A publication of the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging
June 2015 VOL. 40 • NO. 6
ENOA 4223 Center Street Omaha, NE 68105-2431 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID OMAHA NE PERMIT NO. 389
New Horizons
WHY
ARTS?
Carolyn Owen Anderson on the University of Nebraska at Omaha campus in front of Ronald Parks’ Atomicity. Anderson is the director of WhyArts?, a nonprofit project created to assure that visual and performing arts experiences in Omaha would be open to people of all ages and abilities. Anderson also serves on the boards of directors for the Holy Name Housing Corporation, Heartland Family Service, No More Empty Pots, and the Nebraska Writers Collective. Nick Schinker’s profile of Anderson begins on page 10.
Walk in the park On May 16, walkers strolled through Benson Park during The Step Out for Seniors Walkathon. The money raised will be used to update programming and services at ENOA’s senior centers. See page 4.
Man of music Paul Parker used to bus or hitchhike more than 60 miles each way to take his weekly music lessons. Parker, now 83, has been teaching music in Nebraska for 64 years. See page 5.
Photo by Mark Kresl/Midwest Geriatrics
Tips that can help you deal Learning to handle your emotions Failure to acknowledge emotions including: • Take a breather: If you find to feelings of loneliness and with those pains in the neck leads people you’re with are making you disconnection and pushes them Everyday life isn’t kind to the neck. You may be all too familiar with that crick you get when you cradle the phone between your shoulder and ear, or the strain you feel after working at your computer. Neck pain rarely starts overnight. It usually evolves over time. And it may be spurred by arthritis or degenerative disk disease and accentuated by poor posture, declining muscle strength, stress, and even a lack of sleep, says Dr. Zacharia Isaac, medical director of the Comprehensive Spine Care Center at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and director of interventional physical medicine and rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School. The following six tips can help you take care of your neck. • Don’t stay in one position for too long. It’s hard to reverse bad posture, Dr. Isaac says, but if you get up and move around often enough, you’ll avoid getting your neck stuck in an unhealthy position. • Make some ergonomic adjustments. Position your computer monitor at eye level so you can see it easily. Use the hands-free function on your phone or wear a headset. Prop your touch-screen tablet on a pillow so that it sits at a 45
degree angle, instead of lying flat on your lap. • If you wear glasses, keep your prescription up to date. “When your eyewear prescription is not up to date, you tend to lean your head back to see better,” Isaac says. • Don’t use too many pillows. Sleeping with several pillows under your head can stifle your neck’s range of motion. • Know your limits. Before you move a big armoire across the room, consider what it might do to your neck and back, and then ask for help. • Get a good night’s sleep. Sleep problems increase the risk for several different conditions, including musculoskeletal pain. Generally, neck pain is nothing to worry about. But if it’s occurring with other, more serious symptoms, such as radiating pain, weakness, or numbness of an arm or leg, make sure to see your doctor. “Other key things that might make one more concerned are having a fever or weight loss associated with your neck pain, or severe pain. You should let your doctor know about these symptoms,” Isaac says. (The Harvard Medical School supplied this information.)
into the subconscious where they can surface unexpectedly and harm relationships. Conversely, research shows learning to accept emotions protects people from developing depressive symptoms in the face of stress. Dr. Bradley Nelson has spent more than 20 years treating patients suffering from the effects of unresolved negative emotions, which he calls “trapped emotions.” He has trained more than 2,000 healing practitioners around the globe. Trapped emotions are truly epidemic and are the insidious, invisible cause of much suffering and illness, both physical and emotional,” he says. “Trapped emotions lower immune function and make the body more vulnerable to disease. They can also cause you to make the wrong assumptions, overact to innocent remarks, misinterpret behavior, and short-circuit relationships. “Even worse, trapped emotions can create depression, anxiety, and other unwanted feelings you can’t seem to shake.” Dr. Nelson shares some practical tips on getting rid of the emotional baggage that harms health, relationships, and opportunities for success,
Senior Moving Services
feel stressed, go outside to get some fresh air. Ask yourself if you’re overreacting. Recognize your feelings and analyze what the other person meant to say. Give the other person the benefit of the doubt. • Shrug off stress: Stress is caused by nagging messages about unfinished business in the back of your mind that pop up at inopportune moments when you’re not in a position to act – commitments that you’ve made and not kept, people that you’ve yet to forgive, and looming deadlines. Renegotiate commitments if needed, and don’t forget to plan your days. • Find peace through forgiveness: If someone has hurt or wronged you in some way, and you haven’t forgiven them, your stress level will naturally be higher. Strive for a state of acceptance and understanding despite their negative behavior or difficult nature. Go easy on yourself, too. • Practice choosing positive emotions: As you get rid of the unresolved emotional baggage from the past, you strengthen your immune system. Practice choosing more positive emotions when you feel resistance to situations that arise in your life.
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To learn more, contact
June 2015
402-445-0996
www.seniormovingservices.com
Farmers’ Market produce coupons available at ENOA senior centers
June 5 health fair will be hosted by Sen. Fischer’s staff
Make a donation to help support the
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lder Nebraskans meeting income and age guidelines are eligible to receive $48 in coupons that can be exchanged for fresh produce sold at Nebraska’s Farmers’ Market stands. The Nebraska Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program – administered by the Nebraska Department of Agriculture and the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services’ State Unit of Aging – provides fresh, nutritious, locally grown fruits, vegetables, and herbs. The program also helps increase consumption produce grown in Nebraska. To be eligible to receive the coupons, applicants must show proof of age and income level. Coupon recipients must be age 60 or older and have an annual income less than $21,775 for a single person or less than $29, 471 for a two-person household. The produce coupons will be distributed during June at ENOA senior centers. Recipients will be given 16 coupons worth $3 each that can be used through Oct. 31, 2015. Only one set of coupons will be issued per household. The program’s appropriations are limited; therefore, not everyone requesting coupons will receive them. More information is available at any of the ENOA senior centers. A complete list of these facilities can be found online at enoa.org by clicking on the ENOA Programs and then the Meals on Wheels/Senior Centers link.
The office of United States Sen. Deb Fischer of Nebraska is hosting its first annual Senior Fair on Friday, June 5 from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Millard Senior Center at Montclair, 2304 S. 135th Ave.
Those in attendance will have an opportunity to meet members of Sen. Fischer’s staff and learn more about medical resources in the community, fraud awareness, fire safety, and Volunteers Assisting Seniors. For more information, please call Tiffany Settles at 402-200-8816 or Peggy King at 402441-4600.
“Voice for Older Nebraskans!”
b u l C s n o z i r New Ho
Join the
Membership includes a subscription to the New Horizons newspaper. 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.
Heartland Intergeneration Center
Elder Access Line Legal Aid of Nebraska operates a free telephone access line for Nebraskans age 60 and older. 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. For more information, log on to http://www.legalaidofHorizonAD-2010:HorizonAD-08 nebraska.com/EAL.
You’re invited to visit the Heartland Intergeneration Center, – 4318 Fort St. – for the following: • June 4: Presentation on HELP adult services @ 10:45 a.m. • June 11: Birthday party with music by Shermie from the Merrymakers. • June 16: Farmers’ Market coupons will be handed out on a first-come, first-served basis @ 8:30 a.m. • June 18: Trip to the Henry Doorly Zoo. Bus leaves the center @ 10:30 a.m. and returns around 1:30 p.m. A sack lunch for a $3.50 suggested donation is available. Zoo admission is free. The cost to rent a bus, if needed, is around $4 per person. • June 22: Father’ Day brunch @ 10 a.m. • June 24 & 25: Presentations by nurses on blood pressure, blood sugar, and other topics selected in May. The center is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Lunch is normally served at noon. A $3.50 donation is suggested for the meal. Reservations are due by noon the business day prior to the lunch you wish to attend. Transportation is available within select neighborhoods for 50 cents each way. Regular activities include Tai Chi classes (Tuesday and Thursday @ 10:15 a.m.), a walking club (Monday and Thursday @ 10:15 a.m.), Bingo (Wednesday @ 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. and Friday @ 10:30 a.m.), crafts, cards, games, speakers, and musical programs. For meal reservations or more information, please call 2/4/10 8:00 AM Page 1 402-553-5300.
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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 Peterson, Cass County, vice-chairperson; Gary Osborn, Dodge County secretary; Brenda Carlisle, Sarpy County; & Lisa Kramer, Washington County.
William E. Seidler Jr.
www.seidler-seidler-law.com 10050 Regency Circle, Suite 525 Omaha, NE 68114-5705
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.
402-397-3801
Delivering quality legal services since 1957.
June 2015
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New Horizons
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Event provides funds for ENOA, fun for participants
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By Yvette Steffen
Someday this button might save your life. For now, it sets you free. 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.
Free Activation for Father’s Day Available June 1- June 30
To receive Free Activation you must mention this ad www.immanuellifeline.com
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 “Hairspray” at the New Theatre. June 28. $141. Come along on a Sunday trip to Kansas City. Enjoy a wonderful lunch buffet, and the return engagement of this popular play. Set in the 1960s, it is the story of a “pleasantly plump” mother and her teenage daughter....both full figured and ready to fight for what’s right! The previous production of this play at the New Theatre sold out before it opened. “Godspell” at the Lofte. July 19. $99. Composed of various musical parables from The Gospel according to Matthew, Jesus Christ recruits a group of followers and teaches them lessons through song and dance. The show is followed by a delicious dinner at the Main Street Café in Louisville. Kentucky – Bridles and Blue Grass. August 9 - 15. $1369. Explore Lexington, Bardstown, and Louisville including Claiborne Thoroughbred Farm tour, Kentucky Horse Park, Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Facility, breakfast at Churchill Downs watching the thoroughbreds workout, Kentucky Derby Museum, Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory tour, dinner cruise aboard the Spirit of Jefferson, Old Kentucky Chocolates tour, Bourbon Distillery Tour, The Kentucky Show, Historic Bardstown tour, Mega Caverns tour, Prairie Fruit Farm and Creamery, Hardy’s Reindeer Ranch, and two nights at the beautiful Galt House Hotel in downtown Louisville. (Call by June 1.) Michigan Lakeshores & Resorts. September 19 – 25. $1449. Explore Michigan’s east lakeshores and resort towns including the Saugatuck Art and Craft Galleries, guided sand dune buggy ride, Holland Windmill Island Gardens, dinner cruise on Lake Michigan aboard the Holland Princess, Castle Farms in Charlevoix, Mushroom Houses guided tour, Music House Museum, private tall ship sail in Grand Traverse Bay, Old Mission Peninsula guided tour, Grand Traverse Winery and wine tasting, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, The Cherry Republic—largest cherry store in the world, Silver Beach Carousel & Amusement Park Museum, and two nights (and a full day to relax) at the Marina Grand Resort. (Call by June 15.) Branson Christmas. November 9 – 12. $729. ($689 before 8/9/15.) Enjoy SIX– The Knudsen Brothers, Dixie Stampede, Shoji Tabuchi, Pierce Arrow, Dublin’s Irish Tenors with the Celtic Ladies, Mickey Gilley, and the Trail of Lights, as well as Landry’s Seafood House. (Call by August 9.) “Dear Santa” at the Lofte. December 13. $99. ($89 before 9/13/15.) This play is composed of a number of short scenes that range from the hilarious to the touching. Many views of Santa are seen—from the point of view of the child who alphabetizes her Christmas list and sends it out in August as well as that of children at various stages of belief—and disbelied. Followed by another delicious dinner at the Main Street Café in Louisville. (Call by 9/13/15) Kansas City Christmas. December 2 - 3. TBD. Enjoy “Out of Order” at the newly remodeled New Theater Restaurant, Webster House holiday lunch, and we’re working on more holiday surprises!
