Prime December 2016

R O F S E LT N U ZI AD A G E A R M TU A A M DECEMBER 2016 | Livingston Food Resource Center P. 2 | Holiday Carousel P.5

2 I Prime December 2016

A note from the editor

Do you know a senior who should be featured in a future edition of Prime? Email your suggestions to prime@ dailychronicle.com or call Cindy Sease at 582-2616

Food Resource Center Director Sets Big-Picture Course......................................... 2 The Continuous Holiday Carousel........................................................ 5 A Recap of the 2016 Gardening Year.............. 6 A Pair of Holiday Possibilities with the Grandkids...................................................... 7 Bells of the Bridgers....................................... 7 Savory Soups Made Easy & Recipe Box............... 8 Local Senior Centers & RSVP....................... 10 If you have difficulty understanding words clearly over the phone, just fill out this form!

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Food Resource Center Director Sets Big-Picture Course In Livingston

By Lisa Reuter

Livingston Food Resource Center Executive Director Michael McCormick shows off an industrial sized kettle in the commercial kitchen that’s used by

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pantry workers and local food entrepenurs.

ight years ago, after 30 years of working in corporate marketing, Michael McCormick thought he was retiring to Livingston, Montana, to fish.

A year into that retirement, after he and his wife, Jeanne, had built a new home and he’d fished plenty, McCormick hit a mental wall. “I woke up one morning and thought, gee, if the toughest decision I make all day is whether or not I would like to go fishing, things are not going to be moving as quickly as I like things to move,” he recalled.

About the same time, he stopped by the Livingston food pantry, where Jeanne had begun volunteering. “One of the volunteers started talking

about how they were struggling to keep up with the huge demand that the economy was driving to them, and that they were looking for a manager. I thought, gosh, what a terrific way to get engaged with the community, and it won’t cut into my fishing time too much,” he said, a slim grin playing across his face.

“I didn’t have any nonprofit experience, but I spoke with the people on the board, and they asked me to be the director and I went right to work.”

Prime December 2016 I 3

McCormick and part-time workers Vicki Blakeman, left, and Corenda Gerken spend significant time working with food processors in the Food Resource Center’s

commercial kitchen.

A Studied Start McCormick didn’t start ordering large amounts of food or stocking shelves though. A lanky, long-limbed man who speaks with the measured cadence of a careful thinker and the common-sense practicality of years spent reading profit and loss statements in Maine, he started by observing, asking questions and taking notes.

“I became quite uncomfortable with the typical food pantry model,” he said. “Too many food pantries think that if they aggregate large quantities of inexpensive food, pass it out to people in need, turn out the lights and go home for the day, they’ve finished their job. I wanted to see the food pantry run like a for-

profit business. That meant the first thing we had to do was figure out who our clients were and why they needed our help.”

Beyond that, McCormick wanted to discover the root causes behind the need for the food pantry, attack them and maybe, eventually, put it out of business.

“I realized that if all I did was collect food and pass it out, the people in line would be right back there the next month. And I didn’t want that for them. I wanted them to find jobs, pay taxes and participate in their community again. Too often, the people we serve have become disenfranchised. They’re not participating in their community politically, socially or economically. Because of that,

they seem to fall farther behind and become chronically unemployed, and every day that’s allowed to happen, they become less employable.”

Facts and a New Model The Food resource Center serves about 350 households and 700 people a month, almost 10 percent of Livingston’s population.

“We put more than 230,000 pounds of food annually into the local food system, which means the food pantry is playing a significant role in the local economy and the local food system,” he said. “That means we should take a leadership role in developing our community.”

With more research, including informal focus groups, he

determined that 80 percent of his clients were unemployed or underemployed, mainly because their job skills didn’t match available jobs.

Studying the job listings posted by the Livingston Job Service Center, McCormick learned that 17 percent of the openings that year were for cooks and culinary workers already skilled in food prep to work for local restaurants and institutions, including the hospital, senior living facilities and schools. With help from dietetic interns from Montana State University, he also learned that about a quarter of the pantry’s clients are diabetic and a third have high blood pressure.

More Resource Center | 4

4 I Prime December 2016

Resource Center | From 3 “That kind of information gave real shape to our programs and the kind of food we wanted to make available,” he said.

It also reshaped the center’s mission statement, which states that it works to eliminate hunger

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locally through the acquisition and distribution of healthful food to individuals and families in need; plays a leadership role in the development of a strong and sustainable local food system; defines and addresses the root causes of hunger locally; supports food-related economic development efforts that drive new job creation; and provides training to prepare people for careers in the food service industry.

McCormick, his board, volunteers and supporters weren’t looking to put another bandage on a persistent problem but formulating plans for a solution – and something much bigger than a storefront to distribute canned goods.

Funds and a New Approach By late 2012, the food pantry was fund-raising for a new, much larger facility. Donations from generous residents, businesses and foundations, a $450,000 Community Development Block Grant administered by the Montana Department of Commerce – even a concert by actor Jeff Bridges, who lives in the area – covered the $1.6 million cost before ground was broken.

