

• Annual meeting held at Rio Grande (Oct) upstairs room (Chris Goes major contributor)
• Education/Outreach Committee: Discussion with District Attorney office re mini-series for support staff with Office on Aging
• Education: Letter sent to senior businesses re employee training
• 1st Senior Law Day Conference held (Sept) at Plymouth Congregational Church (about 100 attendees including sponsors) Kirsten Hartman Chair
• Family Connections committee: Looking for people who are past active caregiver role to support others  and continuing to explore ways to put their mission into action.
• Publication: Parent Magazine and articles in The Forum newspaper
• Marketing first meeting with ideas of how to distribute information to variety of sources (see attached)
• ECN Booth held at Bridging the Gap

2006

• Steering committee started discussion about need for By-Laws and more organization as membership is decreasing.  Started discussions about forming our own 501 c3
• March decided to elect leadership roles
• Annual meeting (June) elected leadership positions (Originally named: CMO Chief Motivating Officer, Kirsten Hartman, CMO in training Don Gaymon, Secretary Kendra Payne, Treasurer Bonnie Shetler, (titles corrected at first executive committee)
• Executive committee formed
• Quarterly meetings for networking decided
• By-laws completed October/November
• Created a liaison function with Foundation on Aging by ECN members being on their board
• Family Connections: created conversation groups, called them Caregiver Conversations, 6 conversations held
• Publication: Articles (or ECN information) in North Forty News and Fossil Creek News for Senor Spotlight Edition
• Phone Committee: Started a spread sheet to track calls
• Education committee: Planned to start classes on Personal Care Providers for non-certified aides through Office on Aging and Education and Life Training Center
• Senior Law Day: Aug at First Presbyterian Church (about 117 attendees)

2007

• Steering Committee: Dues now collected, 1st write up about joining committees created.
• Networking event  (April) at Rigden Farm and photo taken for Parent Magazine ad
• July Network, Picnic at Rolland Moore Park
• Election of officers held by e-mail
• Education: Speaker’s bureau revitalized
• Website: Set up Forum
• Senior Law Day: (Aug) First Presbyterian Church (200 registered, 160 attended).
• Senior Law Day (Fall) started discussion re collaboration with CSU for future conference
• Family Connections: Holding caregiver conversations in coordination with Office on Aging

2008

• Annual Networking meeting (Jan) Columbine Café. 
• Annual Business meeting (June) Manios Café.  New officers elected
• Steering committee: Discussion started re forming Marketing Committee
• By-Laws updated, Brochure updated
• Created liasion from ECN to Foundation on Aging
• Senior Law Day: Discussions continuing with CSU re collaboration
• Senior Law Day (Aug) held at CSU, Lory Student Center (over 200 registrations 175 attendees)
• Education/Speaker’s bureau: Flyer distributed about speaker’s bureau
• Family Connections: Continuing Caregiver Conversations
• Publications: going through changes (Fall 08)
• Marketing Committee: First meeting in fall

2009

• Annual Networking meeting (Jan) held at Sugar Valley
• Collaboration agreement signed with Larimer County Caregiver Collation (June) project of Office on Aging to explore and develop projects of mutual concern
• Annual June meeting held at Whole Life Center.  New officers Elected
• Social committee: Started rotating monthly meetings held as networking times
• Senior Law Day (Aug) Lory Student Center (200 attendees)
• Web committee: Photos added to site.  Began active collaboration with LCCC to expand website.
• Marketing Committee: Redid brochure, created Vendor Board for display at events
• Publication: Started monthly internal newsletter
• Education: Collaboration with LCCC and Powerful Tools for Caregiver Workshops