A publication of the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging
February 2014 VOL. 39 • NO. 2
ENOA 4223 Center Street Omaha, NE 68105-2431
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Since December 2008, John and Liz Backus have led the congregation at Omaha’s Trinity Lutheran Church, 6340 N. 30th St. Leo Adam Biga’s profile of this husband and wife team begins on page 10.
Laughter Humorist Kirk Estee, a retired educator, believes in the power of laughter. To that end, he’s done more than 100 comedy shows in the Omaha area. See page 9.
Celebration Josiah enjoys a slice of pizza at the Grandparent Resource Center’s annual holiday party. More information about the GRC and the party can be found on page 16.
THE PARKSIDE Independent apartment living for persons age 55+ • Spacious 1 & 2 bedroom apartment homes • Elevator • Washer/dryer in every apartment • Garage included in rent • Beautifully landscaped grounds • Within walking distance of Ralston Park
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Ask A Lawyer: Q — Aren’t trusts just for rich folks? A — That’s one of the most common misconceptions, the “rich kid with a trust fund.” Actually a living trust is a simple way for your home, belongings, accounts, and/or investments all to seamlessly transition to your spouse, children or other person(s) of your choice upon your death, without the delay, cost, and frustration of probate. Many people assume a will does this, but they are surprised to find that it does not, and that a great deal of trouble could be avoided with a living trust. A trust is appropriate for most people who own a home, property, or have any investments. Have a question about estate planning? Give us a call!
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ARP recently launched a free online Health Care Calculator, a major addition to its Ready for Retirement suite of planning tools. In a survey accompanying the release of the calculator, AARP found only 36 percent of older Americans have taken any steps to save for out-of-pocket health care expenses, though multiple studies show that such costs often reach significantly more than $200,000 for a retired couple. The new tool is available at www.aarp.org/healthcostscale. “The free Health Care Costs Calculator can play an important and often overlooked role as families
and individuals plan for retirement,” said AARP Vice President for Financial Security Jean Setzfand. “Health care costs can have a significant impact on retirement savings. With this calculator, AARP aims to help more Americans confidently plan for and achieve retirement goals,” she added. The Health Care Costs Calculator estimates health costs in retirement by utilizing a database that includes $136 billion in costs from actual health care claims. Individuals can select from 82 medical conditions to estimate how much they may need to spend on outof-pocket health care costs. The calculator also assumes
individuals will be eligible for and select Medicare Parts A, B, and D. After estimating costs with the calculator, users can create a customizable action plan to help save for health care in retirement and make impactful changes in their lives that include planning, saving, and making healthy changes. For example, if a person has “get to a healthier weight” as a goal, the tool will offer possible next steps for pursuing that goal. The Health Care Costs Calculator requires no registration and collects no personal data on any user. To learn more about the tool visit http://www.aarp.org/ healthcostscalc.
A variety of resources are available to help your grandkids understand global warming
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Health Care Calculator will assist your retirement planning
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Modern day kids may be more eco-savvy than today’s older adults were at that age, but complex topics like global warming may still mystify youngsters. Luckily there are many resources available to help parents and grandparents teach their kids and grandkids how to understand the global warming issues and become better stewards for the planet. A great place to start is the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s A Student’s Guide to Global Climate Change website. The site is divided into sections (Learn the Basics, See the Impacts, Think like a Scientist, and Be Part of the Solution) so kids can get the right amount of detail without feeling overwhelmed. One feature of the site is a virtual trip around the world to see the effects of climate change in different regions. An emissions calculator – with questions tailored to kids’ lifestyles – helps connect everyday actions (like running the water while brushing teeth) and climate change. A Frequently Asked Questions page answers some of the most common inquiries about climate change in easy-to-read short paragraphs. Another great online resource is NASA’s Climate Kids website, which engages kids with games, videos, and craft activities and offers digestible info on what’s causing climate change and how kids can make a
February 2014
difference. Youngsters can take a guided tour of the big questions such as What does climate change mean? What is the greenhouse effect? How do we know the climate is changing? (and) What is happening in the oceans? The website uses cartoon characters and brightly colored designs to help kids come to grips with the basics. Perhaps even more engaging for those age 8 and older is Cool It! a card game from the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). The game, designed in collaboration with science educators, requires players to collect solution cards in the categories of energy, transportation, and forests, while slowing opponents down by playing problem cards along the way. “The game enables teachers and parents to talk about global warming in a fun and hopeful way,” reports a spokesman for the UCS. “Kids, meanwhile, will learn all of us make choices that determine whether the world warms a little or a lot, and which of those choices reduce global warming emissions.” The game is available for $7.95 directly from the UCS website. Younger kids curious about climate change can consult the Professor Sneeze website which features online illustrated children’s stories that present global warming in a familiar context. The stories for 5 to 8-year-olds follow a cartoon bunny on various warming related adventures. A few of the story titles include The Earth Has a Fever, Where Are the Igloos of Iglooville? and Tears on the Other Side of the World. The site also features stories geared toward 8 to 10-year-olds and 10 to 12-year-olds. Of course, teachers can play a key role in making sure kids are well versed in the science of climate change. A recently launched initiative from the National Center for Science Education aims to help teachers do a better job of teaching climate change in the classroom. The group’s Climate Change Education website points teachers to a treasure trove of resources they can use to demystify the science behind global warming, combat climate change denial, and support climate literacy. (EarthTalk® is written and edited by Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss and is a registered trademark of E - The Environmental Magazine.)
February 2014 events calendar 5 Melancholy Play Through Feb. 9 Lied Education Center for the Arts @ Creighton University Wednesday – Saturday @ 7:30 p.m. Sunday @ 2 p.m. $5, $12, & $15 402-280-1448
Swing Under the Wings Strategic Air and Space Command 7 to 11 p.m. 402-944-3100
6 th 48 Annual Omaha Home & Garden Expo th 16 Annual Lawn, Flower, & Patio Show CenturyLink Center Omaha $4 & $8 402-341-1500
18 Million Dollar Quartet Through Feb. 23 Orpheum Theater 402-345-0606 Polar Obsession with Photographer Paul Nicklen Holland Center for the Performing Arts 7:30 p.m. 402-345-0606 21 Scan Jones Quartet Holland Center for the Performing Arts 8 p.m. 402-345-0606
Next to Normal Through March 16 Omaha Community Playhouse Thursday – Saturday @ 7:30 p.m. Sunday @ 2 p.m. 402-553-0800
28 Ella Starring Kathy Tyree Through March 30 Omaha Community Playhouse Wednesday – Saturday @ 7:30 p.m. Sunday @ 2 p.m. 402-553-0800
8 Dvorak’s Rusalka The Met Life in HD Film Streams 11:55 a.m. $10 to $24 402-933-0259 14 Count Basie’s Orchestra Featuring New York Voices Holland Center for the Performing Arts 8 p.m. 402-345-0606 2/4/10
“Voice for Older Nebraskans!”
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Jackie & Me Through March 16 The Rose Theatre Friday @ 7 p.m. Saturday @ 2 & 5 p.m. Sunday @ 2 p.m. $18 402-345-4849
Attorneys at Law William E. Seidler Jr.
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402-397-3801
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February 2014
New Horizons Club Send Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging 4223 Center Street to: Omaha, NE 68105-2431 I get the New Horizons regularly and don’t need to be put on the mailing list. I would like to start receiving the New Horizons at home. My address is below. NAME ADDRESS CITY/STATE/ZIP
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New Horizons New Horizons is the official publication of the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging. The paper is distributed free to people over age 60 in Douglas, Sarpy, Dodge, Washington, and Cass counties. Those living outside the 5-county region may subscribe for $5 annually. Address all correspondence to: Jeff Reinhardt, Editor, 4223 Center Street, Omaha, NE 68105-2431. Phone 402-444-6654. FAX 402-444-3076. E-mail: jeff.reinhardt@nebraska.gov Advertisements appearing in New Horizons do not imply endorsement of the advertiser by the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging. However, complaints about advertisers will be reviewed and, if warranted, their advertising discontinued. Display and insert advertising rates available on request. Open rates are commissionable, with discounts for extended runs. Circulation is 20,000 through direct mail and freehand distribution.
Editor..............................................Jeff Reinhardt Ad Mgr................Mitch Laudenback, 402-444-4148 Contributing Writers......Nick Schinker, Leo Biga, & Lois Friedman ENOA Board of Governors: Mary Ann Borgeson, Douglas County, chairperson; Jim Warren, Sarpy County, vice-chairperson; Jerry Kruse, Washington County, secretary; Gary Osborn, Dodge County, & Jim Peterson, Cass County. The New Horizons and the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging provide services without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, marital status, disability, or age.
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A Safe, Cozy, Homelike Environment
for those affected by Alzheimer’s & Dementia
Adult Day Care &Short Term Stays We offer peace of mind for caregivers that need a break to run errands, go shopping, or maybe take a vacation.
By Lois Friedman readitandeat@yahoo.com
Sweet recipes for your sweetie It’s that sweet time of the year for a delicious array of cookbooks with mouthwatering recipes and photographs. From Stewart, Tabori & Chang: Pie Love By Warren Brown ($24.95) This Washington, D. C. bakery owner and author includes healthful to luscious, sweet, and savory recipes with 19 crusts for you to try.
• Quality staff specializing in Alzheimer’s & dementia care
Pie It Forward By Gesine Bullock-Prado ($29.95) “Bullpuckies” exclaims this pastry master who shares her passion and signature sweet and savory creations featuring many doughs, fillings, and detailed instructions.
• Secure, cozy, home-like environment • One-level floor plan • Quiet, calming atmosphere
From Chronicle:
• Activities and Home Cooked Meals provided
Handheld Pies By S. Billingsley & R. Wharton ($19.95) Dozens of sweet and savory small pies with the profiles of eight small pie bakers.
Enoa Aging
2910 N Clarkson St. Fremont, NE 68025 402.753.8800
17620 Poppleton Ave. Omaha, NE 68130 402.333.5749 edgewoodseniorliving.com
New Horizons Newspaper
Southern Pies By Nancie McDermott ($22.95) Generations of recipes for Southern pie baking and secrets shared for 60 heirloom recipes for bakers of all skills. Sweet & Easy Vegan By Robin Asbell ($35) More than 60 recipes for muffins, pies, cookies, cakes, and other sweet treats. Includes an ingredients guide and glossary with helpful replacement suggestions. Sweetie-licious Pies By Linda Hundt ($26.95) Eat pies, love life! Michigan Sweetie-licious Bakery Cafe owner and champion pie maker shares 52 stories, memories, recipes, and vintage photographs in eight chapters. Try this sure to please, old fashioned recipe: Grandma Ferrell’s Sweetie Pie Frozen Sweetie-licious Cream Cheese Crust 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted 1 cup brown sugar 1 cup evaporated milk 2 tablespoons flour 3 tablespoons Baileys Irish Cream or brandy 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 4 eggs, room temperature 1 cup dark chocolate chips 1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
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Garnish: Sweetie-licious Homemade Caramel Sauce with chocolate shavings Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a medium mixing bowl, combine all the pie filling ingredients in the order listed. Pour into a frozen pie shell and bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the pie is set. Immediately top with caramel sauce and chocolate shavings. To deepen flavors in baking, use dark brown sugar, or add liqueurs, brandy, or wine.