In February 2015, the 5,000-square foot, red brick Livingston Food Resource Center opened at Second and Callen-

der streets with large, bright food storage and distribution areas; a community meeting room; and a 1,400-square-foot commercial kitchen furnished with stoves and ovens, prep areas and industrialsized food processors.

The center’s commercial kitchen is really an economic development laboratory, McCormick said. It has launched the food pantry into the food production business, as the three part-time staffers and 30 hard-core volunteers bake 12-grain and whole wheat breads and make wholesome soups and stews (using area produce and Montana-grown grains) for distribution to clients.

“You won’t find a doughnut, cookie or chip in our pantry because our mission is to feed people in a way that helps make them healthy,” McCormick said.

Resource Center bread is also sold to the hospital, local schools and Meals on Wheels, and local entrepreneurs with small food businesses can rent the kitchen space and equipment to incubate new products or process existing brands for sale.

The kitchen has graduated two, 10-week classes of culinary workers – nearly all of them now employed full-time. And it has turned the pantry into the middleman of a new, locally based produce procurement and food processing system, as McCormick buys vegetables from area farmers and turns them into processed-to-order frozen produce for area restaurants and institutions.

Any profit is split between the local suppliers and the center.

With help from local business professionals, chefs and staff at First Interstate Bank’s Livingston branch, the center helps food entrepreneurs with business plans, recipe development advice and micro-loans to purchase the bottles and labels to bring a new product to market.

Kids get special attention

throughout the pantry, starting with free coloring books and crayon packs when they shop the shelves with their parents. Year-round, volunteers fill weekend food packs and serve summer lunches to children who need food assistance. They also conduct Kids Cooking Camp in summer. Working with staff from the MSU Extension office in Livingston, they teach kids ages 6 to 9 how to safely cook healthy, tasty meals for themselves and their siblings, introducing all of them to a lifetime of better food choices and more success in school and life.

End Results McCormick’s own views about food assistance have changed. “In the past, if I’d driven by a food pantry and seen a line of people, I’d have dismissed them as lazy and unmotivated, and said something really constructive like, why don’t you go get a job.

I still want people to get jobs, but I realize that everybody hasn’t had the good coaching, training and education I’ve been privileged to have. I realize how judgmental I was.

“Some of the nicest, sweetest, most caring people I’ve ever met come through the doors of this food pantry. But they’ve been pushed to the edges of society, maybe because they’re sick or they didn’t have the support and education, or nobody every taught them how to make good decisions.

“You can’t condemn a person for a bad decision they made a long time ago. And you can’t feed people out of poverty,” he concluded. “You feed people to help them be healthy and to help them believe they can be successful again.”

Looking forward, McCormick sees more job creation and fewer food pantry clients in the future and a stronger, healthier Livingston. “That’s the ROI we’re shooting for.”

Prime December 2016 I 5

The Continuous Holiday Carousel By Lois Stephens

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oliday seasons nowadays tend to blend together into one continuous shopping spree.

It starts in late September when merchants feel obligated to start pushing Halloween, and lasts right through Easter the following spring.

When I was a kid, admittedly quite some time ago, this behavior by shopkeepers didn’t exist, and we as consumers didn’t demand it. Stores began stocking shelves with Halloween treats and costumes the first or second week of October. We didn’t even begin thinking about what we might want to wear until the night we planned to go and, of course, we dreamed up our own costumes and put them together ourselves.

I recall a particularly inventive child who sewed mousetraps on a bedsheet, draped herself with the sheet and went trick-or-treating as one of “The Untouchables” from the early 1960s TV show. What fun, what anticipation, what creativity went into producing some of our outfits. We participated in making the costumes and used what we had on hand; we didn’t expect our parents to purchase a fancy Spiderman outfit, allow us to wear it once and then discard it after Halloween.

We appreciated the Halloween activities, the day came and went with appropriate fanfare, and the

preparation and actual events lasted maybe a week.

Then we turned our thoughts toward Thanksgiving. In early November turkeys went on sale, cranberries appeared on grocery shelves, and we anticipated the coming feast we shared with family members. No one thought about Christmas, as Thanksgiving was a holiday in and of itself that we wanted to enjoy first, and stores obliged us. Christmas decorations and hoopla did not surface until Thanksgiving came and went.

Black Friday did not exist in my childhood. No one dreamed of rushing out the day after Thanksgiving to start the feeding frenzy of Christmas. We didn’t feel the need to scurry off to a store at four in the morning for the dubious delight of standing in line waiting for the store to open just for the opportunity to elbow others out of our way so we could snatch up cheap items to give to family members for Christmas. Instead, we enjoyed the day after Thanksgiving as an extra day off, and appreciated

it as part of the Thanksgiving holiday.

The week after Thanksgiving, we started to think about Christmas with delight and with expectations that within a few weeks, we’d put up and decorate a tree, start looking for appropriate gifts for family members and decorate the house. We dreamed of the treats we enjoyed only at Christmastime, such as my mother’s scrumptious homemade fruitcake, multi-colored coconut bonbons and candy canes. We weren’t bombarded with the idea of Christmas in early November, as stores took until the first of December to begin pushing merchandise in earnest. We could enjoy the season, move into it slowly and savor the anticipation of what the Yuletide had in store.

