New Horizons March 2022

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A publication of the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging

PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID OMAHA NE PERMIT NO. 389

March 2022 Vol. 47 No.3

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New Horizons old • er 74 adul ts since 19

Offering Hope Since 2010, Julie Kalkowski has been the executive director of the Financial Hope Collaborative at Creighton University. The FHC identifies economic barriers for low and moderate income households, creates solutions, and works with its community partners to implement those ideas.

Leo Adam Biga’s feature on Kalkowski and the FHC begins on page 8. nba

Free tax preparation The AARP Foundation’s Tax-Aide program is providing free income tax assistance and preparation services to older Nebraskans through Monday, April 18.

See page 13.

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Nathan’s Lake Retired Omaha actuary Ira Nathan, a member of the Greater Omaha Genealogical Society, is researching the history of his family and Nathan’s Lake in Washington County.

See page 16.

Ralston Senior Center You’re invited to visit the Ralston Senior Center, 7301 Q St., Suite 100 this month for the following: • March 8: Bus to WinnaVegas Casino in Sloan, Iowa @ 7:30 a.m. The bus will return around 4 p.m. The cost is $10. Contact Diane @ 402-885-8895 for reservations.

• March 9: Board meeting @ 10 a.m.

• March 10 & 24: Bingo from 1 to 3 p.m.

• March 30: Music by Louis Watkins sponsored by the Merrymakers @ noon.

Lunch is catered in on Wednesdays. A $4.50 contribution is normally suggested for the meal. Reservations are due by noon on Tuesday. Play games and bingo after lunch. Contact Molly @ 402-4905768 for reservations.

Obtain an annual Ralston Senior Center membership for $10.

The center may be used on weekends for various activities such as weddings, memorial services, anniversaries, family reunions, birthdays, baby and wedding showers, etc.

On days, the Ralston Public Schools are closed due to the weather, the Ralston Senior Center will also be closed.

For more information, please call Diane West @ 402339-4926.

Regular eye examinations may lead to early glaucoma detection, help prevent vision loss

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laucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness, affecting more than 3,000,000 Americans. It’s often called the silent thief of sight because it robs people of vision slowly and without early symptoms. However, regular eye exams can lead to early diagnosis and help prevent vision loss.

The only way to diagnose glaucoma is by having a comprehensive dilated eye exam that can detect the disease in its early stages, allowing people to get treatments that can slow or prevent vision loss. Treatments for glaucoma include prescription eye drops, laser treatment, and surgery.

“It’s important to know while glaucoma cannot be prevented or cured, it is treatable,” says Dr. Laura Sperazza, director of Low Vision Services at Lighthouse Guild.

“Glaucoma does not have to lead to blindness. Early intervention can protect vision.”

As people get older, they often experience difficulties with their vision and may dismiss them as an aspect of aging. However, issues with reading, driving at night, bright lights/glare, peripheral vision, and problems walking due to the inability to see curbs and steps shouldn’t be ignored. Only an eye care professional can determine if these symptoms are related to glaucoma or

other eye conditions and begin treatments to protect vision. Anyone who experiences sudden vision changes or significant eye pain should see their doctor or go to an emergency room immediately.

Glaucoma damages the optic nerve in the back of the eye. It can occur in one or both eyes. In its early stages, glaucoma doesn’t usually have any symptoms. Many people don’t know they have it because their vision is changing so slowly. Difficulties with peripheral vision may be the first symptom they notice. Without treatment, glaucoma can eventually cause blindness.

People with a family history, older adults, and people with poorly controlled high blood pressure and diabetes are at increased risk. They should speak with their eye care professional about their risk and ask how often they need to have their eyes checked.

For people who already have vision loss due to glaucoma or other eye diseases, vision rehabilitation can improve quality of life and the ability to perform daily tasks. Technology also offers great solutions including screen readers, voice over for smartphones, and apps that can identify objects and help with independent travel.

(Lighthouse Guild provided this information.)

Low-flow shower heads reduce water usage

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he shower is a place of rejuvenation and relaxation for many of us, but it’s also a big water hog, accounting for roughly 17 percent of the average U.S. household’s water usage.

We use a lot less water in our showers nowadays thanks to a Bill Clintonera law mandating that new showerheads sold in the U.S. couldn’t top a flow rate of 2.5 gallons per minute (GPM). While some showerhead manufacturers attempted to circumvent these new restrictions by utilizing multiple nozzles, the federal government eventually revised the legislation in 2013 to limit entire fixtures to 2.5 GPM. During his term in the White House, Donald Trump often complained about his dissatisfaction with the water pressure in his showers. In December 2020 Trump reversed the Obama-era amendment.

This restored the federal limit of 2.5 GPM to be applied to individual nozzles instead of the entire fixture.

This meant a shower head with three nozzles would be permitted to use 7.5 GPM. Although Trump’s law didn’t have a significant impact on the market demand for luxury shower heads, the loophole posed detrimental environmental impacts.

March 2022

About 200 million showers are taken in the United States every day. The Alliance of Water Efficiency estimates under Trump’s rule the country’s water usage would increase by 161 billion gallons per year. An increase in water usage also results in more energy use to heat that water, which in turn increases greenhouse gas emissions.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, homes that have replaced older less efficient showerheads with newer models have realized a savings of 2,700 gallons of water per year. This equates to a savings of 330 kilowatt hours of electricity annually, which is enough to power an entire house for 11 days.

The Natural Resources Defense Council estimates the average American household can save $500 per year on utility bills after switching to low-flow shower heads. The group estimates the nationwide transition to lower flow showerheads underway can generate annual savings of $2.9 billion in water utilities and $2.5 billion in energy costs.

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aving water by using a low-flow shower head is a great start, but if you’re looking for more ways to maximize your impact, the EPA has a few suggestions.

When it comes to appliances, fixing leaks is an easy way to save water. Additionally, whenever you need to run your dishwasher or washing machine, make sure you’re optimizing for water-efficiency and energy-efficiency by only running the appliances with a full load.

Landscaping is always a talking point when it comes to reducing residential water use. If you have a lawn, it’s recommended to save water by replacing grass with native plants that don’t require additional watering. If you’re not ready to part with your lawn, the EPA suggests keeping the grass two to three inches high to ensure the soil retains water, reducing the need for frequent watering.

(EarthTalk® provided this information.)

Return homestead exemption applications by June 30

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pplicants whose names are on file in the assessor’s office in Douglas, Sarpy, Dodge, Cass, and Washington counties should have had a homestead exemption form mailed to them by early March. New applicants must contact their county assessor’s office to receive the application.

The 2022 forms and a household income statement must be completed and returned to the county assessor’s office by June 30, 2022.

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 revenues.

To qualify for a homestead exemption, a Nebraska homeowner must be age 65 by Jan. 1, 2022, the home’s owner/occupant through Aug. 15, 2022, and fall within the income guidelines shown below.

Certain homeowners who have a disability, are developmentally disabled, are totally disabled war veterans, or the widow(er) of a totally disabled war veteran – including those who have remarried after age 57 – 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.

Here are the numbers for the local assessor’s offices: Douglas: 402-4447060, options #2; Sarpy: 402-593-2122; Dodge: 402-727-3911; Cass: 402-2969310; and Washington: 402-426-6800.

2022 Household Income Table Over age 65 married income

Over age 65 single income

Exemption %

0 - $36,100.99 $36,101 - $38,000.99 $38,001 - $40,000.99 $40,001 - $41,900.99 $41,901 - $43,900.99 $43,901 - $45,800.99 $45,801 - $47,800.99 $47,801 - $49,700.99 $49,701 - $51,700.99 $51,701 - $53,600.99 $53,601 and over

0 to $30,700.99 $30,701 - $32,300.99 $32,301 - $33,900.99 $33,901 - $35,500.99 $35,501 - $37,100.99 $37,101 - $38,700.99 $38,701 - $40,300.99 $40,301 - $41,900.99 $41,901 - $43,500.99 $43,501 - $45,100.99 $45,101 and over

100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0

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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 five-county region may subscribe for $5 annually.