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Law Offices of Charles E. Dorwart 31 years of legal experience • Wills • Living Trusts • Probate • Healthcare and Financial Powers of Attorney • In Home Consultations • Free Initial Consultation 440 Regency Parkway Drive • Suite 139 Omaha, NE 68114 Office: (402) 558-1404 • Fax: (402) 779-7498 Cdorwartjd@aol.com
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Retired and Senior Volunteer Program The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program is recruiting persons age 55 and older for a variety of opportunities. For more information in Douglas, Sarpy, and Cass counties, please call 402-444-6536, ext. 224. In Dodge and Washington counties, please call 402-721-7780. The following have volunteer opportunities in Douglas, Sarpy, and Cass counties: • The Disabled American Veterans/VA Medical Center needs volunteer drivers. • Good 360 is looking for respite volunteers to process donations and sort items. • The Douglas County Health Center wants volunteers for a variety of assignments. • Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Midlands needs a volunteer to assist with general tasks. • Keep Omaha Beautiful/Helping Hands, Inc. wants volunteers for onetime yard cleaning projects. • Creighton University/Student Support Services needs volunteers to provide support services and as math tutors. • Alegent Creighton Health Bergan Mercy Medical Center is looking for volunteers for its gift shop, flower shop, and other areas. The following has a volunteer opportunity in Dodge County: • The Fremont Car-Go Program needs volunteer drivers.
Millard Senior Center
Call 402-996-8444 to learn more
Respite Resource Center offering training in Douglas, Sarpy counties The Respite Resource Center, a Partnerships in Aging program, is offering respite provider/respite volunteer training in Douglas and Sarpy counties. Respite Resource Center Coordinator Elizabeth Chentland is a certified trainer for an evidence-based course called Respite Education and Support Tools that was developed by Marklund, an Illinois-based organization. The course prepares respite providers to understand what a family might need or expect when caring for their loved one, how to identify and respect the family caregiver’s and care recipient’s needs, preferences and privacy, and how to ensure a safe and healthy environment. At the end of the course, participants will be able to: • Define respite care. • Describe the role, qualities, and boundaries of a volunteer respite worker. • Recognize the importance of coping strategies for the volunteer and caregiver. • Properly begin a respite relationship. • Practice good health and safety practices in respite situations. • Demonstrate proper assistance techniques. • Deploy effective communication (verbal and nonverbal) with the care recipient, caregiver, and organization resources. • Create a positive environment to handle ordinary and challenging respite situations. If your agency, organization, faith community, or facility is interested in hosting respite provider training, please contact Chentland at 402-996-8444 or echentland@ gmail.com for more information.
You’re invited to visit the Millard Senior Center at Montclair, 2304 S. 135th Ave., for the following: • Feb 6: Quilt show from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. • Feb. 12: We’ll be making dresses for the little girls in Africa @ 9 a.m. • Feb. 14: Valentine’s Day party. Sing along with pianist Keith Coleman from 11 to 11:30 a.m. The Millard Senior Center is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Lunch is served at 11:30. A $3 donation (free on your birthday) is suggested for the meal. Reservations are due by noon the business day prior to the lunch you wish to enjoy. Center activities include a walking club (join and get a free t-shirt), Tai Chi class (Mondays and Fridays from 10 to 10:45 a.m. for a $1 suggested donation), chair volleyball (Tuesdays and Thursdays @ 10 a.m.), quilting (Thursdays @ 9 a.m.), card games, and Bingo (Tuesdays and Fridays @ noon). For meal reservations and more information, please call Susan at 402-546-1270.
Retired Foster Grandparent remembered The following letter appeared in The Omaha World-Herald’s Public Pulse section on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2014.
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t a time when we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr., it is a perfect opportunity to recognize the many African-American heroes in our community. I recently had the honor of celebrating the 80th birthday of one. Laverne “Grandma” Harris and I first met at Indian Hill Elementary, where I was principal just over 10 years, and where she was a Foster Grandparent and community advocate. We walked side by side in marches and rallies to improve the community and to stop drugs and violence. She served the community by daily mentoring children and working with agencies through the neighborhood association. Grandma Harris’ passion and commitment to the neighborhood is contagious. She continues to be involved. Her never-ending faith in and expectations for all children are admirable. Bret A. Anderson Omaha
A Caring Community Called HOME! Independent & Assisted Living
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49th & Q Street • 402-731-2118 www.southviewheightsomaha.com
February 2014
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Bellevue Senior Community Center You’re invited to the Bellevue Senior Community Center, 109 W. 22nd Ave., this month for: • Feb. 3. A talk on your Medicare options @ 11 a.m. • Feb. 6: The 6 p.m. dinner features beef stew. The activity is Wii bowling. • Feb. 7: National Wear Red Day includes a talk about heart health @ 11 a.m. • Feb. 10: Omaha native and author Joy Johnson will discuss her book series, The BOOB Girls (Burned Out Old Broads at Table 12) @ 11 a.m. • Feb. 13: The 6 p.m. dinner features roast pork. The activity is Pokeno. • Feb. 14: Valentine’s Day party with music by Christine Coulson starts @ 10 a.m. • Feb. 20: The 6 p.m. dinner features fried chicken. The activity is volleyball. • Feb. 21: Exercise class @10:30 a.m. • Feb. 24: Talk on cardiac care and health rehabilitation. • Feb. 27: The 6 p.m. dinner features crunchy Pollock. The activity is Kings in the Corner. • Feb. 28: Presentation on Heartland Cats @ 11:15 a.m. The facility will be closed Feb. 17 for Presidents Day. The center is open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday. A $3 donation is suggested for the midday meal and a $4 donation is suggested for the evening meal for anyone age 60 and older. Reservations are due by noon the business day prior to the meal you wish to enjoy. We offer a variety of activities including chair volleyball, Tai Chi, yoga, and tap dance. In February, we’ll have a donation box set up for the Nebraska Humane Society. Bring towels, blankets, etc. AARP will help eligible older adults file their income tax returns beginning Feb. 12. Bring a picture ID card, your Social Security card, a copy of last year’s return (if possible), and all documents pertaining to your 2013 income taxes. For meal reservations or more information, please call Regan or Brenda at 402-293-3041.
Corrigan Senior Center
ENOA menu for February 2014 Monday, Feb. 3 Meatballs w/gravy
Monday, Feb. 17 CLOSED
Tuesday, Feb. 4 Cheesy lasagna rollup
Tuesday, Feb. 18 Ham and white beans
Wednesday, Feb. 5 Ham and potato casserole
Wednesday, Feb. 19 Tacos
Thursday, Feb. 6 Meatloaf w/brown gravy
Thursday, Feb. 20 Turkey breast w/gravy
Friday, Feb. 7 King ranch chicken patty
Friday, Feb. 21 Herbed pork loin
Monday, Feb. 10 Western pork patty Tuesday, Feb. 11 Honey baked chicken patty
Wednesday, Feb. 26 Cranberry Dijon chicken patty
Thursday, Feb. 13 Crunchy Pollock
Thursday, Feb. 27 Grilled pork w/mushrooms
Friday, Feb. 14 Roast beef w/onion gravy
Friday, Feb. 28 Meatballs w/marinara gravy
The importance of having a will
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f the trendy terms to come around in the past decade, “bucket list” remains among the most useful, says retirement planning expert Jeff Gorton. “As a neologism, I hope it endures because it reminds us of how precious our time is – and that it’s important to plan wisely,” says Gorton, a veteran Certified Public Accountant and Certified Financial Planner, and head of Gorton Financial Group “Unfortunately, after some have listed their items and even checked a few things off, they forget about one important item that really counts after they’ve ‘kicked the bucket’ – their will.” Only about 40 percent of adults in America have a will, which is probably due to people not wanting to be reminded of their own mortality and that life will go on without them, Gorton says. “But what’s the alternative? If you die without one, the state decides what becomes of your property, without regard to your priorities,” says Gorton, who also advocates his clients make use of a written income plan (WIP), a living document that helps organize financial priorities.
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Tuesday, Feb. 25 Hamburger patty
Wednesday, Feb. 12 Creole steak
You’re invited to visit the Corrigan Senior Center – 3819 X St. - this month for the following: • Monday, Feb. 3: Groundhog Day Celebration featuring lunch and Bingo. Lunch will include meatballs or a chicken salad lunch. Chair volleyball or coffee and cards @ 11 a.m. • Monday, Feb. 10: Birthday party with music by Hal Cottrell from the Merrymakers @ 11 a.m. The menu is a Western pork patty or a roast beef/Swiss cheese sandwich. • Thursday, Feb. 13: Valentine’s Day Eve Lunch and Bingo. At 11 a.m. enjoy music by Joe Taylor (Mr. Memories) from the Merrymaker’s. Wear your heart, red clothing, and accessories while enjoying Valentine’s theme games and prizes. Lunch is roast beef or a crab salad. Stay for bingo after the meal. • Friday, Feb. 14: Valentine’s Day Lunch. Join us for a delicious roast beef dinner with strawberry cheesecake pudding for dessert. A chef’s salad lunch is also available. • Wednesday, Feb. 19: Talk by Carole Lainoff, RN on Heart Disease and Rehab @ 11:15 a.m. Stay for a shell taco lunch and a ceramics class. • Thursday, Feb. 20: Sweetheart Dinner Dance @ 11 a.m. The noon lunch menu is pork roast, red skin potatoes, broccoli with cheese sauce, a tossed salad, a wheat roll, and strawberry cheesecake pudding. Dance to the music of Red Raven and crown the new Corrigan King and Queen. Bingo will follow lunch. The reservation deadline is noon on Friday, Feb. 14. • Monday, Feb. 24: Talk on Heart Healthy You @ 11a.m. Stay for a noon lunch and bingo after the meal. The center is closed on Feb. 17 for Presidents Day. The Corrigan Senior Center is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Lunch is served at noon. A $3 donation is normally suggested for the meal. Reservations are normally due by noon the business day prior to the meal you wish to enjoy. We offer chair volleyball Tuesday and Thursday @ 11 a.m., Tai Chi on Tuesday and Thursday @ 10 a.m., card games, Bingo, ceramics, exercise, woodcarving, and loads of fun! For meal reservations or more information, please call Lynnette at 402-731-7210.
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Monday, Feb. 24 Sausage w/sauerkraut
“Why not enjoy the fact that a will is an instrument of power? You get to decide who gets what.” Since so many adults don’t have a will, many don’t understand how they work. Gorton breaks down wills into four basic parts: • Executors: Most wills begin by naming an executor, the person responsible for carrying out the wishes outlined in the will. Duties include assessing the value of the estate, gathering the assets, paying inheritance tax and other debts if necessary, and distributing assets among beneficiaries. It is recommended that you name at least two executors in case your first choice is unable to fulfill the obligation. • Guardians: A will allows you to designate a guardian for your minor children. Whomever you appoint, you’ll want to make sure beforehand the individual is able and willing to assume the responsibility. For many people, this is the most important part of a will since, if you die without naming a guardian, the court will decide who takes care of your children. • Gifts: This section enables you to identify people or organizations to whom
you wish to give gifts of money or specific possessions, such as family heirlooms or a car. You can also specify conditional gifts, such as a sum of money to a young daughter or granddaughter, but only when she reaches a certain age. • Estate: Your estate encompasses everything you own, including real property, financial investments, cash, and personal possessions. Once you have identified specific gifts you would like to distribute, you can apportion the rest of your estate in equal shares among your heirs, or you can split it into percentages. For example, you may decide to give 45 percent each to two children and the remaining 10 percent to a sibling. “You’re not legally required to have a professional write a will for you, but I highly recommend you get certified help because these documents are often contested by people who are unhappy with the decisions you made,” Gorton says. “After working a lifetime for your assets, you deserve to have them go where you want after you’re gone, and your family will be grateful to you for not leaving them with the headache of trying to sort out your estate.”
Call 211 for more information
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance sites available locally during 2014
F
ree income tax form preparation by highly trained local volunteers and a free online site that provides self-filers a safe and easy way to do it themselves will be available in the Omaha area this year.
or less will also have the opportunity to prepare their own taxes using an online program offered through a collaboration of United Way and the Walmart Foundation. The site, www.MyFreeTaxes.com/uwmomaha, can be accessed from any Internet-enabled computer. Most VITA preparation sites will have computers set up for those who prefer to file their own taxes but want the extra support.