We never gave Valentine’s Day a thought until February arrived.

That’s when stores displayed their selection of Valentine’s cards and chocolates packaged in heart-shaped boxes. Easter cards, candy and accessories made an appearance a few weeks before the holiday, and we had time to appreciate its uniqueness and look forward to the fruit and nut eggs my mother always bought, a delectable specialty available only at Eastertime.

My goodness how all this has changed. Now the continuous seven- to eight-month round of holiday madness begins on Labor Day, when merchants set out Halloween candy, costumes and decorations, urging us to buy, buy, buy now while supplies last.

Halloween becomes stale before

it arrives, and the Christmas furor begins the day after Halloween.

Stores display all manner of Christmas items by the first of November, and we are off and running for the next two months deluged with Christmas hubbub.

Thanksgiving gets lost in the shuffle. By the first of December, I am so tired of the canned Christmas music, cheap trinkets and Christmas paraphernalia overload that the holiday has all but lost its appeal. If I don’t pace myself and tune out the clamor, I become totally wearied by the event before it even arrives.

Valentine’s Day makes an appearance the day after New Year. The cards and candy boxes stare us in the face for over a month. Easter shows up the day after Valentine’s Day, and we are forced to look at Easter items, candy made from artificial chocolate and other less satisfactory items until Easter comes and goes.

After Easter we finally get a reprieve from the constant holiday commercialism we’ve been subjected to, and we can enjoy ordinary days.

Holidays just aren’t the same for me now. Joy vanishes when we face constant celebrations that blend together for over half the year. Nothing remains extraordinary. What used to be specialty foods for particular holidays we now can purchase year-round, so the unique and distinct lose charm and become routine.

We do need special days to regroup, reconnect and celebrate. But when we’re deluged by holidays September through Easter, the special becomes mundane, uniqueness becomes commonplace, and we all lose.

Lois Stephens brings personal experience of the aging process to Prime Magazine. She enjoys writing about her observations of becoming a member of the senior citizen age group. She lives and works in Virginia City.

6 I Prime December 2016

A Recap of the 2016 Gardening Year

By Jan Cashman

S

pring came very early this year with above average temperatures in March and April. And it was a dry spring and summer. If you kept enough water on your plants, they grew well. The summer had warm days, but not too warm – no days over 100 and cool nights – a typical summer in Southwestern Montana. Many of us had no hard frosts until into October.

VEGETABLE GARDENS: At the Gallatin Gardeners’ Club October meeting, members reported on this year’s gardening successes and failures. Many of

them are growing their vegetables in raised beds and containers with good success. Row covers worked well to keep out flea beetles. Cold frames also

work well to extend the gardening season. Some members had problems with spinach and lettuce bolting early because of the warm spring, but others had multiple crops of lettuce. Some gardeners were still picking their beans and peas in October. Deer, and other four-legged animals like rabbits and racoons, continue to be a problem for many gardeners.

TOMATOES & CORN: Crops were good, with lots of them ripening early. Sunsugar orange cherry tomatoes are one of the sweetest, most prolific varieties that grow well here. In the Cashman garden, Super Fantastic tomatoes produced many large tomatoes but all of them had big cracks on the top. Our sweet corn was good, producing from midAugust into September. We ate Quickie, an early variety, in August, and later enjoyed the variety Bodacious.

SMALL FRUITS: Strawberr y and raspberr y crops were fantastic. Everbearing strawberries like Ozark Beauty and Ogallala did especially well, producing large crops of big berries all summer. Many gardeners’ raspberries did not do well in 2015, but this year’s crops made up for that. Grapes, which require a long, hot season, did well. One garden club member har vested 60 pounds of Beta grapes from one plant and canned 30 pints of grape juice. Nutritious elderberries and black currants produced phenomenal crops. Purple passion asparagus, an all-male variety, was productive. It has

purple stalks that turn green when cooked.

FRUIT TREES: Fruit trees bore bumper crops. My husband, Jerry, thinks the reason goes back to the 21 below temperature on Nov. 16, 2014. Many trees died or were damaged, and those that survived had little or no crops in 2015. The flower buds must have frozen. Those conditions caused this year’s flower buds to be so abundant, Jerry said. Three favorite apples in our orchard are Haralred, Sweet 16 and Honeycrisp, all abundant bearers.

One gardener’s two Mount Royal plum trees produced 25 gallons of fruit in mid-September. We dry our Mount Royal plums in a food dehydrator to have delicious fruit all winter. Because our old apricot tree blooms so early, the blossoms often freeze and it doesn’t bear fruit. This year, although it blossomed the earliest ever, April 10, we had a huge, delicious crop. We sell very few peach trees each year because we doubt their hardiness. But an employee’s parents, who live in Conrad, Montana, planted a Contender Peach two years ago. This year it produced 25 delicious, juicy peaches.