Address all correspondence to: Jeff Reinhardt, Editor, 4780 S. 131st Street, Omaha, NE 68137-1822.

Phone 402-444-6654. FAX 402-444-3076.

E-mail: jeff.reinhardt@enoa.org 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 9,000 through direct mail .

Editor....................................................Jeff Reinhardt Ad Mgr................Mitch Laudenback, 402-444-4148 Contributing Writers.........Nick Schinker & Leo Biga ENOA Board of Governors: Mary Ann Borgeson, Douglas County, chairperson; Angie Burmeister, Sarpy County, vice-chairperson; Lisa Kramer, Washington County, secretary; Pat Tawney, Dodge County, & Janet McCartney, Cass County .

The New Horizons and the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging provide services without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, marital status, disability, or age.

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Call 402-554-2262

UNO is offering Lifelong Learning programs for students of all ages

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on-degree seeking adult learners of any age are encouraged to head back to school this spring through the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s Lifelong Learning Program. Students can enroll in up to two sixweek mini courses or sit in on one 15-week undergraduate general education course for $100 per semester.

The mini courses are held one evening per week from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center at UNO. From March 21 through April 29, the Lifelong Learning Program is offering mini courses titled: • U.S. Culture in Literature • Public Policy and Aging • Film History and Appreciation • Healthful Aging The 15-week regular sesssion courses meet one to three days per week. The time and location vary from class to class.

For more information, go online to about.unomaha.edu/lifelonglearning or call 402-554-2262.

Millard Senior Center

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ou’re invited to visit the Millard Senior Center at Montclair, 2304 S. 135th Ave., this month for the following: • March 1: Wear blue for Colon Cancer Awareness Day. • March 4: Hearing checks from 9 to 11:15 a.m.

• March 9: Board meeting at 9:30 a.m.

• March 9: Making dresses @ 10 a.m. for women in Africa.

• March 14: To Help Each Other Socially (THEOS) meeting @12:30 p.m.

• March 17: Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with Jackpot Bingo.

• March 24: Talk from VNA about health issues @ 9:30 a.m.

• March 28: Book Club will discuss One Second After by William Forstchen @ 1 p.m.

Spanish class for beginners Mondays @ 10 a.m.

Play chair volleyball Thursdays.

For more information, please call 402-546-1270.

Growing herbs indoors will lead to flavorful meals, while adding decorations, fragrance to your home

By Melinda Myers

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dd garden fresh flavor to your meals year-round. Grow a few of your favorite herbs indoors, then harvest and enjoy.

Select a variety of herbs you and your family enjoy and use for cooking, decoration, or fragrance. Basil, chives, cilantro, oregano, marjoram, mint, parsley, sage, and thyme are some of the easier herbs to grow indoors. Purchase plants or seeds from your local garden center, favorite garden catalog, or the produce section of the grocery store.

Most herbs need six to eight hours of bright light each day. A south-facing window in winter is best but an east or westfacing window may be sufficient. Increase success with artificial lights. Set the timer for 14 to 16 hours a day and keep lights six to 12 inches above the plants.

You’ll find lots of energy efficient and stylish options for just about any space.

Sleeker designs like Gardener’s Supply Micro Grow Light Garden can be placed on the kitchen counter or a small table. Furniture grade options like the Bamboo LED Grow Light Garden (gardeners.com) make it easy to grow herbs in any room in the house.

Use a variety of plants to create an attractive display in a large windowsill planter.

Combine plants that have the same growing requirements to ensure success.

Or place each herb plant in its own container. A four to seven-inch pot is a good size when starting with smaller plants. Growing individual plants in their own container allows you to provide the specific watering, care, and transplanting they need. Select containers with drainage holes or reduce maintenance and increase

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March 2022

success with self-watering containers like Viva self-watering planters. Fill the water reservoir that gradually releases water into the soil for the plants to use. You’ll need to water less often.

Fill the container with a well-drained quality potting mix. Many contain a slowrelease fertilizer, providing weeks or even several months of nutrients for your plants.

Check the label for details and adjust fertilization as needed.

Water the containers thoroughly whenever the top inch of soil is dry. Pour off excess water so the plant doesn’t sit in the excess and succumb to root rot. Or place pebbles in the tray to elevate the pot above any water that collects in the saucer or tray. This means less work for you and better growing conditions for the plant.

Incorporate a slow-release fertilizer or use a dilute solution of any indoor houseplant fertilizer once the nutrients in the potting mix are spent. Follow label directions and don’t overdo as too much fertilizer can harm your plants.

Begin harvesting most herbs when they reach six to eight inches in height as needed. Use a sharp pair of garden scissors, snips, or hand pruners. Make cuts above a set of healthy leaves so the remaining plant is neater and tidier in appearance. As the plant grows, you’ll be able to harvest larger quantities and more often.

Start with a few of your favorite herbs and expand your collection as you gain experience. Soon you’ll be confident and eager to try more challenging favorites.

(Myers is the author of more than 20 gardening books.)

Ombudsman advocates

Metro Women’s Club

The Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging is looking for men and women ages 21 and older to join its Longterm Care Ombudsman Program which is co-sponsored by the Nebraska State Ombudsman Program.

ENOA’s Long-term Care Ombudsmen volunteer in local long-term care facilities and assisted living communities to protect the residents’ rights, well-being, and quality of life.

Long-term Care Ombudsmen must complete 20 hours of initial classroom training and 12 hours of additional training every two years.

During the training, the volunteers learn about the residents’ rights, aging issues, Medicare, Medicaid, communication skills, how to investigate the residents’ complaints, the importance of confidentiality, and about the federal and state rules, regulations, and laws regarding Nebraska’s long-term care facilities and assisted living communities.

Before being assigned to a long-term care facility or an assisted living community, new volunteers will make four visits to a site with an experienced Ombudsman Advocate to learn more about what the program entails. After a three-month probationary period, the new volunteers are certified as Ombudsman Advocates.

Certified Ombudsman Advocates will be assigned to a long-term care facility or an assisted living community where they’ll visit for two hours a week to meet with administrators, residents, and the residents’ family members to address concerns.

For more information about ENOA’s Long-term Care Ombudsman Program, please call Beth Nodes at 402-444-6536.

The Metro Women’s Club is hosting a spring social, luncheon, and game day on Tuesday, March 8 at Arbor Hall, 14040 Arbor St. The social begins at 11 a.m. followed by a noon buffet.

Please bring your own games to play.

Reservations – which are $25, include a raffle ticket, and are due before March 4 – can be made by calling Ginny at 402-319-1121.

To learn more about the Metro Women’s Club, call Ginny at 402-319-1121.

Bilingual information Bilingual information about hospice care, palliative care, helping loved ones with grief and loss, and caregiving is available through the Nebraska Hospice and Palliative Care Partnership.

The number for the Cuidando con Carino Compassionate Care HelpLine is (toll free) 1-877-658-8896.

The service is offered weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

UNO gerontologists working with state’s AAAs, SUA to determine the needs of older Nebraskans

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he University of Nebraska at Omaha’s Department of Gerontology is conducting surveys about the needs of older Nebraskans in 2022.

A questionnaire assessing the current and future needs of Nebraskans ages 50 and older, as well as the services that are available to address these needs, was mailed to over 2,000 households in the state during January.

If your household received a postcard asking you to participate in this

survey, please complete and return the survey as soon as possible.

The University of Nebraska at Omaha’s Department of Gerontology will also be conducting focus group discussions with Nebraskans in each of the state’s eight Area Agencies On Aging (AAA) regions, including the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging, beginning in May. These surveys are also designed to assess needs and services now and into the future.

The mailed questionnaires and focus group surveys will help inform UNO Gerontology researchers, service providers in the eight AAAs, and officials at the State Unit on Aging (SUA), as it works together to develop the Nebraska State Aging Plan for 2024 to 2027.

