From the Directors

From the LCCOA Executive Director

By Susan Lawler

September has arrived, summer is almost over, school is back in succession, and our snow birds are flying off to Florida. LCCOA is hoping for an Indian Summer, followed by a very long fall season. Winter is so hard on our seniors — if you have extra coats in good condition, please drop them off at the Center. We will be having a sidewalk sale in October and we would like to provide coats for 25 cents to one dollar, to help our seniors during the winter weather.

Our Little Shop Around the Corner

Our Xmas shop was a great success last year, and we have been asked to have one this season. We sold hundreds of items from 25 cents to $3 and made many, many seniors very happy. One senior told us that she has not been able to buy gifts for her family in years; with tears in her eyes she thanked us for giving her, and her family, a wonderful holiday. We would like to thank the Lee County Community for their generous donations of new and slightly used items, which stocked our shop last year. You are the ones who provided so many families with a special holiday. Please think about helping again this up-coming season.

LCCOA is still Trippin’

Nashville was an amazing trip; the phone calls and cards were wonderful. Our seniors had fun-filled days, and made so many memories and new friends. If you enjoyed Nashville, come join us for Wildwood, Branson, New Orleans and our Caribbean Cruise. Our trips are starting to book up, so do not miss out on the next adventure in your life.

If you enjoy traveling, then come on down and join our senior travel club. It is a great opportunity to share your trips, learn about other senior’s travels, and discuss where you would like to visit in the upcoming months. Sit back and sip a free glass of wine, enjoy making new friends, and start your next adventure. The Travel Club meets every fourth Tuesday of the month at 1 p.m.

Smart Phone Help

New technology is always stressful: LCCOA would like to ease your stress by hosting a basic Smart phone class once a month, on Wednesdays at 3 p.m. Please call us to reserve a spot: 815-288-9236

Healthy Body — Healthy Brain

Joe is back with another class on healthy body and brain. His most recent class was a great success, and by popular demand he is back on Sept. 21. at 11 a.m. to provide additional information on Alzheimer’s, teach another class on line dancing — and please stay for a free lunch provided by LCCOA.

Reservations are required: Call 815288-9236 to reserve your place.

Open Enrollment

Do not forget to sign up for open enrollment, time slots are filling up fast; we will do our very best to service all our seniors, but it is very important that you make an appointment. We cannot guarantee we will be able to process your Part-D for 2023. There are no walk-ins for this service. Please call 815-288-9236 today.

Movie Time

A new program is starting in September. Every third Tuesday at 1 p.m. we will have free lunch and a movie. Please call us for reservations at 815288-9236.

September is truly a fun-filled month. Have a wonderful Indian Summer, and enjoy the weather.

Until next time ...

Lee County Council on Aging: A place where you belong, a place to call home.

From the WCSC Director

By Susie Welch

If you haven’t been to the Center for a while, you will notice two new faces when you come! Tracy Hubbard has joined our team as the new office bookkeeper. Most of you from Galt will remember her as she has spent the last 16 years serving the community at the Galt Post Office. Tracy is a graduate of Northern Illinois University and majored in Accounting. We are so pleased to have her with us at the Center. We also have Angela Gibbs of Morrison joining our team as our new Marketing Coordinator. Angela spent most of her life in Corporate Marketing but most of you will know her from her community work in Morrison. Please help us make both of these wonderful women feel welcome at the Center. Angela will be having a roundtable discussion group at 11:30 a.m. on September 14 to discuss future trips; come share your ideas and preferences. I know both Tracy and Angela can’t wait to meet you all!

Our community is the best!

Thank you to all of you who supported our most recent Ice Cream Social and Corn Boil. Thank you to all who donated their time baking pies, husking corn, supplying music and lending a helping hand. We could not have done it without all of you. Thanks to your generous donations, we were able to fill our freezers with meat. We also received a generous gift from Halo Industries of cloth grocery sacks for food pantry participants to be able to reuse when they come back. We received a generous donation of funds to buy a refrigerator for a new food pantry. The pantry averages between 75-85 individuals being served every week. The generous donation of fresh fruit and vegetables from Sauk Valley Food Bank has kept us going. We received our first shipment of commodities from USDA since COVID this month. The commodities have strict guidelines for income and number of visits, while our fresh items are open to anyone who is needing a little extra help with food from 3-4 p.m. on Thursdays. If your garden is over producing this year, please feel free to drop off your extras at the Center — they will be put to good use. Last month we received a Gold Certificate from the Extension Office. This award signifies that the pantry offers nutritious foods to participants and promotes dignity

to pantry guests by allowing choices. Root beer floats & music

Root beer floats will be served September 9 from 1 to 3 p.m., sponsored by Sauk Valley Bank with music provided by Edwin Leipus from Morrison & Char Behrens. We will be taking a freewill donation to benefit our food pantry expenses. This is a show that you won’t want to miss. Talent like this should not be hidden. If you have a group, you are a solo artist or if you know of a group that would like to share their talents, please contact me to get your gifts shared with the Seniors of Whiteside County. We love music, sing-alongs and dancing! Music is just good for the soul.

Parlor Club

We are beginning a new Parlor Club starting Tuesday, September 13. The cost is $10 for members, $20 for non-members We will be carpooling or caravanning from the Center to five local gaming parlors in Whiteside County, exclusively opened for our group — 1-hour play time per location. There will be a complimentary continental breakfast at location number 1. At locations No. 2 through 4, there will be complementary coffee, tea and pop. Location No. 5 will offer a complimentary lunch menu, details to be announced at sign-up. Each location will provide a $5 slot play. Random locations will have drawings for prizes. This is a value you do not want to pass up!