AARP offering safe driving class during February AARP is offering a new four-hour, research-based Smart Driver Course for older adults. By completing the course, participants will learn research-based driving safety strategies that can reduce the likelihood of having an accident; understand the links between the driver, the vehicle, and the road environment, and how this awareness encourages safer driving; learn how aging, medications, alcohol, and health-related issues affect driving ability and ways to allow for these changes; increase confidence; know how to share the road safely with other drivers, and learn the newest safety and advance features in vehicles. The fee is $15 for AARP members and $20 for non-AARP members. No tests or examinations are involved, course completion certificates are provided, and auto insurance discounts may apply.
Thursday, Feb. 6 Noon to 4 p.m. Rose Blumkin Jewish Home 3235 S 132nd St. Call 402-334-6521 to register Friday, Feb. 7 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Metro Comm. College 9110 Giles Rd. Class ID #: AUAV-004N-70 Call 402-457-5231 to regisgter Saturday, Feb. 8 1 to 5 p.m. AARP Information Center 4223 Center St. Call 402-398-9568 to register
The Omaha Earned Income Tax Credit Coalition will oversee five Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) preparation centers administered by Family Housing Advisory Services and funded through United Way of the Midlands and the Walmart Foundation. Certain VITA neighborhood filing centers will also offer a full range of additional services and opportunities including screenings for public benefits and prescription drug savings and free financial education seminars. More information can be found by dialing 211 or by visiting www.uwmidlands. org/taxes or www.fhasinc. com. Most Omaha area residents who earn $58,000
Retired fed employee groups meet monthly at Omaha eatery
T
he National Association of Retired Federal Employees’ Chapter 144 meets the first Wednesday of each month at 11:30 a.m. at the Amazing Pizza Machine, 13955 S Plz. For more information, please call 402-333-6460.
T
he National Association of Retired Federal Employees’ Aksarben Chapter 1370 meets the second Wednesday of each month at 11:30 a.m. at the Amazing Pizza Machine, 13955 S Plz. For more information, please call 402-392-0624.
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‘Million Dollar Quartet’ on stage at Omaha World Adventurers film series will show Theater Feb. 18 through 23 viewers the ‘Faces of Korea’ on Tuesday, Feb. 25 Orpheum Eight performances of Million Dollar Quartet are sched-
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adio and television personality turned producer Buddy Hatton will present his film Faces of Korea on Tuesday, Feb. 25 in the latest installment of the Omaha World Adventurers travel series. The 2 and 7:30 p.m. showings will be held at the Village Point Theaters, 304 N. 174th St. An American, Hatton has received two prestigious Percy Awards as Canadian television’s Male Entertainer of the Year. Located in northeast Asia, Korea has become a source of endless possibilities. Its capital, Seoul, is the second largest city in the world and a place that features nonstop activities and attractions. Viewers will enjoy viewing sites like Insadong, the Changeok Place, the Namdaemun Market, the Noryangjin Fish Market, the Seoul forest, and a traditional kite artist and maker.
Tickets, which can be purchased at the door, are $13.
For more information on Faces of Korea, call RJ Enterprises at 866-385-3824.
Nature classes for older adults available through Fontenelle Nature Association
r u o y d e e n e W
! t r o p p su
I would like to become a partner with the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging, and help fulfill your mission with older adults.
ENOA
Traditional funding sources are making it more difficult for ENOA to fulfill its mission. Partnership opportunities are available to businesses and individuals wanting to help us. These opportunities include volunteering, memorials, honorariums, gift annuities, and other contributions.
$75 = 17 meals or 4.75 hours of in-home homemaker services or 4 bath aide services for frail older adults. $150 = 35 meals or 9.5 hours of in-home homemaker services or 8 bath aide services for frail older adults. $300 = 70 meals or 19.25 hours of in-home homemaker services or 16 bath aide services for frail older adults. Other amount (please designate)__________________________ Please contact me. I would like to learn more about how to include the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging in my estate planning. Please ma il with thisyofour donation rm to: Eas
tern Office oNebraska n Aging Address:___________________________________ Attention : Jef Name:_____________________________________
f Reinha 4223 C rdt Omaha, enter Street NE 6810 5-2431 (402
City:______________State:_____ Zip: __________
) 444-665
Phone:____________________________________
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The Fontenelle Nature Association’s SUN (Seniors Understanding Nature) program offers activities for older adults the second Tuesday of each month at the Fontenelle Nature Center, 1111 Bellevue Blvd North. The programs, held from 9:45 to 11 a.m., feature an indoor program, an optional nature walk, and refreshments. The cost is $6 per person each month. For more information, please call Catherine Kuper at 402-731-3140, ext. 1019. Here are the programs: • Feb. 11: Artist Andrew Peters. • March 11: Park ranger Blake Bell will share his insights on The Homestead Act & Immigration. • April 8: Retired meteorologist John Pollack on climate change. • May 20 (special date): Fontenelle Forest educator and geologist Debra Beck will discuss Nebraska geology. The schedule of programs will resume in September.
Series of free, six-week programs available three times during 2014
$30 = 7 meals or 1.75 hours of in-home homemaker services or 1 bath aide service for frail older adults.
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uled to be held at Omaha’s Orpheum Theater Feb. 18 through 23. Million Dollar Quartet documents a historic musical recording session that took place in Memphis on Dec. 4, 1956. Four of the era’s greatest artists: Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins came together for a legendary jam session that day at Sun Records. Written by Floyd Mutrux and Colin Escott, Million Dollar Quartet features numerous rock and rock favorites including Great Balls of Fire, Walk the Line, Fever, and Blue Suede Shows. Audience members get to be a “fly on the wall” as they watch these artists perform. They’ll also get an insight in to what was going on in the entertainers’ lives at the peak of their musical careers. Show times for Million Dollar Quartet are 7:30 p.m. Feb. 18, 19, and 20; 8 p.m. on Feb. 21; 2 and 8 p.m. on Feb 22, and Feb. 23 at 1:30 and 7 p.m. Tickets start at $30. For tickets and more information, please call 402-3450606.
February 2014
You’re invited to attend a free six-week series of programs titled Alzheimer’s Disease: The Bridge to Acceptance. The programs will be held on Saturday mornings from 10 to 11:30 at 1055 N. 115th St., Suite 200. The series will be offered March 8 through April 12, July 12 through Aug. 16, and Sept. 20 through Oct. 25. Here’s the schedule: • Week 1: Alzheimer’s Disease: The Road to a Diagnosis… and Beyond with Terry Johnson, a caregiver for his wife and an adjunct professor at Grace University. • Week 2: Legal Documents: What if Something Happens to Me? with Niel Nielsen from the Carlson Burnett Law Firm. • Week 3: Protecting your Assets: What to do When the Forecast Calls for Rain with representatives from Financial Visions, LLC. • Week 4: Family Dynamics: How Do We Talk With Our Kids? With Annie Dyer, administrator from the Prairie Meadows Alzheimer’s Special Care Center. • Week 5: Community Resources: Industry Bestsellers with Michaela Williams from Care Consultants for the Aging. • Week 6: Your Plan B: A Reality Check for Caregivers with Cathy Wyatt, CSA from Financial Visions, LLC. For more information, please call 402-661-9611.
Estee: Everyone should laugh 12 to 15 times daily
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he Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines smiling as making the corners of your mouth turn up in an expression that shows happiness, amusement, pleasure, affection, etc. Kirk Estee – a 70-year-old Omaha humorist – believes making another person smile could make your day. “You can’t put a dollar value on that,” he said during a recent interview is his west Omaha home. “There are so many negative things in the world, so when you hear something funny, it makes you feel good.” Estee said studies have shown laughing has a variety of health benefits including reducing blood pressure rates, releasing endorphins, and making you feel better overall both physically and mentally. “There are 80 muscles in your face, so smiling is almost like an aerobic activity,” he continued. “Research indicates one good, hearty laugh can strengthen your immune system for up to 24 hours while one bout of getting mad can weaken your immune system for up to six hours.” Since 2009, Estee has entertained residents at area nursing homes and assisted living facilities as well as shared his special blend of humorous storytelling and joyful singing with service organizations, retired federal employees, widows, widowers, church groups, and the Omaha Association for the Blind, among others.
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orn in Duluth, Minn., Estee attended grade school in Sioux City, high school in Des Moines, and college at Omaha’s Creighton University. His time on the 24th and California streets “hilltop” was interrupted by a two-year stay at the Conception Seminary in Conception, Mo. “Twenty-one members of my high school (Des Moines Dowling) class entered the seminary,” Kirk said. After leaving the Conception Seminary, he returned to Omaha and graduated from CU in 1967 with a degree in history and education. Estee’s 40-year career as a teacher, guidance counselor, administrator, and principal in Omaha included stints at Holy Cross Elementary School, Holy Name High School, Boys Town, St. James/Seaton Elementary School, Benson High
UNO grad student would like to interview older adults for part of his master’s thesis
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incent Marasco, a master’s graduate research assistant in the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, is looking for older adults to assist him with his master’s thesis research project. Participants will be compensated for their time. The study will examine how men and women over age 65 enter into intimate relationships with other people. The in-person interviews, which will be audio recorded, will take approximately 20 minutes. For more information, please contact Marasco at 402-554-3223 or vmarasco@unomaha.edu.
Fontenelle Tours Omaha/Council Bluffs: 712-366-9596
Quoted prices are per person, double occupancy. For more information about our tours, please call Ward or Kathy Kinney at Fontenelle Tours at the number listed above.
Motorcoach Branson’s “Brother South” in Sioux City. March 31. $99. ($89 before 1/31/14.) Spend a fun afternoon at the Orpheum reminiscing, singing, and swaying to rock and roll, honky tonk, and classic country performed by “Brother South” from Branson. “Harvey” at the New Theater. April 2. $139. ($129 before 2/2/14.) Take a Wednesday trip to Kansas City and enjoy lunch and “Harvey” starring Judge Reinhold from “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” and “Beverly Hills Cop.”
The west Omaha home Kirk shares with Elaine, his wife for 45 years, includes the family’s “Tree of Blessings” which has been up in the Estee’s living room since December 2012. School, and Sunny Slope Elementary School. Following his 2007 retirement, Estee began collecting humorous e-mails, funny articles, and silly cartoons that made him laugh. After filling four three-ring binders with the material, Kirk realized there were a lot of men and women who could “use a laugh or two,” so he decided to develop a comedy act he could take to the people. Influenced by “down home, folksy, and clean” legends like Will Rogers, Mark Twain, Bill Cosby, Johnny Carson, and Bob Hope, Estee has created a 35 to 40-minute show that features his take on current events, politics, religion, and family, plus tales from his long career in education. Estee enjoys leading the audience as they sing familiar classics like When You’re Smiling, Count Your Blessings, April Showers, and You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby. He also encourages audience members to tell their favorite jokes. “When they do that, I know I’ve reached them.”
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hen not making others laugh and smile, Estee enjoys spending time with Elaine – his bride for 45 years – their two sons, and seven grandchildren. The couple’s first great grandchild is due this spring. Happiness is a big part of Kirk’s life, even when not performing. The Estee’s home includes a tree decorated with lights known as the “Tree of Blessings,” which stays up year round, and Kirk has made a sign that’s a take-off from the popular Keep Kids Alive, Drive 25 campaign. His version reads: Keep Boomers Alive, Laugh at 55. Estee also coordinates a class in “humor therapy” six times a year at the rehabilitation center at the Good Samaritan Society, 12856 Deauville Dr. Kirk said while making people smile is a lofty goal, humor is an important part of every day existence. “The philosophy of live, love, laugh, and be happy should continue to play an integral and supportive role for all of us as we journey through life. A day without laughter is a day truly wasted.” For more information on booking Estee’s Laughter is the Best Medicine show, please call him at 402-616-0460 or send an e-mail to kirkestee@gmail.com.
