Pierce County CAN-DO (Citizens Action Network – Dial Olympia) will hold its annual volunteer training Thursday, Sept. 29. from 9 a.m. to 12 noon at the Soundview Medical Plaza, 3611 S. D St., Tacoma. Pierce County CAN-DO is part of a statewide collective of networks and organizations that advocate for people with mental illness and older adults in the community. Together these networks seek to speak up for the more vulnerable members of the community.

Participants will learn about the network, the role of advocacy, the issues of concern to seniors and individuals with disabilities, and communication with legislators. Legislators often report they need to hear from their constituents about critical issues.

The goals of the CAN-DO network are to ensure appropriate and adequate funding for long-term, in-home, and community-based care; to promote services which sustain and improve the well-being of the frail; and to enhance access, quality, and cost-effectiveness of health care and long-term care.

“Lawmakers are between a rock and a hard place,” said Meg Battson of the Pierce County Aging and Long Term Care Advisory Board. “On the one hand they are besieged by expensive and sophisticated lobbying efforts, while on the other hand they are facing ever-growing demands on state and federal budgets. Sometimes the right voices aren’t heard. That’s why CAN-DO is so important.”

For more information or to register for the training, call (253) 798-2797.