For more information, please contact Dr. Christopher M. Kelly in the UNO Department of Gerontology at 402-5544124 or at cmkelly@unomaha.edu

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March 2022

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Oscar Mayer’s Wienermobile helps with ENOA meals delivery

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ou no doubt remember the commercial jingle: “Oh, I wish I was an Oscar Mayer wiener…”

Although they’re not actually wieners – Kallie Polk from Bentonville, Ark. and Colin Jay, a native of Clarendon Hills, Ill. – are the next closest thing. They’re both Oscar Mayer “hotdoggers” who are spending a year driving around the United States in an Oscar Mayer Wienermobile A hotdogger’s duties include “meating” and greeting people, sharing photos and videos on social media, answering questions about Oscar Mayer products and the Wienermobile, and handing out swag.

Only college seniors about to graduate are eligible to become a hotdogger.

The first Wienermobile was created in 1936 by Oscar Mayer’s nephew, Carl G. Mayer.

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ast month, Polk, Jay, and a 27-feet long, 11-feet tall Wienermobile– one of six in the fleet – spent a couple of days in Omaha promoting Oscar Mayer products and helping out in the community.

The community outreach effort included delivering a Meals on Wheels route in LaVista for the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging.

Katelyn York, who coordinates ENOA’s Meals on Wheels program, said many of the meals’ recipients enjoyed seeing the Wienermobile, Polk, and Jay in action.

“One lady said the experience with the Wienermobile made her day,” York added.

Polk said she and Jay love delivering food to people and making them smile at the same time.

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olitical ads are back on television, and I’m annoyed with the negative, divisive language used in so many of these commercials. By labeling the opponent as crazy or evil, the divisions are widened so there’s no room for discussion to find common interests.

Insults take the place of engagement. I frequently use my mute button to silence the negativity on TV. This pervasive negative language from both the left and the right is hard to avoid in our society. I find it both draining and seductive. It’s easy to be drawn into the fight. “We vs. they” thinking surrounds us, and it takes intentional effort to refrain from being sucked into this fray of polarization.

Psychologists tell us negative thoughts stay with us longer than positive thoughts. It actually takes energy and intentionality to steer our thinking to the positive. I’ve found it’s necessary to feed my soul with language that builds me up rather than tears me down.

Literature helps me elevate my thoughts beyond simplistic “we-they” thinking. Good literature allows us to see the human condition in a nuanced way so we can watch the complexity of our human struggle with new eyes.

Conscious Aging

By Nancy Hemesath

Katelyn York (left) who coordinates ENOA’s Meals on Wheels program, inside the Wienermobile with hotdoggers Colin Jay and Kallie Polk.

Jay (left) and Polk (right) recently delivered a Meals on Wheels route in LaVista with York.

York (middle), Jay, and Polk outside an Oscar Mayer Wienermobile.

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Dealing with the problems created when insults replace engagement

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March 2022

One author who does this particularly well is Jodi Picoult. Her novels explore social issues from all sides. She provides insight into a complexity of issues such as white supremacy, medical ethics, abortion, school shootings, and religion as examples. She explores the minds of her various characters, and one cannot help but feel compassion for their struggles. It’s hard to be harshly judgmental when one sees the inner struggle of the other.

Here I’m using of the word “positive” not as the superficial “think positive” adage.

What I mean here is that positive thinking allows us to see other people as having value, potential, and a desire to contribute to others. We may not agree with their choices, but we can still learn from them and look for common ground.

It takes real compassion to look at people, trying to understand why they think the way they do. It takes real compassion to ask what life experiences brought them to where they are.

Another source of knowledge that supplants “we-they” thinking is studying history. In the same way individuals have a personal history that has shaped them, so do families, cultures, and races. For example, to understand the plight of the Jewish people from centuries ago through World War II opens our eyes to seeing attacks on synagogues with more compassion.

The same is true of Black History. We cannot understand the racial strife in our present time without seeing its roots.

The past is continuously shaping our present reality, whether we want it to or not.

This leads me to the conclusion that the only way to supplant narrow “we-they” thinking is to go deeper. By learning and taking time to “walk in the shoes” of the other, we’re less likely to judge and condemn. It also means by banning books we’re losing another opportunity to walk in another’s shoes.

This knowledge found in books may make us uncomfortable but without it we cannot be thoughtful people who build bridges of understanding.

We’d be so much better off if political figures engaged in substantive debate to explore their ideas instead of shelling out millions of dollars to air attack ads. Perhaps this is a pipe dream. Meanwhile, let’s use our mute buttons and read some good books.

(Hemesath is the owner of Encore Coaching. She’s dedicated to supporting people in their Third Chapter of Life and is available for presentations. Contact her at nanhemesath@gmail.com.)

Register at gogsne.org

Genealogical Society conference scheduled for Saturday, April 2

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he Greater Omaha Genealogical Society’s (GOGS) virtual Spring 2022 Conference is scheduled for Saturday, April 2 from 9 a.m. to 3:30

p.m.

Craig Scott, the president and chief executive officer of Heritage Books, will be the featured speaker.

Scott, who has written 17 books and several articles in the National Genealogical Society Quarterly and other genealogical publications, will discuss researching medical records.

The cost of the conference before March 20 is $50 for GOGS members and $60 for non-members. After March 20, the cost is $60 for GOGS members and $70 for GOGS non-members.

To register, go online to gogsne.org.

For conference questions, call Marcie Garnett at 402301-9224.

For more information on a Greater Omaha Genealogical Society membership, go online to gogsne.org.

Eclectic Book Review Club The Eclectic Book Review Club, founded in 1949, is announcing its winter and spring 2022 schedule: • March 15: Award-winning Omaha author Margie Lukas will discuss her most recent book, The Broken Statue from her River Women’s Series.

• April 19: Creighton University professor emerita Dr. Eileen Wirth will share highlights from A History Lover’s Guide to Omaha.

• May 17: Creighton University professor emerita Dr. Amy Haddad will speak about the use of prose and poetry in the health care profession with her book, The Geography of Kitchens.

The monthly meetings, which include lunch and the author book review, are held at noon at The Field Club, 3615 Woolworth Ave. The cost is $16 per person per month.

To reserve a seat, call Jo Ann at 402- 571-5223. The reservation deadline is the Friday morning prior to the Tuesday meeting.

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ENCAP, UNMC collaborating on program where older adults mentor students in grades K to 3

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rogram outcomes include health promotion in older volunteers by participating in a structured program that provides social, physical, and cognitive activities.

The program was originally developed in Los Angeles as a community-academic partnership between the UCLA Division of Geriatrics, the Los Angeles Urban League, and elementary schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Because of the great results in Los Angeles, ENCAP and UNMC are now piloting the program in Omaha.

The six older adults will be assigned to Lothrop Magnet School’s K-3 classrooms. Under teacher direction, the volunteers will provide individual or small group assistance in reading and math for children who need additional help to improve their skills.

The deadline to sign up for this program is Tuesday, March 8.

For more information, please call Cat Pittman at 402453-5656, ext. 230.

he Eastern Nebraska Community Action Partnership’s (ENCAP) Wellness Department is partnering with the University of Nebraska Medical Center to launch an evidence-based program called Generation Exchange Omaha.

The program is trying to recruit six mentors ages 55 and older to participate in this paid ($11 an hour for 10 hours per week) volunteer program designed to motivate Kindergarten through third-grade students at Lothrop Elementary School, 3300 N. 22nd St., to develop their reading and math skills.

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Untamed heart Kalkowski follows family’s tradition of service Equal Justice award from the Nebraska Appleseed Center and the Women of Distinction award from the Women’s Center for Advancement.

No matter what she’s done or where she’s gone, Kalkowski’s guide star has been the example of her large Catholic, human services-oriented family.

Growing up, she witnessed the good works of her parents, Kenny and Maureen “Renee” Kalkowski.

Kalkowski (left), a social justice warrior, is Her 89-year-old father, dedicated to serving underrepresented people. a long time Society of St.