As we perform our fall gardening tasks—cleaning up the vegetable garden, cutting back perennial flowers and protecting tender trees from sunscald, deer and rodents—we take time to reflect on the cycles of life and the excitement of the gardening seasons.

Jan Cashman has operated Cashman Nursery in Bozeman with her husband, Jerry, since 1975.

Prime December 2016 I 7

Questions about Medicare Insurance?

Here are a pair of holiday activities to enjoy with the grandkids on Saturday, Dec. 3.

• The Gateway Youth Group holds its Cowboy Christmas Breakfast with Santa fundraiser from 9 a.m. to noon at the historic Gallatin Gateway Inn on Highway 191. Enjoy breakfast, live holiday music and a visit with Santa, plus a horse-drawn wagon ride and artisan’s fair for shopping. Cost is $5 for children 6 and under, $10 for ages 7 and older. Family photos with Santa

available for an additional charge.

Reservations strongly recommended. Visit www.gatewayyouthgroup.org.

• At 6:30 p.m. at the Emerson Center’s Crawford Theater, 111 S. Grand Ave., the dancers of Bozeman Dance Academy present their own magical version of “Twas the Night Before Christmas,” in ballet, tap, jazz and hip-hop style. Tickets are $10 for ages 3-12, $15 for ages 15 and up. Tickets and info at bozemandanceacademy.com.

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ozeman’s community handbell ensemble, Bells of the Bridgers, under the direction of M.A. Bellingham, presents its annual holiday concert “Carol of the Bells”, Friday, December 16th, at 7:00 p.m. at Pilgrim Congregational United Church of Christ, 2118 So. Third, Bozeman. Selections include the well known Christmas works “Carol of the Bells”, “ We Three Kings”, “The First Noel”, and “Go Tell it On the Mountain”. Other handbell-specific techniques showcase the ethereal Singing Bell technique in “A Midnight Clear” and Riley Nerem plays BellTree on “Angels From the Realms of Glory”. Guest artists include Melody Lindsay, harp, on the beautiful “Still, Still, Still”, the Pilgrim Congregational Church vocal choir on “Ding Dong Merrily on High” and Parker Wise, percussion, including temple blocks on the classic Leroy Anderson “Sleigh Ride”. There is something for everyone!

The concert is free; a free-will offering will be taken.

Sunday, December 18, the concert moves to Big Sky Chapel, Big Sky Montana, at 4:00 p.m., joined by the “All Saints Chorus” under the direction of Jennifer Reed.

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A Pair of Holiday Possibilities with the Grandkids Dec. 3

8 I Prime December 2016

Recipe Box

Savory Soups Made Easy

By Hannah Stiff

T

he holidays are here, and winter is on its way.

Between bouts of family feasting, you may be looking for healthy meal options. Why not fire up the crockpot and whip up a delectable soup?

To get you started, Bozeman Registered Dietitian Lindsay Kordick offers a few ideas for healthy, hearty soups. Vegetables and protein go together well and offer opportunities for improvisation.

“You can throw together just about any combination of vegetables and protein to make a soup, which is

a great healthy meal option,” Kordick said. “Use a wide variety of vegetables, and add more than the recipe calls for to increase the fiber content.”

Don’t forget the beans, Kordick said.

“I love adding beans to every soup that I make. It will increase the amount of quality plant protein in your meal, and can be an inexpensive

way to stretch your meal a bit to make more leftovers.”

Kordick worked up a recipe for creamy bean and wild rice soup that includes plenty of fiber and enough butter, milk and salt to strike a savory, healthy balance. Save any leftovers for another chilly day.

“Soups freeze in plastic bags very well, so don’t hesitate to make a double portion,” she recommended.

“Make sure to label the bag and lay it flat in your freezer until frozen, which will make for faster defrosting when you want to reheat it.”

If you don’t want to stand around the stove all evening, turn a favorite recipe into a crockpot recipe and let flavors simmer while you do something else. For recipes calling for raw vegetables or meat, turn the crockpot on low for six to eight hours, Kordick advised. If you are a newbie crockpot chef, pick a simple soup with a few ingredients so you don’t get tripped up. Kordick recommends a butternut squash bisque.

The easiest soups have the few-

est steps and fewer ingredients to prep. A butternut squash bisque is fast, easy and packed with Vitamins A, C, B6, folate, fiber and carotenoids. These antioxidants help boost the immune system and decrease inflammation.

For cooks looking for a new way to spice up old recipes, Kordick recommends adding a pinch of cumin or a dash of curry for a zesty Indian flare. Many recipes can be transformed into Mexican-style soups by adding chili powder. If you’re more adventurous when mixing leftovers from the fridge, Kordick has a trick for figuring out how healthy your concoction is.

“The healthiest soups will look much like the healthy plate model,” she said. “Half vegetables, one-quarter protein such as lean pork, beef or chicken, and one-quarter high fiber starch such as brown or wild rice, whole grain pasta or beans.”

So keep your new tricks in mind and get to chopping, dicing, slicing, simmering and savoring.

