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Inside This Issue Volunteer Appreciation ........ 1
RSVP Office Information ...... 2
Hats Off to You ..................... 2
Volunteer Spotlight .............. 2
Welcome New Volunteers .... 3
MSMP News ........................... 3
Calendar of Events ............... 3
Health Care Act Confusion .. 4
SHIP News ............................. 4
Senior Scholar News ............ 5
Volunteer Opportunities ....... 5
2014 Educational Series ....... 5
Handyman News ................... 6
City Market Cares ................ 6
Agency Spotlight .................. 6
RSVP Donors ........................ 7
Friends of RSVP .................... 8
Annual Volunteer Appreciation Event
Breakfast for Champions!
Thursday, March 20th, 2014 Doors Open at 8 a.m. Event Starts at 9 a.m.
Two Rivers Convention Center 159 Main Street
Grand Junction, CO 81501
All registered, active RSVP volunteers and selected honored individuals are invited to be our
guest for no charge.
Your mandatory reservation must be received
by March 14, 2014. Seating is limited.
New volunteers must be registered with RSVP by March 7, 2014, in order to attend at no charge.
Registered, active RSVP volunteers are welcome to bring a guest. The cost is $18 payable no later
than 1 week in advance.
Entertainment, Great Food, Door Prizes and Loads of Fun!
Loss of balance is one reason for unexpected falls and unnecessary emergency room visits. Here are some tips for seniors to help improve their balance. You’ll be balanced before you know it!
1. Practice balance exercises. Stand up from a seated position without using your hands. Stand on one leg while waiting in line, brushing your teeth or using the phone.
2. Pay attention to coordination and posture. Stand tall: pull your shoulders back and keep your head straight forward. Practice Tai Chi and Yoga.
3. Practice eye exercises. Your eyes communicate with your brain to help maintain proper balance. Sit in a sturdy chair and focus on an object 10 to 20 feet away. Keep your eyes focused on the object then slowly stand from the sitting position and sit back down. Now stand and sit with your eyes closed.
4. Have regular hearing and eye checks. Poor hearing or eye conditions such as glaucoma and cataracts can affect your balance. Get yearly check-ups.
5. More tips: Check your medications for side-effects that might affect your balance; keep your home well lit to prevent injury; de-clutter your floors; attach rugs and carpets firmly to the floor. Wear wider shoes with rubber soles.
Page 2 RSVP News - January-March 2014
Mesa County RSVP, Inc. is part of the Senior Corps
through the Corporation for National and
Community Service
Office Location: Lower Level of the US Bank at
4th and White, Suite 090 Mailing Address:
PO Box 1077 Grand Junction, CO 81502
Phone: 970-243-9839 FAX: 970-245-4808
Website: www.rsvpgrandjunction.org
E-Mail: [email protected]
Executive Director Jean Brewer
Office Manager Amber Hodges
Volunteer & SHIP Project Manager
Ruth McCrea Project Manager - Handyman,
Senior Scholar, and MSMP Lindy Hodges
Executive Committee: President: Teresa Black
Vice President: Kay Fiegel Treasurer: Bill Mitchell
Secretary: Mary Jo Johnson Board Members:
Terri Potente Rae Puderbaugh
Judy Forward John Nelson
Doug Speedie
Judy Ashby — SHIP Support Kathie Thompson — SHIP
Support Jeanne Fox — Office Support Stephanie Hudson — Office
Support
Newsletter Setup Jean Brewer and Amber Hodges
Tips to Improve Your Balance Volunteer Spotlight
by Ruth McCrea, Volunteer Manager
Thank you AARP Colorado for your generous donation to the Handyman Project.
Farewell to Mike Wengren who has left the RSVP Board. Thank you for your service.
Thank you Mary Jo Johnson for playing the harp at our Holiday Party.
First Presbyterian Church for the use of their wonderful Fellowship Room for our Holiday Party on December 13th.
Central High School Show Choir for their fun and entertaining performance at our Holiday Party.
6 SHIP Navigators, 2 SHIP Program Assistants, and 1 Outreach Volunteer for helping 1,700 (and counting) clients with their Medicare health care questions, concerns, enrollments, etc., in 2013.