Laughlin No trips currently scheduled. Call for more information.
In partnership with Collette Vacations Quoted prices are per person, double occupancy, and do not include airfare. More destinations available! Classic Danube. 11 days from $3349. Features a seven-night Danube River Cruise visiting Wurzburg, Rothenburg, Munich, and Passau in Germany, Wachau Valley, Emmersdorf, and Vienna in Austria, Bratislava in Slovakia, and Budapest in Hungary. Reflections of Italy. 10 days from $2449. Visit a land rich in history, culture, art, and romance including Rome, the Colosseum, Assisi, Perugia, Siena, Florence, Chianti Winery, Venice, Murano Island, and Milan. Extend your trip in Turin. Irish Splendor. Eight days from $1699. Return to times gone by as you experience fabulous accommodations, stunning scenery, and sumptuous food visiting Dublin, the Guiness Storehouse, Blarney Castle, Killarney, Dingle Peninsula, Cliffs of Moher, Dromoland Castle, and Tullamore Whiskey Distillery. Extend your trip in Dublin. Alaska Discovery Land & Cruise. 13 days from $3069. Featuring a seven-night Princess Cruise. You will visit Anchorage, Mt. McKinley, and Denali National Park, ride a luxury domed railcar to Whittier to board the Princess ship, cruise past the Hubbard Glacier, through Glacier Bay, to Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan, through the Inside Passage, and into Vancouver, then fly home from Seattle. Watch New Horizons and our website www.fontenelletours.com for our trip schedule. Our mailing address is: 2008 W. Broadway #329, Council Bluffs, Iowa 51501
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n Saturday, May 16, the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging’s Nutrition Division held its first annual fundraiser, The Step Out for Seniors Walkathon at the newly renovated Benson Park. The slightly overcast, but warm weather was perfect for the occasion. The participants enjoyed a stroll around the lake and then joined a Tai Chi demonstration. And if those activities weren’t relaxing enough, they also received a massage before grabbing a Hy-Vee picnic lunch. The Nebraska Humane Society came out to celebrate the event and brought several furry friends to enjoy the park. The fundraiser was made possible by the generous sponsorship from the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s Department of Gerontology, Atchley Ford, Scheels, and Special
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Photo by Mark Kresl/Midwest Geriatrics
The Step Out for Seniors Walkathon May 16 at Benson Park included a Tai Chi demonstration. Kneads, LLC. The money raised will be used to update programs and services at ENOA’s 28 senior centers. ENOA’s Nutrition Division staff wants to thank these volunteers: Chris Cady-Jones from Tai Chi for Balance, Col. Scott Vanderhoof (USAF, Retired) and his Bellevue West High School JROTC Cadets, the Omaha Parks and Recre-
ation Department staff, the ENOA staff, and photographer Mark Kresl from Midwest Geriatrics. We’d also like to thank the walkers who supported a great cause. We look forward to the next fundraiser where we hope to see everyone again; plus some new faces. (Steffen is the program assistant in ENOA’s Nutrition Division.)
Return homestead exemption applications by June 30
pplicants whose names are on file in the assessor’s office in Douglas, Sarpy, Dodge, Cass, and Washington counties should have a homestead exemption form mailed to them by early March. New applicants must contact their county assessor’s office to receive the application. The 2015 forms and a household income statement must be completed and returned to the county assessor’s office by June 30, 2015. A homestead exemption provides property tax relief by exempting all or part of the homestead’s valuation from taxation. The state of Nebraska reimburses the counties and other government subdivisions for the lost tax revenue. To qualify for a homestead exemption, a Nebraska homeowner must be age 65 by Jan. 1, 2015, the home’s owner/occupant through Aug. 15, 2015, and fall within the income guidelines shown below. Certain homeowners who have a disability and totally-disabled war veterans and their widow(er)s may also be eligible for this annual tax break. When determining household income, applicants must include Social Security and Railroad Retirement benefits plus any
income for which they receive a Form 1099. The homestead exemption amount is based on the homeowner’s marital status and income level (see below). Maximum exemptions are based on the average assessed value for residential property in each Nebraska county. The Douglas County Assessor/Register of Deeds’ office (1819 Farnam St.) is sending volunteers into the community to help older adults complete the application form. The volunteers will be located at sites throughout the county. A list of these locations will be included with your application. Assistance is also available by calling the Volunteers Assisting Seniors at 402444-6617. Douglas County residents can also have their homestead exemption questions answered by calling 402-597-6659. Here are the telephone numbers for the assessor’s offices in the counties served by the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging: Douglas: 402-444-7060; Sarpy: 402593-2122; Dodge: 402-727-3916; Cass: 402-296-9310; and Washington: 402426-6800.
Household income table Over age 65 married income
Over age 65 single income
Exemption %
0 - $32,000.99 $32,001 - $33,800.99 $33,801 - $35,500.99 $35,501 - $37,200.99 $37,201 - $39,000.99 $39,001 - $40,700.99 $40,701 - $42,400.99 $42,401 - $44,100.99 $44,101 - $45,900.99 $45,901 - $47,600.99 $47, 601 and over
0 to $27,300.99 $27,301 - $28,700.99 $28,701 - $30,100.99 $30,101 - $31,500.99 $31,501 - $33,000.99 $33,001 - $34,400.99 $34,401 - $35,800.99 $35,801 - $37,200.99 $37,201 - $38,700.99 $38,701 - $40,100.99 $40,101 and over
100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0
June 2015
Paul Parker’s life, home filled with the sounds of music By Jeff Reinhardt New Horizons Editor
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rowing up on the family farm near Auburn, Neb., Paul Parker first exhibited musical talent by banging a pair of drumsticks on a wooden piano bench. He soon advanced to accompanying songs he heard on the Parkers’ Zenith radio playing with one finger on an upright Chase piano. His mother – who played the piano by ear – and father encouraged Paul to take piano lessons at age 8. Three-quarters of a century later, Parker, now age 83, is in his 64th year as an award-winning music teacher and performer in Nebraska. His first music instructors in Auburn were the wife of a Methodist minister and a man who left the country to join the military during WWII. Parker’s mother then arranged for Paul and three others to take music lessons in Omaha. At first, the quartet carpooled to Mrs. Zabrisky’s house, but eventually all but Parker dropped out, forcing him to fend for himself. “Every Saturday I’d take the 5 a.m. bus to Omaha,” he recalled. The bus stopped at most of the small towns along the way, leaving Paul little time to take an Omaha city bus to his 8 a.m. lesson at Evelyn Swanson’s home near Technical High School. After class Parker hitchhiked back to Auburn. He paid for his music lessons by working afternoons in a feed store carrying 100-pound bags of feed to the farmers’ vehicles. “It was hard work, but I loved what I was doing,” Paul said. Following graduation from Auburn High School in 1949, Paul accepted a music scholarship and enrolled at Peru State College. After completing 90 hours of credits, Parker earned a special certificate that allowed him to begin teaching music at age 19. During his career in academia, he taught band and choir at grade and high schools in several Nebraska towns including Ceresco, Johnson, Shubert, Talmage, Ord, and Blair. After earning Bachelor of Music Education and Master of Music degrees – specializing in piano and clarinet – from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Parker taught instrumental music in Omaha’s Westside Community Schools where among other things, he started more than 1,500 young people playing musical instruments.
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ooking for a new challenge, Paul opened the Parker School of Music in the Shaker Place office complex near 108th and Pacific streets in 1970. “We started with 40 students, but within two years we’d outgrown the space,” he said. Parker relocated to a 2,000 square-foot studio and piano lab in the Rockbrook Shopping Center where he and 17 other instructors with music degrees taught 500 students ranging in age from 8 to 80. The curriculum included piano, voice, woodwinds, brass, percussion, and guitar. During the late 1970s and early ’80s, enrollment in the Westside Community Schools and the Parker School of Music had declined, so in 1984, Parker closed his school and began teaching music in his home. “I have an eight second commute to work with a lot less overhead,” he said, laughing. These days, Paul teaches 20 hours a week at the Parker School of Piano and Woodwinds in his southwest Omaha split-level house. His successful business model is simple: “Progress is our most important product.” He takes great pride when reviewing his career. “When a student mentally and physically buys into what you’re selling, progress comes quickly and my job becomes a joy instead of work.”
Parker, age 83, teaches 20 hours of music lessons a week in his southwest Omaha home. Parker’s students have won numerous state and regional music competitions and earned scholarships and Bachelor, Masters, and Doctorate level degrees from colleges across the country. His efforts have not gone unnoticed. In 2005, the Nebraska Music Teachers Association named Parker its Teacher of the Year. The Music Teachers National Association gave Paul a National Foundation Fellow Award in 2011. He’s also been acknowledged as a distinguished educator in Who’s Who Among American Teachers and in Cambridge Who’s Who Among Executives, Professionals, and Entrepreneurs.
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arker’s career and successes have ranged far beyond the traditional classroom, studio, and lab. In 1982, he started the Nebraska Summer Music Olympics held each year on the University of Nebraska at Omaha campus. The NSMO’s purpose is to encourage supervised music study with the assistance of a teacher, according to Parker. He said the summer months offer a “more time to practice” opportunity with little or no competition from the local public school systems. As a result, increased progress is made by most of the students. Paul’s performing career includes five seasons with the Omaha Symphony where he played soprano, B flat, and bass clarinets, flute, and saxophone. Playing the flute and alto clarinet, Parker backed the shows of legends like Rosemary Clooney, Jack Jones, Eartha Kitt, Stevie Won-
June 2015
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der, Liberace, The Osmonds, Pat Boone, Robert Goulet, Shari Lewis, Danny Thomas, the Young Americans, and Frankie Lane at Omaha’s Aksarben Coliseum. Paul also played for the Jerry Lewis-Peter Marshall show at the midtown Omaha arena. He and Art Jenson co-authored, published, and sold more than 250,000 copies of Sounds of Progress, a music method book used in public and parochial schools across the United States.
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arker, who has three children, seven grandchildren, and one great-grandchild, said he’s tried to teach his students many “non musical” lessons over the years including the importance of self-discipline, the value of hard work, the wisdom to know good things don’t happen by accident, and above all, to be humble. “Make the most of your life. This is not a rehearsal,” he added. At age 83, Parker has no immediate plans to stop teaching. He thoroughly enjoys working one on one with his students. “That’s where the magic happens,” he said. He has a simple response when people ask him about retirement. “I’ll retire when I can no longer motivate students to do their best. I only get down when I hear three poorly-prepared lessons in a row and that rarely happens.”
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VOTES WANTED
Please see the ad on page 3
PLEASE GO TO
www.lightthebridge.org 100% non-profit addressing hunger
New Horizons Club gains new members
VOTES TO DATE • For: 2,533 • Against: 90
$50 Anonymous
• Please vote today to address hunger.
$15 Dan Lohmeier Dr. Jacqueline D. St. John Sheryl Fredrick
The New Horizons is brought to you each month by the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging
$10 Mary Abboud $5 Marilyn Paustian Annie Christensen Jeanne Halsey
Reflects donations through May 22, 2015.
RSVP 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 402721-7780.
The following have volunteer opportunities in Douglas, Sarpy, and Cass counties: • The Disabled American Veterans need volunteer drivers. • The Douglas County Civic Center/Hall of Justice wants volunteers to host tours. • The American Cancer Society is looking for volunteers to assist walk in guests and for other duties. • Bergan Mercy Medical Center is looking for volunteers to help in several areas. • Rebuilding Together wants volunteers to work on home projects. • Catholic Charities Christ Child Center North wants volunteers to help older adults with crafts, outings, and other activities. • The Livingston Plaza Apartments need a volunteer teacher. • Mount View Elementary School is looking for a TeamMates mentor. The following have a volunteer opportunity in Dodge and/or Washington County: • The Blair and Fremont Car-Go Program needs volunteer drivers. • The Fremont Friendship Center wants volunteers to facilitate classes. • The Danish American Archive Library needs volunteers to help with its archives. • The American Red Cross (Dodge County chapter) is looking for volunteers for a variety of duties.