By Leo Adam Biga Vincent de Paul volunteer Contributing Writer and a church deacon, comes from a working-class south “In the time of your life, live – so that in that wondrous Omaha background. He time you shall not add to the misery and sorrow of the toiled in packing houses as world, but shall smile to the infinite delight and mystery of a young man, then paid his it.” own way through Creighton --William Saroyan University. When he strugThe Time Of Your Life gled academically at CU, a priest suggested Kenny ature and nurture make it impossible for Omaha so- wasn’t college material and cial justice warrior Julie Kalkowski to stand by and should return to his bluedo nothing in the face of human need. Long before collar roots. That’s all the coming to her present work as executive director of the motivation Kenny needed Financial Hope Collaborative at Creighton University, she for the Kalkowski family dedicated herself to being an advocate for underrepresented trait of “I’ll show you” to people. Much of Kalkowski’s journey has focused on givkick in. ing poor single mothers access to education and resources He buckled down and to improve their financial wellbeing. earned a bachelor’ degree.

Her collaborative is now part of pilot studies looking at Kenny went on to get a how financial success can improve health outcomes. Julie’s master’s degree in social work intersects with low-income individuals and families in work from the University communities of color, where there are generational wealth of Nebraska-Lincoln. He and health disparities. used that training to assist Her efforts have been recognized with the Jim Wolf military veterans. Today,

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Page 8

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New Horizons

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March 2022

Julie’s parents, Renee and Kenny Kalkowski. in retirement he continues serving others by conducting a telephone ministry. Two of his children, including Julie, became social workers.

At one point Julie’s father worked with mentally ill clients who needed help learning things like taking the bus.

Julie and her siblings would pitch in, waiting at the bus stop with clients until they boarded. When clients got off several miles down the line, Julie’s mother picked them up.

“We did a lot of things like that,” Julie said. “I guess we’re all problem solvers.”

“Mom and Dad showed by their lives that helping others and having a community mindset is the way to go. I went with Dad on St. Vincent De Paul food and visit runs,” Julie’s brother, Marty Kalkowski, a hospice chaplain, recalled.

Julie’s late mother, Renee, was a homemaker and a dorm matron for Duchesne Academy nursing students. Like Julie’s father, Renee was a born mensch.

“My mom was really kind. She helped a lot of people quietly,” said Julie, who recalled a disturbing experience form her childhood her mother made into an impromptu social justice lesson for her daughter.

On a hot August day, Julie and Renee went to a Goodrich Dairy store to buy milk. The store was packed with white customers ordering ice cream, floats, and malts. Another line was filled with the Kalkowskis and several Black people buying milk.

A girl at the counter looked past a Black lady and called on Renee.

“You’re next,” the lady at the counter said to Renee.

“Oh, no, this lady was here before I was,” Renee replied as the store fell silent.

“I remember fear and astonishment on people’s faces in our line and outrage, astonishment, and a little bit of hate on the faces of people in the other line,” Julie recalled.

“I was really scared. It felt very hostile. But my Mom was very clear. That’s the way I grew up – fair is fair, you don’t cut in line, you wait your turn, you do the right thing.

That was the first time my radar went up on the racism.”

Doing the right thing became a way of life for the whole family, Julie said.

“Mom and Dad never said we HAD to help others, but they repeatedly told us, ‘To whom much is given, much is expected.’”

Julie and her six siblings have made that aphorism a prescription for their own lives.

“I’m proud of all my siblings,” said Julie’s bother, Marty, who marvels at what Julie does. “She’s empowering people to take charge of their lives and fully participate in life, in the community, in their families, and in the economy.”

“Julie has been working with Omahans in the gap for her entire career. She is a passionate and uplifting person who wears her heart on her sleeve,” said Julie’s sister, Maggie, a financial social worker.

“Julie does the right thing for the right reasons, never factoring in the sacrifices she makes for the success of others.”

The other family members are Kim Kalkowski, an American Sign Language interpreter; Christie Kalkowski, --Please turn to page 9.

Julie, her siblings are always looking for ways to assist people --Continued from page 8. a communications professional; Karen Buschfrers, a special ed teacher; and Dan Kalkowski, an environmental services technician.

“My brothers and sisters and I ask where can we help somewhere, where can we do some good,” Julie said. “It’s not doing things to or for people, it’s doing things with people and letting them drive the bus. If they’re driving the bus they’re going to make the changes.”

Kenny Kalkowski is grateful for his family’s selflessness. “My children are out doing good whether on the job, in their neighborhoods, or the community. They’ll never make lots of money, but they’re happy with their work and that’s the best a parent can hope for their children.

“My kids are all givers. They consistently use their gifts to help others and that always made their Mom and me happy and proud.”

That Kalkowskis’ giving tradition extends back at least one more generation to Julie’s grandmothers. Kenny refers to these matriarchs as “incredible examples of serving others.”

“During the Great Depression, my Mom would invite those people who were down on their luck to have dinner with us. In her 70s, she would push people in their wheelchairs to Mass and other activities at the Douglas County home,” Kenny said.

“My mother-in-law would repair people’s clothes. She quietly helped many families having trouble by connecting them to resources. Some of those resources were hers.”

As a third-generation giver, Julie’s calling to make positive change is as basic as breathing.

“I think I cannot not do it. It’s just how I’m wired. If you have the capacity to do something,

to help somebody, I think that’s why we’re here.

It’s not to earn a lot of money, it’s not to get all these accolades or awards or promotions. It’s just to help each other as we struggle through our lives. We’re all going to have struggles at different times.

“Life doesn’t have to be so hard. There are things we can do to make it better. And why wouldn’t you do that?”

T

he path Julie took to follow the family’s compassionate care path wasn’t exactly what she planned, but it became a fulfilling career. She attended elementary school at St. Patrick’s Elementary School in south Omaha.

When the family moved to north Omaha Julie attended St. Cecilia’s Elementary School.

Julie’s mother insisted all her children pursue a post-secondary education, which Renee never did. The older Kalkowski kids went to top college prep institutions. Julie and her sisters attended Omaha Central High School while her brothers paid their way through Omaha Creighton Prep by working.

Julie attended Gustavus Adolphus College (in Minnesota) where she studied psychology. Her senior year she took advantage of an opportunity offered by the school to study abroad at the University of Haifa in Israel and to travel across Europe. She described that sojourn as “a really good, eye-opening experience.”

Hungry for more travel to feed her humanistic interests, Julie planned to join the Peace Corps to do missionary work in undeveloped countries.

“That’s what I was going to do. I thought maybe I’d never come back.”

A certain aunt, however, who held consider-

able sway in the family, nixed the plan when Julie’s brother, Marty, went to North Korea for his theological studies. The idea of Julie’s mother having two of her children away overseas at the same time was deemed too much of a worry for the family.

Julie knew better than to protest or plead her case. “It wasn’t negotiable. So there went the Peace Corps,” she said.

The aunt did leave Julie the possibility of going away once her brother returned home. By the time Marty came home a few years later, Julie’s life had changed.

“I had already fallen in love with communities of color and never looked back,” she said.

Her parents’ friendship with a nun in the Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters congregation led Julie to an opportunity with its Apostolic Volunteer Program (now called The Dominican Volunteers). That meant giving a year’s service to the church.

“You lived in a convent with the nuns. They paid your health insurance, your room and board, and you got a $100 monthly stipend,” Kalkowski said. “That’s where I really got into peace and justice. I had a lot of great role models there. I taught in the poorest Catholic school in Kansas City (Mo.) for a year. Then I ended up doing another year with the nuns as a volunteer in the Twin Cities. We worked in different parishes trying to get them involved in helping refugee communities or addressing housing issues or things like that. I learned a lot.”

At only age 24, Kalkowski became the director of a volunteer program, happy to have “the wild nuns coaching and mentoring me.”

--Please turn to page 11.

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March 2022

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Page 9 11/24/21 10:01 AM

Oral antiviral meds are effective treatment options for COVID-19

By David Kohll, Pharm.D.

T

reatments for mild to moderate COVID-19 are becoming more accessible to the vulnerable people who need them most. In December 2021, the Food and Drug Administration granted Emergency Use Authorization for Pfizer’s oral antiviral medication Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir co-packaged with ritonavir) and Merck’s COVID-19 oral antiviral medication Molnupiravir.

This was welcome news since these oral antivirals are excellent at-home COVID-19 treatment options for those at high risk for developing severe illness from the coronavirus.