RSVP News - January-March 2014 Page 3
Through December 11, 2013
Patti Ackley Aleta Ballard Annette Beeler Linda Bowman Cindy Lou Clark Lyman Crary Carren Glover Charles Hanson Susan Hanson Jeanette Hensley
Stephanie Hudson Glenda Jensen Darlene Kelley Bruce Kneeland Bonita McKee Lorraine Miles Mary Narrod Mary Lee Nye Billy Oberle Audrey Perkins
MSMP News Money-Saving Medicare Project by Lindy Hodges, Project Manager
January Turn In Your Timesheets
New Years Day—Office Closed 1
Turn In Your Timesheets
Groundhog Day 2
RSVP Board Meeting 19
President’s Day—Office Closed 17
15 RSVP Board Meeting
20 Martin Luther King Day—Office Closed
March
RSVP Board Meeting 19
Volunteer Appreciation Event – Two Rivers Convention Center (see cover article)
20
Turn In Your Timesheets
Daylight Savings Starts 9
27 SHIP Day 1 Training – 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
St. Patrick’s Day 17
February
Wow! My first Medicare part D open enrollment season is finally over; what an exciting couple of months. I am grateful to all of the volunteers that stepped up and helped me learn the ropes while never missing a beat with the regular influx in clients. The SHIP volunteers enrolled so many people I lost count! The number of people needing extra help was pretty large too. If you receive “extra help” you are not bound by the same deadlines for open enrollment. The Money Saving Medicare Project is open year round.
Do you know anyone that has trouble making ends meet and is on Medicare? Ask them if they pay $104.90 out of their Social Security. If the answer is yes, send them my way. The small amount of money many of our seniors and disabled neighbors are living on is astounding! Most are not aware of the help that is available.
These programs have very specific income and asset guidelines to qualify and I can help navigate them.
8 Medicare 101 – 10 a.m. to Noon
14 Valentine’s Day
Medicare 101 – 10 a.m. to Noon 5
5 Medicare 101 – 10 a.m. to Noon
Educational Seminar – 10 a.m. to Noon 26
Jim Pickens Shirley Powell Linda Propernick David Starks Emmi Starks Chris Vickery Marion Witt Maxine Ziegler
Call 970-243-9839 for more information.
RSVP took on the Senior Health Insurance Assistance Project (SHIP) in January 2008. By the end of that first year, our volunteer SHIP navigators provided just 194 client contacts. The word spread, numbers increased each year, and to-date, in 2013, the SHIP navigators had over 1,700 client contacts. That’s a 776% increase! The numbers don’t show any signs of slowing down.
SHIP navigators can help you understand your Medicare benefits, find the best Medicare health or drug plan, identify gaps in Medicare coverage and options to fill them, help organize your medical bills, and provide reference information and referral sources.
SHIP navigators can also help you understand the changes in Medicare due to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), such as added preventive screening for Medicare beneficiaries. The purpose of SHIP is to help Medicare beneficiaries make informed insurance choices. Navigators never recommend, endorse or sell any insurance product.
In addition to face-to-face counseling appointments, the RSVP SHIP also offers monthly Medicare 101 educational sessions for newly-eligible Medicare beneficiaries.
Dates for the upcoming sessions are January 8, February 5 and March 5,
2014.
Con Men Prey on Confusion over Health Care Act
The 2014 Medicare Annual Enrollment period is finally over, and you would think Medicare beneficiaries could breathe a sigh of relief. Not so! Criminals are trying to take advantage of the confusion many older Americans have about the Affordable Care Act. Scams range from deceptive sales practices to identity theft.
One such scam tries to convince Medicare beneficiaries they need to buy a new Medicare card because it is required by the Affordable Care Act. There’s no such card, and no need to give anyone money for a new one!
Another scam is when someone calls to confirm your Medicare number. They will ask all kinds of personal questions. Be careful of these calls! Neither Medicare nor Social Security will ever call you for personal information. This can open you up to identity theft.
And if someone on the phone invites you to pay for advice to navigate Obamacare, don’t worry about being rude: hang up the phone! However, if you want free advice about Medicare, call RSVP for help from a SHIP/SMP volunteer.
If you’re interested in learning how to help, call 243-9839.
Page 4 RSVP News - January-March 2014
SHIP News Senior Health Insurance Assistance Project
by Ruth McCrea, SHIP Project Manager
SMP News Senior Medicare Patrol
by Ruth McCrea, SHIP/SMP Project Manager
RSVP News - January-March 2014 Page 5
Senior Scholar News
by Lindy Hodges, Project Manager
We are planning five educational seminars of interest to seniors during 2014. These will be held at RSVP every other month, with the first seminar on February 26. The topic is yet to be determined.