Sertoma Club Members of the Omaha Sertoma Club encourage area residents to collect used and unwanted clothing, shoes, hats, caps, belts, purses, bedding, and towels by cleaning out their closets and other places these items are stored. These items can then be placed in bags and taken to and placed inside the donation bin at the Westside Community Center near 108th and Grover streets. These tax-deductible donations will be recycled and sent overseas. By helping with this effort, the Sertoma Club will receive funds for its programs that help people with hearing impairments. For more information, please call 402-218-1299 or log on the Internet to www.sertoma.org.
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June 2015
Pick up your free copy of New Horizons each month The New Horizons is available at locations throughout eastern Nebraska. Stop by and pick up a free copy each month at one of the following: Adams Park Senior Center 3230 John Creighton Blvd.
Evans Tower 3600 N. 24th St.
Leo Vaughn Manor 3325 Fontenelle Blvd.
Ridgewood Apts. 6801 Spring St.
Aksarben Manor 7410 Mercy Rd.
Florence Heights 3320 Scott St.
Livingston Plaza Apts. 303 S. 132nd St.
Rorick Apts. 604 S. 22nd St.
The Ambassador 1540 N. 72nd St.
Florence Home 7915 N. 30th St.
Louisville Senior Center 423 Elm St.
Royal Oaks/House of Hope 4801 N. 52nd St.
American Red Cross 3838 Dewey St.
Florence Senior Center 2920 Bondesson St.
Lutheran Home 530 S. 26th St.
St. Bernard Church 3601 N 65th St.
Arlington (Neb.) Senior Center 305 N. 3rd St.
Fremont (Neb.) Friendship Center 1730 W. 16th St.
Mangelsen’s 84th & Grover streets
St. Bridget Church 4112 S. 26th St.
Maple Crest Condos 2820 N. 66th Ave.
St. Joseph Tower 2205 S. 10th St.
Mercy Care Center 1870 S. 75th St.
St. Joseph Villa 2305 S. 10th St.
Millard Manor 12825 Deauville Dr.
St. Mary’s Church 811 S. 23rd St. Bellevue
Bank of Nebraska 7223 S. 84th St. Bellewood Court Apts. 1700 Lincoln Rd. Bellevue Bellevue Library 1003 Lincoln Rd. Bellevue Senior Center 109 W. 22nd Ave. Bennington (Neb.) Senior Center 322 N. Molley St.
Friendship Program 7315 Maple St. GOCA 3604 Fowler Ave. Gold Coast Square 1213 Gold Coast Rd. Papillion Hallmark Care Center 5505 Grover St.
Benson Tower 5900 NW Radial Hwy.
Heartland Family Service Senior Center 4318 Fort St.
Bickford Cottage 11309 Blondo St.
Hickory Villa 7315 Hickory St.
Dora Bingel Senior Center 923 N. 38th St.
Hillcrest Care Center 1702 Hillcrest Rd. Bellevue
Blumkin Home 333 S. 132nd St. Camelot 6 Apartments 9415 Cady Ave. Camelot Friendship Center 9270 Cady Ave. Carter Lake Senior Center 626 Locust St.
Hooper (Neb.) Senior Center 208 N. Main St. Immanuel Courtyard 6757 Newport Ave. Immanuel Medical Center 6901 N. 72nd St.
Millard Montclair Senior Center 2304 S. 135th Ave. Mission Vue Apartments 406 E. Mission Ave. Bellevue Monarch Villa 201 E. Cedardale Dr. Papillion Montclair Nursing Home 2525 S. 135th St. Nebraska Urban Indian Health Coalition 2240 Landon Ct. New Cassel 900 N. 90th St. Nehawka (Neb.) Senior Center North Bend (Neb.) Senior Center Oak Grove Manor 4809 Redman Ave.
Central Park Tower 1511 Farnam St.
Immanuel Trinity Village 522 N. Lincoln St. Papillion
Christie Heights Senior Center 3623 P St.
Immanuel Village 6803 N. 68th Plz.
OEA Apts. 122 S. 39th St.
Chubb Foods 2905 N. 16th St.
Intercultural Community Senior Center 3010 R St.
OEA Manor 320 N. 22nd St.
W. Dale Clark Library 215 S. 15th St. Corrigan Senior Center 3819 X St. Croatian Cultural Society 8711 S. 36th St. Crown Pointe Retirement Center 2820 S. 80th St. Crown Tower 5904 Henninger Dr. deFreese Manor 2669 Dodge St. Dodge (Neb.) Senior Center 226 N. Elm St. Douglas County Housing 5449 N. 107th Plz. Durham Booth Manor 3612 Cuming St. Eagles Club 23rd & L streets Eagle (Neb.) Senior Center 509 4th St.
Jackson Tower 600 S. 27th St. Kay Jay Tower 25th & K streets Kohll’s Pharmacy 50th & Dodge streets Kohll’s Pharmacy 4230 L St. Kohll’s Pharmacy 2923 Leavenworth St. Kohll’s Pharmacy 12739 Q St. Kohll’s Pharmacy 3427 S. 84th St. Kohll’s Pharmacy 617 N. 114th St. Kohll’s Pharmacy 1413 S. Washington St. Papillion Kubat Pharmacy 4924 Center St.
Elmwood (Neb) Senior Center 144 N. 4th St.
LaVista (Neb.) Senior Center 8116 Parkview Blvd.
Elmwood Tower 801 S. 52nd St.
Leo’s Diner 6055 Maple St.
Oak Valley Apts. 12425 Krug Ave.
OJ’s Mexican Restaurant 9201 N. 30th St. Omaha Nursing Home 4835 S. 49th St. The Orchards at Wildwood 7454 Gertrude St. Papillion Senior Center 1001 Limerick Ave. Park East Tower 539 S. 26th St. Park Tower North 1501 Park Ave. Petrow’s Restaurant 5914 Center St. Phil’s Foodway 3030 Ames Ave. Phil’s Foodway 4232 Redman Ave. Pine Tower 1501 Pine St. Plattsmouth (Neb.) Senior Center 308 S. 18th St. Ralston (Neb.) Senior Center 7301 Q St. Remington Heights 12606 W. Dodge Rd.
St. Mary Magdalene Church 1817 Dodge St. St. Vincent DePaul 5920 Maple St. Sarpy County Courthouse 1261 Golden Gate Dr. Seven Oaks at Notre Dame 3439 State St. Skyline Manor 7300 Graceland Dr. Snyder (Neb.) Senior Center 2nd & Elm streets Social Security Office 7100 W. Center Rd. Suite 200 Social Settlement 4868 Q St. South Omaha Eagles 6607 Sunshine Dr. Southview Heights 49th & streets Swanson Library 9101 W. Dodge Rd. Joe Tess Restaurant 5424 S. 24th St. Thrift Store 7328 Maple St. Trinity Cathedral 18th Street & Capitol Avenue Twin Tower Apts. 3000 Farnam St. Underwood Tower 4850 Underwood Ave. Veterans Hospital 4101 Woolworth St. Villa de Sante 6032 Ville de Sante Dr. Ville de Sante Terrace 6202 Ville de Sante Dr. Village Inn 309 N. Fort Crook Rd. Bellevue JC Wade Manor 3464 Ohio St. Walgreen’s Pharmacy 5038 Center St. Weeping Water (Neb.) Senior Center 101 E. Eldora St. The Wellington 501 E. Gold Coast Rd. Papillion
Series for Alzheimer’s caregivers
Protecting your garden against intruders
The Alzheimer’s Association is sponsoring a series of free caregiver education sessions the third Thursday of each month through October. The 5:30 to 7 p.m. programs will be held in the boardroom at the Visiting Nurse Association, 12565 W. Center Rd. Walk-ins are welcome to attend, Here’s the class schedule: • June 18: Dementia Conversations. • July 16: Know the 10 Signs: Early Detection Matters. • Aug. 20: Living with Alzheimer’s Disease Mid-Stage Caregivers. • Sept. 17: Effective Communication Strategies. • Oct. 15: Understanding and Responding to DementiaRelated Behavior. For more information, please contact Elizabeth at 402502-4301 or echentland@alz.org.
Omaha Fire Department available to install free smoke, carbon monoxide detectors
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he Omaha Fire Department’s Public Education and Affairs Department is available to install free smoke and/or carbon monoxide detectors inside the residences of area homeowners. To have a free smoke and/ or carbon monoxide detector installed inside your home, send your name, address, and telephone number to: Omaha Fire Department Smoke/Carbon Monoxide Requests 10245 Weisman Dr. Omaha, NE 68134 For more information, please call 402-444-3560.
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New Horizons
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By Melinda Myers
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pots on tomatoes, holes in hosta leaves, and wilting stems mean insects and diseases have moved into the garden. Don’t let these intruders reduce the beauty and productivity of your landscape. Work in concert with nature to prevent and control these pests and you’ll be rewarded with a bountiful harvest and landscape filled with beautiful blooms. • Monitor. Take regular walks through the landscape. Not only is it good exercise, it will improve your mood, and you’ll discover problems earlier when they’re easier to control. Look for discolored leaves, spots, holes, and wilting. Inspect the underside of the leaves and along the stems to uncover the cause of the problem. • Identify. Once you discover a problem, identify the culprit. Your local county extension service, garden center, or a reliable Internet resource can help. Once identified, you can plan the best way to manage the culprit. • Invite the good guys. Toads, lady beetles, and birds help control many garden pests. Attract them to the garden by planting herbs and flowers to attract beneficial insects, adding a house for the toads, and a birdbath for songbirds. Avoid using pesticides and learn to tolerate a bit of damage. A few aphids or caterpillars will bring in the ladybeetles, lacewings, birds, and toads that are looking for a meal. • Clean up. Many insects and diseases can be managed and prevented with a bit of garden cleanup. A strong blast of water from the garden hose will dislodge aphids and mites, reducing their damage to a tolerable level. Or knock
leaf-eating beetles and other larger insects off the plants and into a can of soapy water. Pick off discolored leaves, prune off diseased stems, and destroy. Be sure to disinfect tools with 70 percent alcohol or a one-part bleach to nine parts water solution between cuts. This will reduce the risk of spreading the disease when pruning infected plants.
• Adjust care. Reduce the spread and risk of further problems by adjusting your maintenance strategies. Avoid overhead and nighttime watering that can increase the risk of disease. Use an organic nitrogen fertilizer like Milorganite that encourages slow steady growth that’s less susceptible to insect and disease attacks. Mulch the soil with shredded leaves, evergreen needles, or woodchips. This will keep roots cool and moist during drought, improve the soil as they decompose, and prevent soil-borne diseases from splashing onto and infecting the plants. • Non-chemical controls. If the problems continue, try some non-chemical options for insects. A yellow bowl filled with soapy water can attract aphids. A shallow can filled with beer and sunk in the ground will manage slugs. Crumpled paper under a flowerpot for earwigs is another way to trap and kill these pests. Or cover the plants with floating row covers. These fabrics allow air, light, and water through, but prevent insects like bean beetles and cabbage worms from reaching and damaging the plants. • Organic products. Organic products like insecticidal soap, Neem, horticulture oil, and Bacillus thuringiensis can be used to control specific pests. Even though these products are organic, they’re designed to kill insects or disease organisms, so be sure to read and follow label directions carefully. • Take note. Make notes on the problems and solutions in this season’s garden. Refer to these next year to help you do a better job of monitoring and managing garden pests. When shopping for new plants, select the right plant for the location and choose resistant varieties whenever possible. A little eco-friendly gardening can go a long way in creating a beautiful and productive garden. (Myers is a gardening expert, TV/radio host, author, and columnist.)
