Planning for the Future

BORROWED HEARTS

Offering free products and services to children in foster care and their families.

Written by John Kirkpatrick

Borrowed Hearts – a local nonprofit providing support to children in foster care and the families providing for them – opened its doors in December 2019. The operation is the brainchild of Amanda Van Bussum, who, after fostering with her husband for four years, decided the Owensboro area desperately needed more resources.

The story goes like this.

It was December, and the Van Bussums were ready to adopt their fifth child. Amanda posted the big news on Facebook, and much to her surprise, a friend commented, suggesting they visit Borrowed Hearts in Evansville for various clothes and household items to enhance the foster experience.

“I didn’t fully understand what it was; was everything free?” she recalled thinking to herself. “I had no idea it existed and immediately decided we needed one in Owensboro. I had some friends who were current or former foster parents who also wanted to help the foster community.”

Realizing that five children likely put her family at their cap and with a desire to remain involved, Van Bussum jumped at the opportunity to open an Owensboro storefront. She met with the founder of the Evansville store and discovered her first step would be finding a space.

“A husband of one of the board members worked for Don Moore and said she would see if they have anything,” Van Bussum said. “They did and agreed to let us use the old store on Second Street. We got in the space on Fall break and opened by December.”

Borrowed Hearts specializes in outof-home care and kinship placement, primarily operating the storefront for families to come in and shop for anything they could need, all for free. Individuals and groups in the community donate most of the items, ranging from hygiene kits and snacks to coats and clothing.

The group offers snack kits for initial placements to ease the tension of asking for food. The snack options are typically comforting food, and the host families will keep them in plain sight advising the children to take them when they please.

They also provide birthday kits to families, which include cake mixes, icing, a card, gifts, and more.

“If a kid is placed on Monday, the family could need several things immediately, and those costs add up,” she said. “We don’t want them having to run to Walmart on their first night.”

Other services include a bible study for foster and adoptive mothers at Walnut Memorial Church and the new Adopt-aHouse. Through a partnership with New Life Church, the Adopt-a-House provides a home-like space for children unable to find immediate placement.

The space features a full-size kitchen, bedrooms, bathrooms, and a laundry room, and while leaders hope it's never used, they’re glad to have it at their disposal.

To learn more about Borrowed Hearts, visit their website at borrowedheartsobky.org or search @ borrowedheartsowensboro on Facebook. The organization is always accepting donations, which can be delivered to the store at 1705 West Second Street in Owensboro.

“The community has been so supportive,” Van Bussum said. “To look back and see how fast it has all happened, it’s remarkable.” OP

JOHN KIRKPATRICK is a special education teacher at Daviess County High School and a contributing writer for Owensboro Parent, Owensboro Living, GO Chamber, and the Owensboro Times. He enjoys spending time with his wife, Tara, and daughter, Laney.

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2023 is finally here! Parents, take this time to rest and enjoy your family, but also prepare for the new year. Take the time to be ready for the future and make the most of your family resources.

WHY GOALS ARE BETTER THAN RESOLUTIONS + 10 ideas to get you started

Written by Ashley Wedding

When we make New Year resolutions we are “resolving” to make a change, but in most cases without a plan. No plan typically means no action, setting yourself up for burnout and discouragement.

Staying motivated isn’t realistic under those circumstances. What if your family made yearly goals instead of resolutions? Goals come with clear plans of how to achieve them and therefore you have a more realistic chance of having the 2023 you want!

Here are 10 goals to get you thinking about your new year and making the changes you want in your life.

Be more active.

Most of us aren’t as active as we’d like to be. Committing to at least 30 minutes of exercise everyday could make a big change in the lives of your family.

Go on a real vacation.

Are you guilty of planning a trip packing as many activities into the week as possible? Instead of booking your calendar up with trips, take some actual time off and REST!

Spend more time outside.

Time in nature does a family good. Find an app or website that can help you track your own hours and meet your goal.

While this can be easier said than done, it’s something that can make the biggest difference in your life, especially your mental health.

Donate to something you care about.

Whether you donate financially or with your time, donating to a cause that you care about can be a great lesson for your children.

Learn a new recipe every month.

Not only can you commit to eating together more as a family, but you can make a goal to learn a new recipe each month. This is the perfect opportunity to make healthier food choices and spend more time as a family.

Shop with more small businesses.

Your impact when shopping small is much larger than when shopping with big companies. This is a good lesson to start early with your children.

Use affirmations.

Family affirmations can help reframe old ways of thinking and create the positive, strong relationships we need to have a happy life. Every week pick a new affirmation of the week and try to use it daily.