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Prime December 2016 I 9

Crock Pot Creamy Bean and Wild Rice Soup

Simple Butternut Squash Soup

Serves 10-12

Serves 3

2 small-medium butternut squashes, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-in. chunks Olive oil spray 1 tsp olive oil 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper 2 shallots, sliced thin 3 cups low sodium vegetable broth Chives, chopped for garnish Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place squash chunks into a large baking dish and spray lightly with olive oil spray. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 45 minutes, stirring once halfway through. Remove from oven.

While squash is baking, saute shallots with 1 tsp olive oil over medium heat for 5-8 minutes, until softened and lightly browned. Remove from heat and set aside.

Bring 3 cups of broth to a boil in a stockpot. Reduce heat to a simmer and add 2-1/2 cups of squash chunks (add all if you want a completely pureed soup).

Simmer for 5 minutes, then add shallots. Use an immersion blender to puree soup (if you do not have one, carefully transfer in batches to a large food processor or blender and puree, then return to pot). Add remaining squash chunks and heat for additional 3-5 minutes.

Serve garnished with chopped chives (if desired).

10 cups vegetable broth 1-1/2 cups wild and brown rice mix 1 can kidney beans, no sodium added, drained and rinsed 1 can navy beans, no sodium added, drained and rinsed 3 stalks celery, diced 1 large yellow onion, chopped 1 Tbsp minced garlic 1-1/2 cups chopped fresh carrots 1 cup green peas 1 tsp salt 1-1/2 tsp ground black pepper 1/2 cup butter 3/4 cup flour 2-1/2 cups milk Add all ingredients except for the butter, flour and milk to a large slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours.

Prior to serving, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour until well-combined. Continue to whisk, adding milk a little at a time until all is incorporated and mixture is smooth. Continue to whisk until mixture is thickened. Stir milk mixture into the rest of the soup and heat through prior to serving.

Nutrition Info per 1-1/2 cups: 408 calories, 11 g fat, 21 g protein, 57 g carbohydrates, 12 g fiber.

Nutrition Info per 1-1/2 cup serving: 172 calories, 2 g fat, 4 g protein, 30 g carbohydrates, 9 g fiber.

Recipes and photos courtesy of Lindsay Kordick: from her blog Eighty Twenty, www.eat8020.com Lindsay Kordick has been a registered dietitian with Bozeman Deaconess Hospital for more than six years. She is also a Certified Exercise Specialist and writes a blog featuring recipes based on her 80/20 principle: eating wholesome, healthy meals 80 percent of the time and indulging a bit, 20 percent of the time.

BOZEMAN LIONS CLUB Drop off your prescription and non-prescription eye glasses and dark glasses, as well as hearing aids and cell phones in the collection boxes at the Bozeman Senior Center, the Manhattan Senior Center, the Three Rivers Senior Citizens Club in Three Forks, and the Gallatin Gateway Community Center

For more information, contact Richard Reiley at

406-388-7840

Visit us on the web at http://e-clubhouse.org/sites/bozemanmt

10 I Prime December 2016

Bozeman Senior Center EVENTS ■ BOARD ELECTION: All Bozeman Senior Center members are encouraged to come in Dec. 5-9 (until 1:30pm) to vote.

■ A HUGE THANK YOU: To our three board members who have completed their f irst 3-year term: Rodger McCormick, Linda Kuhn and Ray Gant. Rodger and Ray will run for a second term. Audrey Walton and Lois Swatland are also running. If you’re interested, please come in and talk to Shannon.

■ MEMBER SPECIAL FOR 2017: Pay $100 for a year of exercise by Jan. 31 and save $20. Senior Center members will no longer have to purchase a $5 computer card to use the computer center or lessons.

■ MEDICARE INFO MEETING: Dec. 1, 10 am. Medicare Annual Enrollment, Dec. 5, 10:30am.

■ DRIVER REFRESHER COURSE: Dec. 5, 1-5:30pm. Call to sign up. AARP members, $15; non-members, $25.

■ EATING SMART, BEING ACTIVE: Dec. 6, 13, 20, 10:30am.

Join Katie for free, fun classes on healthy eating on a budget. Each class covers different topics and includes samples of low-cost recipes.

■ ASSOCIATION FOR BLIND CHRISTMAS DINNER: Dec. 6, noon.

■ CHRISTMAS DINNER & ENTERTAINMENT: Dec. 15, noon. Reserve your seat. The Singing Souls Senior Chorus, directed

by Kate Bryan, will present a holiday program. This fun, musicloving group creates friendship and connection through music, meet-

• 807 North Tracy • (406) 586-2421 • www.bozemanseniorcenter.org Shannon Bondy, shannon@bozemanseniorcenter.org (Executive Director) Associate Director: Deb Earl, deb@bozemanseniorcenter.org Find us on Facebook!

ing weekly on Tuesdays at 1:30 in the upstairs conference room. The Singing Souls meet through Dec. 13 and resume on Jan. 10. No experience necessary.

■ THE LAST BEST GERI-ACTORS READERS THEATRE: Fridays at 1 pm. Come join the fun! No acting experience necessary, and you choose which shows you participate in.