Monthly programs continue through November The University of Nebraska Medical Center’s EngAge Wellness program and The Art of Aging are co-sponsoring a series of free programs the third Tuesday of each month through November. The 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. presentations will be held at the Home Instead Center for Successful Aging, 38th Avenue and Leavenworth Street. Here’s the schedule: • June 16: The Grace & Value of End of Life Planning with Julie Masters, Ph.D., from the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s Department of Gerontology. • July 21: Memory Changes: What’s Normal and What’s Not with Barb Bayer, APRN, from UNMC.
June 2015
• Aug. 18: Swallowed by A Snake — Everyone Grieves with Joy Johnson, founder of Centering Corporation and Ted E. Bear Hollow. • Sept. 15: Age to Age: When Do We Need a Geriatrician? With Elizabeth Harlow, M.D., from UNMC. • Oct. 20: On the Move! Successfully Getting from One Home to Another with Mike Fujan of True North. • Nov. 17: Home for the Holidays: A Recipe for Peace with Diane Hendricks from UNMC. To register or for more information, please call 402-552-7210 or log on the Internet to www.artofaginginc.com.
Our brains change as we get older
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f you forget a name or two, take longer to finish the crossword puzzle, or find it hard to manage two tasks at once, you’re probably not on the road to dementia. What you’re experiencing is your brain changing the way it works as you get older. In many ways it’s actually working better. Studies have shown older people have better judgment and are better at making rational decisions than their juniors. How is it possible for older people to function better even as their brains slow? “The brain begins to compensate by using more of itself,” explains Dr. Bruce Yankner, professor of genetics and co-director of the Paul F. Glenn Laboratories for the Biological Mechanisms of Aging at the Harvard Medical School. He notes MRIs taken of a teenager working through a problem show a lot of activity on one side of the prefrontal cortex, the region we use for conscious reasoning. In middle age, the other side of the brain begins to pitch in a little. In older adults, both sides of the brain share the task equally. The cooperative effort has a payoff. “Several studies suggest seniors who can activate both sides of the brain actually do better on tasks, while those who can’t, do worse,” Dr. Yankner says. If you’ve found it’s a little harder to carry on a conversation while searching your bag for your keys, MRI studies offer some clues. They show in younger people, the area of the brain used to do a task goes dark immediately once the task is completed, while in older people it takes longer to shut down. As a result, it’s harder for the older brain to take on several tasks, because not only do you need to use more of the brain for any single task, the brain also has a harder time letting go of a task. What about the moments when you find yourself driving down the street without any recollection of having passed the last few blocks? On those occasions your brain may have slipped into the default mode, which controls processes like remembering and daydreaming that are not required for a directed task. Imaging studies show interconnected regions of the brain dubbed the “default network” grow more active with age, indicating as we age we spend more time daydreaming. A simple exercise can help your mind stay focused on the task at hand. • Make a list. Jot down the times when you’ve zoned out, forgotten what you were doing, or misplaced something you need. Were you doing something so routine – driving a familiar route or shopping at the supermarket – that you may not have to give it much conscious thought? Were you under stress, like rushing to an appointment? • Practice being more aware in similar situations. One way to do this is to describe what you’re doing as you do it. For example: “I’m driving through the intersection of State and Elm,” or “I’m putting my keys on the hall table.” This play-by-play commentary is going to help you remember what you have done. Getting regular exercise is also important. Physical exercise is the best-documented way to preserve brain function. It helps you to lay down new memories and better focus on the tasks ahead. Thirty minutes of moderate exercise on most days is all you need. A host of studies in the past decade have shown the more mature brain actually has
advantages over its younger counterpart. These findings came as a surprise to many people who were accustomed to seeing “senior moments” when they grope for the right word or take longer to articulate their thoughts as a sign the brain was on the skids.
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et even in professions where youth is valued, testing has shown maturity has advantages. For example, in a study of air-traffic controllers and airline pilots, those between ages 50 and 69 took longer than those under 50 to master new equipment, but once they had, they made fewer mistakes using it. Keep this in mind when you’re trying to conquer a new computer program or adapt to a new car. The mastery that comes with maturity is due to changes in your glands as well as your brain. Declining levels of testosterone, even in women, result in better impulse control. The end of the hormonal roller coaster of perimenopause may also contribute to emotional stability. After midlife, people are less likely to have emotional issues like mood swings and neuroses that interfere with cognitive function. Most importantly, the wealth of knowledge from decades of learning and life experience enables you to better assess new situations. At midlife, most people are more adept at making financial decisions and getting to the heart of issues than when they were younger. In most people, the following abilities improve with age: • Inductive reasoning. Older people are less likely to rush to judgment and more likely to reach the right conclusion based on the information. This is an enormous help in everyday problem solving. • Verbal abilities. In middle age, you continue to expand your vocabulary and hone your ability to express yourself. • Spatial reasoning. Remember those quizzes that require you to identify an object that has been turned around? You are likely to score better on them in your 50s and 60s than you did in your teens. And you may be better at some aspects of driving, too, because you’re better able to assess the distance between your car and other objects on the road. • Basic math. You may be better at splitting the check and figuring the tip when you’re lunching with friends simply because you’ve been doing it for so many years. • Accentuating the positive. The amygdala, the area of the brain that consolidates emotion and memory, is less responsive to negatively charged situations in older people than in younger people, which may explain why studies have shown individuals over age 60 tend to brood less. • Attaining contentment. Years ago, researchers were surprised to find people seem to be more satisfied with their lives as they age, despite the losses that accumulate with passing years. This is probably because they tend to minimize the negative, accept their limitations, use their experience to compensate for them, and set reasonable goals for the future. Dr. Yankner notes this trait may be innate, because it is prevalent even in the United States and other Western nations that tend to value youth over age. (The Harvard University Medical School provided this information.)
June 2015
Millard Senior Center You’re invited to visit the Millard Senior Center at Montclair, 2304 S. 135th Ave., for the following: • June 5: Health fair from 9 to 11 a.m. • June 23: Entertainment by Bob Ford at noon. On quilting day (Thursdays @ 9 a.m.) we’ll have a quilt with 20 squares. Participants will get a new 10-inch block every two weeks. We’ll supply the sewing machines and the fabric. The Millard Senior Center is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Lunch is served at 11:30. A $3.50 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 @ 8 a.m. (join and get a free t-shirt), Mahjongg on Wednesdays @ 1 p.m., 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.), card games, and Bingo (Tuesdays and Fridays @ noon). During Bingo, we have baked goodies from Baker’s or Panera to give away as prizes. For meal reservations and more information, please call 402-546-1270.
Camelot Friendship Center You’re invited to visit the Camelot Friendship Center inside the Camelot Community Center, 9270 Cady Ave., for the following: • June 2, 9, 16, 23, & 30: Chair exercise @ 10:15 a.m. • June 2, 9, 16, 23, & 30: Tap class @ 1:30 p.m. • June 3: Visit by nurses from Methodist College @ 10 a.m. • June 5 & 26: Movie Day @ 12:15 p.m. • June 10: Talk by Carole Lainof @ 11:45 a.m. • June 11: Book Club @ 10:15 a.m. • June 12: Music by Shermie Wiehe from the Merrymakers @ 11:45 a.m. • June 18: Jackpot Bingo @ 12:15 p.m. • June 19: Father’ Day celebration. • June 25: Garden Club @ 10:15 a.m. • June 29: Chair volleyball @ 10:30 a.m. Other activities include Bingo, pinochle, card games, other games, crafts, candy making, and scrapbooking. The Camelot Friendship Center is open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Lunch is served at 11:30 a.m. A $3.50 donation is suggested for the meal. Reservations are due by noon the business day prior to the lunch you wish to enjoy. For reservations or more information, please call Amy at 402-444-3091.
AARP offering driving course 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 nonAARP members. No tests or examinations are involved, course completion certificates are provided, and auto insurance discounts may apply. Here’s this month’s schedule: Friday, June 12 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Metro Community College 829 N. 204th St. Class #: AUAV 004N-72 Call 402-457-5231 to register
Saturday, June 20 1 to 5 p.m. AARP Information Center 1941 S 42nd St. • Suite 220 Call 402-398-9568 to register
Saturday, June 27 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Premier Group 11605 Miracle Hills Dr. Suite 205 Call 402-321-7244 to register
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Anderson: Everyone can be creative if given the chance
Carolyn Owen Anderson is the director of WhyArts?, a local organization that serves at least 10,000 people annually. By Nick Schinker Contributing Writer
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y her own admission, Carolyn Owen Anderson couldn’t paint a landscape to save her life. She does not sculpt, sketch portraits, weave tapestries, or create art glass. But that doesn’t mean she is a stranger to the arts. Anderson takes her love for artists and Omaha, blends it with strong organizational skills, mixes in a knack for working with people and developing projects, and creates for herself a unique occupation: contractor for the arts. Then she shares her talent by matching artists with groups and organizations throughout Omaha that otherwise might not have access to the arts. Anderson is the seemingly tireless leader of WhyArts?, an organization that teams artists with schools, senior centers, senior residencies, afterschool programs, early childhood centers, and several organizations serving adults and young people with disabilities. In 2014 alone, the artists affiliated with WhyArts? led more than 1,200 workshops. Because of her organizational efforts, older adults write poetry and dramatic plays. Children paint, role-play, and discuss what it means to be a hero. Young people with learning disabilities
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find the freedom to improvise and develop their imaginations. No matter the age, diversity is embraced and creativity is celebrated. “We serve at least 10,000 people a year,” Anderson says proudly. “We don’t give art lessons. We aren’t performers. We do sharing. Whether it’s a seniors group or an after-school group, every person who takes part achieves something artistic in his or her own way. “Everyone can be creative, if they just get the chance.”
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arolyn Anderson is one of six children born to Delores “Dee” Owen and her late husband, Edward F. Owen of Omaha, longtime chairman of Owen Industries, the successor to the Paxton & Vierling Steel Co. In addition to being a successful businessman, Owen was a generous philanthropist. From the Owen Sea Lion Pavilion at the Henry Doorly Zoo, to the Edward F. Owen Memorial Library in Carter Lake, to the Owen Lobby at the Omaha Community Playhouse, where Dee Owen still answers the phone two days a week, the Owen name is synonymous with community service. “I did not inherit any great artistic talent,” Anderson says, “but my dad always had to have a project. If I inherited any talent from him, that
New Horizons
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June 2015
would be it. I love growing projects. If I am bored for a day, I start another project.” A mother of five and grandmother of eight, Anderson lived for a time in Minnesota and Colorado but has always come home to Omaha. She says the master’s degree in counseling she earned at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley is reflective of her interest in people. “If I go to Shakespeare on the Green (in Omaha), I’ll sit in the back and watch people,” she says. “I’ll walk around New York City and observe people. I like that. That’s the perspective I bring to WhyArts? I’ll go to art shows and watch the artists. That way, I can match them with the groups that want us to conduct workshops.” WhyArts? was originally part of a national organization in Washington, D.C. that was founded in 1974 as the National Committee – Arts for the Handicapped. In 1985, the name changed to Very Special Arts and in 2010 it became VSA. In 2011, VSA merged with the Kennedy Center’s Office on Accessibility to become the Department of VSA and Accessibility at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. WhyArts? was created to mirror VSA’s goal that visual and performing arts experiences should be open to all ages and abilities. “That aspect of VSA, to work with individuals --Please turn to page 11.
