The Past

The ARSEA Foundation, established in the summer of 1997, was initially created to build an office to house the ARSEA and commemorate members.  Rooms were dedicated to the memory of the three founders, Louis Goldblatt, William A. Major, and Fred E. Zeigler.  A Resource and Reference Center was developed and is open to retired public employees’ for their use during office hours.  A memorial book was created and the “Plaza of Memories” was established to memorialize and honor those who have meant so much to our growth and development.

In 1999, the ARSEA Foundation took on a new project in the form of Health Fairs and Expositions.  The Foundation teamed up with the State Employees’ Insurance Board to provide these events.  The first Health Fair and Expo for Retirees was held in Tuscaloosa in June of 1999 and offered health screenings to include chiropractic consultations, hearing tests, pneumonia vaccinations, nutritional consultations and 13 exhibits by local businesses providing services to seniors in the community.

In 2000, the Foundation was able to begin providing influenza vaccinations in the fall of the year through a cooperative effort with the State Employees’ Insurance Board, the Public Education Employees’ Insurance Board and the Public Health Department.  Since then, these have been provided yearly when and where available.  With  statistics recounting as many as 32,000 people dying each year from new and more volatile viruses, many lives may have been saved by this program.

The Present

Having fulfilled its initial building goal, the Foundation has refined its mission to provide wellness and educational programs through informational and research efforts.  Some of the ways this has been accomplished has been through the continuation of annual Expositions, participating in educational efforts of other organizations to include the Medicare card educational program with the Department of Senior Services, providing support to the Silver-Haired Legislature when needed, distributing information on Medicare provided by the Alabama Quality Assurance Foundation, and providing an annual donation of $5000 and now $6000 to the University of Alabama Center for Aging. 

The Future

The staff at ARSEA is excited about the fundraising programs that are underway.  As always, those who wish to honor or memorialize a friend or family member, can do so by purchasing a brick in the Plaza of Memories as a permanent part of our landscape for $100 – the same price it was in the beginning.  Since 2000, the Foundation has held a successful annual Silent Auction, initially raising $1000 and, in 2004, raising over $3000. 

These fundraisers are usually held in conjunction with ARSEA’s Annual Meeting and have been supplemented with raffles for high dollar electronics and small appliances either purchased with existing funds, donated by businesses, and, in some cases, board members. 

Donations in any amount are welcome.  The Foundation is a 501c(3) and thus all donations are tax deductible.  Call the ARSEA office to discuss your options.