■ SENIOR COMPANION PROGR AM: Dec. 30, 11:45am. The program provides an opportunity for qualif ied, able-bodied seniors to help people who need support to maintain their independence.

Volunteers receive a federal, taxfree stipend and mileage reimbursement, plus paid sick leave and vacations.

TRAVEL ■ SHORTER TRIPS in the Planning Stage, 2017: The Lone Mountain Sleigh Ride and Dinner, February. Snowcoach from West Yellowstone to Old Faithful, February. See the Geese at Freeze Out Lake, MT, March. Plays at the Shane Theater, Livingston, “Evita” and “South Pacif ic.”

■ LONGER TRIPS 2017, Itineraries at Senior Center Front Desk: ■ DISCOVER PANAMA, 9 days, land tour, Feb. 9-17, $3,579 per person.

■ OREGON TR AILS & PORTLAND ROSE FESTIVAL, 6 days, June 8-13, $2,199 per person.

■ GR AND CANYON & NATIONAL PARKS, 6 days, June 25-30, $2,799 per person.

■ FALL COLORS & LIGHTHOUSES OF THE GREAT

LAKES, & CHICAGO, Sept. 28Oct. 6, 9 days, $2,799 per person.

■ PERU, MACHU PICCHU & ECO LODGE EXTENSION, Oct. 28-Nov. 6, $5,279 per person.

■ PANAMA CANAL CRUISE, 6 ports of call, Nov. 3-17, starting at $3,699 per person.

■ ROSE PAR ADE, PASADENA, Calif., December 2018.

SERVICES ■ Forgetters & Friends: Dec. 14, 1pm.

■ Computer Assistance with Jack, Paul, Jay, Molly & Mike: Thursday mornings. Call to sign up.

■ Medical Equipment available for those 50+.

■ The Hearing Aid Institute of Bozeman free services: clean & check, adjustments, batteries, repairs, & wax check. Dec. 21, 12:30pm-1:30pm.

■ Foot Clinic: By appointment, Dec. 19.

■ Free Blood Pressure Checks: Wednesdays, 11:30am-1pm.

■ Association for the Blind: 2nd Thursday, 1:30pm. Open to anyone who is visually impaired.

HEALTH & EXERCISE ■ Mondays: 8:30am Strength Training, 9am Gentle Aerobics, 10am Core, 10:30am Aerobics Plus, 11:30am Thai Chi for Arthritis, 1pm Balance, 1:35pm Yoga.

■ Tuesdays: 11:30am Yang Thai Chi, 12:30pm Strength Training, 2pm Arthritis Fitness.

■ Wednesdays: 8:30am Strength Training, 9am Gentle Aerobics, 10am Core, 10:30am Aerobics

Plus, 1pm Balance, 1:30pm Gentle Yoga.

■ Thursdays: 11:30am Yang Thai Chi, 12:30pm Strength Training, 2pm Arthritis Fitness.

■ Fridays: 8:30am Strength Training, 9am Gentle Aerobics, 10am Core, 10:30am Aerobics Plus, 11:30am Thai Chi for Arthritis.

SOCIAL ACTIVITIES ■ Bingo: Tuesdays & Thursdays 1pm.

■ Book Club: Dec. 19 10:30am.

■ Bridge: Wednesdays & Fridays 12:45pm.

■ Duplicate Bridge: Mondays 12:30pm.

■ Creative Writing: Tuesdays 10am.

■ Cribbage: Tuesdays 1pm.

■ Line Dancing: Tuesdays 10:30am, Beginners 10am.

■ Oil Painting: Dec. 5 & 19 1pm with instructor May Mace.

■ Pinochle: Wednesdays 1pm, Thursdays 1pm.

■ Red Hat Ladies Luncheon: Dec. 14 11:30am at Olive Garden.

■ Scrabble: Thursdays 9:30am.

■ Canasta: Thursdays 10:00am.

■ Sign Language: Tuesdays 1:30pm.

■ Singing Souls: Tuesdays 1:30pm.

■ Watercolor Painting: Wednesdays 9:30am.

■ Ukulele Club: Wednesdays 10am.

■ Adventure Travel: 3rd Wednesday 1pm.

■ Reader’s Theatre: Fridays 1pm.

■ Woodworker Shop: Open to members only 8:30am-4pm.

■ Wood Carvers: Mondays 9:30am.

Prime December 2016 I 11

NUTRITION SERVICES ■ Congregate Meals at center Monday-Friday, Noon.

■ Meals-on-Wheels delivered Monday-Friday to homebound individuals.

■ Frozen Meals available for pickup at center MondayFriday.

FREE Birthday Dinner Celebrations on Wednesdays during the month of your birthday for members.

EXTRAS ■ Second Hand Rose Thrift Store: 10am-2pm, MondayFriday. Bring donations of clothes, household items, books, games, crafts & more 8:30am-4:30pm, MondayFriday.

■ Do you or someone you know need an electric scooter? These are donated occasionally and we give them away to those in need.

Call to get on waiting list.