February 2014
West Side Story. May 6. $129. ($119 before 3/6/14.) Enjoy an exciting Tuesday evening at the only Broadway performance of this incredible musical at Sioux City’s Orpheum Theater. “Miracle on South Division Street” at the New Theater. May 21. $139. ($129 before 3/21/14.) Take a Wednesday trip to Kansas City to see Connie Stevens perform with her real life daughter while enjoying an awesome lunch! Daniel O’Donnell in Sioux City. June 1. Call for price and availability. See Daniel at the Orpheum in Sioux City. Daniel O’Donnell in Des Moines. June 5. Call for price and availability. See Daniel at the Civic Center in Des Moines. “Smokey Joe’s Cafe” at the New Theater. June 21. $139. ($129 before 4/21/14.) Come along on a Saturday trip to Kansas City and enjoy a rock ‘n’ roll musical revue, as well as a wonderful lunch buffet at the New Theater. Featured songs include: On Broadway, Hound Dog, Jailhouse Rock, Stand By Me, Spanish Harlem, Love Potion #9, Young Blood, Yakety Yak, I’m a Woman, and Kansas City. Arrow Rock, Blackwater, & the Clydesdales. August 9 - 11. $TBD. Shop and explore in a Missouri village that is a National Historic Landmark. Attend the historic theater and tour the ranch where the Budweiser Clydesdales are raised. Nebraska Junk Jaunt…with a Twist. September 26 – 27. $245 (before 7/26/14). Join us for this garage sale extravaganza, but with a new route and a new motel. This is truly a fun adventure, whatever you’re hunting for! Branson Christmas with Daniel O’Donnell. November 10 – 13. $709 (before 8/10/14). Besides Daniel O’Donnell, enjoy “Jonah” at the Sight & Sound Theater, a backstage tour of Sight & Sound, Patsy Cline Remembered, The Brett Family with lunch, The Toy Shoppe, and #1 Hits of the 60’s.
In Partnership with Collette Vacations New York City. May 15 - 19, 2014. Five Days. Two Broadway Shows, Greenwich Village, Wall Street, Ground Zero, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Harbor Cruise, & Ellis Island. Stay at the Sheraton Hotel and Towers in the heart of New York City six blocks from Central Park! Northern National Parks. July 15 - 22, 2014. Eight Days. Salt Lake City, Jackson Hole, Yellowstone National Park, Old Faithful, Grand Teton National Park, Park City. Four-night stay at the Snow King Lodge in Jackson, Wy. Reflections of Italy. September 10 - 19, 2014. 10 Days. Rome, Coliseum, Assisi, Perugia, Siena, Florence, Chianti Winery, Venice, Murano Island, Como, Lugano, Switzerland. Spectacular South Africa. November 10 - 22, 2014. 13 Days. Enjoy springtime in South Africa including Johannesburg, Soweto, Kruger National Park, a Safari Game Drive, a lagoon cruise in the Knysna Featherbed National Reserve, an Ostrich Farm Visit, Cape Winelands, Cape Town, Table Mountain, traditional African dining, and more. A trip of a lifetime!
Laughlin Laughlin in March. March 29 – April 2. $329. Includes non-stop, round-trip airfare to Laughlin, Nevada, four nights lodging at the Riverside Resort and Casino on the banks of the Colorado River, and shuttle transportation to and from the airport. During this trip “Winter Dance Party” will be playing at the Riverside Resort—a tribute to Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens & The Big Bopper.
Train Train enthusiasts! Board a 1950’s era passenger train for a trip of a lifetime. You will enjoy fine service, meals, and beverages from a professional and courteous staff. You will ride in comfort and sleep in your private room which will be yours for the entire trip. No hassles of checking into hotels as the trip continues. Trips being offered are: Orange Blossom Special to Miami Florida (March 21 to 31); The Cherry Blossom Special to Washington D.C. (April 7 to 14); Crescent City LTD to New Orleans (April 27 to May 5); Glacier National Park (June 15 to 23); The Pine Tree Limited to Portland, Maine (September 16 to 28). Call us for more details! Watch New Horizons and our website www.fontenelletours.com for our trip schedule. Our address is: 2008 W. Broadway #329, Council Bluffs, Iowa 51501
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Husband, wife ministry goes beyond Trinity Lutheran
Under the leadership of John and Liz Backus, Trinity Lutheran Church – 6340 N. 30th St. – has stabilized and increased its membership. By Leo Adam Biga Contributing Writer
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he husband and wife pastor team of John and Liz Backus ministers to an old-line SwedishAmerican parish in Omaha, Trinity Lutheran, at 30th and Redick streets. But their real mission is tending to the church’s impoverished mixed-race neighborhood beset by high rates of illiteracy, unemployment, and sexually transmitted diseases. Upon arriving at Trin-
ity Lutheran in late 2008, John and Liz Backus found a parish little engaged with its community and desperate to retain a shrinking membership. Under the couple’s leadership Trinity has stabilized its numbers and added new members. The church has adopted nearby Miller Park Elementary School and its predominantly AfricanAmerican student body. John runs a reading program there for second graders. Trinity also conducts neighborhood cleanups, participates in the Crossroad Connection Prison Ministry,
supports the North Omaha Summer Arts Festival, and partners with Omaha North High School. In addition, the pastors continue the church’s hosting of the Ruth K. Solomon Summer Leadership and Arts Academy. They’ve deepened relations with the Blue Nile Sudanese congregation that worships in Trinity’s chapel. They’ve taken a personal interest in Trinity’s long partnership with a sister church in Tanzania where the couple visited in 2010. Social justice and multicultural inclusion come natural to the Backuses, who are the adoptive parents of children of color. John and Liz support lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights. Everyone’s welcome at Trinity. The couple lives three blocks from the church in an old California bungalowstyle house they extensively restored. Their home is an extension of their ministry as they host garden parties and meetings there. They also embrace efforts like the Minne Lusa House across the street. “We’re glad to be in partnership in caring for the neighborhood,” John says. “We’re doing amazing things at Trinity and now we’re getting the community to do amazing things with us. The first step in redevelopment is recognizing that if you’re not involved in the community you’re just a dead body that doesn’t know it’s dead yet. I’m determined to do my best to make sure that doesn’t hap-
Married in 1976, the Backuses have also served in Kansas City, Mo. and Lanesboro, Minn. pen to Trinity. “Lutheran churches are often self-insular. But the building at 30th and Redick (streets) is not there just to hold services or to be a social organization for us. The church is to be a hospital in a sick place, to be a gathering place for God’s people to go out of the building and do God’s work. It’s not about how many more posteriors can we place in a pew, it’s about are we being faithful to the call of Christ when we walk out the door?” The Backuses are among the few ordained spouses in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. They say what makes them stand apart from other clergy couples is that they pastor
Your home.Your care.Your pace.
Your home is best and Immanuel Pathways’ goal is to help you continue living in your home as long as possible. Our program provides a complete system of health care. The service is called PACE, which stands for: Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly. We provide primary and hospital care as well as prescription drugs, adult day services, transportation and so much more to our participants. Services are provided in the home, at the PACE Center and in the community. For complete program details and benefits, please call 402-991-0330.
5755 Sorensen Parkway | Omaha, NE 68152 | www.immanuelpathways.org PACE participants may be fully and personally liable for the costs of unauthorized or out-of-PACE program services. Emergency services are covered. Participants may disenroll at any time.
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together. Married in 1976, they’ve been co-pastors since 1982. Trinity is their third shared “call” after pastoring stints in Kansas City, Mo. and in Minnesota. “It’s really just a way of life,” says Liz. “We can play on our strengths and we have the other person to talk things over with. It’s been good for us because we can do what we want to do. I was senior pastor in Kansas City and I’m not now, and it’s John’s time to run with it, and that’s good, too. “Why would you want two of the same people?”
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epending on who’s leading Trinity’s 10:45 a.m. Sunday service, worshipers will either get John’s high-energy flamboyance or Liz’s subdued solemnity. His charismatic stage presence was honed during 10 years performing with the touring gospel quartet, The Fishermen. Despite their differences, the Backuses stand firm in solidarity about their shared passion to serve others. “When we’re really wrong we’re really wrong together but when we’re right it strengthens us,” Liz says. There’s no getting around the fact the Backuses do come from two markedly different backgrounds. Ordained ministry was his goal from as far back as he can recall while Liz only felt the call after meeting him. Three years older, John entered the seminary while she was in college. Liz soon followed his path. --Please turn to page 11.
John’s past includes escaping mob family, dodging Vietnam draft --Continued from page 10. “I never wanted to do anything else,” he says. “When I was a little kid I would run up to grab the pastor’s leg when he was trying to preach, and my parents would usually catch me but not always, and I’d scream, ‘I want to do this, I want to do this.’” John grew up outside Chicago. Liz was raised in rural Indiana. Both came from interfaith families. The only reason he became Lutheran is that his German-American father, who came from an abusive home, found refuge in that church as a boy and remained faithful to it. “There was this Lutheran family down the street that would take my dad to church. Anything to get him out of the house was good. He loved the church. It was a place of safety for him. He loved his pastor and he wanted to be a pastor. There was no money for him to go to school so he left school in the eighth grade and went on to become a railroad machinist. But he always wished he’d been a pastor.” John says things got so bad for his father as a boy that he “was kicked out of his house” at age 8. “He walked from Chicago to the suburb of Downer’s Grove and moved in with an aunt and uncle who raised him. That’s who I always knew as grandma and grandpa growing up.” While born in Chicago, John’s family moved to the suburbs when he was a child to escape the harsh legacy of his Italian-American mother’s gangland family and their link to infamy. “My mother’s father was a driver for Al Capone in Chicago. I know when Al Capone went to jail and my grandfather needed a job he voted for a certain may-
oral candidate a number of times in one election and as a result got a job driving a garbage truck for the City of Chicago.” He says the story goes that “when my grandfather died a gentleman came to the funeral and put an ice pick in the corpse’s shoulder to make sure he was dead.” Backus says quite a few older relatives on his mother’s side worked as mob functionaries. Some died in prison. “My mother’s brother is either still in prison or he’s died now. He was a minor league leg-breaker.” Dysfunction ran through his clan. “You know in all of your good mafia dramas one person will turn to another and say, ‘You are dead to me,’ well, I watched that play out in my extended family over and over again. My maternal grandmother was angry my mother married someone who wasn’t Italian. That dismissing another human being doesn’t solve the problem because you just fight it out with someone else. That is something my beloved Elizabeth has taught me – that you need to just see things through.”
not who I want to be and so that’s who I choose not to be.” John’s love of singing is a byproduct of his parents, who moved the family to Nebraska, first to Lincoln and then to Elmwood, when he was a teen because of his dad’s railroad job. “My father loved to sing hymns and my mom was a rock ‘n’ roller – Elvis Presley, roller skates, (and) poodle skirts. She sang rock ‘n’ roll all the time. And I always liked to sing.” At one point the man John most admired, his father – who taught him to fix anything – was ready to disown
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ohn’s grateful his folks survived the chaos and made a deliberate decision to move from that environment. Still, Backus is mindful he’s inherited a dark side that if he’s not careful can overtake him. “That past is true and it’s woven into who I am. It’s so long ago now and yet when someone really angers me my first thought is: What do I need to do this person to get my way? How bad do I need to beat them? That’s horrible and I’m not afraid of confessing this. That’s
his son. In 1972 the Vietnam War and military draft were still on. Backus, then 18, held genuine pacifist beliefs and had already applied to the seminary. The real reason, however, he didn’t want to serve in the military is he feared the obesity he battled then – he weighed nearly 300 pounds – made him an easy target. “I knew if I got sent over there I’d be dead. I knew some people who’d gone and died. At that time the deferments were all gone.” He joined other war opponents in a public protest that culminated in them burning their draft cards. He
• Quality living at an affordable price • Licensed nurse and certified staff on duty 24 hours a day • Located in scenic downtown Omaha
served a few days in jail for his action and was put on the military’s undesirable list. John said he considered more drastic action. “I was prepared to run. I figured I’d head north (to Canada).” He says his dad disapproved, telling him, “If you go you can never come back. But if you stay I will do everything I can to help you.” Backus gets emotional explaining why his dad reacted so strongly. “My father was an Army infantryman in the Second World War. He never talked about it but at the end of --Please turn to page 12.