The April 23 seminar will introduce the eight-week class, A Matter of Balance. Details will be published in the April-June RSVP newsletter. Every senior could benefit by attending this important class!
Future seminar dates are June 25, August 27 & October 22 (none in December).
Volunteer Opportunities by Ruth McCrea, Volunteer Manager
Now recruiting for:
United Way of Mesa County: Allocation Panel Volunteers
Girl Scouts of Colorado: Facilitators for “Girls are Great” – program to start in the spring
Mosaic: Advisory Committee, Fundraising Volunteer, Day Program, and Office Positions
Heirlooms for Hospice: Delivery, Cashier, Stocker – large variety of volunteer opportunities!
Call or go online for many more
volunteer opportunities.
Call 243-9839 or go to www.rsvpgrandjunction.org for more information.
We have an exciting new addition to our Senior Scholar placements, the “500 Plan.” This program is through District 51 and offers one-on-one time for the children here in Mesa County.
The goal is simple…to add 500 volunteers, making at least an eight week commitment to work with elementary students for approximately one hour on Wednesday afternoons. Since inception, the largest session was under 200 tutors! We can do better! The children here in the Grand Valley need you; any RSVP volunteer can help! You don’t need to currently be registered as a Senior Scholar.
Tutors will work one-on-one with students in grades 3 through 5 on Wednesdays at one of eight elementary schools. The tutoring occurs after school from 2 - 3 p.m. and offers the student an extra hour of instruction. The goal is to create a love of reading that will help students become proficient readers.
Volunteers will:
Submit to a background check and fingerprinting to assure student safety.
Attend a two hour class on working with students.
Commit to an eight week session.
Training Schedule Friday, January 10, 2014
8:00 - 10:00 am
Third Quarter 500 Plan Tutoring Dates
January 15, 2014 - March 5, 2014 Each Wednesday from 2:00 - 3:00 pm
2014 Educational Series by Ruth McCrea, Volunteer Manger
Call to reserve your spot
for these seminars.
Seating is limited.
What a difference one small repair can make!
A woman called with a light fixture that was broken for over a year and wondered if we could help. The fixture was in her kitchen and it was starting to get dark so early that it was becoming very difficult to fix supper for the four grandchildren she had taken emergency custody of.
A Handyman went out and repaired the light at no cost to the client. After the repair was complete she called and said, “You could not believe how bright it is, and how used to walking around in the dark, cooking in the dark and eating in the dark we were. It is wonderful and will be for years to come. Great big kudos for the Handymen’s help.” This family had been eating their meals in the dark for a year because they did not have the skills or the resources to fix the light.
Please tell your friends about this project; don’t let another Grandmother eat in the dark for lack of resources! We are here to help. If you know someone in need or have skills to donate please call us!
Page 6 RSVP News - January-March 2014
RSVP recently welcomed one new Member Agency, the Western Colorado Writer’s Forum, and is in the process of adding another, Colorado Community Action Association.
Western Colorado Writer’s Forum’s volunteer facilitators teach writing to veterans, homeless individuals at the shelter, K-12 students, and incarcerated teens, among others.
Colorado Community Action Association is sponsoring the VITA tax aid program. Tax help will be available at three locations: U.S. Bank in downtown Grand Junction, Wells Fargo Bank on North Ave. and the Alpine Bank in Fruita.
RSVP looks forward to offering a variety of volunteer opportunities with the addition of these agencies.
Date: _____/_____/ 2013
Address: ________________________ Telephone (_____) ____________
Organization Name: Mesa County RSVP
Record these 12 digits in the Value Card box below.
Name:
City, State and Zip: ____________________________________________
Value Card Number
Authorized Signature:___________________________________________
City Market Cares
Register all active Value Cards for your household. Use your card every time you shop at City Market. Sign up friends, family, neighbors and coworkers. Please register all new cards with RSVP. City Market or King Sooper’s/Sooper Cards can be
registered for RSVP. Fuel Center purchases DO count for RSVP.
City Market Cares has donated a total of $7,512 to RSVP since April 2001! THANK YOU!!!
Agency Spotlight by Ruth McCrea, Volunteer Manager
Handyman Project News by Lindy Hodges, Project Manager
Call 970-243-9839 for more
information.