Carolyn’s steady hand led WhyArts? through tough economic times --Continued from page 10. who face physical or learning challenges, is still a major component of what we do today,” Anderson says. WhyArts? encourages arts organizations and individual artists to create or enhance inclusive educational programming and opportunities. The organization also supports artists with disabilities through mentoring, educational programming, and direct grants. WhyArts? strives to: • Enable more people of all ages with disabilities to experience social, cognitive, and cultural development through arts learning alongside their peers without disabilities. • Create educational access and inclusion in the arts for students with disabilities. • Provide social service agencies and arts organizations the tools they need to make inclusive education and artistic experiences available. “It’s all about access,” Anderson says. “Let me see it. Let me hear it. Then I can do it.”
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he list of Anderson’s community involvement is long. WhyArts? began programming with Quality Living Inc., an agency for young adults with cognitive and/or physical needs. She has worked with VSA, the Holy Name Housing Corporation, Boys and Girls Clubs of Omaha, and at the SAC Air and Space Museum. “I was always doing other side jobs,” she says, “but when it came to VSA, I just couldn’t walk away from it.” She became involved with WhyArts? about 15 years ago, doing leadership and organizational contract work. Today, she directs the organization from an office at the new Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. She also serves on several boards including the Holy Name Housing Corporation, Heartland Family Service, No More Empty Pots, and the Nebraska Writers Collective. Her work keeps her sharp mentally and running regularly keeps her fit physically. “If I could, I would have been
Anderson and WhyArts? have an office in the Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center on the University of Nebraska at Omaha campus.
Carolyn Anderson, who earned a master’s degree in counseling at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, has five children and eight grandchilren. a dancer,” she says. “Or I’d do theater. I love theater.” Through the years, she has made certain the organization does not outgrow its capabilities. “We’ve been building very slowly, adding organization and programs as we go along,” she says. “Our pattern has been to add really good quality programs, making sure they fit our mission.”
“I believe that you really can’t fail in the arts. Everyone can succeed in some way because the arts truly appreciate the value of the individual.” Besides expanding to senior programs, WhyArts? is a driver behind several local outdoor mural projects, including one in the planning stages at Benson Park alongside a new accessible playground. WhyArts? has also begun working with Heartland Family Service to incorporate the arts into that organization’s programs. Examples of other projects can be viewed on the WhyArts? website, whyartsinc.org. Anderson is proud of the organization and believes WhyArts? has proved its value to the community. “Very few are doing what we are doing – bringing the arts to the populations we serve.” The organization has stayed its course through some lean economic times largely because of Anderson’s steady hand at the helm. “Our infrastructure is solid,” she says. “That’s what we’ve been building. That’s what key leaders do.” And she intends to continue doing it for at least the next several years. “I need to be busy,” she says. “What I fear is not being able to keep busy. I’m restless; impatient. I don’t like to sit still.” That makes WhyArts? the perfect organization for her. It is always making progress, moving forward.
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“I love having the freedom to lead and to manage like I do here,” she says. “I love working with artists and non-artists and helping them achieve. “I have no self-serving motives. I believe in the arts. I believe that you really can’t fail in the arts. Everyone can succeed in some way because the arts truly appreciate the value of the individual.” Though the budgets she draws up and the programs she molds will not likely be displayed at any museum or art show, Anderson’s selflessness and dedication to the creative ability inside everyone should be treasured. Because it’s a work of heart.
Wanting to stay busy, Carolyn plans to stay with WhyArts? for several years.
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Corrigan Senior Center
Mercury removal makes it easier to recycle batteries
You’re invited to visit the Corrigan Senior Center, 3819 X St., this month for: • June 3, 10, & 24: DIY (Do It Yourself) Crafts with Anita @ 10:30 a.m. Create a simple, attractive, take-home craft in one session. Stay to socialize and have a noon lunch. A donation of $1 to $2 is suggested for the crafts fund. Call for your crafts and lunch reservations. • June 4 & 25: WhyArts? class with artist Kathleen Keller. Attend a free visual arts session from 10 to 11:30 a.m. A noon lunch will be served followed by Bingo. Call 402-731-7210 to attend. • June 8: Birthday party with music by Shermie Wiehe from the Merrymakers. A baked chicken breast lunch or a roast beef and Swiss chef salad lunch will be served. Stay for Bingo with door prizes following lunch. • June 11: Talk at 11:30 am on Taste, Smell, & Swallowing Issues. Stay for Bingo following lunch. • June 15: Presentation on HELP adult services @ 11 a.m. A tasty country fried steak or tuna salad lunch will be served at noon. Stay for Bingo after lunch. • June 17: Nancy Urbanec from the Douglas-Sarpy County Extension Office’s Food, Nutrition, & Health Department will discuss Fresh Produce Benefits and Famers’ Market Tips @ 9:30 a.m. Farmers’ Market applications and coupon distribution begins around 10:15 a.m. A baked chicken breast with orange/cranberry sauce or a roast beef/ cheddar wrap for lunch. Reservation deadline is June 15. • June 18: Mega Bingo and entertainment by Yesterday’s Kids. Enjoy a noon BBQ chicken or a chef salad lunch. Mega Bingo will follow lunch. The reservations deadline is noon on Friday, June 12. • June 19: Father’s Day Lunch & Trivia Day. The fun will include trivia, prizes, and a picnic style lunch. Pulled BBQ pork on a bun, baked beans, coleslaw, and apple crisp will be served for lunch. • June 25: Presentation from the Omaha Parks & Recreation Department on activities such as walking areas for older adults and sporting activities. Learn more about the scenic parks in our area. Stay for lunch and Bingo. Everyone, including new players, are welcome to play chair volleyball every Tuesday and Thursday @ 11 a.m. A noon lunch will follow. Join us for Tai Chi, a relaxing and fun activity that’s proven to improve your balance Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 a.m. in our spacious gym. Bingo, ceramics, exercise, woodcarving, and loads of fun are also available. The Corrigan Senior Center is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Lunch is served at noon. A $3.50 contribution is normally suggested for the meal. Reservations are normally due by noon the business day prior to the meal you wish to enjoy. For meal reservations or more information, please call Lynnette at 402-731-7210.
A Caring Community Called HOME! Independent & Assisted Living
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49th & Q Street • 402-731-2118 www.southviewheightsomaha.com
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ruth be told, those old used up disposable alkaline batteries (AA, AAA, C, D, 9-volt, etc.) aren’t the environmental menace they used to be. The federal government mandated taking out the mercury, a potent neurotoxin linked to a wide range of environmental and health problems, as part of its Mercury Containing and Rechargeable Battery Management Act of 1996. These days, in every U.S. state except California (which requires recycling of all spent batteries), it’s safe and legal to throw batteries in the trash. Since there’s no more mercury in disposable alkaline batteries, they can go right into the garbage. Environmental Health and Safety Online, the leading web-based clearinghouse for information on environmental health and safety issues, reports today’s alkaline disposables are composed primarily of common metals – steel, zinc, and manganese – that don’t pose a health or environmental risk during normal use or disposal. In California, tighter waste reduction laws mean residents are required to recycle their spent alkaline batteries by placing them in clear zip lock bags on top of their curbside trash cans so garbage haulers can keep them separate or by drop-
ping them in battery recycling bins. Many electronics, big box, and drugstore chains that sell batteries will also take them back for free and send them off for recycling. Unfortunately, some other kinds of disposable batteries, such as the increasingly ubiquitous alkaline manganese “button cells” (commonly used in digital thermometers, calculators, and many toys), still contain mercury. The federal government provides little guidance regarding their proper disposal. The Mercury Containing and Rechargeable Battery Management Act doesn’t mandate phasing mercury out of alkaline manganese button cells because, at the time of the law’s passage in 1996, including mercury was the only way to control the potentially dangerous formation of gas inside the specialized miniature batteries. Lithium button cell batteries are a safer, mercury-free alternative now widely available, but consumers often opt for the cheaper alkaline manganese variety. “The use and disposal of mercury-added button cells are unregulated at the federal level,” reports the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. “They do not have to be labeled. It’s legal to dispose of them in the household trash; and they rarely are collected for recycling in most U.S. jurisdictions.” California is the only state the mandates recycling even for alkaline manganese button cells, but several other states are considering regulating their disposal and whether to subsidize special recycling programs for them. Until then, most of the mercury from these batteries will end up in the municipal solid waste stream and contribute to our ongoing pollution burden. Fortunately, the recycling of most types of rechargeable batteries (which can contain potentially harmful heavy metals and other contaminants) remains easy thanks to an industry-backed program called Call2Recycle that points people toward recyclers and retailers across the country happy to take them off your hands at no cost. (Earth Talk, produced by Doug Moss and Roddy Scheer, is a registered trademark of Earth Action Network, Inc.)
Research indicates injecting stem cells into the eye may slow, reverse effects of macular degeneration
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n injection of stem cells into the eye may soon slow or reverse the effects of early-stage age-related macular degeneration, according to new research from scientists at CedarsSinai. Currently, there is no treatment that slows the progression of the disease, which is the leading cause of vision loss in people over age 65. “This is the first study to show preservation of vision after a single injection of adult-derived human cells into a rat model with age-related macular degeneration,” said Shaomei Wang, MD, PhD, lead author of the study published in the journal Stem Cells and a research scientist in the Eye Program at the Cedars-Sinai Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute. The stem cell injection resulted in 130 days of preserved vision in laboratory rats, which roughly equates to 16 years in humans. Age-related macular degeneration affects upward of 15 million Americans. It occurs when the small central portion of the retina, known as the macula, deteriorates. The retina is the light-sensing nerve tissue at the back of the eye. Macular degeneration may also be caused by environmental factors, aging, and a genetic predisposition. When animal models with macular degeneration were injected with induced neural progenitor stem cells, which derive
June 2015
from the more commonly known induced pluripotent stem cells, healthy cells began to migrate around the retina and formed a protective layer. This protective layer prevented ongoing degeneration of the vital retinal cells responsible for vision. Cedars-Sinai researchers first converted adult human skin cells into powerful induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC), which can be expanded indefinitely and then made into any cell of the human body. “These induced neural progenitor stem cells are a novel source of adult-derived cells which should have powerful effects on slowing down vision loss associated with macular degeneration,” said Clive Svendsen, PHD, director of the Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute and contributing author to the study. “Though additional pre-clinical data is needed, our institute is close to a time when we can offer adult stem cells as a promising source for personalized therapies for this and other human diseases.” Next steps include testing the efficacy and safety of the stem cell injection in preclinical animal studies to provide information for applying for an investigational new drug. From there, clinical trials will be designed to test potential benefit in patients with later-stage age-related macular degeneration.
Read it & eat By Lois Friedman readitandeat@yahoo.com
Recipes your father will enjoy For the good ole guy in your life who shares the joys of cooking, eating, gathering friends and family to celebrate his day. The recipes in these cookbooks are sure to please. The Rooftop Beekeeper By Megan Paska (Chronicle, $24.95) From this professional apiarist, everything you need to know about urban beekeeping in the city on rooftops. Learn to “just let them bee.” Twenty-one recipes plus salves, beauty products, candles, and everything you want in a snack or a powerful cold remedy. From Fox Chapel: Cooking for the Man Cave Edited By Paul McGahren ($14.99) Cooking around the campfire, grilling, partying in the backyard, tailgating for the “Lord of the Fryer/King of the Grill.” Recipes for sides, salads, and sweets. Cooking Fish & Game ($12.99) Catch it, cook it, and eat it. A fisherman's paradise and a hunter’s reward. Almost 100 ways to cook wild fish and game for shore lunches and gourmet dinners. Dry Curing Pork By Hector Kent (The Countryman Press, $19.95) This science teacher has created a guide to curing with step-by-step instructions for nose to tail eating. Dry curing 101, a teaching resource for making salami, and more. How to Braise By Michael Ruhlman (Little Brown, $25) The award-winning author and his photographer wife share transformation techniques. Zen of braise: searing first then cooking in liquid. From inedible into ethereal from tough to tender. More than 100 recipes with stories, detailed instructions, and how-to photographs. America’s Best BBQ Homestyle By Ardie Davis & Chef Paul Kirk (Andrews M. Meel, $19.99) Backyard cooking without tournament rules by these BBQ champs. More than 100 lip-smacking recipes. Try this recipe created during the champ's student days.
