COA May 2010 Evergreen Newsletter
Council on Aging
75 Reed Road
Westport, Massachusetts 02790-1135
Tel 508-636-1026 fax 508-636-1034
***EVERGREEN*** May 2010
The serious budget situation in the Town may bring drastic changes shortly. At this point, it is unclear what the extent of change there will be to the elder services provided through the WCOA. First of all, I would like to reassure you that the WCOA Board and the Director are committed to our mission statement. The primary function of the Westport Council on Aging is to identify and meet the needs of Westport’s elder population and to inform elders and the community of available services.
Westport has been very fortunate over the years to have transportation available to the elder population.
There are some who have suggested that cutting transportation to elders is not a serious issue, but minor health issues can turn into serious problems without routine medical appointments. In some cases it may be a matter of life or death. The strongest desire of most elders is to live in their own home as long as possible. Without transportation to medical appointments, grocery shopping, or to the pharmacy some elders will have to give up their dream prematurely.
Westport is a community made up of all ages. Each age group has a value of its own that does not diminish the value of the other. Young, old and all of those in- between living together with mutual respect will bring the community through these financial struggles.
**Reminder** very important Town Meeting May 25, 2010 at 7:00 pm
The Senior Center is closed:
Monday May 31, 2010 Memorial Day
WALK FOR HUNGER
Since 1969, Walk for Hunger has been a tradition in Massachusetts to help raise urgently needed funds for food supplies and meals for the Commonwealth’s hungry. Promoted by Project Bread, this year’s Walk for Hunger is Sunday, May 2, starting in Boston Common. However, anyone can walk anywhere, right here in Westport. Won’t you consider organizing a walk with your friends and neighbors in support of “Food for Friends,” Westport’s very own food pantry that serves any adult age 18 and older who lives in Westport and is in need? Every dollar helps and is gratefully received.
If you prefer to donate through Project Bread, which serves the Commonwealth at large, go to www.projectbread.com
Thank you,
Food for Friends Committee
KEYNOTES- ENTERTAINMENT
Monday 5/17/2010 at 12:00 - Come and join us at the Westport Council on Aging with the Dartmouth COA Chorus. Prepare to sing and be entertained with a very talented group of seniors. The Keynotes bring cheer to many area COA’s, nursing homes, assisted living and other community events.
TRANSPORTATION CORNER - UPDATES & REMINDERS FROM THE WCOA TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT: Appointments for transportation must be made in advance to provide quality transportation for our clients. Appointments can be taken between 10:00 A.M. & 2:00 P.M. Monday through Friday. Beginning March 1st 2010, appointments cannot be made for the following day. Please call at least 1 week prior to your appointment. For example, if you need an appointment for a Wednesday, you must call to schedule it with us no later than the Wednesday before your appointment. This gives us time to prepare our schedules in a more effective manner. Please keep this in mind when scheduling you’re appointments. Donations- During these tough economic times your support is more important than ever to help keep the transportation service that the WCOA provides going. A $5 donation is suggested a round-trip ride, and $3 for a one-way transport. Also donations may be made to the Town of Westport. Thank You Again for your continued support for such a great service!
Please join us for Soup & Sandwich .....Wednesday May 12, 2010 We will serve Clam Chowder & Tuna Fish Sandwiches at the Westport Senior Center - 11:30 A.M. for the first 60 guests who make reservations--all for the bargain price of $3.00 per person.
Entertainment is a movie at 12:00
Advance registration is required--(508) 636-1026.
"FOOD FOR FRIENDS”
FOOD PANTRY IS OPEN!!: This great resource is available to families in the Westport Community. If you have any questions on who qualifies, please call the center and ask for Andrea or Phyllis at 508-636-1026 in the Outreach Department. Thank you to everyone who has generously contributed to the Food Pantry. We are doing well, serving nearly 30 Westport households. “Food for Friends” depends on the community support and you and the community-at-large have been wonderful. We are now posting on the “erasable” board in the COA main hallway a list of items that are particular needed. Small sizes are more manageable than larger for our recipients.Food Pantry Update for May: The Pantry is growing weekly and we always welcome donations of food, toiletries, and even monetary donations. We’ve recently had two generous donations from Curves in North Dartmouth and the Westport Elementary School children, families, and staff to whom we are very grateful. Currently, we can still use the following items in small/ medium sizes: Food: Mac and Cheese, canned fruit, sugar-free items for diabetics, peanut butter, jelly, baked beans, desserts (puddings, mixes, jello, cookies), rice, packaged soups (not canned, we have plenty), hams, stew, chili, all-in-one meals or side dishes. We are currently well-stocked with pasta (except mac and cheese) or canned soups. Please drop items off at the WCOA. Thank You for all your support. Individually and together we are making a difference.
