Sen. Grassley Town Hall Meeting @ the Y

PHOTO: United States Senator Charles Grassley (Republican – Iowa) visiting with Nick Zimmer, Executive Director of the Montgomery County Family YMCA, Red Oak, Iowa. 

There were nearly 45 people in attendance at the Monday, July 1^st Town Hall Meeting in Red Oak, Iowa hosted by the Montgomery County Family YMCA.

Nick Zimmer, the Montgomery County Family YMCA's Executive Director, was able to visit and share with Senator Grassley the YMCA of the USA’s outstanding work throughout the country with the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program. He also asked to seek his support for the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Act which would provide seniors reimbursement through Medicare for the evidence–based, life saving and cost saving program. The YMCA of the USA has translated its program into more than 500 sites across the country, including Marshalltown, Iowa. Senator Grassley seemed very supportive and interested in the work that the YMCA’s across the country are doing related to diabetes prevention programming to save billions of dollars and millions of lives.

Also, Zimmer was able to visit with Senator Grassley about the importance to preserve the charitable tax deduction and asked for his support to not make any changes with this program. Senator Grassley seemed very interested in working with the YMCA movement on this important measure as well.

Zimmer was able to provide Senator Grassley and his Western Iowa Aid from Council Bluffs, Iowa, a complete packet of information on:

• The Medicare Diabetes Prevention Act.
• The Charitable Tax deduction program
• 2011 Iowa Alliance of YMCA's Community Benefit Report
• 2011 Community Is Our Cause - Montgomery County Family YMCA Report (Red Oak, IA)

PHOTO: United States Senator Charles Grassley (Republican – Iowa) visiting with Iowa State Senator Joni Ernst (Republican- Red Oak, IA).

Since 2001 the Montgomery County Family YMCA has hosted eleven of Senator Charles Grassley’s town hall meetings for the general public to attend. The YMCA has also hosted other local, county and statewide forums with elected officials in the Montgomery County Family YMCA’s multi-purpose room.