The Center for Healthy Aging (CHA) was created in 1975 by five Santa Monican senior citizens who felt they weren't getting enough care. CHA's mission is to promote independence and healthy aging in seniors living in the Santa Monica area. As people are living longer they need more services, so CHA helps keep seniors healthy and happy by providing medical and mental health services and help with daily living. CHA encourages young people to help seniors at home and in their neighborhoods. We can lend a hand to grandparents and visit seniors in convalescent homes, especially during holidays when the elderly are lonely. In school, a class can "adopt" a convalescent home and send letters and cards. They can also visit on a field trip. High school students sometimes do community service projects for the elderly. If you have an older person in your family who is looking for something to do, CHA's Peer Counseling Program teaches seniors to counsel other seniors. CHA also provides support groups for families taking care of an elderly relative. Each year, CHA serves about 2,000 seniors and provides over 29,000 client contact services. There are 25 employees-18 full-time and 7 part-time. CHA also has ten graduate student interns and 150 adult volunteers.