Welcome to the AZELO Newsletter!

September 1, 2021

This Issue's Contents

AZELO's Strategic Plan, Part 2
Volunteer Corner
Action Teams Progress Update
Meet Ron Mohoney, Action Team Leader
Meet Mary Ganapol, Action Team Member
Upcoming Events
Donate!

AZELO's Strategic Plan, Part 2

by Dr. Dwight Moore, Chair

We have had a great adventure since the last newsletter. The Advisory Council and the Steering Committee met to review our 2021 Strategic Plan and revise it. We have a new draft and here are some of the changes:

Revised Vision and Mission: We understand that the fight to get MAID passed will take some time and while we are still shooting for 2023, we are building an infrastructure for a long journey. Additionally, we decided to broaden our mandate to educate people about Voluntary Stopping Eating and Drinking (VSED) and Palliative Sedation, along with Medical Aid in Dying, as end-of-life choices.

Reconstituted Advisory Council: We have redefined this group to be a think tank for AZELO. Eight new members have been added from around the country. People with deep expertise and a long-time passion for choice at the end of life. Meeting three times a year, we will pose difficult questions to the Council to tap their wisdom about achieving our objectives.

Updated Projects: We now have three major objectives: Education, Legislative, and Special Projects. Projects have been reviewed, revised, and updated. There is a need for six new project managers to volunteer their time. Please contact either Kem Ellis or Dwight Moore about these opportunities.

As a group, we are excited about our vision, mission, and projects in the year going forward, to offer medical aid in dying to the Arizona public.

Volunteer Corner

Kem's next open office will be on September 17th from 1:00 -3:00 pm, so put it on your calendar. This is your time to meet with AZELO leaders, and other AZELO volunteers and advocates. We always have the latest AZELO news and information, and our brainstorming discussions are a great place to generate and share ideas. Finally, in need of a supportive ear? We are like-minded folk who share a common concern: we all want to live well into old age and see the wisdom in planning a good death when that time comes. Talk with us, this is a necessary conversation to have!

Click here on September 17th between 1:00 -3:00 pm to attend

Want to learn about volunteering with AZELO? Click here: Volunteer

Action Teams Progress Update
by Kem Ellis, Volunteer Coordinator

We’re making good progress with organizing the Action Teams, but we still have a long way to go. Our first step is to recruit a leader for each team whose job will be to keep the other Action Team members informed.

Action Teams are made up of residents in each of the 30 legislative districts in Arizona who are willing to help educate and advocate for medical aid in dying in their district. These opportunities include distributing MAID literature to neighbors and at community events, and contacting or meeting with their legislators to advocate for MAID. If you would like to learn more about becoming an Action Team leader, contact AZELO Volunteer Coordinator, Kem Ellis, at k.ellis@azendoflifeoptions.org.

If you are not available to be a leader, we still need you! All the AZELO Action Teams will begin actively seeking new team members right after Labor Day, with a minimum goal of 20 members per team. But don’t wait to be contacted, join the Action Team in your district now. Complete the Action Team signup form and Kem Ellis will contact you.

No matter where you live in Arizona, we need you to join your Action Team. The need is especially great if you live in a legislative district where AZELO has few current contacts or Action Team members. These include LD4, Gila Bend; LD5, Kingman; LD7, Winslow; LD8 Coolidge; LD19, Avondale; LD29, Glendale; LD30, Phoenix.

Help pass a medical aid in dying law in Arizona by joining your AZELO Action Team today!

Meet Ron Mohoney, Action Team Leader for LD 6

I volunteered to lead my legislative district team because I would rather organize the effort than make political calls myself. Also, I figured I would be contacting people who are sympathetic to the cause since all my contacts had at one time or another voluntarily expressed interest in AZELO.

It has been a rewarding experience. Not surprisingly, many of the people who I talk to or correspond with by email are passionate about the organization. It was easy to exceed my goal of recruiting twenty members. My overall response rate has been about 40% and not a single person has given me negative feedback for contacting them!

Here I am in action, spreading the word about MAID in my neighborhood!

Meet Mary Ganapol, Action Team Member for LD 9

I love getting out and facing the public. Here I am manning the AZELO table at the Arizona Public Health Association (AZPHA) Annual Convention held in Phoenix on August 26th.

Tables with our banners and handouts are a great way to reach people and tell them about who we are and what we are doing. Have you got an idea for locations for tables? Senior fairs? Farmer’s markets? Entrances to libraries? Outdoor festivals? As the weather cools, it would be great to have volunteers set up this type of table.

We are an all-volunteer grassroots nonpartisan group. This is what grassroots looks like!

Upcoming Events

Dr. Tom Fitch will present the six choices we all have at the end of our lives including medical aid in dying in those states where it is legal. Come with your questions and comments about end-of-life issues.

Click here to register. Your zoom link will be emailed to you:
Six Choices Webinar on September 3rd

The League of Women Voters of Greater Tucson welcomes a panel of experts from various fields to discuss this often misunderstood, always interesting end-of-life option, also known as death with dignity.

When: Saturday, September 18th from 10:00 - 11:30 am

Two ways to Join via Zoom:

1) Just, copy this link and paste it into your browser when the event begins:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87895992004?pwd=MTYyQW5ITytMT3RzNTNVcEd0MFNPUT09
Passcode is 117693

2) Go into Zoom with this ID and Passcode:
ID 87895992004 Passcode 117693

Click here to view the flyer

A special thanks to AZELO Volunteer Mary Ganapol for coordinating this event!

The meeting will be available on the LWVGT YouTube channel in October.

Click Here to Donate to Arizona End-of-Life Options

Arizona End-of-Life Options
https://azendoflifeoptions.org