These medications also help fill the gap left behind by the two most commonly available monoclonal antibodies used to treat COVID-19 which unfortunately have proven to be less effective against the rapidly spreading omicron variant.

Both Paxlovid and Molnupiravir will be available by prescription only at certain pharmacies. These antiviral pills aren’t available by prescription to everyone as the eligibility criteria differs for each medication.

Pfizer’s Paxlovid will be available to people who have tested positive for COVID-19, haven’t been admitted to the hospital, are at high risk for developing severe COVID-19, are age 12 or older, and weigh at least 88 pounds.

Merck’s Molnupiravir will be available to people who have tested positive for COVID-19, haven’t been admitted to the hospital, are at high risk for developing severe COVID-19, have no alternative FDA-authorized COVID-19 treatment options accessible or clinically appropriate for them, and are age 18 or older.

Both the Pfizer and Merck COVID-19 pills are antivirals that work to keep the SARS-Cov-2 virus from replicating properly; thereby reducing viral load, which can help reduce symptom severity. Each pill, however, does so in a slightly different manner.

Paxlovid consists of two pills (nirmatrelvir and ritonavir) taken together. Nirmatrelvir prevents key proteins the virus needs to make more copies of itself to function properly. It’s taken in combination with ritonavir, which helps keep nirmatrelvir from being broken down before it has completed its job. When studied in clinical trials, Paxlovid reduced COVID-19-related hospitalizations by almost 90%.

Three tablets (two tablets of nirmatrelvir and one tablet of ritonavir) are taken together orally twice daily for five days.

Side effects of Paxlovid include an impaired sense of taste, diarrhea, high blood pressure, and muscle aches.

Paxlovid isn’t recommended for people who have a severe kidney or liver impairment.

Molnupiravir works by introducing mistakes into the virus’ genetic code, preventing the virus from replicating properly.

Four tablets of Molnupiravir are taken orally every 12 hours for five days.

When studied in clinical trials, Molnupiravir reduced COVID-19-related hospitalizations by 30%.

Side effects of Molnupiravir include diarrhea, nausea, and dizziness.

Molnupiravir isn’t recommended for use during pregnancy unless the doctor determines the individual benefits of taking this drug outweigh the known risks.

If you’ve tested positive for COVID-19 and meet the criteria listed above, call your doctor as soon as possible to discuss whether an antiviral medication treatment may be right for you.

For antiviral pills to be most effective, they need to be taken as early in the disease course as possible and within five days of symptom onset. The sooner the better, even if you’re not feeling the symptoms yet.

Neither Paxlovid nor Molnupiravir is authorized for preexposure or post-exposure prevention of the coronavirus, and neither can substitute the need for a COVID vaccination.

Vaccines are safe, effective, and the best defense against the virus. Even if you’ve had COVID-19, get vaccinated.

The immunity offered by a vaccination is stronger and lasts longer than natural immunity.

Plus, data shows unvaccinated adults are twice as likely to get reinfected with COVID-19 as those who get vaccinated after recovering from the illness.

(Kohll is with Kohll’s Rx in Omaha.)

Page 10

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New Horizons

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March 2022

Kalkowski’s heroes are women who fight for what’s right

One job took Julie along every inch of Interstate 80 from New York City to Oakland.

--Continued from page 9.

Her job entailed supporting the work of volunteers around the nation, which meant visiting them at the Dominican-run missions they served. Julie’s wheels for those trips, a Chevy Citation, took her into the heart of urban and rural despair, twice breaking down on her.

“I drove between 25,000 to 28,000 miles a year around the country, mostly by myself to check in on volunteers in Montana, in the Bronx, and in Mississippi. I drove every inch of I-80 between the Washington Bridge in New York to the Oakland Bridge in California. It was great.”

Everywhere she went Kalkowski met Dominican sisters engaged in community building work that informed and inspired her. A nun in Marks, Miss. put an end to segregated healthcare services at a medical facility where whites were treated on one side and Blacks on another.

“She had the wall tore down that separated the whites and the Blacks.

It was a way to model that we’re all the same,” Julie said.

Kalkowski’s travels helped her understand that even decades after civil rights legislation, racism prevailed in America. Part of her education was learning that injustice doesn’t have to stand. That actions can be taken to prevent or correct wrongdoing. A nun in Kansas City Julie worked with raised enough public outcry about a proposed chemical factory slated for a Black community that the project was scuttled. These experiences taught Kalkowski she could be a voice for the voiceless or a voice for people whose rights were being violated.

“These women taught me you have to tell the truth and say what’s going on. You have to use your voice and whatever you have to prevent bad things from happening.”

The nuns’ activist ways, combined with Julie’s parents’ radical kindness, shaped Kalkowski’s untamed heart. After five years working with the nuns – she considered entering religious life but didn’t – Julie spent a year in Minneapolis running its then-fledgling Habitat

for Humanity program, substitute teaching at a day care center, and working with an interfaith group focused on bringing economic development to the inner city.

She moved to Rhode Island for a year waiting to be admitted to a prestigious school of social work. In the interim, Julie educated youth on peace and justice issues.

“The best way to do that is to talk about hunger because I don’t care how hard your heart is or how much you hate different people, nobody thinks a hungry kid is a good thing.

That’s how you help people understand the systems that need to be changed.”

When things didn’t work out at the Rhode Island school, Kalkowski came home to get a master’s degree in social work at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. The wealth of real-life, hands-on experience she brought to her studies was unusual even for a graduate student. Julie’s do-good sensibilities made social work an easy career choice.

Besides, Kalkowski long admired social justice pioneers such as Jane Addams, Emma Goldman, Ida B. Wells, as well as Nebraska’s own Grace Abbott, Edith Abbott, and Susan La Flesche Picotte.

Once settled back home, Julie found contemporary models in Nebraskans for Peace activist Virginia Walsh and Nebraska Commission on the Status of Women Director Rose Meile.

“My heroes are women who just kept fighting for what’s right. That’s what I’ve always been attracted to,” Kalkowski said.

A

fter serving as a teaching assistant in UNO’s Goodrich Program, Julie’s first social work job came with Catholic Charities and its Vision of Hope Welfare to Work program at the St. Martin de Porres Center in north Omaha.

“We paired single mothers with mentors and offered a weekly support group. I think the women taught me much more than I helped.

I learned so much about what life was on a day-to-day basis and what opportunities were available.”

She started the city’s first micro business program with the Omaha Small Business Network.

“We created over 50 jobs with those businesses that first year.”

State funding expanded the program across Nebraska.

“We were able to show the majority of jobs are created by businesses with less than 10 people, especially in rural communities,” Kalkowski said.

In 1994, Julie brought her programming zeal to the New Community Development Corporation in north Omaha.

“I realized people didn’t have their personal financial house in order, so I started Individual Development Accounts where people would get matched savings. Every dollar they saved we matched with two dollars. The whole thing was to

have them invest in an asset – either home ownership, starting a business, or going back to school to get a degree.”

In 2001, she went to United Way of the Midlands as its director of community outreach. Under the Financial Stability Partnership, Julie formed the Earned Income Tax Credit Coalition and began workplace financial education classes.

All in response to what she and others saw then and see now as a consumer financial crisis in which many people struggle to get by.

“When so many people are not making it, there’s got to be something wrong with the system,” she said. “America’s taken a systemic problem in the way we’ve structured our economy and turned it into personal failures. It gets shifted to personal guilt and shame. That prevents people from organizing to change what’s really going on.”

Kalkowski ran into program grads who offered anecdotal evidence of how their lives had turned around thanks to what they learned. They reported better money management, paying off debt, weight loss, improved sleep, and enhanced relations.

“That’s when I drank the Kool Aid about financial education,” Julie said.

The training and tools developed for the workplace program were tweaked to address single moms as Kalkowski saw financial education and critical thinking skills were crucial for people living on the margins to help them make sound choices that work for rather than against them.

“The number one stressor for Americans is financial stress. Debt, bad credit, payday loans, no savings, and living paycheck to paycheck are everyday realities that weigh people down in a society where inequality is rampant and safety nets lacking,” Julie said.

Kalkowski’s bold, insistent style and intimate programs that work one-on-one with clients didn’t always mesh with United Way’s more hands-off, global approach.