Heather Heath Reed
COA Board Chair
FOOD PANTRY IS OPEN EVERY THURSDAY
10:00 A.M. - 2:00 P.M.
INFORMATION AND REFERRAL to the network of services available to Westport residents, 60 years of age and over. WCOA is open Monday - Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.
The SHINE Program (SERVING THE HEALTH INFORMATION NEEDS OF ELDERS)--information about Medicare, supplements, MassHealth. Phone consultations and office appointments.
Call Karen Urmson-508-222-1399
Volunteer Corner
Volunteers needed.:
Friendly visiters to visit elders in the community.
Brown Bag deliveries. We need volunteers for once a month to help deliver bags on a Tuesday with a COA driver from 10:00AM to 3:00 PM.
Please call Jennifer C. Wagner, our Volunteer Coordinator at the Westport Council on Aging if you are interested in volunteering or have any questions.
TRANSPORTATION for Westport’s elders, and handicapped persons of all ages, Monday - Friday, to area appointments scheduled between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. When you make your doctor’s appointment, call us for a ride. Please have the exact doctor’s name, street address, and telephone number when you call.
MIND-Art Bingo-Drawing-Games-Knitting-Quilting-Poetry Writing-Watercolor
AND BODY-Aerobics, Billiards, Chair Massage, Osteoporosis, Prevention
FITNESS-Prevention, Reiki, T’ai Chi, YogaFit, Zumba
PROGRAMS:Call for space availability and fees-508-636-1026.
CAREGIVER SUPPORT GROUP w/ Phyllis
VISUAL IMPAIRMENT SUPPORT GROUP w/ Andrea
3rdTuesday- May 18, 2010, 10:30-11:30AM
Also, BOOKS ON TAPE--VIDEO MAGNIFIER
Transportation is available for Westport residents.
CHAIR MASSAGE w/ Karen—1st Friday
Friday, May 7, 2010 12:00-2:00PM
CHAIR MASSAGE w/ Heather
Every Wednesday 9:00AM-11:00AM
This is a complimentary service—no charge.
BLOOD PRESSURE CLINIC w/Nurse Pauline
Wednesday, May 5, 2010, 10:30 – 11:30 PM
BLOOD PRESSURE CLINIC w/Nurse Kathy
3rd Tuesday, May 18, 2010, 1:30 – 2:30 PM
PODIATRY CLINIC at Dr. Spiri’s office in Somerset,
Thursday June 3, 2010. For an appointment
call the WCOA, 508-636-1026
Walking - Hiking Group
Are you interested in walking/hiking with others who love the out-of-doors? Have you wanted to walk some of the wonderful trails in our area but have some reservations about heading out alone? Every Tuesday at 8:45A.M there is a group that begins at the Westport COA.
If you are interested, please call,
508-636-1026, at the Council on Aging.
--Rosemary Lenrow
LEGAL ADVICE
Attorney Jennifer Heald will be meeting individuals for fifteen minute appointments on Wednesday, May 19 from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. The first six individuals to sign up will meet with Attorney Heald who will help to answer your questions at the Senior Center. Please write down your questions so you can make good use of your brief time with her.
Attorney Heald established her general civil practice in Westport handling civil matters including estate planning and landlord/tenant cases. As an Estate Planning attorney, she is able to give advice on Last Wills and Testaments, Durable Powers of Attorney, Health Care Proxies, Living Will Declarations, HIPAA Authorizations, and Declarations of Homesteads for clients. She can also provide legal assistance in probate administration.
PC & INTERNET CLASSES FOR SENIOR CITIZENS - Hi and welcome to Computer Classes at Westport COA. My name is Joan Hale, and I am here to help you get the most out of your PC. I want you to excel in how you use your PC, be it Internet, surfing, emailing, word processing, or just as simple as using the mouse. I hope this training will help break down the “Typical Barriers” and “Obstacles” which are responsible for stopping the majority of senior citizens learning the value in owning a PC and getting online. Keep in mind, “You Cannot Break the Computer”. So let’s have some fun and learn together. Call me at the COA at 508-636-1026 Monday thru Wednesday to set up a training time.
