November is National Caregiver Month

Thank you caregivers everywhere!  

Did you know that there are 65 million people in the United States
providing care for chronically ill, disabled or aged family members during any given year? Those 65 million caregivers spend 20 hours a week providing that care. The American Society on Aging reported that if this care was put into dollars it would be valued at $375 billion a year, which is almost twice as much as is spent on homecare and nursing home services combined.

The National Family Caregivers Association is working hard to bring
more attention to caregivers and the major role they play in the health care of care receivers. If you know someone who is caregiving give them a thank you for their devotion to serve their loved one or maybe offer a little assistance. Thank you caregivers everywhere!
Visit their website for more  info

Free Event at Lyngblomsten's 5-5-1 Club

Caregiver Cafe: Caregiving & the Holidays

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Caregiver Café is an opportunity for caregivers to connect with one another about caregiving while enjoying each other’s company in a café-style atmosphere.  The theme of the topics will be around caregiving and the holidays.  There will be guided “table talk” that keeps the focus on you as a caregiver and your unique experiences related to providing care for a family member, friend or neighbor. 

Please bring a lunch or pick up something at Anna’s (café located on campus).  Dessert, coffee, tea and water will be provided. 

4 sessions—Join us for all four, or stop by when you are able: 

Repeats every week until Tue Dec 10 2013 except Tue Nov 26 2013.

Tuesday, November 12, 2013 - 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM

 Tuesday, November 19, 2013 - 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM

 Tuesday, December 3, 2013 - 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM

 Tuesday, December 10, 2013 - 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM

Location: 

 5-5-1 Club - lower level of the Lyngblomsten campus at 1415 Almond Ave, St. Paul 55108

Download the flyer.

Fee:  FREE

Register:  Please RSVP to (651) 632-5330 or 551club@lyngblomsten.org.
Program # 1112-1210

Caregiver support volunteers needed:     

RSVP can connect you to volunteer opportunities such as respite care, friendly visiting, errands and more.                                                                 

Volunteers 55 and over receive special benefits.

For more info: Call 952-945-4162 or Email 

Free Theater for, by and about MN Veterans!

Free Tickets to "An Iliad" When: Performances scheduled daily until Oct. 19 Where: Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis About: Military personnel, veterans, and their immediate families are invited to attend a performance of "An Iliad," now playing in the Dowling Studio. Experience one of the best performances of 2013 - a solo performance the Star Tribune hailed a "tour de force" and City Pages called "riveting!" More Info: Flyer Telling: Minnesota When: Oct. 19, 10 a.m., and Oct. 20, 1 p.m. Where: Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis Detailing military service from Vietnam through to the present, six  Minnesota veterans will step onstage at the Guthrie Theater’s Dowling  Studio to give their first-hand accounts of their lives and the military.  Telling: Minnesota is an original play written from interviews with the  performers themselves, interwoven into three continuous acts.  Stories range from capture and escape in Southeast Asia and Scud missile  attacks in Saudi Arabia, to accompanying Lynn Anderson to the Marine  Corps Ball, flying injured soldiers out of Iraq and Afghanistan, repairing  helicopters in South Korea and military sexual trauma in the Army. Telling:  Minnesota is an unvarnished look at the heroism, absurdity, horror, wonder  and banality of military life as told by the Minnesotans to whom these  things happened TELLING: MINNESOTA PERFORMANCES ARE FREE, BUT TICKETS ARE REQUIRED.  Call the Guthrie Box Office at 612.377.2224 (toll-free at 1.877.44STAGE) to reserve your ticket.  More Info: Flyer More Theater Discounts for Veterans and Active Military

When: Oct. 2013 Where: Various locations About: The Minnesota Theater Alliance is offering discounted tickets to several theater shows throughout Minnesota all month long! More Info: Website and Ticket Information    Vets Helping Vets Volunteers needed-- The RSVP volunteer program can connect you to volunteer opportunities that benefit veterans and the families of deployed military. Volunteers 55 and over receive special benefits. For more info: Call 952-945-4162 or Email

Saturday is Financial Planning Day-- Free Advice!

Twin Cities Financial Planning Day

Saturday, October 5, 2013
10:00 am - 2:00 pm
Amherst H. Wilder Foundation

451 Lexington Parkway North
Saint Paul, MN 55104

City of St. Paul and Financial Planning Association of Minnesota invite you to attend Twin Cities Financial Planning Day on Saturday, October 5, 2013 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm at the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation, where you'll be able to meet one-on-one with dozens of professional financial planners to discuss your personal finance questions, concerns and interests.

Information will be provided on a pro-bono basis by experts from the Financial Planning Association and highly qualified CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professionals. There are no strings attached - volunteering financial planners will not pass out business cards, marketing materials or sell products or services.