New support group

On September 22, we will be starting a new support group aimed at COVID grief. If you’re like me, these past few years have been hard to bounce back from. How do we adjust to our new normal? What have we lost over the past few years? This group will meet at 10 a.m. once a month on the third Thursday of the month in the Dining Room.

Outreach: Here for you

Please remember our Outreach workers can help you with an online application for a free computer giveaway on October 7 and 8 (Sign up now to reserve your spot). Neil from the Sauk Valley Computer Club can help you learn how to work your new computer. Neil’s hours are Monday through Thursday from 8:30 till 11:30 a.m. Outreach’s hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday). Call 815-622-9230 to make an appointment to see either an Outreach worker or Neil, or both.

Thank you all for helping put the FUN back at the Senior Center!

See you soon ...

— Susie

Golden Echo published monthly by Sauk Valley Media, 113-115 S. Peoria Ave., Dixon, IL 61021, in cooperation with the Lee County Council on Aging and Whiteside County Senior Center.

Golden Echo disclaims any liability for any advertisements published herein and in no way endorses or guarantees these ads.

Press releases of interest to seniors will be accepted at 100 W. Second St., Dixon, IL 61021; or 1207 W. Ninth St., Sterling, IL 61081. Deadline for submission is the 15th of each month.

Golden Echo does not discriminate in admission to programs or treatment or employment in programs or activities in compliance with the Illinois Human Rights Act; the U.S. Civil Rights Act; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act; the Age Discrimination Act; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act; and the U.S. and Illinois Constitutions. If you feel you have been discriminated against, you have a right to file a complaint with the Illinois Department of Aging. For information, call 800-252-8966 (Voice & TDD), or contact the director of Lee County Council on Aging, 100 W. Second St., Dixon, IL 61021 or telephone 815-288-9236; or Whiteside County Senior Center, 1207 W. Ninth St., Sterling, IL 61081 or 815-622-9230.

The senior centers do not require duration of residency or citizenship as a condition of participation in any services or programs funded by the Northwestern Illinois Area Agency on Aging. Residency or citizenship may be a requirement for other programs that the senior centers may provide assistance with in application or accessing of same. Services are made available, in part, with funds provided under Title III-B of the Older American Act, and the Illinois General Revenue Funds, through the Northwestern Illinois Area Agency on Aging. We are a United Way-funded agency.

A busy month at The Post House

The Post House Ballroom has a full schedule for the month of September, with a wedding every weekend, business meetings from local corporations, and hosting seminars. The Ballroom is more than a wedding venue — our weekdays are filled with great training classes, Rules of the Road classes, real estate auctions, and local businesses utilizing our facility for 3- to 4-hour meetings. Our pleasant décor is conducive to a calming classroom environment, which fits any genre. Lee County Council on Aging appreciates all our surrounding businesses support.

TRANSPORTATION

Need a ride? Give LCCOA a call

LCCOA Senior bus transportation is available to take you places you need go — the bank, church, dentist office, doctor office, employment, grocery store, health department, hospital/medical clinic, kidney dialysis center, public library, restaurants, or summer programs. LCCOA Senior Bus can also take you from your home to the Dixon Wal-Mart at 10 a.m., noon and 1:15 p.m., Monday through Friday. The cost is only $1 for rides inside of the city of Dixon for each way.

Call 815-288-9236 for more information or to reserve your seat on the Seniors’ Bus!

LCCOA phone numbers

Office Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday 100 West Second Street – Dixon, IL, 61021

Main number 815-288-9236

Transportation 815-288-9236

Post House Ballroom 815-288-9236

Outreach services & free phones for hearing impaired

Outreach hours 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

E-mail us at lccoa@comcast.net Visit us at www.leecountycouncilonaging.net or www.posthouseballroom.net or find us on Facebook

WCSC Help available for those who need a computer

Need a computer? Eligible customers can shop with PCs for People to receive a free or low-cost computer, with support from The Whiteside Area Career Center.

An online application is necessary and pre-registration is strongly encouraged, as limited quantities are available without completed registration. Register at https://pcsrefurbished.com/ event/registration. Need help in completing the application? Come by the WCSC, where we also offer computer training.

Pricing

Windows Desktop Package: $0 — See free computer eligibility information below.

Windows Laptop Package: $0 — Laptops available while supplies last.

Eligibility

If you receive SNAP, Medicaid, SSI, federal public housing assistance, Veterans Pension Benefit Program, or have a household income that is less than 135% of federal poverty guidelines (for example: $35,000 per year for a family of four), you can sign up for a free Windows computer through the WCSC Director Susie Welch delivered a computer to Whiteside Area Career Center. More information about eliSue Burgett of Rock Falls. Sue came to WCSC to receive gibility for Chrome Desktops assistance completing her online application for the and other computers can be Whiteside Area Career Center, PCs for People program. found at www.pcsforpeople. org/eligibility.

Pickup for the computers will be from 3-7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7, and 8 a.m.-noon Saturday, Oct. 8, at the Whiteside Area Career Center, 1608 Fifth Ave., Sterling.

Question? E-mail belleville@pcsforpeople.org.

WCSC phone numbers

Office Hours: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday 1207 W. Ninth St., Sterling

Transportation – 815-625-7433 • Information – 815-622-9230

ADRC:

Call 815-622-9230

Outreach and free phones for hard of hearing/ low vision 815-622-9230

Toll-free 888-622-9230

Email at info@wc-seniorcenter.org Go to www.wc-seniorcenter.org or follow us on Facebook.