Do whatever you’ve been putting off.

Maybe this is a significant purchase that your family needs, a surgery or procedure that would make life easier, a home improvement project. Whatever it is, set a plan to make it happen this year.

Call your friends and family.

If there’s anything the past few years have taught us, it’s that life is short. The most important thing in life is the people you love and spending time with them. Call your friends and family more often. Make plans. Hang out. Make memories. OP

ASHLEY WEDDING is the editor of Owensboro Parent. She enjoys everyday adventures with her husband, Drew, and their three kids, Avery, Reed and Mason.

Pay off your debt, save on housing, and other ways to get your money matters in order.

So you’ve finally landed your first real job and are living in your first real apartment, It’s time to start living like an adult, which means it’s time to set new rules and goals for yourself. Making just a couple of these commitments part of your routine should strengthen your financial future:

MAKE A BUDGET

Decide what you can afford to spend on things, and then stick to it. Baird can give you access to great financial planning and budgeting tools at Baird Online, while 360 Wealth allows you to view all of your financial accounts in a single location. You can also build a custom budget that allows you to track your income and expenses.

TRACK EVERYTHING

Keeping track of anything makes you more aware of what you’re doing. This applies to spending: If you write down everything you buy – including things like automatic monthly payments – you’ll notice you’re spending money on things you don’t need.

PAY OFF DEBT

Debt is a silent killer of your savings. Making minimal payments will chip off only small portions of a debt’s principal, so focus on making larger payments. Student loans will take many years to pay down, but other, smaller debts should be a priority every month.

START SAVING FOR RETIREMENT

If you’re 25, and can put away $100 a month at 5% interest, you’ll have more than $150,000 by the time you’re 65. If you wait till you’re 40 to start saving, you’d need to put aside more like $250 a month. Start by getting the employer match on your 401(k). Your contribution will be deducted from your paycheck before you get it, making it easy to save.

SAVE FOR EMERGENCIES

Everyone eventually runs into a financial emergency: Your car breaks down or you lose your job. A good rule of thumb is to have three to six months’ worth of expenses saved up, so a temporary financial crisis doesn’t derail your life over the long term.

SET FINANCIAL GOALS

We all want something that costs a lot of money, whether that’s a house or a fancy honeymoon. Keeping track of your progress toward these goals will give you an incentive to save – and remind you why you’re making these day-to-day sacrifices.

SCRIMP ON YOUR HOUSING

If rent is your biggest expense, it’s also your biggest opportunity to save. $985 a month may not sound that much different from $895 a month, but that difference adds up to more than $1,000 a year.

GET RENTERS INSURANCE

Renters insurance is generally not very expensive – under $200 a year in most states – and can help prevent a small expense, like a burst water pipe, from spiraling into a highly damaging one.

SAVE FINANCIAL WINDFALLS

Most of us get occasional unexpected money, whether that’s from tax refunds or cash-back rewards from a credit card. Rather than spend it on an indulgence, put it toward your savings or one of your long-term goals (or pay off small debts!).

FINALLY, DON’T BEAT UP ON YOURSELF WHEN YOU HAVE TO SPEND MONEY

Adulting costs like buying a car or new clothes for work are onetime expenses that should count as investments rather than recurring expenditures. You can also get good advice on long-term planning from a Baird Financial Advisor on building a solid new financial landscape for yourself that will last a lifetime.

What To Expect From a Financial Advisor

If you know how important it is to invest for your future, but you’re unsure of the road to follow, you may want to get some guidance and direction from a financial professional. But if you’ve never worked with one before, what can you expect? Here are some things to look for:

Assessment

A financial advisor will assess your current financial situation – assets, income, debts and so on – but that’s just the start. These days, advisors recognize the need to view their clients’ lives holistically. Consequently, you will see questions like this: What are your feelings about investing? How would you judge your risk tolerance? What are your individual financial goals? What hopes and dreams do you have for your family?

Recommendations

Only after fully understanding your needs, goals and preferences will a financial advisor recommend any investment moves. There are no “onesize-fits-all” solutions. You may want to steer clear of individuals claiming to be financial advisors who “guarantee” big returns with no risk. In the investment world, there are few guarantees, and every investment carries some type of risk.

Communications

Financial professionals communicate with their clients in different ways, but you should always feel free to reach out to an advisor with any questions or concerns. Most financial advisors will want to meet with clients at least once a year, either in person or through an online platform, to review their investment portfolios. During the review, the financial advisor will help you determine if any changes are needed. But financial advisors won’t wait a full year to contact clients to discuss a particular investment move that might need to be made. Also, depending on the firm you choose, you should be able to go online to review your portfolio at your convenience.