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Contact Saint Joseph Tower Assisted Living Community to learn more.
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Omaha, NE 68108
(402) 952-5000
Appreciation Luncheon Your friends at Hickory Villa are hosting an appreciation luncheon to honor those who have been advocates, support and provided care for our residents.
February 20, 2014 11:30-1:30 p.m.
Hickory Villa Assisted Living 7315 Hickory St., Omaha, NE
February 2014
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Liz was one of the few females in her seminary class --Continued from page 11. every month he woke up screaming. We found out later he was in the group that took Peleliu.” The small Pacific coral island, now known as Palau, was occupied by Japanese forces embedded in trenches, caves, and tunnels. Enemy positions could only be rooted out by men on the ground and by socalled “tunnel rats.” “My father was a tunnel rat. The island was supposed to be occupied in a week but it took months. There were heavy casualties. So it was very difficult for him to see his son refuse to serve his country.” Father and son reconciled and when John was ordained no one was any prouder than his old man. “He loved it, he was so happy I stayed with it.”
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y comparison, Liz says she comes from “a normal” background minus all the drama or rancor. When the liberal, longhaired John swept into her life it caused a rift between the young lovers and her parents. Liz’s folks ran a printing company in Maryville, Ind. They expected Liz to complete college and start a career before getting involved with someone, and then preferably with a well off, buttoneddown fellow. Spirituality fascinated Liz from the time her father took her to guitar masses at the Catholic Church they attended during her childhood. “I was always interested in church. I loved the liturgy; I loved a lot of things about it. But I knew I didn’t want to be a nun, so there wasn’t really a place for me I didn’t think. I was exploring all kinds of things.” She aspired to a career in journalism but one year studying the subject at Indiana University convinced her she wasn’t cut out for Jschool. She was still in high school when John’s singing group came to town. She joined other area youths to campaign for a man running for congress, Floyd Fithian. The candidate’s nephew was The Fishermen’s lead singer and so the quartet, Backus included, drove to Indiana to lend their support. The youth volunteers were boarding a bus to go canvassing when Backus noticed a lovely coed. He remembers, “I literally grabbed Floyd by the arm and said, ‘Do you see that girl who just got on the bus?’ ‘Yes,’ he said, ‘That’s Liz Danko,’ and I said, ‘Put her with me.’ “And 300-plus letters later, because we lived 500 miles apart, we moved into the same town, Dubuque, Iowa, where she was in college and I was in seminary,” John adds. “A year later we were married. I asked her to marry me the third time I saw her.” “An unusual courtship,” says Liz. “Yeah, we do not recommend it, because you look back and it’s romanticized but at the time it was
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really hard,” John says. Among the difficulties the couple faced was gaining her parents’ approval. “My father and John had a lot of arguments having to do with his pacifist leanings. The rest of my family loved John but you know parents have such a high stake in everything.” Then there was their resistance to her being a pastor’s wife. “My parents thought a pastor’s wife was too hard of a job, that you don’t get any notoriety, you’re not a person in your own light, you’re in somebody’s shadow, you’re on their coattails. They worried, ‘You’re going to marry this man, get pregnant, and quit school.’” John understood their misgivings. “Elizabeth has always been brilliant, an incredible student, (with) great
save myself but I learned you can’t. What keeps me going is when the phone rings and somebody says, ‘I just had a baby,’ and they are so happy and they want to tell me. Or they call and they say, ‘My father is dying,’ and they are so sad and they want to tell me,” John says. “I get to live the heights and the depths of people’s lives and just stand with them and be there with them through all of it. “It’s an incredible joy and what tells me it’s right is that I’m 60 years old and I’m having more fun now than I’ve ever had. It’s great.” Liz says, “I think at first I just was so drawn to the mystery. The call is such a challenge and it’s a privilege to be with people. I think I can make a difference sometimes. Like you can be in the right place at the right time and that’s really
Pastor Liz Backus
Pastor John Backus
grades. Her dad and mom looked at it as she’s bound to do great things and I’m going to ruin it.” “They were so upset,” says Liz. It didn’t help matters, she adds that “John was cocky and arrogant and I was young.” Against Liz’s parents’ wishes the couple got married after her second year of college. “Not a real happy day but they were coming around.” All was forgiven when her parents saw none of their fears realized. Liz finished school as planned, then after embracing Lutheranism, went on to seminary, and got ordained. Instead of playing second fiddle to her husband she became his equal partner. “John and my father got to be really good friends,” she says.
humbling and captivating.” The couple’s first pastoring assignment together was in Lanesboro, Minn. When they adopted children from South Korea and Thailand, the Backuses introduced the only people of color into an otherwise all-white community. “Everybody loved them,” Liz says. “Being the pastors’ kids they were aware they were treated really nicely but increasingly they felt they were the only people of color. They were big fish in a little pond. Also we didn’t feel we could afford to stay. We couldn’t have sent them to college making what we did. That was really the only reason we moved. It was a wonderful way of life.” It was in Minnesota the couple began their advocacy for LGBT rights. The church sometimes moved more slowly then the Backuses wanted but they’re pleased by the progress it’s made. “When we first started speaking out about this in church assemblies it was just a matter of we need to let gay and lesbian people in our churches,” John says. “It’s ended up in this wonderful place we are now where persons who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgendered can have life partners and be pastors in this church. It took a long time to get there.” “Gay-lesbian rights has been very important to us,” says Liz, who was
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omen ministers were still a new reality in the Lutheran Church at that time, and thus Liz was one of only a few females in her seminary class. John’s father was delighted to have a second preacher in the fold. “His respect for our profession was deep and he was very happy when Elizabeth entered ordination,” John says. The Backuses feel they made the right decision to enter the ministry, though there have been doubts and struggles along the way. “I think at first I was trying to
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active in groups that lobbied to get women bishops. In Kansas City the couple brought already progressive St. James Lutheran Church into the reconciling or affirming movement. It was a congregation in turmoil after the previous pastor resigned in the wake of accusations he had inappropriate sexual relations with members. John says the unsavory situation left the congregation divided and angry. “Some of our predecessor’s strong supporters had left but some of them stayed and that was part of what we dealt with,” Liz says. The couple set about healing the wounds and doing things the right way. “One of the strengths of being a married couple is that we have good boundaries,” she says. “We were real intentional in what we did. We didn’t tell an off-color joke. The two of us were always present when somebody was in the office. We kept doors and windows open.” Before the Backuses arrival in 1995, St. James was a church that talked social justice but John and Liz encouraged members to begin practicing it in their own backyard. The couple found a real home in that church community and in the neighborhood they resided in. But things changed in 2007-2008. “The work got more difficult,” says John. “Our leadership had always been greeted well. All of a sudden we realized things just weren’t going the way they should. We decided if we didn’t get good results at the next (parish council) meeting then it’s time to leave. The meeting went very badly. We would find out later a relatively small group of individuals had committed to having us removed. It’s much easier to get a pastor to quit then to get them removed. “That group of people was making life difficult for us. I don’t know their reasons but I know they wanted us gone and worked very hard to make sure that happened. What was most painful for us is that no one came to us and said, ‘Do you know what’s happening?’ We had the sense no one had our back.” Feeling it was time to exit gracefully rather than subject the church to another upheaval, the pastors stepped down, though they hoped their self-imposed exile would be temporary. “We thought, we’ll let them sort this out and let them get back on their feet,” says Liz. But as time went by the severing became permanent. Stunned, John and Liz felt they were through with the ministry. They gave away all their theology books. That meant finding new jobs, only the timing couldn’t have been worse because of the economic collapse. John tried selling cars and digging ditches. Liz worked at a Panera’s (restaurant). “We just couldn’t make a living,” says Liz. “Things just did not work out.” “I applied for 200 jobs,” says --Please turn to page 13.
Pastors John and Liz Backus... --Continued from page 12. John. “It was a very difficult year.” The couple vacationed in Yellowstone to clear their heads and unburden theirs hearts. Upon returning home John announced: “I cannot be without a church.” So they searched for pastorships all over the nation. Omaha’s Trinity Lutheran, dedicated in 1922, proved the right fit for this pair with so much to give. They were just what was needed to awaken the somewhat sleeping, struggling urban parish. John says the Lutheran Church recognizes “there are all these inner city ministry sites that have dwindled for 50 years and are incredibly important places for ministry to take place.” “Often because of financial resources or not knowing what to do they’ll put someone there, a first year seminarian, who’s not ready to tackle the challenges that we as an experienced couple have tackled,” John says.
He believes “there are ways to make those congregations not just survive but thrive and we’ve already taken the first couple of steps toward that at Trinity.” Liz and John acknowledge the way they left Kansas City, where they expected to retire, hurt them, but they’re grateful to have their new ministry home. “I think I’m broken now because of St. James,” Liz says. “Probably every other day we have a discussion about why things went wrong there. I mean, this is not over for us. I feel really bad about we were unable to take them to the next step. “But I also think there is a call here (at Trinity) and that while all this has messed me up I’m not as afraid as I was. We have a steadiness and wisdom, and we’re not afraid of failing. We have an energy and a drive that just may be what these people need.” “In eight more years it is our intention to have the parish so ingrained in mis-
Book review series begins Feb. 18 The Eclectic Book Review Club will begin its next series of book reviews at noon on Tuesday, Feb. 18. The monthly series is held at noon at the Omaha Field Club, 3915 Pacific St. Here’s the spring 2014 schedule: • Feb. 18: Retired Omaha detective Brian Bogdanoff on Three Bodies Burning. • March 18: The Omaha World-Herald’s Steve Jordon on The Oracle & Omaha. • April 15: University of Nebraska-Lincoln English professor Mary Stillwell on The Life and Poetry of Ted Kooser. • May 20: Omaha South High School principal Cara Riggs on Hope in Urban Schools: Love Stories. The cost for the review and lunch is $13 per month. For reservations – which must be made by the Monday prior to the event – please call Rita Price at 402-553-3147.
sionary service that Trinity will be a teaching congregation,” John says. “My passion and goal is that people can come out of seminary to Trinity and be taught how to do street ministry by a faithfilled congregation.” The couple sees a north Omaha neighborhood and a parish believing in itself and themselves again and feeling good about the difference they can make, a sharp contrast to the hopelessness they found in 2008. John’s encouraged by the generosity people are displaying and the progress being made. A woman donated copies of The Littlest Lion to every 2nd grade student at Miller Park Elementary. An anonymous benefactor left an envelope with $500 and a note that read. “I like what you’re doing at Miller Park, use this.” Miller Park School has gone from being one of Omaha’s lowest achieving public grade schools to one of its highest. Parishioners donated boots to prison inmates on work release. “That’s God’s physical presence in our life today,” John says. “God doesn’t have to be anything more than that to me because God is alive and active in that gathering of people to love one another.” Liz says, “We just abide and we keep doing it day after day.” For a list of services and events at Trinity Lutheran, visit trinityomaha.org. (Read Biga’s work at leoadambiga.wordpress.com.)
Access information via 211 telephone network The 211 telephone network has been established in parts of Nebraska to give consumers a single source for information about community and human services. By dialing 211, consumers can access information about: • Human needs resources like food banks, shelters,
rent and utility assistance. • Physical and mental health resources. • Employment support. • Support for older Americans and persons with a disability. • Support for children and families. • Volunteer opportunities and donations.