Wood smoke can cause health problems With summer approaching, many of us are eagerly anticipating the first night we can gather with loved ones under the stars around our backyard fire pits. But neighbors might have notso-warm feelings about wood smoke entering their yards and homes. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), wood smoke is a complex mixture of gases and microscopic particles, and when these microscopic particles get into your eyes and respiratory system, they can cause health problems such as burning eyes, runny nose, and bronchitis. As part of its Burn Wise program, the EPA warns people who have heart or lung disease such as congestive heart failure, angina, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema, or asthma to limit their exposures to wood smoke. If you’re concerned about smoke emitting from a neighbor’s fire pit, speak to your neighbor about the matter. If the smoke remains an issue, contact your local health or fire department to determine further action. If you’re in the market to buy a fire pit and would like to avoid having smoke drift into your neighbor’s yard
or home, some models are specially designed to reduce smoke output. The American-made Backyard Firefly fire pit, for example, utilizes a vertical design that causes the smoke to be combusted in the fire and the remainder to rise vertically, reducing air pollution by more than 50 percent from conventional campfires. There are also a multitude of beautifully designed natural gas fire pits available. Natural gas fire pits won’t produce smoke, will instantly light, and won’t have to be cleaned like wood-burning fire pits that accumulate ash and soot residue. If you already own a wood-burning backyard fire pit, you can replace conventional wood with certain varieties of Duraflame Logs. Duraflame Stax logs are shaped like split wood and burn with the same charred appearance and crackling sounds of a wood fire, but with half the hazardous air pollutants of an equivalent wood fire. Duraflame Campfire Roasting Logs create hot coals safe for roasting marshmallows, hot dogs, or cooking other campfire foods and produce 60 percent less particulate emissions than an equivalent wood fire. No trees are cut down to produce these logs and they’re made of 100 percent renewable resources. For those who own a wood-burning fire pit and would like to continue using conventional chopped wood, the EPA’s Burn Wise program advises to use only properly dried wood, because wet wood can create excessive smoke. To allow wood to properly dry, stack wood away from buildings on rails in a single row with the split side down. Cracked ends on the wood typically means it’s dry enough to burn, or you can purchase a moisture meter to test the moisture level in the wood. “Moisture meters that allow you to test the moisture level in wood are available in all sizes and can cost as little as $20,” according to the EPA. “Properly dried wood should have a reading of 20 percent or less. Dry wood creates a hotter fire. Hotter fires save wood – ultimately saving you time and money.” (EarthTalk® is produced by Doug Moss & Roddy Scheer and is a registered trademark of Earth Action Network Inc. )
Designed
Jaan's Something from Nothing Salad (Serves 8 to 10)
with YOU in mind!
2 pounds green cabbage 1 cup mayonnaise 2 teaspoons spicy Russian mustard 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon sugar 8 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese or any cheese you have on hand, grated Cut the cabbage into workable size chunks and grate or chop them into fine pieces. Place the cabbage in a large bowl. In a small bowl, mix the mayonnaise, mustard, salt, and sugar. Add the dressing to the cabbage and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least four hours to let the seasonings work. Gently mix the cheese just before serving.
Acappella Chorus membership drive The Acappella Omaha Chorus of Sweet Adelines International is hosting its annual membership drive on Monday evenings in June. The 6:30 to 8 p.m. events will be held at the Presbyterian Church of the Master, 10710 Corby Circle. Participants are asked to park in the south lot and enter the south doors where they’ll be met by a chorus member and given further instructions. For more information, please call Jackie at 402-9320155.
Join us for coffee and rolls every Friday morning at 9:30. Stay and take a tour of the Grand Reserve at Elkhorn. 3535 Piney Creek Drive • Elkhorn, NE 68022 (Just east of 204th and West Maple Road)
402-502-7565 www.calamar.com/elkhorn
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Standard cable included Stack washer/dryer included Walk-in showers/tubs with shower 40-seat movie theater Game room Lounge/library with fireplace Large community room/patio with outdoor fireplace Exercise room Private patios/balconies 100% non-smoking building Two elevators Small pet friendly Secured/controlled access Security cameras Storm shelter
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Fremont Friendship Center
AARP Chapter 2269
You’re invited to visit the Fremont Friendship Center, 1730 W. 16th St. (Christensen Field), this month for the following: • June 4: Music by DeJa Vu @ 10:30 a.m. • June 8: Presentation on joint replacement @ 10:15 a.m. • June 10: Music by Wayne Miller @ 10:30 a.m. • June 11: Presentation on how you can help others. • June 16: Presentation on ENOA by Kay Snelling. • June 17: Music by Jim Rathbun. • June 18: Presentation on rehabilitation and its importance to healing. • June 23: Supper at the Fremont State Lakes @ 5 p.m. • June 24: Music by the Links Duo. • June 25: Presentation on living and loving life @ 10 a.m. • June 30: Movies with Larry @ 10 a.m. The Fremont Friendship Center is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Lunch is served at 11:30 a.m. A $3.50 donation is suggested for lunch. Reservations must be made by noon the business day prior to the meal you wish to enjoy. Activities include exercising, Tai Chi, chair volleyball, card games, billiards, speakers, and access to a computer lab. Transportation to and from the center is available. For meal reservations and more information, please call Laurie at 402-727-2815.
The Florence AARP Chapter 2269 meets each month at the Olive Crest Methodist Church, 7180 N. 60th St. (one mile north of Sorensen Parkway.) The meetings begin at noon with a lunch that costs $7. Here’s the schedule of programs for the rest of 2015: • June 15: Presentation on their visit to Cuba by Roger and Liz Rea. • July 20: Presentation on her time in the Ukraine by Elizabeth Meyers. • Aug. 17: Picnic. • Sept. 21: Compassion in Action with Teela Mickles. • Oct. 19: Immigration turmoil with Joann Feller. • Nov. 16: DJ music and karaoke with Jonathan Kellerk. • Dec. 14: Christmas music program. For more information, please contact Ruth Kruse at ruthkruse@cox.net.
Alzheimer’s support groups available in Dodge, Douglas, Sarpy counties The Alzheimer’s Association Nebraska Chapter offers several caregiver support groups and specialty support groups each month in Dodge, Douglas, and Sarpy counties. These support groups offer valuable space and educational opportunities for families impacted by Alzheimer’s disease or a related form of dementia to engage and learn. Please call Elizabeth at 402-502-4301 for more information. DODGE COUNTY
• OMAHA
• FREMONT Last Wednesday @ 2 p.m. Nye Square 655 W. 23rd St.
Third Tuesday @ 5 p.m. Immanuel Fontenelle 6809 N 68th Plz. Second Tuesday @ 5:30 p.m. Heritage Pointe 16811 Burdette St.
Second Tuesday @ 5:30 p.m. Shalimar Gardens 749 E. 29th St. DOUGLAS COUNTY • BENNINGTON Last Thursday @ 6 p.m. Ridgewood Active Retirement Community 12301 N. 149th Cr. • ELKHORN Third Monday @ 6 p.m. Elk Ridge Village Assisted Living 19400 Elk Ridge Dr. • OMAHA Second Thursday @ 10 a.m. Country House 5030 S. 155th St. Adult day services provided. Every other Monday @ 7 p.m. Brighton Gardens 9220 Western Ave. Third Wednesday @ 3 p.m. Fountain View Senior Living 5710 S 108th St. First & third Monday @ 1:30 p.m. New Cassel/Franciscan Centre 900 N. 90th St. Adult day services are provided on-site.
Second Wednesday @ 5:30 p.m. Espirit Whispering Ridge 17555 Emmet St. First Thursday @ 6:30 p.m. Early Stage Support Group Security National Bank 1120 S. 101st St. REGISTRATION REQUIRED Second or third Saturday @ 11 a.m. Caring for Your Parents Teri @ 402-393-0434 for location • RALSTON Third Monday @ 9:30 a.m. Ralston Senior Center 7301 Q St. • Suite 100 SARPY COUNTY • BELLEVUE Third Monday @ 7 p.m. Bellevue Senior Center 109 W. 22nd Ave. First Wednesday @ 1 p.m. Eastern Nebraska Vets Home 12505 S. 40th St. Fourth Thursday @ 6 p.m. Hillcrest Health Services 1804 Hillcrest Dr. Second Tuesday @ 5:30 p.m. Heritage Ridge 1502 Fort Crook Rd. South
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June 2015 events calendar 2 The Good Life Screening & panel discussion Film Streams 7 p.m. $2.50 to $9 402-933-0259 5 Summer Arts Festival Through June 7 Farnam Street (10th to 15th Street) Friday & Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. FREE 402-345-5401 Bette Midler CenturyLink Center Omaha 8 p.m. $44 to $209 402-341-1500 Omaha Beer Fest Also June 6 Aksarben Village Friday 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday 1 to 8 p.m. $35 and $45 402-850-6776 Omaha Symphony Beethoven and Brahms Also June 6 Holland Performing Arts Center 7:30 p.m. Tickets start @ $19 402-345-0606 Rockbrook Village Concert 7 to 8 p.m. FREE 402-390-0890 6 History of African American Baseball in Omaha Durham Museum 11 a.m. to noon $6 to $9 402-444-5071 Omaha Women’s Lifestyle Show CenturyLink Center Omaha 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. $6 515-779-0272 7 Scandinavian Midsummer Festival Elmwood Park 1 to 6 p.m. FREE 402-234-2417 12 Bridge Beats: The Confidentials Bob Kerrey Bridge 6 to 10 p.m. FREE 402-444-4640
13 NCAA College World Series Through June 24 TD Ameritrade Park 402-554-4404 Celtic Woman Orpheum Theater 7:30 p.m. $45.75 to $107.50 402-345-0606 16, 23, & 30 Tempo of Twilight @ Lauritzen Gardens 6 to 8 p.m. $5 and $10 18 Omaha Quilters Guild Quilt Show Thru June 20 LaVista Conference Center 402-880-3559
Shakespeare on the Green As You Like It Through June 21 Elmwood Park 8 p.m. FREE 402-280-2391 20 Kon Trubkovich Exhibition Through Oct. 11 Joslyn Art Museum 402-343-3300 21 Art Seen: A Juried Exhibition of Artists from Omaha to Lincoln Thru Oct. 11 Joslyn Art Museum 402-342-3300 25 Shakespeare on the Green Othello Through June 28 Elmwood Park 8 p.m. FREE 402-280-2391 Bank of the West Celebrates America Concert and fireworks Memorial Park 6 to 10 p.m. FREE 26 Bridge Beats: Matt Cox Band 6 to 10 p.m. FREE 402-444-4640 27 Zydeco Festival Turner Park Noon to 10 p.m. FREE 402-351-5964
‘Our Town’ at Blue Barn through Sunday, June 7 Thornton Wilder’s Our Town will be on stage through June 7 at the Blue Barn Theatre, 614 S. 11th St. Show times are Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Sunday, June 7. Tickets are $30 for adults and $25 for persons age 65 and older. For tickets or more information, call 402-345-1576.
Bone health program scheduled for June 10 The National Osteoporosis Foundation’s Bone Health Group has a free meeting scheduled this month in Omaha. • Wednesday, June 10: Tai Chi Class with Bev Vazzano. The 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. session will be held in the Becic Dining Room in the Creighton University Medical Building, 601 N. 30th St. For more information, please call Susan Recker at 402-280-4810 or srecker@creighton.edu.