Are you or anyone you know in need of assistance? Please call our Outreach office and ask for Andrea or Phyllis. Outreach Provides the following assistance: Home Visits, Help with applications, Information and referrals, Caregiver Support , Vision Impaired Support, & Medical equipment loaned out. S.N.A.P. - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program - helps low income individuals and families buy healthy, nutritious food. Please contact the Outreach department to see if you are eligible!! Please contact with any questions or for any service request at 508-636-1026. Fuel Assistance- Forms & Assistance is now available through the Outreach department. Please call to schedule an appointment with Andrea or Phyllis.
oin the multi-media drawing class at the Westport Senior Center.Share the fun and comradery as you learn new ways to express yourself, responding to your surroundings with new awareness of form, perspective, and color learning techniques. Please call our Outreach office and ask for Andrea or Phyllis. the following assistance: Home Visits, Help with applications, Information and referrals, Caregiver Support , Vision Impaired Support, & Medical equipment loaned out. helps low income individuals and families buy healthy, nutritious food. Please contact the Outreach department to see if you are eligible!! Please contact with any questions or for any service request at 508-636-1026.
Parkinson’s Support Group - is having a meeting on Thursday, May 13, 2010 @ 1:00PM at the Dartmouth COA on Dartmouth St., So. Dartmouth, Ma. Speakers: Kari Starr & Kelly Coucci, Speech Pathologists- “Keep your Voice Alive with Strategies for Improving Communication Skills with Parkinson’s Disease. Call Judy Medeiros for details 508-997-0907
SOS: SEASONS OF THE SKY
A guide to stars, planets, and other awesome objects revealed as we make our year-long journey around the sun on space station earth.
Your tour guide, Greg Stone, has been an amateur astronomer for half a century, published several magazine articles on astronomy, and maintains an instructional web site related to this program. His personal observatory on Drift Rd. includes a 15” reflecting telescope. Online Visit: astrojourney.wordpress.com. Take a 580-million-mile Journey! Starting May 6, 2010 10:00am - 12:00 noon and continues on the 1st Thursday of each month for a year at the Westport COA.
Cost: $30.00 for materials; includes free, related, occasional observing sessions at Driftway Observatory and other Westport locations.
To register, sign up at the reception desk at the Westport Senior Center or call: 508-636-1026.
GREETINGS FROM THE FRIENDS
Two years ago I was elected President of the Friends of the COA. I have served two terms and those years are about to be behind me. It has been a great ride! I serve with an amazing group of volunteers.
The Friends of the COA, the staff, and many others are a caring, giving and outgoing group. My time at the top has been a fantastic voyage- one that I will cherish. Thank you all for your help, support and guidance. Without you, we would be nowhere. Now it is time to take another chair in the Board Room to listen, instead of lead, to continue to assist in the ongoing programs, and to help do whatever it takes to grow our Senior Center at 75 Reed Road in Westport. I will see you there, and thanks to you all. Peter C. Foster
AARP TAX-AIDE PROGRAM -Again this year, a volunteer tax-aide, Jean-Louis Clapin, will be at the Westport Senior Center to help Westport residents over 60 years of age prepare their simple 2009 tax returns. Mr. Clapin will be at the Center on Tuesdays, by appointment only, through April 13, 2010. Please contact Mr. Clapin at 508-672-5683 for an appointment. This program is offered by the AARP Foundation in conjunction with the IRS, in co-operation with the COA.
CENSUS 2010
WHY YOU SHOULD RESPOND
The 2010 Census is:
EASY: With just 10 questions, it is easy to complete and return.
SAFE: By law, the Census Bureau cannot share your answers with anyone.
IMPORTANT: Census data are used to determine U.S.Congressional apportionment as well as the distribution of federal funding. Federal, state and local policymakers also use Census data to:
Implement the Supplemental Social Security Income and Social Security Disability Insurance Programs. Plan programs for seniors living alone. Apply for grants to help seniors caring for their grand children. Create facilities and services for people with disabilities.
PLEASE FILL OUT AND RETURN YOUR CENSUS FORM WHEN IT IS DELIVERED IN SPRING 2010
CALENDAR OF EVENTS - WESTPORT SENIOR CENTER
(Programs for elders 60 years of age and over)
SPECIAL EVENTS FOR APRIL 2010 and BEYOND......
May 2 Sunday 11:00AM. Walk for Westport Food Bank at Horseneck State Beach Main Parking lot. Your tax-deductable donation and/or contribution of food are greatly appreciated. No reservation needed. For information call 508-636-1026
May 5 12:00 Wednesday entertainment by Natalia
May 6 10:00am-12:00 noon. Seasons of the Sky. A guide to stars, planets and other awesome objects revealed as we make our year-long journey around the sun on space station earth. Meets the first Thursday of each month for a year at the Westport COA. Cost: $30.00 for materials; includes free, related, occasional observing sessions at Driftway Observatory and other Westport locations.