VOLUNTEER ■ Meals-on-Wheels is looking for volunteers to deliver meals in Bozeman.

■ Foot Clinic is looking for current or retired nurses to help at our monthly foot clinic service.

■ Our thrift store, Second Hand Rose, sometimes receives more donations than we can use. We are occasionally in need of volunteers with a truck, SUV or other large vehicle to take surplus donations to other thrift stores.

Menu Mon-Fri at Noon 1- Lasagna, Garlic Bread, Cauliflower Medley, Chocolate Pie 2- Pickled Beets, Hot Beef Over Mashed Potatoes, Carrots, Sherbet 5- Creamed Cucumbers, Baked Cod, Rice, Stewed Tomatoes, Custard Pie 6- Tossed Salad, Spaghetti w/ Meat Sauce, Garlic Bread, Green Beans, Pistachio Pudding 7- Fruit Salad, Chicken Salad, Deviled Eggs, Brownies 8-Citrus Salad, Baked Salmon, Boiled Potatoes, Creamed Gravy, Peas, Applesauce Cake 9- Apricots, Taco Salad Bar, Blueberry Crisp 12- Cottage Cheese/Fruit, Meatloaf, Rice w/Gravy, Mixed Vegetables, Cheesecake 13- 3-Bean Salad, Pork Roast, Baked Potato, Corn, Ice Cream Sundae 14- Green Salad, Porcupine Balls, Broccoli, Marble Cake 15- Christmas Dinner: Cranberry Salad, Baked Ham, Sweet Potato Bake, Green Beans/Bacon, Apple Pie 16- Vegetable Salad, Beef Stroganoff, Noodles, Carrots, Brown Betty 19- Caesar Salad, Oven Baked Chicken, Baked Potato, Peas, Cherry Pie 20- Lemon Jello, Turkey, Mashed Potatoes/Gravy, Mixed Vegetables, Pumpkin Bake 21- Broccoli Salad, Chicken Noodle Soup, Egg Salad Sandwich, Butterscotch Bar 22- Mandarin Oranges, Chicken Stir Fry, Oriental Vegetables, Brown Rice, Cookie 23- Tossed Salad, Polish Dog, Sauerkraut, Carrots, Fruit Crisp 26-28- CLOSED FOR HOLIDAY – MERRY CHRISTMAS! 29- Pears, Teriyaki Chicken, Rice, Beans, Peach Crisp 30- NEW YEAR’S EVE DINNER: Tossed Salad, Pork Chops/ Applesauce, Mashed Potatoes/Gravy, Broccoli, Strawberry Shortcake

Please make reservations for lunch so that we can have an adequate amount of food!

Belgrade Senior Center 92 East Cameron Avenue (406) 388-4711 www.belgradeseniorcenter.com

Email: belgradesrcntr@bresnan.net Executive Director: Kathryn Manz

BOARD MEETING: ■ 1pm Dec. 19, seeking new members EXERCISE : ■ Movement in Motion: 9am MWF ■ Yoga: 9am Tuesdays, 8am Fridays ■ Balance/Core Strengthening/ Rehability: Thursdays, Dec. 1, 15, 29, sign up COMMUNITY RESOURCES: ■ HRDC Food Pantry: 11:30am Wednesdays ■ Hearing Aid Check: 12:30pm Dec. 13 ■ Blood Pressure Check: Noon, Dec. 8, 22 SOCIAL ACTIVITIES: ■ Deck the Halls: 9-Noon, Dec. 3, with music, goodies, fellowship.

Open to the public, free.

■ Holiday Brunch & Bazaar: 9-Noon, Dec. 10, Biscuits & Sausage Gravy; holiday gifts for sale; special visit from the North Pole, gifts for children with paid meal; $6 for adults, $3 for children ■ Pinochle: 12:30pm Fridays; 9am Thursdays ■ Canasta: 12:30pm Tuesdays ■ Bingo: 1pm Wednesdays ■ Saturday Bingo: 2-4pm Dec. 10 ■ Red Rockers Lunch: Dec. 13 at Senior Center; sign up ■ Bake Sale: 9am Dec. 15

Menu Mon – Fri at Noon

1 - Chili Con Carne, Cornbread 2 - Tuna Noodle Casserole 5 - Oven Fried Chicken, Mac & Cheese 6 - Baked Ziti/Meat Sauce, Garlic Bread 7 - Baked Ham, Scalloped Potatoes 8 - Coleslaw, Cheeseburger, Oven Fries 9 - Chicken Taco Soup, Grilled Cheese 12 - Spaghetti/Meat Sauce, Garlic Bread 13 - Beer Battered Fish, Tater Tots 14 - Guest Cook Kathryn Manz, Shepherd’s Pie 15 - Birthday Celebration, Open Faced Pork Sandwich, Mashed Potatoes 16 - Holiday Feast, Turkey/Trimmings, Green Bean Casserole 19 - Country Fried Steak, Hash Browns 20 - Beef Stew, Butter Noodles 21 - Lasagna, Garlic Bread 22 - Pulled Pork, Beans, Oven Fried Potatoes 23 - Chicken Enchilada, Spanish Rice 26 - Center Closed for Holidays 27 - Pork Chops, Sweet Potato Fries 28 - Roast Beef, Mashed Potatoes/Gravy 29 - Biscuits & Gravy, Sausage Patty 30 - Clam Chowder, Cornbread All Meals Include Roll & Drink, Veggie & Dessert.