Fed employee groups meet monthly The National Active and 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 402-292-1156.
The National Active and 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 402-342-4351.
Computer group for older adults gathers at Abrahams Library
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ou’re invited to join the Omaha Computer Users Group (OCUG), an organization dedicated to helping men and women age 50 and older learn more about their computers. Anyone can join OCUG regardless of his or her computer skills. The organization’s 50 members meet the third Saturday of each month from 10 a.m. to noon at the Abrahams Library, 5111 N. 90th St. Annual dues to OCUG, which has existed for 15 years, are $25. OCUG has a projector connected to a Microsoft Windows 7 computer and a Windows 8 computer to show users how to solve their computer problems. Bring your questions concerning your computer problems to the meetings for answers. For more information, please call OCUG’s president Phill Sherbon at 402-333-6529.
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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.
$30 = 7 meals or 1.75 hours of in-home homemaker services or 1 bath aide service for frail older adults. $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:_____________________________________
City:______________State:_____ Zip: __________ Phone:____________________________________
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f Reinha 4223 C rdt Omaha, enter Street NE 6810 5-2431 (402
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Recognition programs honor Foster Grandparents, Senior Companions
A Corporation for National and Community Service program, the Foster Grandparent Program is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2015. The Corporation for National and Community Service also sponsors the Senior Companion Program and the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program in eastern Nebraska. Last month – 92 Foster Grandparents (79 active, 11 retired, and two deceased) who work or had worked with children needing extra attention at schools, hospitals, and Head Start programs in eastern Nebraska – were honored during a luncheon held at the D.C. Centre. Guest speakers included Bill Williams from the Heartland Honor Flights, Omaha Public Schools Superintendent Mark Evans, former Nebraska First Lady Sally Ganem, author N.L. Sharp, and Julie Nash, Nebraska state director for the Corporation for National and Community Service. Among the volunteers honored were (pictured from left): Rosetta Herron, Louise Neal, and Gloria Gordon, who have been Foster Grandparents for 18, 16, and 23 years, respectively.
Sixty-five Senior Companion volunteers (60 active and five retired) were honored during a luncheon last month at the D.C. Centre. The Senior Companion Program is sponsored by the Corporation for National and Community Service which also sponsors the Foster Grandparent Program and the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program in eastern Nebraska. Senior Companions help older adults maintain their independence primarily in the clients’ home. The luncheon – whose theme was Senior Companions Are a Delight – featured entertainment by the University of Nebraska at Omaha String Duet. Julie Nash, Nebraska state director for the Corporation for National and Community Service, was the event’s featured speaker. Among the volunteers honored were Caroline Earnest (left) and Florence Matthews who have been Senior Companions for 16 years.
Try using the H.E.A.L. formula
Life-changing series to Author: Misdiagnosis a big problem begin in July, September when dealing with chronic pain A session of Because Life Changes, a complimentary, six-week series is being offered on Saturdays during 2015 at the St. James Parish Center, 4701 N. 90th St., from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Sessions are scheduled for July 11 through Aug. 15 and Sept. 12 through Oct. 17 • Week 1: Dementia & Other Chronic Illnesses: The Road to a Diagnosis and Beyond with certified care manager Jan Hannasch. • Week 2: L.T.C. Planning: A Process; Not a Product with Cathy A. Wyatt. • Week 3: Legal Documents: Have Them, Have Them Up to Date, Have Them Accessible with estate planning attorney Niel Nielsen. • Week 4: Safe Environment Training: At Home & In the Community with occupational therapist BevVan Phillips and mobility expert Mark Zach. • Week 5: The ‘Moving’ Parts: Successfully Getting from One Home to Another with real estate broker Mike Fujan. • Week 6: Community Resources: Know What You Don’t Know with Michaela Williams of the ElderCare Resource Handbook. For more information, call: 402-661-9611.
Maplewood Estates
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Lifestyle • Community • Convenience • Family Values
Move-in Specials Get 6 months of FREE lot rent for moving a single wide home into the park, or $3,500 moving expenses. Call for more information.
Amenities include: Playground Off street parking Clubhouse • Pool RV’s welcome
402.493.6000
Call: 12801 Spaulding Plaza www.maplewoodestatesonline.com Omaha, NE 68164
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magine suffering chronic pain – say, in the form of headaches or migraines. Happily, you’ve found a solution to the problem. It has been several months of losing focus, sleep, and general interest in the things you used to like. You went to a doctor and he told you an NTI device, which addresses jowl clenching during sleep, will offer immediate relief. Or maybe your family doctor gave you a pain relief prescription for your headaches. “As doctors, we like to have answers for our patient’s problems, but misdiagnosis is one of our biggest problems in this country when it comes to chronic pain,” says Dr. Fred Abeles, author of the book Break Away: The New Method for Treating Chronic Headaches, Migraines, and TMJ Without Medication. “We’re the ‘microwave’ generation and we like our problems to be solved immediately. Our medical profession has responded and is always geared for quick fixes. In reality, treating only the symptoms, and not the root cause, can worsen your problem.” Too many of us ignore the basics of good health, Abeles says. “A huge volume of health problems would be eliminated if only people learned more about nutrition, modified their diets, and got regular exercise each week,” he says. “Cardio three times a week and some strength training – along with a reasonably healthy diet – would help millions tremendously.” There are many doctors you may see to help with your headache pain, he says, such as ENTs, dentists, neurologists, chiroprac-
June 2015
tors, temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ) specialists, and many more. Ask questions. If a dentist suggests realigning your jaw, for example, you’ll want to make sure a thorough physiological work-up and diagnosis has been completed first. Be discerning. Be informed. “Most doctors really want to help, but sometimes they’re wrong,” he says. “You have to be your own best health advocate.” Abeles offers what he calls his The H.E.A.L. Formula™. • HELP yourself. Take control of your outcome. Don’t accept chronic pain as a life sentence and stop taking pills to mask symptoms. When you improve your health, the lives of those around you improve also. There’s more love, happiness, and fun for everyone. • EVERYTHING is connected. The teeth. The joints. The tendons. The ligaments. The jaw. The head. The neck. The muscles. They all have to work together in harmony to not produce pain. • ALIGN the jaw. Align the bite. When everything is aligned, the muscles are happy. And happy muscles do not create pain. • LEARN about and utilize the new methods for successfully treating chronic headaches, migraines, and TMJ without medication. “The best time to address your chronic pain and what’s behind it is the first time you experience it,” Abeles says. “But if you’ve endured many months or years of pain – perhaps masking it with prescription drugs – then the second best time to uncover the cause is right now.”
Making Medicare make sense
Tips to help reduce your retirement worries
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“Growing old ain’t for sissies.” -- Betty Davis
s. Davis was right. Between the stiffness, sore joints, and pains that come with growing older, aging can get pretty rough. The “golden years” should be a relaxing time to enjoy life and play with the grandkids. Unfortunately, because of healthcare costs and poor planning, too many older adults have to make a choice between medication and eating. Even with health insurance, the costs associated with healthcare for older men and women can put a pinch in almost any pocket. How big of a pinch? Let’s check out the bottom line first.
“Rising medical expenses are forcing people to make some educated decisions about the services they utilize until retirement age.” A study by Fidelity Benefits Consulting says a 65-year-old couple, retiring in 2015, needs $220,000 to have in retirement savings to cover medical expenses throughout retirement. Put away significantly less than that, and a couple may find themselves with a major problem to overcome. In discussing the study, Julia Vangorodska, an estate planning attorney from New York says, “Rising medical expenses are forcing people to make some educated decisions about the services they utilize until retirement age.” After increasing steadily each year for the past decade, healthcare cost estimates declined slightly in 2010 and 2011. In 2011, the estimate was lowered by $20,000 because of a bookkeeping adjustment that resulted in lower out-of-pocket expenses for most older adults. Then, in 2013, the estimate dropped again because of lower-than-expected spending on Medicare, increased savings on prescription drugs, and an increasingly sophisticated medical consumer. A person’s overall health will help drive healthcare costs in retirement, but an equally important factor is the age when a person retires. FBC’s study pointed out couples that start their retirement at age 62 don’t enjoy the potential savings experienced by those Dancing Wednesdays at American Legion Post #1 ou’re invited to attend a dance each Wednesday afternoon from 1 to 4 at American Legion Post #1, 7811 Davenport St. Admission is $2. For more information, please call 402-392-0444.
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who can delay retirement until 67. Couples who retire at 62 can typically anticipate an extra, estimated, annual cost of $17,000 per year for a total of $271,000 during retirement. The additional costs include the health insurance premiums for the period before Medicare eligibility kicks in as well as estimated out-of-pocket expenses. At the same time, couples that wait to age 67 to retire would typically reduce their health care costs to $200,000. Here are four tips to reduce your worries about retirement: • Understand options. Inform yourself on the options that are available to help with healthcare coverage. Be sure to research what type of coverage is needed, where coverage can be obtained, and the costs of coverage? • Include health care costs in retirement planning. When you have a decent idea of how much insurance coverage will be needed, start reviewing your health care costs along with other essential retirement expenses. Online retirement planning tools, like Fidelity’s Retirement Income Planner, can help with estimated income planning. • Make use of all funding sources. Research may show you have other financial sources to meet healthcare costs in retirement. A retirement account and personal savings might also be redirected in whole or in part. An employer-provided Health Savings Account may be transferable into your retirement as well. Qualified medical expenses are often taxfree and can free up more dollars for your health care. An often overlooked source of funding is part-time work. Many employers offer part-timers benefits that may include some health insurance. • Become a smarter consumer. Being proactive and informed is the best preparation for managing your care in retirement. Identify the best providers before care is needed and a significant amount of money and time can be saved later on. In addition to finding a physician to care for you in retirement, try to identify three other sources of medical care, such as a specialist for any existing conditions, an urgent care provider, and a full-service hospital. With a little planning, the edge of growing older can be eased and you can maybe enjoy those grandkids a little more.
Widows, widowers organization to meet
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HEOS, a group for older widows and widowers, meets at 6 p.m. the second Monday of each month at the Presbyterian Church of the Cross, 1517 S. 114th St. The organization offers weekend activities, Wednesday night dinners, and pinochle twice a month. For more information, please call Dorothy at 402-399-0759, Mary at 402-393-3052, or Joan at 402-393-8931.
Hearing loss support group gathers June 9 The Omaha Area Hearing Loss Association of America, a support group for hard of hearing adults, will next meet on Tuesday, June 9 at Dundee Presbyterian Church, 5312 Underwood Ave. Participants are asked to enter the church on the Happy Hollow Blvd. (east) side. The 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. meeting will feature social time and a speaker. For more information, please contact Beth Ellsworth at ellsworth.beth@ cox.net or Verla Hamilton at 402-558-6449.