May 12 11:30 a.m. Wednesday –Clam Chowder & Tuna Fish sandwich - For $3.00 A movie will follow at 12:00PM. Reservations call 508-636-1026
May 17 12:00 Monday. The Keynotes- Entertainment. A Dartmouth COA chorus group are a very talented group of seniors.
May 2010 Tuesday and Thursday AARP Tax-Aide Program. Jean-Louis Clapin will be at the Westport COA to help residents over 60 years of age prepare their simple 2009 tax returns, by appointment only, through May 17, 2010. Please contact Mr. Clapin at 508-672-5683 for an appointment.
MONDAYS
8:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Senior Social Day Program, Monday through Friday.
Supervised program. Fee.
8:45 - 9:30 a.m. Aerobic Exercise, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Fee.
9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Pool Tables, Monday through Friday.
Tables available for individual and group games. Walk-ins.
9:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Games, Mondays. Walk-ins.
9:45 - 11:00 a.m. Osteoporosis Prevention, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
Cost of weights and donations. Reservations.
11:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.Lunch Program, Monday through Friday.
48-hr. Advanced reservations. Donation.
1:00 - 2:00 p.m. YogaFit Class, Mondays. Fee.
4:00 - 5:00 p.m. Zumba Class, Mondays. Fee.
TUESDAYS
8:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Senior Social Day Program, Monday through Friday.
Supervised program. Fee.
9:00 a.m. Walking / Hiking Group
9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Pool Tables, Monday through Friday.
Tables available for individual and group games. Walk-ins.
10:30 - 11:30 a.m. Visual Impairment Support Group, 3rd Tuesday. Reservations.
11:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.Lunch Program, Monday through Friday.
48-hr. Advanced reservations. Donation.
1:00 - 3:00 p.m. Knitting Circle, Tuesdays. Walk-ins.
1:00 - 3:00 p.m. Bingo, every Tuesday. Walk-ins.
1:30 - 2:30 p.m. Blood Pressure Clinic, 3rd Tuesday. Walk-ins. Nurse Kathy
1:30 - 3:30 p.m. Caregiver support group. 3rd Tuesday of the Month
WEDNESDAYS
8:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Senior Social Day Program, Monday through Friday.
Supervised program. Fee.
8:45 - 9:30 a.m. Aerobic Exercise, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Fee.
9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Pool Tables, Monday through Friday.
Tables available for individual and group games. Walk-ins.
9:00 - 11:00 a.m. Chair Massage w/Heather - Donation
9:00 - 11:30 a.m. Watercolor, Wednesdays. Fee. Seasonal.
9:45 - 11:00 a.m. Osteoporosis Prevention, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Cost of weights and donations. Reservations.
10:00 a.m.- 11:30a.m. 3rd Wednesday of the Month, “LEGAL ADVICE” with Atty: Jennifer Heald. By Appt.
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m. Blood Pressure Clinic w/ Pauline 1st Wednesday of the month.
11:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.Lunch Program, Monday through Friday.
48-hr. Advanced reservations. Donation.
1:30 - 3:00 p.m. Poetry-Writing Workshop, Wednesdays. Walk-ins.
THURSDAYS
8:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Senior Social Day Program, Monday through Friday.
Supervised program. Fee.
8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. Zumba Class. Fee.
9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Pool Tables, Monday through Friday.
Tables available for individual and group games. Walk-ins.
10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Food Pantry “Food for Friends” every Thursday
10:00 a.m. - 12 noon Astronomy class, 1st Thursday. Reservations.
11:30 a.m. - 12:00 noon Lunch Program, Monday through Friday.
48-hr. Advanced reservations. Donation.
12:30 a.m. - 2:15 p.m. Bingo for prizes. 50 cents per card. Walk-Ins
1:00 - 3:00 p.m. Quilting, Thursdays. Fee.
1:00 - 3:00 p.m. Drawing, Thursdays. Fee.
FRIDAYS
8:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Senior Social Day Program, Monday through Friday.
Supervised program. Fee.
8:45 - 9:30 a.m. Aerobic Exercise, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Fee.
9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Pool Tables, Monday through Friday.
Tables available for individual and group games. Walk-ins.
9:45 - 11:00 a.m. Osteoporosis Prevention, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Cost of weights and donations. Reservations.
11:30 a.m. - 12:00 noon Lunch Program, Monday through Friday.
48-hr. Advanced reservations. Donation.
11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Tai Chi, Advanced Class, Thursdays. Fee
12:00 - 2:00 p.m. Chair Massage w/ Karen, 1st Friday. Walk-ins.
12:30 - 1:30 p.m. Tai Chi, Intermediate Class, Fridays. Fee.
1:30 - 2:30 p.m. Tai Chi, Basics Class, Fridays. Fee.
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