Free medication workshop scheduled for Monday, Feb. 24 at church in Gretna The Sarpy/Cass Department of Health & Wellness, in partnership with the Creighton University School of Pharmacy and Health Professions, will sponsor a free medication workshop on Monday, Feb. 24 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Resurrection Lutheran Church, 153 S. McKenna St. in Gretna. Individuals wanting to learn more about over-the-counter vitamins and supplements are welcome to attend. During this workshop with local pharmacy experts, participants will discuss: • Which over-the-counter vitamins can be helpful and which vitamins to avoid. • The recommended daily amount for certain minerals and vitamins including calcium and vitamin D. • The role vitamins play in our overall health and wellness. Eating a well-balanced diet rich in fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy can help ensure our bodies get the vitamins and minerals needed for good health. Sometimes we don’t get the nutrients we need and taking an over-the-counter multivitamin may be helpful. While not everybody need supplements, how does an individual know if they’re getting the vitamins they need and when to explore taking an over-the-counter supplement? This workshop will help clarify the questions surrounding over-the-counter vitamin and supplement use, while helping participants better understand how to safely use these dietary aids if necessary. “This program is a wonderful opportunity to teach about the safe use of over-the-counter vitamins and supplements while providing pharmacy students with hands-on experience working in community health,” said Nicole Evans, community health educator with the Sarpy/ Cass Department of Health & Wellness. To pre-register (which is required) for this free workshop, please call 402-339-4334 ext. 209 or send an email to nevans@sarpy.com by Feb. 19.
Diabetes Education Center offering classes, support group in February
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The Diabetes Education Center of the Midlands is offering classes and a support group this month: • Feb. 8: Living Well with Diabetes support group from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Talk by UNMC’s Jennifer Hickman on Newest Drugs to Treat Diabetes, Useful Supplements, and Those That Are Not. • Feb. 10 through 13: Living Well With Diabetes self-management class from 5 to 9 p.m. on Feb. 10 and 5 to 8 p.m. Feb. 11, 12, and 13. • Feb. 19: Diabetes prevention class from 4 to 6 p.m. • Feb. 24 & 27: Day to Day Living with Diabetes self-management class from 5 to 8 p.m. each day. The classes and support groups will be held at the DECM office, 2910 S. 84th St. To register or for more information, please call 402399-0777, ext. 230.
With Lifeline by Immanuel, you can enjoy an independent lifestyle in your own home—knowing that you can get help if you ever need it. In a fall or emergency, every second counts. Lifeline by Immanuel with AutoAlert is a medical alert pendent that can automatically call for help, even if you can’t push your button. Getting you connected to someone with access to your medical history, someone who can evaluate your situation and immediately send help. To learn more about the security and peace of mind provided by Lifeline, call (402) 829-3277 or toll-free at (800) 676-9449.
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Volunteers needed for AARP’s tax program
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he AARP Foundation’s Tax-Aide program is the nation’s largest free, volunteer-run tax preparation and assistance service. The program provides free income tax services, focusing on low to middle income taxpayers age 60 and older who need help preparing their tax return. No one, however, is turned away because of income or age.
Lot # 273 2 bed 2 bath $11,000
Lot # 242 2 bed 1 bath $17,000
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he Tax-Aide program in Nebraska has 23 sites, including seven in Douglas County and two in Sarpy County. AARP’s local Tax Aide program needs more volunteers. AARP membership is not required. The greatest need is for tax preparers who work directly with taxpayers to complete individual tax returns. Prior tax or accounting experience is preferred but not required. Volunteers receive instruction in tax laws, completion of tax forms, and the computer software required to file a return. Greeters who welcome taxpayers, help organize their paperwork, and manage the overall flow of services, are also needed. To volunteer with the AARP Foundation’s TaxAide program, go to aarp. org/taxaide. E-Mail questions to our local address: omaha.taxaide@gmail.com or call 402.398.9568.
Lot # 268 3 bed 2 bath $9,000
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The New Horizons is brought to you each month by the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging.
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Learn how to read, understand information on your food labels Take a trip to the grocery store and you’ll encounter miles of aisles stocked with thousands of food products. Every product has a story to tell or better yet, sell. Information printed on packages is helpful but it’s often confusing and even a bit misleading. While lists of ingredients and the Nutrition Facts panel are there to help shoppers choose foods to fit their nutritional needs, it’s not always easy to interpret. Learning how to decode the jumble of numbers and percentages is the first step in shopping for healthier foods. “The best guide for making decisions affecting your diet is the nutrition facts panel, which is regulated by the FDA and for meats and poultry by the USDA,” said Carolyn O’Neil, registered dietitian and nutrition advisor for BestFoodFacts.org. “The Nutrition Facts panel lists all of the important specs such as calories, fats, sodium, fiber, sugar, and several key vitamins and minerals,” she said. Here are some of O’Neil’s tips on understanding nutrition labels, so you can be a more informed consumer and make healthier decisions for your family. • Always note serving sizes: While a food or beverage may seem like a good nutritional fit, the first thing to notice should always be the serving size. Watch out because if you read that a serving contains 100 calories, for instance, that may be for eight ounces of a juice beverage and the container may hold 16 ounces. • Be aware of unhealthy contents: If looking to limit fat, sodium, and sugar, pay close attention to these call outs on the label. Some foods might deliver more than your daily limit for sodium. Remember that trans fat should be avoided completely. • Look for the good stuff: A healthy diet consists of vitamins and nutrients which nutrition labels also spell out. Go for foods that are good sources of the good guys such as dietary fiber, vitamins A and C, calcium, iron, and potassium. • Don’t be fooled by healthy looks: While package design may illustrate people engaging in healthful activities, pretty farm scenes, and adorned with “healthy” words, note the FDA doesn’t regulate the use of creative brand names. As always, it’s the nutrition facts label where a consumer can see what’s really inside. • Trust health claims: The FDA closely monitors the use of health claims on food packaging. So, if you see wording such as “heart healthy,” you can be confident the company had to meet nutrition criteria set by the FDA. Prepared with nutrition label know-how, shoppers can put this valuable information to work to make food shopping easier on the next trip to the supermarket. For other tips visit www.bestfoodfacts.org. (Family Features provided this information.)
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CORRECTION NECESSARY
correction is necessary to a cutline that appeared in the January 2014 New Horizons which accompanied a photograph of the Dancing Classrooms program participants from Joslyn Elementary School. The correct name of the teacher featured in the photo on page 14 is Michael Pfeiffer. We apologize for the error.
Each year, carbon monoxide poisoning kills, sickens thousands of Americans
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ichael wasn’t exactly sure why he felt so bad. He thought he might have the flu or food poisoning. He was nauseated, vomiting, dizzy, and tired. His head was pounding. Michael called the Nebraska Regional Poison Center and was diagnosed with carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning at his local hospital. Michael is one of the lucky ones. Every year more than 400 Americans die from unintentional CO poisoning and 20,000 are seen in emergency rooms, while another 4,000 are hospitalized. The Centers for Disease Control ranked Nebraska as the state with the highest reliable mortality rate from carbon monoxide. In 2013, the Nebraska Regional Poison Center received 310 calls on carbon monoxide - an increase from the year before. This figure is misleading, however, because carbon monoxide poisoning is always under-reported. It’s imperative Nebraskans understand the dangers, the symptoms, and how to prevent poisoning from carbon monoxide. Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include sleepiness, headache, dizziness, blurred vision, nausea, shortness of breath, and convulsions. The first step in treating carbon monoxide poisoning is getting the victim to fresh air. Then seeking medical attention immediately. Carbon monoxide is a gas produced when fuels burn incompletely. It has no color, taste, or smell. The major causes of carbon monoxide poisoning include: • Using heating equipment that’s in poor repair. • Lack of ventilation in a car. • Using a charcoal grill indoors. • Using unvented space heaters. The Poison Center offers the following suggestions to help prevent carbon monoxide poisoning: • Inspect all fuel-burning equipment yearly. • Vent fuel-burning heaters to the outside. • Don’t use a gas range or an oven for heating a room. • Never use a charcoal grill or hibachi inside. • Install carbon monoxide alarms on every level of your home. • Never leave a car running in an attached garage, even with the garage door open. • Have the vehicle muffler and tailpipes checked regularly. The carbon monoxide death rate is highest among people greater than age 65. Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning resemble those associated with other health conditions that are common among older adults, especially in the winter. The Nebraska Regional Poison Center offers tips on carbon monoxide poisoning prevention as a free community service. If you suspect carbon monoxide poisoning or if you have any questions, contact the Nebraska Regional Poison Center (toll free) at 1-800-222-1222.
Elder Access Line
Please see the ad on page 3
Legal Aid of Nebraska operates a free telephone access line for Nebraskans age 60 and older.
New Horizons Club gains new members $25 Mary Helen Howell $20 Madeline Shattuck $15 Barbara Greenspan Kay Oehm
Information is offered to help the state’s older men and women with questions on topics like bankruptcy, homestead exemptions, collections, powers of attorney, Medicare, Medicaid, grandparent rights, and Section 8 housing. The telephone number for the Elder Access Line is 402-827-5656 in Omaha and 1-800-527-7249 statewide. This service is available to Nebraskans age 60 and older regardless of income, race, or ethnicity.
$10 Kathryne Peters Doris Higginson Delores Castillo Grace Engelmann $5 Eileen McPeake Joann Jarvis Reflects donations received through January 24, 2014.
‘GNIT’ on Blue Barn Theatre’s stage Feb. 20 through March 16 Will Eno’s GNIT will be on stage Feb. 20 through March 16 at the Blue Barn Theatre, 614 S 11th St. GNIT is a willfully American misreading of Henrik Ibsen’s Peer Gynt, a 19th Century Norwegian play. Show times are Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. (no shows on March 13 to 15); Sundays, March 2, 9, & 16 at 6 p.m.; and Sunday, March 16 also at 2 p.m. Tickets are $25 for adults and $20 for persons age 65 and older, TAG members, and groups of 10 or more. For reservations, please call 402-345-1576.
Menus for ENOA meals programs are available online at enoa.org The complete monthly listing of the menus for the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging’s Meals on Wheels program and the agency’s congregate meals sites is now available at enoa.org. To access the information, log on to enoa.org, and then click on Meals on Wheels/Senior Centers.
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Volunteer opportunities The Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging’s Foster Grandparent Program, Senior Companion Program, Ombudsman Advocate Program, and Senior Medicare Patrol Program are recruiting older adults to become volunteers. Foster Grandparents and Senior Companions must be age 55 or older, meet income guidelines, have a government issued identification card or a driver’s license, able to volunteer at least 15 hours a week, and must complete several background and reference checks. Foster Grandparents and Senior Companions receive a $2.65 an hour stipend, transportation and meal reimbursement, paid vacation, sick, and holiday leave, and supplemental accident insurance. Foster Grandparents work with children who have special needs while Senior Companions work to keep older adults living independently. Ombudsman advocates work to ensure residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities enjoy the best possible quality of life. Ombudsman advocates, who must be age 18 or older, are enrolled through an application and screening process. These volunteers, who are not compensated monetarily for their time, must serve at least two hours a week. The Senior Medicare Patrol program helps Medicaid beneficiaries avoid, detect, and prevent health care fraud. These volunteers, who are enrolled through an application and screening process, are not compensated monetarily for their time. For more information, please call 402-444-6536.
For more information on the GRC, call 402-996-8444
Grandparent Resource Center party includes visit from Miss Teen Nebraska, therapy dogs
USA National Miss Nebraska Teen Michaela Wells (center) with Jade (left) and Tilden at the Grandparent Resource Center’s holiday celebration.