“I’m very entrepreneurial and they had kind of a rigid way of doing things. I was not going to be a little sheep. If they wanted somebody to be passive, that was not going to happen. I was going to make good trouble.”

In 2010, Creighton University became the new home for Kalkowski’s financial education programs. CU gives Julie autonomy in exchange for her securing the programs’ funding.

“I just kind of piece together the budget every year from foundation grants.”

Under the new Financial Hope Collaborative, Kalkowski supervises the core Financial Success Program, a nine-week course with year-round support and follow-up.

The main motivator for the program’s single moms is improving their children’s quality of life.

March 2022

•

The strategies they learn for budgeting and saving often mean they no longer have to decide between paying an overdue utility bill or buying groceries. Not only do families find stability, she said, but the women themselves find their own lives transformed.

“So many single moms come into the program saying the wolf’s always at the door, making them worry what new fresh hell is going to hit. They leave the program feeling like they have some control over what happens. We’ve seen tremendous changes in those families’ lives. It doesn’t work for everybody, let me be clear about that,” Julie said.

Successful program participants are emboldened to make necessary changes in order to fulfill whatever short or long-term goals they set like debt reduction, home ownership, getting a degree, or starting a side hustle or business.

“We all need to be motivated to move forward and to think we can do it. Then you have choices. Once you feel like you have choices then you feel like you have some control over your life,” Julie said.

Maggie Kalkowski applauds her sister’s accomplisments.

“Julie has been able to help people make changes in their lives that will positively impact future generations. From asset building to financial wellness. Julie’s programs are designed to give people hope and confidence they can succeed with personal effort and strategic supports.”

I

n the spirit of making “good trouble”, Kalkowski often testifies before elected officials and behind closed doors with philanthropists. She doesn’t let anyone off the hook in terms of holding people and institutions accountable to serve the greater good.

“I’m kind of like a bulldog. I’m really persistent. I’m not going to shut up. I’m not going to go away.”

Unfortunately, more and more people are falling through the cracks, according to Julie.

“I’m the social worker who has always dealt with money. Money has always been the bane of existence of the people I work with, so I’ve tried to figure out ways that would make life a little bit better.”

The death of a welfare-to-work program graduate at age 53 impacted Kalkowski. This premature death brought home with stark finality how Black women suffer disproportionately from diabetes, heart disease, breast cancer, and other ailments.

Social determinants such as income, social support networks, education, literacy, employment, working conditions, social-physical environments, personal health practices, coping skills, and access to health services are major factors in the health outcomes of Black women.

--Please turn to page 12.

New Horizons

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Page 11

ENOA is celebrating 50 years of nutrition programs for older adults

O

n March 22, 1972, United States President Richard Nixon signed into law a measure amending the Older Americans Act to include national nutrition programs for men and women ages 60

and older.

In 2022, Area Agencies on Aging across the country – including the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging – are joining the Administration for Community Living, Meals on Wheels America, and other organizations to celebrate 50 years of the Older Americans Act Nutrition Program.

“The Older Americans Act Nutrition Program is the only federally supported program designed to be an antidote for both hunger and isolation.”

“This awareness campaign – titled March for Meals – is designed to garner the support needed to ensure these critical programs can continue to address food insecurity and malnutrition, combat social isolation, enable independence, and improve the health of meals recipients for years to come,” said ENOA’s Deputy Director Diane Stanton.

“The Older Americans Act Nutrition Program is the only federally supported program designed to be an antidote for both hunger and isolation,” said Meals on Wheels President and CEO Ellie Hollander.

“Despite decades of proven success and bipartisan support, funding for these programs has failed to keep pace with the need for its services. With the nation’s older population increasing dramatically, now’s the time to support nutrition programs through volunteering, donating, and speaking out to ensure we’re able to provide these programs for another 50 years,” Hollander said.

Each year, ENOA delivers more than 200,000 hot, nutritious meals to homebound older adults through its Meals on Wheels program.

“According to Meals on Wheels America, 90 percent of the recipients said receiving a home-delivered meal has

improved their health and helped them maintain their independence,” said Katelyn York, who coordinates ENOA’s Meals on Wheels program.

She said Meals on Wheels can serve an older adult for an entire year for about the same cost as one day in a hospital or 10 days in a nursing home.

ENOA also operates a network of 22 senior centers in Douglas, Sarpy, Dodge, Cass, and Washington counties where men and women

ages 60 and older can enjoy a hot midday meal and participate in a variety of activities on weekdays. Each year, ENOA serves around 70,000 meals at its senior centers.

The centers provide hot or deli-style meals evaluated by a dietitian to meet one-third of the recommended daily allowance of nutrients to comply with the 2020 to 2025 Dietary Guidelines for older Americans.

Senior center activities offered include Tai Chi, bingo, chair volleyball, cards and other games, educational programs, speakers, musical programs, dancing, and fitness classes.

“Our senior centers are a great place to go to enjoy a delicious meal while meeting and making friends in a safe, comfortable environment,” said ENOA’s Nutrition Division Director Susie Davern.

Please join ENOA this year as we celebrate 50 years of the Older Americans Act Nutrition Program.

Julie: More voices lead to better outcomes, lives --Continued from page 11. ary Sue Wydeven, a Creighton University public health nurse, educator, and friend reminded Kalkowski her programs were addressing these determinants that create disparities.

Wydeven said Julie’s financial program was reducing single mothers’ stress and delaying the onset of chronic diseases like diabetes. A small clinical trial confirmed those results.

“We found that a lot of stresses went away.

People have fewer shut off notices, late fees, overdraft fees, and payday loans. We have a great partnership with OPPD and MUD. Your stress decreases when you don’t have those issues. We see an increase in exercise, a reduction in fast food consumption,” Kalkowski said.

“We leveraged the results of that study with a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to support our work using financial education and coaching as a health intervention. It’s a brand new idea,” Julie said.

The Diabetes Care Foundation has partnered with Kalkowski’s program for a pilot study that launched in January.

“If we can delay people being on insulin until their 60s or 70s versus their 40s or 50s it’s so much better for their health outcome and so much cheaper for the nation’s healthcare. As a nation we spend more in healthcare costs and have the worst health outcomes of any democratic country because less than 5 percent is for prevention.”

M

Page 12

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New Horizons

J

ulie’s service on the National Consumer Financial Protection advisory board taught her a valuable lesson.

“You’ve got to have everybody at the table if you’re going to make good decisions. That board was made up of community advocates like me, people from various industries and public interest law experts. Through that diversity of thought and opinion you make better policy, you make it so it works for everybody as opposed to punishing people.

“I think so much of our nation’s policy has been made by a small group of wealthy white men. We have much better representation today.

Even Chambers of Commerce know the more diverse a business board is the more profitable the business. Having more voices at the table is how we get better outcomes and decisions and make people’s lives a better.”

Butting heads with entrenched, intractable systems can be wearing on a person. Kalkowski tries to be mindful of her own health by maintaining balance and drawing on a strong support network.

“I read a lot. I have great friends. We laugh a lot. We have happy hours. I have a good faith community at Sacred Heart (Catholic Church) and that helps. I go on silent retreats every year.”

Julie and her husband, Paul Farrand, a fellow social worker, are parents of Emma and Maureen.

“Paul is really supportive. I can tell him these

•

March 2022

horrible things I can’t tell anybody else. I just need to unburden myself and I know it won’t go any further than him. It just gets dropped. No one ever gets outed. I have a great support system with my brothers and sisters.”

Kalkowski said she’s had a charmed life, not that it hasn’t been hard at times.

“When you try to change things for the poor you hit your head against the wall time and time again,” Julie said.

Her daughters whom she called “little nerds that have good hearts,” continue the family’s legacy of trying to save the world, at least in their own corners. One is studying to be a lawyer. The other works as a library researcher.

Kalkowski is proud her family does more than talk about making change. It speaks truth to power and teaching people about how to be their own best advocates.

“Not that we fix people or do things for people, but we let them know what’s available and how to get connected. It’s finding out, too, what people want and helping them get what they want.”