Gluten and dairy free items upon request.

Hollowtop Senior Citizens Broadway St., Pony, MT • 685-3323 or 685-3494 ■ Serving Harrison, Pony, Norris and surrounding areas ■ Fee: $5 a year. Meals $3.50 members and $5 for guests ■ Dinner served on Wednesdays all year long and on Mondays October – May ■ Lending library and medical equipment

Manhattan Senior Center 102 East Main Street, Manhattan, MT • 284-6501

■ Fee: $10.00 a year ■ Meals: $3.50 over 60 years of age, $6 under 60 ■ Noon meal is served Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday; call Monday – Friday before 10:00 am to reserve a seat ■ Pinochle: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday after lunch Center Hall and kitchen are available for rental. Hall rental $50, kitchen and hall $75. Cleaning deposit of $25 and key deposit $10. Call Susan for more details to reserve the space.

Park County Senior Center 206 South Main Street, Livingston, MT • 333-2276 www.parkcountyseniorcenter.com • Open Monday - Friday 9-5

■ Please call Senior Center for news and events.

Three Rivers Senior Club 19 East Cedar Street, Three Forks • 285-3235 Director: Jean Farnam • 570-0800

■ Annual Dues: $10 for folks 50 years or older. Applications are available at the Center.

■ Meals at noon: $3.50 over 60 years of age, $6 under 60. Meals are served every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Reservations are required one day in advance. Call 285.3235 and leave a message.

■ Birthday Celebration: Once a month either on 2nd or 3rd Thursday.

■ Extensive lending library of books, videos and jigsaw puzzles. Medical equipment such as walkers, shower seats, crutches, are also available. Call Jean Farnam for lending information.

ACTIVITIES ■ Pinochle: Wednesdays at 1:00 pm ■ Bingo: Thursdays after lunch ■ Meals on Wheels: Delivered to the homebound

■ Information on the Three Forks bus for seniors and disabled folks - call Jean.

Menu 1- Lasagna 6- Pepper Steak 7- Soup and Sandwich 8- Pork Roast 13- Ribs and Sauerkraut 14- Meatloaf 15- Beef Roast 20- Chicken Pot Pie 21- Ravioli 22- Christmas Dinner: Ham 27- Chicken Alfredo 28- Taco Salad 29- Chili Burgers

RSVP Southwest Montana

807 N. Tracy Ave., Bozeman, MT 59715 • 587-5444 Debi Casagranda, Program Coordinator • (dcasagranda@thehrdc.org) 111 South 2nd, Livingston, MT 59047 • 222-2281 Deb Downs, Livingston Program Coordinator (debdowns@rsvpmt.org) www.rsvpmt.org ■ Bozeman Symphony: Ushers, greeters and ticket sellers needed. Contact Debi, 406-587-5444, for dates.

■ Hawks Nest: Volunteers needed at the Hawks Nest at Bozeman High to help with infants during nap time 1-3 p.m. and in toddler room 9:30-11 a.m.

■ Bozeman Health: Make a lasting impression for those who enter Bozeman Health by greeting, providing help and delivering flowers. Also, volunteer needed at the Cancer Center Care Boutique, helping customers and keeping merchandise straightened; to work in hospital Gift Shop; to escort patients and paperwork through the hospital.

■ Sacks Thrift, a Program of Help Center: Volunteers needed in Belgrade and Bozeman to sort merchandise, make sales, assist customers and display merchandise. Sacks Thrift provides major financial support to Help Center Inc. 50% in-store discount with certain amount of hours.

■ Senior Groceries, Gallatin Valley Food Bank: Deliver commodities to seniors in their homes once a month. Deliveries in Belgrade especially needed.

■ Bozeman Senior Center Foot Clinic: Retired or nearly retired nurses urgently needed 2 days a month, 4- or 8-hour shifts.

IN LIVINGSTON ■ Link for Learning: Volunteers needed after school, 3:30-4:30 p.m., at elementary schools to listen to children read books. No experience necessary.

■ Loaves and Fishes: Need people who enjoy cooking to help with the evening meal.

■ Chamber of Commerce: Need help stuffing visitor packets on an ongoing basis for a couple of hours each Tuesday or Wednesday.

■ Senior Center Foot Clinic: Need volunteers and nurses twice a month to help with foot care.

■ Food Pantry: Volunteer to help with distribution on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

■ Big Brothers Big Sisters: Be a positive role model to a child for a few hours a week.

■ Transportation: Drivers needed to help patients keep doctor appointments in town and in Bozeman. Gas reimbursement may be provided.

■ Stafford Animal Shelter: Seeking compassionate volunteers to socialize and play with kittens and cats and walk dogs. One-hour safety training provided. Joyful animals are always happy to see you arrive.