June 2015
Q: I have health care coverage through the new Health Insurance Marketplace, but I’m not sure I understand how it works. Can you help? A: Yes. Since the passage of the Affordable Care Act five years ago, about 16.4 million uninsured people have gained healthcare coverage. That’s the largest reduction of the uninsured in four decades. Many of those newly insured are navigating coverage for the first time in their lives, so it can be confusing. They may not know who to call or where to go when they’re sick. They may not think to take advantage of the free preventive services available that can detect diseases like cancer early when treatment is more effective or to help keep their diabetes under control. Just as importantly they may not know what to do to keep them healthy. Coverage works best when people know how to use it, so our next challenge is connecting people to the services they need. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service’s Coverage to Care is a campaign to connect people to the care they need to help them live a long and healthy life. By educating people about their coverage, empowering them with the tools they need to be able to use it, and making the health system easier to navigate, we can reduce health care costs and improve health outcomes. Coverage to Care materials will explain the many reasons why emergency room care should only be used in an emergency. For example, when you use the emergency room instead of a primary care physician, it will cost you and your health insurance plan more money. The materials also include basic guidelines to some of the unfamiliar health insurance terms such as deductible. This is the amount you have to pay before your plan starts paying part of the cost. Co-payment and coinsurance refer to the amount or percentage, respectively, you’ll have to pay after the deductible is met. Network means the group of doctors and hospitals that will cost you the least when you seek treatment there. The Coverage to Care tools are available online at http://marketplace.cms.gov/c2c. Many are available in English and Spanish and more resources are being added to this website on a regular basis. Among the tools you’ll find is a Roadmap to Better Care and a Healthier You. This includes eight steps which will walk you through everything you need to know to make the most of your coverage including what common health care coverage terms mean; knowing where to go for care; how to prepare for an appointment with a provider; what to expect when visiting the doctor’s office; and how to take advantage of preventive services that can help you stay healthy. The Roadmap also includes a list of resources and a personal health screening log. There are also videos that contain tips for you to navigate your new healthcare plan and fully enjoy its benefits. We know a better understanding of the healthcare system improves quality of life for people and reduces avoidable costs which are two goals of the Affordable Care Act. (The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services provided this information.) ack
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Dora Bingel Senior Center
Improved posture provides many health benefits
You’re invited to visit the Dora Bingel Senior Center, 923 N. 38th St., this month for the following: • June 1, 8, 15, 22, & 29: Al-Anon meeting @ 7 p.m. • June 1, 8, 15, 22, & 29: Grief Support Group @ 10 a.m. • June 3, 5, 10, 12, 17, 19, 24, & 26: Ceramics @ 9 a.m • June 3: Holy Communion served. • June 17: Music by Kim Eames with the Merrymakers @ 11:30 a.m. Lunch is $3. • June 24: Birthday party luncheon @noon. Eat free if you have a June birthday. • June 17: Foot care clinic from 9 a.m. to noon for $10. • June 26: Hard of Hearing Support Group @10:30 a.m. Lunch is served on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. A $1 donation is suggested for the meals other than $3 on Merrymakers Day. Round-trip transportation is available for $3. Reservations are required 24 hours in advance for all meals. Other activities offered at the facility include: Tuesday: Matinee @ 12:30 p.m. and quilting @ 1 p.m. Wednesday: Devotions @ 10:30 a.m., Tai Chi @ 11:15 a.m., Bible study @ 1 p.m., and Bingo @ 1 p.m. Friday: Joy Club Devotions @ 9:30 a.m., Bible study @ 1 p.m., and Bingo @ 1 p.m. For more information, please call 402-898-5854.
WHITMORE LAW OFFICE Wills • Trusts • Probate
Ask A Lawyer: Q — What is the difference between a will and a living trust? A — Either a Will or a Living Trusts can deal with arrangements for your property after your death. Unlike a Will, a Trust avoids the time and expense of probate, which can leave your loved ones in limbo for some time. In addition, a Trust provides protection if you become unable to care for your property. With a trust, you remain in control unless you become incapacitated, at which point the trust provides management of your assets for your benefit until you recover. Have a question about estate planning? Give us a call! AARP Legal Service Network • No Charge For Initial Consultation
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o you know what it feels like to stand with good posture? Our grandparents knew the importance of standing tall, and now science is catching up. In Slouch at Your Own Peril: Hunching at Work Leads to Hunching All the Time, the Wall Street Journal reported on new studies showing what chiropractors and orthopedic surgeons know: Posture is the 800-pound gorilla when it comes to health and wellness. With more of us developing a permanent slump from sitting behind a computer, using smartphones and texting, posture is gaining new recognition as a growing health problem. Sitting is a bent posture, literally folding the torso over the pelvis. Texting locks the hands together causing the shoulders to roll inward. The combination means chronically tight back, neck, and chest muscles. Plus, as we get older gravity combines with muscle imbalances to make people feel and look older than they really are. If you spend your day with folded posture, suffer with back pain, or live with aching shoulders and neck, you may want to do some work re-balancing your body. The posture solution professionals recommend begins with learning how to stand tall. And while awareness is the beginning, if you’ve had a back problem improving posture takes more than thinking about it. Retraining posture patterns requires stretching the tight areas and strengthening the neglected ones. And don’t forget to also look at the ergonomics of how you interact with your sitting, standing, and sleeping environments. To observe and benchmark what the world sees when you think you’re standing straight, today’s posture exercise professionals take a standardized picture. People can do this themselves with a phone camera and a friend. Just stand tall and snap a few pictures. One each from the front, back, and side. A clean background like a door can approximate the posture grids used by the pros. When most people try to “fix their posture” they pull their shoulders back. The problem is they can’t hold the position for more than a minute. That’s just as well because they’re nearly
June 2015
always doing themselves more harm than good. When you pull your shoulders back the head juts forward into forward head posture (FHP). Also known as tech-neck, it’s precisely the problem caused by too much texting and typing. Especially when there’s a posture problem, you want to first stabilize the pelvis – addressing posture by only repositioning the shoulders usually makes body alignment worse. Your body is accustomed to moving how it’s been trained, so the challenge begins with learning the feeling of stronger alignment. Posture is about balance, not just about being straight. No matter how crooked someone’s posture is, as long as they are vertical - the body is balancing. Posture is the sum total of what you are doing with your each part of your body individually – head and shoulders, belly, and hips - to keep from falling down. The key to improving posture is aligning each body region, or PostureZone. Muscle stress and joint strain is minimized when the head is well balanced over the torso, the torso over the pelvis, and the pelvis over the feet. Like a stack of children’s blocks in a tower, better PostureZone® alignment strengthens stability and control, as well as reduces the risk of injury. Next is retraining your body’s perception to true reality, one PostureZone at a time. Yoga practitioners have taught this kind of mind-body focus for thousands of years, but you can start now with this five-step exercise taught by posture expert, Dr. Steven Weiniger and posture specialists globally who teach StrongPosture® exercises. Focus and take one slow deep breath during each of these five steps: • Stand tall: Not Stiff. Relax and lengthen or float your head toward the ceiling. • Ground your feet: Slowly come up onto your toes and then your heels. Roll your feet out and then in. Press all four corners of your feet into the ground. • Center your pelvis: Arch your low back and then tuck your pelvis. Find the center point as you lengthen your spine. • Open your torso: Lift shoulders up and roll them back. Keep your neck lengthened and head tall as you pull your shoulders back down. • Level your head: Look straight ahead and tuck your chin slightly to keep it level. Continue to focus on standing taller as you take five slow breaths, being aware of each PostureZone. Repeat two or three times a day, and don’t be surprised when you feel lighter and your chest feels more open. After a few weeks others will often notice a difference as well. Improving your sitting environment begins with becoming aware of your alignment. An expensive ergonomic chair is a waste when it’s not adjusted to keep you aligned. Pay extra attention to the tilt of your pelvis because it’s the base you’re sitting on. A forward tilt helps align the pelvis squarely under the torso for best mechanics in the lumbar spine and discs. Many better-designed chairs have adjustments for this, plus there are affordable sit-on-top supports to optimize how the pelvis is cradled. Back supports you lean back against haven’t been shown to help long term, and some experts believe these may add to sitting problems by holding the spine in a curve without engaging the muscles you need to stay tall. Posture is an under-appreciated aspect of health and one you can do something about. Be sure to note how your PostureZones are aligned and then file the pictures away to compare to next year’s posture check. Begin working towards improvement with the steps outlined above and start standing and sitting taller to look better and feel younger.s
Volunteers, stations are honored at annual RSVP luncheon
M
ore than 100 volunteers and 31 volunteer stations were honored recently at the annual Retired and Senior Volunteer Program recognition luncheon. The theme of the luncheon, held at the German American Society, was RSVP Volunteers Work Wonders with Experience.
A Corporation for National and Community Service Program, RSVP volunteers are stationed at sites including hospitals, nonprofit agencies, libraries, schools, and community centers. In eastern Nebraska, the Corporation for National and Community Service also sponsors the Senior Companion Program and the Foster Grandparent Program. In addition to a delicious meal and musical entertainment by “Mr. Memories” Joe Taylor, the recognition luncheon included welcoming remarks from RSVP Advisory Committee Chairperson Tom Lynch and RSVP Coordinator Pat Tanner, and greetings from Mary Parker, director of volunteer services for the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging. Four RSVP volunteers who contributed more than 900 hours of service last year received special recognition that afternoon: Janice Newman, 1,724 hours at St. Paul Lutheran School; Romanita Fields, 1,032 hours at the St. Mary Magdalene Senior Center; Craig Johansen, 1,026 hours at the Lutheran Thrift Shop; and Charles Karrick, 925 hours at the Strategic Air and Space Museum. Pictured above (left to right are): RSVP Field Interviewer Deb Marquardt, volunteer Romanita Fields, volunteer Janice Newman, volunteer Charles Karrick, and RSVP Coordinator Pat Tanner. Law Offices of Charles E. Dorwart 33 years of legal experience • Wills • Living Trusts • Probate • Healthcare and Financial Powers of Attorney • In Home Consultations • Free Initial Consultation 6790 Grover Street • Suite 100 Omaha, NE 68106 Office: (402) 558-1404 • Fax: (402) 779-7498 cdorwartjd@dorwartlaw.com
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Eastern Nebraska Human Services Agency’s Flights on planes available board meets second Wednesday of the month Wings of Freedom tour bringing aircraft to Omaha July 17 to 19
Military aircraft like this B-24 and B-17 are coming to Omaha July 17 to 19 as part of the Collings Foundation’s Wings of Freedom tour.
T Members of the Eastern Nebraska Human Services Agency’s governing board are front row, from left: Mary Ann Borgeson, Douglas County, chairperson and Lisa Kramer, Washington County. Back row, from left: Jim Peterson, Cass County, vice-chairperson, Brenda Carlisle, Sarpy County, and Gary Osborn, Dodge County, secretary.
T
he second Wednesday of each month at 3:30 p.m., the Eastern Nebraska Human Services Agency’s governing board meets at the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging office, 4223 Center St. The public is welcome to attend these sessions. The governing board consists of an elected official from Douglas, Sarpy, Dodge, Cass, and Washington counties. Board members oversee the activities of the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging, ENCOR, the Alpha School, and Region VI Behavioral Healthcare in its five-county service area. ENOA provides programs and services designed to help keep men and women age 60 and older living in their own homes with
independence and dignity for as long as possible. ENCOR serves individuals of all ages who have developmental and intellectual disabilities. The Alpha School’s mission is to help students with behavioral and emotional conditions who have been unable to maintain a traditional school placement. Region VI Behavioral Healthcare organizes and provides a system of behavioral health programs including mental health, substance abuse prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation services. A preliminary meeting agenda is available each month for public inspection at the ENOA office during normal business hours.
he Collings Foundation is bringing its Wings of Freedom tour to Omaha July 17 to 19. This living history display will feature the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, a dual-seat P-51 Mustang C model, and the Consolidated B-24 Liberator J model. The exhibit will be held at 3737 Orville Plz. (Eppley Airfield’s TAC Air). Walk through tours will be available from 2 to 5 p.m. on July 17 and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on July 18 and 19. The cost is $12 for adults and $6 for children age 12 and under. Thirty-minute flights on the B-17 or the B-24 will be available for $450 per person. Thirty and 60-minute P-51 flights are offered for $2,200 and $3,200, respectively. The majority of these flight and training costs are tax deductible. The Wings of Freedom tour is designed to honor America’s WWII veterans, promote education of future generations about the role of military flight crews and aircraft, and to preserve aviation history. For reservations or more information, please contact www.cfdn.org or call 800-568-8924 or Michael at 402-4931961.
211 phone 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, etc. • 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. The 211 network is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
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