Technology

A financial advisor can employ a variety of software programs to help clients. For example, a financial advisor can determine the rate of return you might need to attain specific goals, helping shape your investment strategy. But there are also a lot of “what ifs” in anyone’s life, so an advisor can use hypothetical illustrations to show you where you might end up if you take different paths, such as retiring earlier (or later) than you had planned or putting in more (or less) money toward a specific goal, such as education for your children. Anyone’s plans can change, so the ability to view different potential scenarios can prove valuable.

Above all, a financial advisor can help you feel more confident as you pursue your goals. Among investors who work with a financial advisor, 84% said that doing so gave them a greater sense of comfort about their finances during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a survey conducted in 2020 by Age Wave and Edward Jones. And during times of market turbulence, such as we’ve experienced this year, a financial advisor can help you avoid overreacting to downturns. When unexpected events crop up, such as a lapse in employment, a financial advisor can suggest moves that may enable you to avoid major disruptions to your financial strategy. Conversely, when a new opportunity emerges, perhaps from an inheritance or some other windfall, your financial advisor can help you take advantage of it.

Navigating the investment landscape can be challenging – but the journey can be a lot smoother if you’ve got the right guide. OP

Prepare Your Immune System for Flu Season

This flu and RSV season has already proven itself intrusive in our community. It seems as though everywhere we look a family member, coworker, or friend is sick, despite the extra precautions we have taken to prevent illnesses. So what else can we do to protect ourselves and our loved ones? We can prepare our immune systems for the viruses and bacteria they will inevitably come in contact with! There are many ways to do this, including the following:

Exercise at least 3 times a week

Include 3 servings of fruits and vegetables each day

Cut out sugars

Get your flu vaccine

Take immune supportive vitamins such as C, D, Zinc, and Elderberry

Get a B12 injection

That last one may come as a surprise, but B12 is essential to immune support. Strong immune systems thrive on oxygen rich, red blood cells. Vitamin B12 increases red blood cell production in your body, therefore ensuring the immune system gets the oxygen it needs to fight off infections. It can also help with cold and flu symptom relief! A B12 injection, instead of a B12 pill, is beneficial for everyone but especially for people who have difficulty absorbing vitamin B12 and/or are significantly deficient in B12. This is because the B12 injection is delivered directly into your bloodstream, avoiding the digestive tract entirely.

You may receive a B12 injection every 1-4 months depending on your body’s needs. At Gateway Urgent Care, we can give B12 injections to almost anyone, as long as you have an order from a physician or current lab work showing a B12 deficiency. If you do not have lab work yet, we can order it for you! Also, many insurances cover them, but some require regular testing for B12 levels. Many of our patients prefer to just pay cash for their monthly B12 injection, which costs $20. You can either set up a visit at our website, mercyurgentcare.com, or walk in anytime Monday through Saturday 7am-7pm to receive your immune supportive B12 injection! OP

PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE

OWENSBORO CATHOLIC SCHOOLS A BIG FAMILY

The Owensboro Catholic difference.

Education is the foundation of your child’s future. With so many wonderful educational opportunities in the Owensboro community, we at OCS invite you to come see the difference at Owensboro Catholic Schools.

Owensboro Catholic Schools is a Catholic school system that provides a quality education to its students. We do this in a disciplined, safe environment that is rich in tradition. Our classrooms offer lower student/teacher ratios that enable our teachers to develop meaningful, lasting relationships with the families we serve.

“OCS is like home to me. I grew up in the Owensboro Catholic School system, and it has always felt like a big family - I couldn't imagine teaching anywhere else. I love my OCS family.” Alyssa Schueler, OCMS teacher

We are proud to offer our students and their parents a family atmosphere, challenging curriculum, caring and professional teachers and opportunities for spiritual and academic growth.

“We choose to send our children to OCS because it is like a big family! The teachers and staff are so dedicated and truly care about each child. Our children have learned so much academically, grown in their prayer life, and developed meaningful friendships. We are proud to be at OC!” - The Brant Family

Our students are our greatest source of pride! From their classroom accomplishments, to their service to the community, to their success in both athletic and academic competitions, our students exemplify what it means to be true leaders!

“I love being at OCS because the education here is amazing and I have learned so much. I love all of the athletic offerings and how successful they are. Another thing is the school spirit throughout all the schools. Everyone dresses up and is so cheerful! I have enjoyed learning our fight song and cheers.” - Felicity Payne, OCMS student

If you have any questions, or are ready to join the OCS family, give Jenny Glenn a call at 270-686-8896. We look forward to hearing from you! OP

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