A quote from Jane Addams, the leader of the social settlement movement of the 20th century, expresses Kalkowski’s ethos as well as anything: “The good we secure for ourselves is precarious and uncertain, is floating in midair until it is secured for all of us and incorporated into our common life.”

Medicaid recipients interested in participating in the Financial Success Program can contact financialconfidence@creighton.edu.

AARP Foundation’s Tax-Aide program providing free tax counseling through April 18

T

hrough April 18, The AARP Foundation – the nation’s largest volunteer-based free tax preparation service – is providing free tax assistance and preparation services for older adults through its Tax-Aide program.

AARP Foundation Tax-Aide volunteers are trained and IRS-certified annually to ensure they understand the latest changes to the United States Tax Code.

AARP’s Tax-Aide program has several options for providing taxpayer assistance.

These options vary by location and are subject to change. Visit aarpfoundation. org/taxaide for details.

• Drop-off: Taxpayers interact with fully COVID-vaccinated IRS-certified Tax-Aide volunteers in a short, in-person meeting at one of the locations listed below. Appointments must be scheduled in advance. Returns will normally be prepared the day of the appointment.

Details for making appointments are available at aarp.org.

• Contact-free: Taxpayers interact with Tax-Aide’s IRS-certified tax counselors online or by phone and will exchange documents electronically.

For more information, go online to

aarpfoundation.org/taxaide. Search for Nebraska Virtual Site.

You can also begin this process by sending an email to omahaaarp@gmail.com.

• Self-preparation: Tax-Aide provides taxpayers with free access to software so they can prepare their own taxes.

Go to aarpfoundation.org/taxaide and select Self-Filing Software. You’ll input your own information and file your return electronically.

Taxpayers using this software can request help from an IRS-certified counselor to coach them through the process by phone or through computer screen-sharing.

The Tax-Aide locations listed below will adhere to CDC guidance for COVID-19 safety. Masks and social distancing will be required at all locations.

For more information about the AARP Foundation Tax-Aide program, including what type of service is available where, and which documents you need to file your taxes, visit aarpfoundation.org/taxaide or call 1-888-AARPNOW (1-888-227-7669).

Locally, United Way’s 211 operators will assist in making the appointments.

Here’s a list of the AARP Foundation’s Tax-Aide program sites, days, and hours of operation:

Abrahams Library 5111 N. 90th St. Tuesday & Thursday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Papillion Landing 1046 W. Lincoln St. Tuesday & Thursday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Wednesday 3 to 7 p.m.

Bellevue University Library 1000 Galvin Rd S. Saturday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Ralston Baright Library 5555 S. 77th St. Tuesday, Thursday, & Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Bellevue Volunteer Fire Hall 2108 Franklin St. Tuesday & Thursday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Sons of Italy 1238 S. 10th St. Sunday 12 to 4 p.m.

Church of the Resurrection 3004 Belvedere Blvd.

Monday & Tuesday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Tangier Shrine Center 2823 S. 84th St. Thursday & Friday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Appointments are required at all sites.

United Way 211 operators can assist persons without Internet access.

Back after two-year COVID hiatus

Hibernians’ St. Patrick’s parade returns to Old Market district on Saturday, March 12

A

fter a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, The Father Flanagan’s Division of the Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH) will sponsor its annual Saint Patrick’s Day Parade at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 12.

The parade route will be through Omaha’s Old Market district beginning at 15th and Harney streets, traveling east then turning south at 11th Street to Howard Street and then turning west and ending at 14th Street.

Since its inaugural parade in 1878, the AOH parade has traditionally been the first parade of the year in Omaha.

“The parade is a great family event with many creative floats, marching bands, drill teams, costumed performers, Irish Dancers, and much more,” said Tim Lonergan, presi-

dent of the AOH Omaha division.

Park Omaha will provide discounted parking of $1 per hour at its Park 1 garage/ lot at 10th and Jackson streets and its Park 4 garage/lot at 15th and Douglas streets A post parade party and awards presentation will immediately follow the parade at Annie’s Irish Pub at 11th Street and Capitol Avenue in the Capitol District.

Those wishing to participate in the parade should request entry forms at chrisblaylock5@gmail.com.

Prizes will be awarded in three categories – floats, Irish costumes, and musical presentations.

For further information, text Lonergan at 402-612-3576.

March 2022

Y

Fremont Friendship Center

ou’re invited to visit the Fremont Friendship Center, 1730 W. 16th St. (Christensen Field). The facility is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

A meal is served weekdays @ 11:30 a.m. Reservations, which are due by noon the business day prior to the meal the participant wishes to enjoy, can be made by calling 402727-2815. A $4 contribution is suggested for the meal.

This month’s activities will include: • March 3: Presentation from Nye @ 10 a.m.

• March 7: Meeting about ENOA’s Diner’s Choice program @ 10 a.m.

• March 9: Music by Wayne Miller @ 10:30 a.m.

• March 16: Music by Billy Troy @ 10:30 a.m.

• March 17: St. Patrick’s Day bingo.

• March 18: Horse Derby @ 10:30 a.m.

• March 22: Board meeting @ 1:30 p.m.

• March 23: Music by Kim Eames @ 10:30 a.m.

• March 30: Music by Pam Kragt @ 10:30 a.m.

A special thanks to all the volunteers who help out at the center in a variety of ways.

For meal reservations and more information, please call Laurie at 402-727-2815.

Camelot Friendship Center You’re invited to visit the Camelot Friendship Center, 9270 Cady Ave., this month for the following: • March 11: Council meeting @ 12:15 p.m.

• March 16: The Merrymakers present music by Joyce Torchia @ 11:45 a.m.

• March 17: Jackpot bingo @ 12:15 p.m.

Other regular activities include chair yoga, card games, Tai Chi, chair volleyball, and bingo.

The center is open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Lunch is served weekdays at 11:30 a.m. A $4 contribution is requested for the meal. Reservations, which are due a day in advance, can be made by calling 402-444-3091.

For more information, please contact Barb at 402-4443091 or barbara.white@cityofomaha.org.

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Intercultural Senior Center

ou’re invited to visit the Intercultural Senior Center (ISC), 5545 Center St. The ISC is celebrating its 13th anniversary this month.

The facility – open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. – offers programs and activities Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

During inclement weather, call 402-444-6529 to make sure the center is open.

Participants must be fully vaccinated against COVD-19 to attend the ISC. Participants are asked to wear a mask and bring their vaccination cards with them when visiting the ISC. The ISC offers a light breakfast, lunch, fitness classes, programs, and activities. Technology classes are available Tuesdays @ 10:20 a.m. and Fridays @ 12:30 p.m. Lunch reservations are due by 9 a.m. A voluntary contribution is suggested for the meal. Please call 402-444-6529 for reservations.

Monthly food pantries are available for men and women ages 50 or older.

ISC’s SAVE bus can bring case management services to your doorstep.

For more information, please call 402-444-6529.

Do you need transportation to and from your medical appointments?

Check with your insurance provider to see if non-emergency medical transportation is covered under your plan.

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New Horizons

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Page 13

Please see the ad on page 3

NH Club gains new members $50 Parke Benning $25 Lois Olsen Nancy Calinger Carole Yanovich $15 A. Lois Stille Joseph Nanfito $10 Diane Ordway Virginia Studt Rich & Sue Rabb $5 Phil Pijanowski Kathleen Koons Teri Nolting Lori Ruff

Reflects donations received through 2/18/22.

Senior Companions, Foster Grandparents needed

M

en and women age 55 and older who want to earn a taxfree stipend while making an impact in their community are encouraged to join the Senior Companion Program and the Foster Grandparent Program.

Sponsored locally by the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging, the SCP and FGP are national programs of AmeriCorps Seniors.

Senior Companions help other older adults maintain their independence by visiting them at home to discuss the news, read mail, play cards, run errands, etc.

Foster Grandparents serve as positive role models for children who need special attention with education, healthcare, and social development in schools, Head Start programs, and child development centers.

SCP and FGP volunteers must meet income guidelines and complete an enrollment process that includes references and background checks.