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n Friday, Dec. 27, more than 60 grandparents and grandchildren gathered at the Douglas County Extension Office, 8015 W. Center Rd., for the annual Grandparent Resource Center (GRC) Poetry submissions are due March 5 holiday party. Submissions for the 2014 Poetry Across the GeneraUSA National Miss Netions competition – sponsored jointly by the University of braska Teen Michaela Wells Nebraska at Omaha, the Omaha Public Library, and the and her mother Theresa Omaha Public Schools, are due by Wednesday, March 5. Norris greeted the guests. The annual event features separate contests for poets in The participants also had grades 7 through 12 and poets age 50 and older. Particitheir picture taken with pants are asked to write two poems each: one about life as a Wells, played games, and teenager and another about life as a person age 60 or older enjoyed a visit from dogs Prizes of $100, $50, and $25 for first, second, and third and their owners from Midplaces, respectively will be awarded. Seven honorable men- lands Pet Therapy. tion finishers will receive $10 each. Janet Miller – who Winning poets can collect their cash prizes at a Sunday, coordinates the GRC for March 23 poet recognition reception at UNO’s Milo Bail Partnerships in Aging in Student Center from 1 to 3:30 p.m. The event will include conjunction with the Eastern poetry readings, refreshments, and intergenerational poetry Nebraska Office on Aging dialogue. – wanted to thank several Entrants are also invited to an Intergenerational Poetry individuals for their roles Slam at UNO’s Milo Bail Student Center on Sunday, in making the party a huge March 30 from 1 to 3:30 p.m. success. Adult poetry submission may be sent to Cindy Waldo, That list includes Vikki Sigma Phi Omega, Department of Gerontology, CB 211, Henry and her three sons, University of Nebraska at Omaha, 6001 Dodge St, Omaha, Mary and Allanah Henry, Neb. 68182-0202 or online to www.omahapoetsplace.net. Mary Kelly, Page Moore, Teen poets may submit their poetry to Omaha Public Tom Miller, Chris Gillette, Library, Bess Johnson Elkhorn Branch, Attn: Karen Berry, Claire Anderson, Rachelle 2100 Reading Plz., Elkhorn, Neb. 68022 or online to www. Serlet, Beth Nelson, Roseomahapoetsplace.net. For more information, please contact Cindy Waldo at cwaldo@unomaha.edu.
mary Simpson, Theresa Abbot, and Mindy Goldberg. Miller also wished to thank Hy-Vee and Bag-NSave/No Frills for donating bags filled with fruit and candy, the Rose Theater
Grandma Joann Turner (standing far left) and volunteers (standing from left): Mary Hoffman and Vikki Henry were kept busy at the GRC party. which contributed show tickets, Margaret Evans whose handmade items were given away as door prizes, and Joann Turner who created some homemande Play Dough for the event. The Grandparent Re-
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Kylesse (left) and Kyle (right) enjoyed a visit by participants from Midlands Pet Therapy.
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February 2014
source Center provides a variety of programs and services for grandparents age 55 and older who are raising their grandchildren. Among the activities available to the grandparents enrolled in the
GRC are monthly support sessions, assistance with transportation to these meetings, telephone support, referrals to legal services, holiday assistance, and access to other ENOA programs and services. For more information about the Grandparent Resource Center, please call Janet Miller at 402-9968444, e-mail her at jlmiller809@gmail.com, or visit www.piaging.com.
Survey indicates 30 percent of Americans Home Instead needs nominees for aren’t able to gauge cookware’s condition Salute to Senior Service program
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Mealtime can be a daily challenge no matter the size of your household. Part of that challenge can be having the right cookware. More than simply tools in the kitchen, cookware is a way to enjoy the process of cooking and bring family and friends together.
Look for pots and pans that are branded by manufacturers with a long track record. The notion of upgrading your cookware may be far from your mind, but having the right pot or pan will keep family and friends coming back for more. A recent survey concludes most Americans own a piece of cookware that’s approximately 17 years old. This survey also reveals three out of 10 Americans admit to not knowing how to properly gauge the wear and tear of their cookware. When you know how to properly evaluate your cookware, you’ll have confidence in your supplies, making the process of cooking even more rewarding. • Step one: Check your cookware. Look at your pots and pans to assess the wear and tear of each. Check for signs of chipping, rusting, or warping that may affect the performance. Flip it over and look at the bottom to see if it is burned, which could affect how the pot or pan heats. Also, check the handles and lids to see if they are bent or missing. • Step two: test it out. Once you’ve checked the condition of your cookware, it’s time to test it out. Chipping, rusting, and warping can affect the cooking or cleanup performance of your pots and pans. Be sure to test your cookware to ensure these flaws are only cosmetic. If your cookware is nonstick, a good test is to fry an egg. If it sticks to your pan then it’s likely time to buy yourself a replacement. • Step three: reevaluate your needs. Once you’ve reviewed and tested your cookware, you can decide what you should keep, what to reinvest in, and what you
need to recycle. Start by asking yourself how often you cook, how much do you cook, and do you find yourself needing different sizes and shapes of pans while cooking? A good rule of thumb when looking for new cookware is to look for pots and pans that are branded by manufacturers with a long track record. Finally, it’s important to feel the cookware in your
own hands. Visit your local retail store and pick them up. Find out if the handles feel comfortable, whether the weight is good – and if you love the color and style. Most of your favorite retail stores have great selections to meet your needs. For more information, including where to buy, visit www.nothingmesses with it.com. (Family Features provided this information.)
Assistive technology equipment available online by logging on to at4all.com Older adults may notice gradual changes in their hearing, memory, vision, and mobility that could create the need for assistive technology. Some of these older men and women may need a cane, a scooter, a listening device, or a lighted magnifier. One way to learn more about obtaining assistive technology equipment is by logging on to at4all.com, a free online service that lists and can help you find these devices in Nebraska. The service can help consumers: • Borrow and try the equipment before buying. • Buy used and/or free equipment. • List items they want to share or sell. For more information, please call 1-888-806-6287.
very day, Nebraska’s older volunteers generously give their time and service to help others. Now here’s your chance to nominate an older adult in your community for his or her outstanding service through the Salute to Senior Service program. Sponsored by Home Instead, Inc., Salute to Senior Service recognizes the invaluable contributions of adults age 65 and older who give at least 15 hours a month of volunteer service. Older men and women make a positive impact on our communities daily, according to Vicki Castleman, managing director of the Home Instead Senior Care offices in Omaha. She said volunteerism not only benefits others, but also helps older adults stay active and socially engaged in their communities that are important elements of healthy aging. Nominations, which are due March 1, can be made at SalutetoSeniorService.com. Completed nomination forms can also be mailed to Salute to Senior Service, PO Box 285, Bellevue, Neb. 68005. State winners will be determined by popular vote. A panel of senior care experts will then select a national Salute to Senior Service winner from among the state honorees. Home Instead, Inc. will donate $500 to each of the state winners’ designated and approved nonprofit organizations, and their personal stories will be shared online on the Salute to Senior Service Wall of Fame. In addition, $5,000 will be donated to the national winner’s designated and approved nonprofit charity. For more information about Salute to Senior Service, please call 402-498-3444.
Dough therapy scheduled for Feb. 9
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he Omaha Czech Cultural Club will host Carol Niemann and her “Czech This Out” dough therapy baking demonstration on Sunday, Feb. 9 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the Corrigan Senior Center, 3819 X St. Niemann will show audience members how to make yeast dough and how to create kolaches, rohlicky, and braided twists as she discusses growing up Czech and the therapeutic values of working with dough. The session costs $2 for OCCC members and $5 for non-members. For more information, please call Emma Trouba at 402-289-4806.
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Unicameral examing bill to modernize, improve traffic safety Nebraska State Sen. John Harms recently introduced the Nebraska Roadway Safety Act, a legislative bill to modernize and improve five key traffic safety measures. “No other legislation we will consider this year has the ability to make such a positive difference in the lives of the individuals and families we serve,” Harms said during a Lincoln press conference. “The Nebraska Roadway Safety Act will save lives and prevent needless injuries, impacting not only this generation, but many generations to come.” Passage of the Nebraska Roadway Safety Act would maximize the benefits of our state’s safety belt law for adults and children, said Harms who also supports the Graduated Driver Licensing law for novice drivers and the texting while driving ban that impacts all motorists. “If we are serious about reducing vehicle crashes, deaths, and injuries, we must adopt meaningful legislation,” said Beverly Reicks, CEO/President of the National Safety Council, Nebraska. Several safety and health organizations including AAA, the Nebraska Safety Council, the Nebraska
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Medical Association, and the National Safety Council Nebraska, are fully supporting this bill. “The life and cost-saving benefits of the Nebraska Roadway Safety Act are undeniable,” said Rose White from AAA Nebraska. During the past 10 years, more than 1,400 men, women, and children not wearing a seatbelt have lost their lives on Nebraska roadways. Nebraska is one of only 17 states without a primary safety belt law. “Now is the time to put an end to these needless tragedies,” White said. “With the passage of this bill, we anticipate safety belt use for adults and children will increase as much as 15 percent, resulting in an estimated 50 to 60 fewer deaths annually.” In addition, the Nebraska Roadway Safety Act calls for a change to Nebraska’s texting while driving law from secondary enforcement to primary enforcement. Nebraska is one of only four states that enforce texting while driving as a secondary law. Surprisingly to many parents of teen drivers, the key elements of Nebraska’s Graduated Driver Licensing law are enforced as secondary measures that are not as protective as primary enforcement. This includes provisions limiting the number of passengers in the vehicle operated by a young novice driver, restrictions on nighttime driving, and the use of wireless communication devices while driving. Young, inexperienced drivers have a high crash rate and distractions are a major cause of crashes. The Nebraska Roadway Safety Act calls for primary enforcement of all components of the existing law. “Traffic crashes are the number one killer of teens,” said Laurie Klosterboer, executive director of the Nebraska Safety Council. The fifth key component of this legislative bill pertains to the use of cell phones by school bus drivers. If passed, cell phone use will be prohibited when the bus is in motion unless the driver is communicating with the school dispatch center. The Legislature’s Transportation and Telecommunications Committee will hear the Nebraska Roadway Safety Act at a later date. To learn more, go to www.nebraskalegislature.gov.
?
have questions
aging services
in Douglas, Sarpy, Dodge, Cass, or Washington counties? Log on to
enoa.org
The Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging’s Web site includes information about: • • • • • • • • • • •
Bath aides Care management Chore services Community education Durable medical equipment Emergency food pantry Emergency response systems ENOA facts and figures ENOA Library ENOA senior centers Grandparent Resource Center
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24 hours a day, • Homemakers 7 days a week! • Information & assistance telephone lines • Intergeneration Orchestra of Omaha • Legal services • Meals on Wheels • Medicaid Waiver • New Horizons • Nutrition counseling
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Ombudsman advocates Respite care Respite Resource Center Rural transportation Senior Care Options Senior employment Support of adult day facilities • Volunteer opportunities
February 2014
Book outlines activities for the family caregiver The millions of Americans providing care to older loved ones often wish there was something these individuals could do instead of watching television all day. Now there is thanks to Scott Silknitter, Cindy Bradshaw, and Dawn Appler-Worsley, co-authors of the newly released book Activities 101 for the Family Caregiver. What literally began as a backyard project by Silknitter to create activities for his own father who suffered with Parkinson’s disease and dementia for 25 years, morphed into a comprehensive activity system now being used by some of the largest care companies in the world. Co-written with industry experts and based on the training and certification information taught to professionals in the long-term care industry, Activities 101 for the Family Caregiver offers common sense suggestions and advice on how to help older loved ones effectively engage in activities. The benefits of doing so are profound and can include: • Minimized behavioral issues. • Improved sleep habits. • Decreased depression and anxiety. • Improved self-esteem. • Mental and social stimulation. • Reduced caregiver stress. “After looking for things for my father to do, I only found items that were made for children, which he would not use, or items that he could no longer hold. Activities 101 for the Family Caregiver was born out of that need,” Silknitter says. Introduced in October 2013, Activities 101 for the Family Caregiver is now being used by the Lewy Body Dementia Association and other organizations as an educational tool for clients and family caregivers. Activities 101 for the Family Caregiver is the first in a series of Activities 101 books that will be introduced throughout 2014. Additional titles include Activities 101 for the Family Caregiver of Visually Impaired, Activities 101 for the Family Caregiver of Developmental Disabilities, Activities 101 for the Family Caregiver of Parkinson’s, and Activities 101 for the Family Caregiver of Alzheimer’s. “This book is a great addition to the repertoire of tools that can be used by caregivers as they look to engage their patients and loved ones in activities that enhance their care,” says Mike Koehler, board president of the Lewy Body Dementia Association.