RSVP News - January-March 2014 Page 7
Donors are listed here for 1 year from the time of donation. If for some reason we have omitted or misspelled a donor’s name, please accept our apology. We would appreciate the chance to correct our records. Please call the RSVP office at 243-9839.
Our Office Space is Generously Donated by:
AAA Hearing AARP Colorado AV Hunter Trust
Bacon Family Foundation Callahan-Edfast Mortuary
Colorado Health Foundation Corporation for National &
Community Service Daniels Fund
Fruita Thrift Shop Goodwin Foundation
Jean A. Brewer Jeanne M. Fox Mary Jo Johnson
Meadowlark Investments, LLC
State of Colorado-SHIP United Way of Mesa County
Wells Fargo Bank Community Assistance
Fund Xcel Energy Foundation
UNITED WAY DONORS: Bob and Sarah Walsh
Beth Somerville Betty Thul
Bill & Ginger Mitchell Bray & Company Carol A. Hertzke
Cheryl Belyeu Dean & Diane Nelson
Dennis & Sharon Delay
Dolores Woernel
Dorothy J. Enders
Douglas Speedie
Elsie Clifford
Ernest & Marcia Eastman
Frank & Glenda Charlesworth
Fred & Patricia Nichols
Gerald A Shrader Isabella Summers
Ilona Wiesiolek James & Kate Malapanes
Jan Kerr John Nelson
John Nelson Real Estate Judith Forward
Kay & Robert Fiegel Kenneth & Nancy Neal
Kirk & Teresa Black Linda & R.L. Berkey Patriot Coins USA
Robert & Sally Bellacqua
Robert Shales S.J. Archuleta Teresa Taylor
Teresa Potente & Edward Apanel
Thomas Johnson Tillie & Pat Bishop
UNITED WAY DONORS:
Janet Muyskens
Deborah Scenters
Julia Davis
Theresa Green
Lynn M. Davis
Joyce Pope
IN MEMORY OF LOVED ONES:
Virginia L. Samuel for Sharon Bochmann
Lawrence & Patricia Spaine
for Shirley Biel Ray & Maurina Hickman
for Dr. Jim Wilson
Beth Littleton
Beverly Karp
Blue Moon Bar & Grill
Brigitte Crosser
Carolyn Gerhard
Cynda Byers
Diana Landes
Donald D Ray
Dorothy McCarty
Effie Sophocles
Francis Hutto
Gene & Ethel Kalmon Halliburton Giving
Choices Payroll Deduction: Thomas Johnson
J.A. & J.R. Chmielewski
James Sellman
Janice Bishop
Joanne M Cording
M. Joyce Ford
Martha E Nunez
Melvin & Eleanor Muhr
Michael & Deborah Berry
Orlan & Joan Dove
Richard & Barbara Meysenburg
Richard & Sara-Lee Cardwell
Roberta McDaniel
Sandra Hyde
Vera C Rees
Violet Roeland
Wanda Moran
UNITED WAY DONORS:
Jeannine Smith
Susie Robertson
IN HONOR OF:
Royce Ann Mosher for Verna Seal
IN MEMORY OF:
Gen L. Gallagher for Emma Williams
Sarah Lowe for
Ron Lowe
Florence V Balbier for
Ted Balbier
Mitzi Taylor for
Mickey Miller
City Market Colorado Document
Security
Rae Puderbaugh
United Way Donation: Jean A. Brewer
Contribute financially to RSVP, and. . .
Believe people 55 and over are a valuable asset to the community, or. . .
Utilize RSVP volunteers through his/her place of work, or. . .
Support what the organiza-tion stands for, or . . .
Any combination of the above!!!
Put Your Friendship Where It Will Help Most...
I want to be a friend of RSVP, whose mission is: “Serving the community by utilizing the talents and skills of senior volunteers and placing them
in rewarding opportunities at local agencies.”
Participating Member ($1 to $49)
Contributing Member ($50 to $249)
Patron Member ($500 or over)
Sustaining Member ($250 to $499)
Enclosed is my/our check for $__________________
Name: _____________________________________________________
Address: ___________________________________________________
City: __________________________ State: ________ Zip: ___________
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
Place label here
NON PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE
PAID GRAND JUNCTION,
CO PERMIT NO. 142
PO Box 1077 Grand Junction, CO 81502
Never Forget
Donation in Memory of: _____________________________
Donation in Honor of: ______________________________
I want more information about RSVP.
I want more information on becoming an RSVP volunteer.
I want my Newsletter via email:_______________________