In exchange for volunteering 10, 15, or more hours per week, Foster Grandparents and Senior Companions receive a $3 an hour tax-free stipend, mileage reimbursement, an annual physical examination, supplemental accident insurance coverage, and other benefits including an annual recognition luncheon.

The stipend does not interfere with rent, disability, Medicaid, or other benefits.

For more information on the FGP and SCP, please call 402-444-6536.

211 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 learn about resources like food banks, shelters, rent and utility assistance, physical and mental health resources, support for older Americans and persons with a disability, volunteer opportunities, and donations.

The 211 network is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The information is also available online at ne211.org.

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New Horizons

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March 2022

Flaherty Senior Counseling Caring for a loved one is difficult, and the challenges are amplified during a pandemic. Join Flaherty Senior Consulting for a series of Solutions Group gatherings that will address the questions and challenges caregivers face.

Solutions Groups provide opportunities for caregivers to learn how to deal with various issues, obtain skills and knowledge, engage in discussions, and interact with others in similar circumstances.

Upcoming meeting dates and locations are: • March 8 and May 10 St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church 14330 Eagle Run Dr. • March 16 and May 18 St. Timothy Lutheran Church 93rd and Dodge streets • April 7 & June 2 The Servite Center of Compassion 72nd St. and Ames Cr. • April 23 & June 25 Faith Westwood United Methodist Church 4814 Oaks Ln. The Solutions Groups are facilitated by Nancy Flaherty, MS, CDP, president of Flaherty Senior Consulting. She has extensive experience working with family caregivers and caregiver groups.

Registration is required to attend each gathering. Masks are mandatory, and social distancing will be observed.

Visit flahertyconsulting.net or call 402-312-9324 for more information.

Flaherty also provides private consultations with family caregivers to help them develop individual plans for their loved ones.

For information on private consultations, Solutions Group meeting times, and/or to register to attend a Solutions Group, email Nancy at flahertyconsulting@cox.net or call/text her at 402-312-9324.

Alzheimer’s Association program The Nebraska Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association is hosting a free program in March: • March 16 @ 1 p.m.

Healthy Living for Brain and Body For more information, please contact the Nebraska Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association at 402-502-4300 or nebraskainfo@alz.org.

Older adults, caregivers needed for UNO study on stress levels, dogs

T

he University of Nebraska at Omaha is looking for older adults and their in-home family caregivers for a study on the effects of pet dogs on chronic stress levels.

The study will investigate chronic stress in older adults and their caregivers as well as the effects a pet dog can have on stress levels.

To measure stress, researchers will study the hormone cortisol which is found in saliva and in hair.

Volunteers – who must be age 65+ – will need to provide two hours at their homes.

They’ll be asked to answer several surveys online or on paper and provide a saliva sample and a hair sample to measure stress levels. Volunteers who have a dog in their home are asked to provide a saliva and a fur sample from the dog to measure its stress level.

For more information, please contact Amanda Crawford at amandacrawford@unomaha.edu or 402-8859516.

Fire Department is offering installation of smoke, carbon monoxide detectors

T

he Omaha Fire Department’s Public Education and Affairs Department will 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 1516 Jackson St. Omaha, Neb. 68102 For more information, please call 402-444-3560.

ENOA’s Volunteer Connect program offers a variety of opportunities

D

o you have some spare time, a skill to share, and wish to contribute to your community?

Private and non-profit agencies are looking for your help.

Please contact Tia Schoenfeld with the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging’s Volunteer Connect program at 402444-6536, ext.

1045 for more information on the following volunteer opportunities: • Men and women are needed to write greeting cards of encouragement to residents in skilled care and assisted living facilities.

• Bilingual volunteers are wanted to help translate materials and flyers for the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging.

• Volunteer quilters are needed to create Busy Lap Blankets for long-term care facility residents.

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Call anytime 402-397-0254 or 402-250-9389

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March 2022

We do business in accordance with the Fair Housing Law.

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New Horizons

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Page 15

Nathan’s Lake was a ‘lovely world both in time and place’

Ira holding a photo from a 1912 Nathan’s family reunion at Nathan’s Lake.

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n Oct. 2, 2011, Ira Nathan’s father, Paul Nathan, died at age 90. Eight years later, Ira, while going through some of his father’s possessions, discovered a September 1978 newspaper article from the Jewish Press with the headline: Omaha Jews Gather at Nathan’s Lake.

Written by Paul Nathan’s cousin, Leonard Nathan, the article described a 320-acre parcel of land surrounding a lake six miles north of Omaha’s Florence neighborhood and 3.5 miles southeast of Fort Calhoun, Neb. near Boyer’s Chute and the Missouri River.

In 1909, Leonard’s parents (Ira’s great aunt and uncle), Samuel Nathan and Lea (Appelbaum) Nathan, purchased the land – which at the time was a valley rich in beavers, otters, and other fur-bearing animals – for around $15,000.

The land and what became known as Nathan’s Lake, soon became a focal point of local social life and a hot spot for fishermen, swimmers, walkers, nature lovers, families and businesses wanting a beautiful place for picnics and church retreats, sandlot baseball

This photograph, taken in the mid-1920s, shows the area around Nathan’s Lake featured several large trees. This scene also includes a boat, a Model T car, and the Jewish Community Center’s Morris Levy summer camp which was held at the site from 1925 to 1927. players, and military members attending balloon school at nearby Fort Omaha.

“It was a place where Omaha Jews had their first contact with rural life,” the Jewish Press article read. Leonard Nathan went on to describe the scene at Nathan’s Lake as “a lovely world both in time and place.”

Looking to capitalize on the location’s popularity, Samuel and Lea opened Nathan’s Resort. The summer resort – which featured an entrance made from willow trees (later destroyed by a 1913 tornado), eight cottages, a large dining room, and an icehouse – also served as a dance and social hall that hosted a variety of events including a Kill the Kaiser rally in 1918.

The site was home to the St. Cecilia’s summer camp in 1924 and the Jewish Community Center’s Morris Levy summer camp from 1925 to 1927.

A movie titled Pirate – sponsored

by The Omaha World Herald and produced by dozens of children – was filmed at Nathan’s Lake in 1927.

Much of Nathan Lake’s early history has been discovered by

The entrance to Nathan’s Lake was made from willow trees.

In 1913, the entrance was destroyed by an F4 tornado.

Page 16

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New Horizons

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Ira Nathan, a retired Omaha actuary and a member of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services’ Advisory Committee on Aging.

“I have a passion for discovering my family roots,” Nathan said. “The journey has let me get in touch with my ancestors, Jewish values, and encouraged me to respect and honor my family.”

An AARP volunteer, a board member and past president of the Nebraska Jewish Historical Society (NJHS), and a member of the Greater Omaha Genealogical Society, Nathan has spoken with dozens of people, surfed the Internet, and combed through archives at the The Omaha World-Herald, the NJHS, and the Jewish Press looking for news, photos, and information about his family and Nathan’s Lake.

“Through research, I saw them as real people and was able to put their lives back together in the place they lived,” Ira said.

I

n 2019, Ira and his son, Andrew, drove from Omaha to Washington County in search of Nathan’s Lake. Recent flooding, however, had closed

the area to cars. Perhaps by fate, shortly thereafter the Nathans met a Washington County deputy sheriff who escorted the men past the barricades to the lake and the surrounding landscape.

“Seeing it for the first time was very emotional,” Ira said.

T

oday, Nathan is working with local and state government officials and agencies to restore the Washington County area around Nathan’s Lake as a 650-acre wetland region where fish from the Missouri River can breed and spawn. The site would also include an interpretive sign near DeSoto and Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge, a kiosk showcasing the region’s history, and a parking pullout area for viewing.

Ira said restoring the area is a great way for him to remember his family while sharing their heritage and the history of Nathan’s Lake with the community.

Nathan is available to make free presentations to groups on Nathan’s Lake and its history. For more information, please contact Ira at inathan654@gmail.com.

An aerial photo of Nathan’s Lake was taken by Jim Belec from the Papio Natural Resource District.

The 650-acre wetland region is being restored as a place where fish from the Missouri River can breed and spawn.

March 2022