Powerful Tools for Caregivers
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artnerships in Aging – in collaboration with the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging – will offer a free class series this spring developed at Stanford University’s Patient Education Center. This class series titled Powerful Tools for Caregivers is devoted to teaching the art of self-care to caregivers of individuals with chronic health concerns and/or disabilities. During the six-week course, participants discover how to thrive as individuals while managing caregiving responsibilities. Data from evaluations taken by caregivers who have completed the class series indicates significant improvement in behaviors; increased exercise, use of relaxation techniques, and health self-care; improved emotions including reduced anger, guilt, and depression; increased self-efficacy; and increased use of community services. This program is being offered to family caregivers of persons age 55 and older living with a chronic health concern and/or disability. It’s recommended that participants attend all six sessions, as the sessions build on one another. The series of classes will be held on Wednesdays from 9 to 11:30 a.m. on March 26, April 2, April 9, April 16, April 23, and April 30 at a Benson-area location to be determined. Financial assistance for cost of respite care and/or the cost of transportation to and from the meetings will be offered on a case-by-case basis, as appropriate. Please register by March 12 by calling Janet Miller or Elizabeth Chentland at 402-996-8444 or by sending an e-mail to echentland@gmail.com.
UNMC involved in registry evaluating hepatitis C treaments
Eastern Nebraska a Office on Aging • 4223 Center Street • O Need help qualifying for Medicaid?
The University of Neand 1965 are encouraged to have many side effects and braska Medical Center is get tested since many don’t require self-administered involved in an international recognize they’re at risk for injections. But he said, over registry that’s evaluating the disease. the next three years, the use new treatments for hepatitis The registry will track of interferon will slowly go C, a disease that threatens thousands of patients over away because of new drugs many baby boomers. the next five years to monithat will be more effective January 27, 2014 Many of the estimatedRex Diez tor the effectiveness and with much less side effects. January 23, 2014 20184 Glenmore Dr. Apt. 3 million Americans who safety of new drugs62to deter“We’re really very excited NE 68028 have the virus – an over-Gretna,mine which ones are most about the registry. We’ve whelming majority of which effective and can cure the provided outcome data on Daniel, are baby boomers – don’t disease most quickly with more than 120 patients of Learn about your ad for the classified section for the,February issue.January Please let 23, know they’re infected. Rex, the fewest side effects. the 2,000 studied so far,”Here’s your know if this is okay. If you have any changes, give me a call @ 402-444-4 Nealia Reeves Hepatitis C is responsible Theadproject importantsectionDr. said.issue. “Our Thank you for your ,& . Here’s your for theisclassified forMailliard the February Once ad is approved mail your check for $16.00 to: for 12,000 deaths annually because in the next couple treatment success rate was 2423 Pinkey St. payment of $24.00. If you have any questions, please call me @ 402-444-4148. What you don’t know in the U.S., according to the of years, several new, more significantly better than the Omaha, 68111epresenting multiple R … mpaniesHorizons Centers for Disease Control superior medications will average rate.” coNew Health & Life + benefits Thanks! c/o Jeff Reinhardt, Editor s st and Prevention. be approved for hepatitis C Persons being treated for Compare co ! Y Mitch Laudenback A D O Let’s talk about the benefits T 4223 Center Street Hepatitis C is usually therapy, said Mark Mailhepatitis C can learn more Neelia, @ Newliard, Horizons spread through contact with M.D., chief of the about participating in the most to you.Please let Omaha, NE 68105 Here’s your ad for the classified sectionthat for matter the February issue. an infected person’s blood; UNMC Division of Gastro- registry by contacting Mary know if this is okay. If you have any changes, give me a call @ 402-444-4 mostly by sharing needles, enterology and Hepatology. Capadano at (402) 559-3652 For more Kim Shulters Once ad is approved mail your check for $16.00 to: Specialist syringes, or other equipment “With the availability or mcapadano@unmc.edu. Senior Insurance information Thanks! to inject drugs. Before 1992, of new drugs, we will be (UNMC’s Public Relacontact: New Horizons 402-968-1500 Mitch Laudenback when widespread screening able to capture a wealth of tions Department provided kimshulters@gmail.com c/o Jeff Reinhardt, Editor @ New Horizons of the blood supply began information that’s critical to this information.) 4223 Center Street in the U.S., hepatitis C determining which drugs are Omaha, NE 68105 also was commonly spread best and for which patients,” Please call 402-444-4148 through blood transfusions. Dr. Mailliard said. or 402- 444-6654 Ph. 402-444-6654 It’s estimated about 2 perAnyone being treated for to place your ad cent of the world’s populathe virus using a newer medis i V ith is eligible to particition is infected with hepa- wcations POOL TABLES titis C. If left untreated, the pate in the registry. FOR SALE Thanks! BED Moving, refelting, assemble, repair, Mitch Laudenback virus causes liver damage, Dr. Mailliard said most Early 1900 Koken barber chair, Queen Pillowtop Mattress Set tear down. Used slate tables. cancer, or cirrhosis. Fatigue of the current drugs used to 43 license plates from 1916,@ New Horizons We pay CASH for slate pool tables. NEW (still in plastic) may be its only symptom. treat hepatitis C – typically One Nebraska leather license plate $200. Big Red Billiards People born between 1945 interferon and ribavirin – missing one number, Call 402-934-5857 402-598-5225 230 clay poker chips with figurines, 100 post cards from 1911. Please support NH advertisers Senior Female Roommate Call 402-706-1453 to register Call 402-640-1444 Senior female roommate wanted to Lamplighter II share home in North Omaha area. Series of free genealogy classes Buying or selling? Some of the nicest, newer 1 bedroom $400 per month includes all utilities apartments. Elevator, w & d, heated available February through May Use the NH CLASSIFIEDS parking garage. Small complex. By bus Call 402-453-0728
You may have options if you’ve been told your income is too high. facts rights options entitlements
could COST YOU!
PAID
CLASSIFIEDS
4 1 / 7 2 / 1
The Greater Omaha Genealogy Society is offering a series of free classes through June. The sessions will be held from 9:15 a.m. (doors open at 9 a.m.) to noon at the Mormon Trail Center, 3215 State St. • Feb. 15: Vital Records-Birth, Marriage, and Death Records and Substitutes for Vital Records. • March 15: Making Sense of the Census – from 1790 to 1940 (and beyond). • April 12: Searching the World’s Records and The Name Game. • May 17: Class topic to be decided by the participants. • June 21: Class topic to be decided by the participants. The classes will be taught by Karen Tippets who has more than 45 years experience in researching family histories. To register or for more information, please call Merrily at 402-706-1453 or contact her at genclass@aol.com.
OLD STUFF WANTED (before 1975)
Military, political, toys, jewelry, fountain pens, pottery, kitchen ware, postcards, photos, books, and other old paper, and garden stuff, tools, old household, etc. Call anytime 402-397-0254 or 402-250-9389
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his month, Workman Publishing will release a revised version of the book ABC World News called “the bible of eldercare.” Called How to Care for Aging Parents, the 685-page paperback is written by Virginia Morris. On its back cover, the book is called “the authoritative, clear, and comforting one-stop resource on the medical, emotional, legal,
housing, and financial issues involved in caring for an aging parent.” How to Care for Aging Parents includes a chapter on fraud, details the latest aging in place technologies, offers online resources, and provides everything readers need to know about current laws and regulations. How to Care for Aging Parents, sells for $18.95.
& shopping. No pets or smoking.
93rd & Maple • 402-397-6921
Beat the falling flakes!
Chipping & removal. Your prunings chipped. Experienced & insured. Senior discount.
REPUTABLE SERVICES, INC. • Remodeling & Home Improvement
402-894-9206
• Safety Equipment Handrails Smoke and Fire Alarms • Painting Interior & Exterior • Handyman Services • Senior Discounts
‘Bible of eldercare’ is now available as 685-page book
PAID THROUGH TOP CASH PAID March 2013 Tree Trimming
• Free Estimates • References • Fully Insured Quality Professional Service
deFreese Manor
Best & honest prices paid for: Old jewelry, furniture, glassware, Hummels, knick-knacks, old hats & purses, dolls, old toys, quilts, linens, buttons, pottery, etc. Also buying estates & partial estates. Call Bev at 402-339-2856
Senior Citizens (62+) Accepting applications for HUD-subsidized apartments in Papillion & Bellevue. Rent determined by income and medical expenses. Monarch Villa West 201 Cedar Dale Road Papillion (402) 331-6882
Subsidized housing for those age 62 and over with incomes under $25,450 (1 person) or $29,100 (two persons) 2669 Dodge Omaha, NE 402-345-0622
Better Business Bureau Member
402-4 5 5-7 0 0 0
Bellewood Courts 1002 Bellewood Court Bellevue (402) 292-3300 Managed by Kimball Management., Inc. We do business in accordance with the Fair Housing Law.
Enoa Aging February 2014
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New Horizons
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Thank you! The Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging would like to thank the following businesses, churches, schools, organizations, and individuals for their generosity during the 2013 Christmas season. These community partners adopted hundreds of ENOA clients, families enrolled in the agency’s Grandparent Resource Center, and dozens of other local older adults and purchased gifts for them. CHRISTMAS GIFT DONORS Rebecca Strachota/AccuPrint Laser Services
King of Kings Lutheran Church
Blue Barn Theatre
Cindy Kirstine
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
Kathy Kirstine
CORE Bank
Lorey Kirstine
Covenant Presbyterian Church
The Learning HQ
Creighton University Department of Preventive Medicine & Public Health
Lockheed Martin IS & GS
Catherine Davis/Creighton University Girl Scouts Cadet Troop #43895 Kris Graulich
Doug and Linda Ivory Kevin and Kathy Keiderling
Scheel’s Southgate Methodist Church Southwest YMCA SilverSneakers University of Notre Dame Alumni Club of Omaha
Mutual of Omaha’s Investment Division
Walgreens
Outdoors Unlimited
Hy-Vee
St. Gerald’s Catholic Church
Laurie Massa
Mutual of Omaha’s Direct to Consumer Marketing Division
Home Instead Senior Care
Karen Paschal/Creighton University Dept. of Physical Therapy
The Werner Institute at Creighton University Xerox
We’d also like to thank the following volunteers from the agency’s SeniorHelp Program who spent nearly 200 hours delivering gifts to 225 clients. • Team leader Dan Parish, Jim Ortman, Kathy White, and Kathy Widman. • Team leader Jane Thurston, Carol Crosland, Jean Doxon, and Connie Souza. • Team leader Katie Thompson, Park Blaine, Barb Kirshenbaum, Arlene Logan, Jane Potter, Tom Welch, Gretchen Thomas, and John Thomas. • Team leader Kori Rokahr, Greg Andrade, Jenn Andrade, Larry Heck, Mary Lariviere, Levi Lariviere, and Pam Raymond. • Team leader Page Moore, Janice Black, Mary Kelly, Laura Kenny, Jessica Krell, and Shauna Lyons. • Team leaders Vikki and Everett Henry, Kim Baird and her kids (Evan, Lauren, Justin, Eve, Brynne, and Mitchell), Kari Jorth, Karla Pineda, Marci Sesker, Cindy Shimerda, and Keleigh Smith. • Streams of Life Church
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New Horizons
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February 2014