You may seek information and advice on a wide range of topics, including:

GENERAL FINANCIAL PLANNING Buying a Home - Debt Management Building a College Fund - Savings Goals ______________________________________ SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCESJob Loss and Job Change - Foreclosure Assistance Change in Marital Status ______________________________________ INVESTMENT PLANNING Investment Strategies - Asset Accumulation Generating Investment Income ______________________________________ RETIREMENT PLANNINGBuilding a Retirement Fund - 401(k) and 403(b) Plans IRA Accounts - Social Security ______________________________________

INCOME TAX PLANNINGTax Reduction Strategies Charitable Contributions - Small Business Taxation ______________________________________ ESTATE PLANNING Building an Inheritance - Wills and Trusts Estate Tax Strategies ______________________________________ INSURANCE PLANNING Life Insurance Coverage - Disability Insurance Long-term Care Planning ______________________________________ EMPLOYEE BENEFITSManaging Health Insurance - Health Savings Accounts Pension Benefits ______________________________________

In addition to personalized advice, Twin Cities Financial Planning Day will also feature a series of classroom-style educational workshops addressing popular personal finance topics.

10:00 am - 1:00 pm       Attendee Registration

10:05 am - 10:15 am      Welcome and Opening Remarks

 
10:15 am - 10:45 am      Keynote by Joe Schmit

 
10:45 am - 2:00 pm       One-on-One Counseling with Financial Planners

10:45 am - 2:00 pm       Resource Fair
11:00 am - 11:50 am      Workshop - Early Years - Taking Control: A Financial Planning Starter Kit

  Workshop - Middle Years - Choosing the Right Insurance for Every Stage of your Life

                                      Workshop - Golden Years - Real World Retirement Planning

 
12:00 pm - 12:50 pm     Workshop - Early Years - Budgeting 101:Life's Balancing Act

Workshop - Middle Years - Estate Planning: What Everyone Needs to Know

                                     Workshop - Golden Years - Income Sources in Retirement

 
1:00 pm - 1:50 pm         Workshop - Early Years - Investing Basics: Be a Smart Investor

                                     Workshop - Middle Years - Tax Planning in a Changing Tax World

                                     Workshop - Golden Years - Medicare Programs

Twin Cities Financial Planning Day is a free event where you'll have an opportunity to address specific financial questions to professional financial planners who are volunteering their time and expertise to provide unbiased financial planning information tailored to your unique situation. All financial planners at the event are either CFP^®professionals and/or members of the Financial Planning Association, and are highly qualified to discuss your financial issues and help you find the answers you need.

At the Financial Planning Day, each volunteer is seated at a table. Volunteers will meet with one individual, couple or family at a time but there is no limit to the number of volunteers you can meet with.

Concurrent with one-on-one consultations, the event will feature a series of classroom-style presentations addressing key personal finance topics

Twin Cities Financial Planning Day is a user-friendly event. Just show up with your questions and you'll be sure to leave with useful information. But a little preparation can go a long way to help you get the most out of your experience at the event. Here are a couple of tips to help you prepare:

1. Make a list of questions you want answered. Learn more about financial planning topics and the questions you can addresswith financial planners at www.FinancialPlanningDays.org/topics.


2. Bring relevant financial documents and a financial snapshot of your current financial situation. For a list of useful resources and tools to help you prepare, visit www.FinancialPlanningDays.org/resources.

Free registration for Twin Cities Financial Planning Day is quick and easy. Simply complete the online registration form.

We will not sell your e-mail address or use it for any purpose other than communications about the Twin Cities Financial Planning Day.

Information provided by financial planners at the Financial Planning Day is free and tailored to your needs. The volunteer financial planners are not allowed to sell products and services or hand out business cards or marketing materials. In other words, there are no strings attached.

The objective of the Financial Planning Day is to help people experience first-hand how financial planning can improve their lives and bring the expertise of professional financial planners to people who may not normally have access to reliable and ethical financial planning information.

Any attendee who wishes to follow-up with a volunteer financial planner will have access to the volunteer’s name and contact information in the information package provided at registration.

Twin Cities Financial Planning Day will be held at the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation.Amherst H. Wilder Foundation451 Lexington Parkway North
Saint Paul, MN 55104




Click here for Google Map Transportation Directions.

Volunteers needed--Help a refugee prepare for work, visit a veteran, assist at a tax clinic, or tutor a child (for example). There are many ways your skills can make an impact. The RSVP Volunteer Program can get you connected. Volunteers 55 and over receive special benefits. 

For more info: Call 952-945-4162 or Email 

6 Steps to Prevent a Fall

(Scroll below to learn about RSVP's balance and exercise program)

Bone Builders is RSVP's signature osteoporosis prevention and reversal exercise program. This free program was created by RSVP--especially to serve people who may be:

-        financially unable to afford exercise programs.

-        intimidated by traditional gyms and exercise      

         programs.

-        too frail for traditional exercise programs.

Bone Builders uses balance exercises and weight training to protect against fractures caused by osteoporosis.  This program aims to increase both your muscle strength and your bone density.  The classes are free, two one-hour classes  a week, and along with the weight and balance training there is education on health topics such as nutrition. Another benefit of the class is that people tend to develop friendships and even see each other outside of class.

Bone Builders classes are already happening in St. Paul. We hope to bring the program to Washington and Dakota counties as well.

Help bring Bone Builders to your neighborhood:

Become a volunteer class leader!

Free training provided.

Volunteers needed--Volunteers are needed to train as class leaders in Woodbury, Stillwater, and Forest Lake. Volunteers 55 and over receive special benefits. 

For more info: Call 952-945-4162 or Email 

Vietnam Vets at the Fair--Update

It's Not Too Late to March in the Welcome Home Vietnam Veteran's Parade--1000 Veterans Needed!

But the free tickets are all gone.  
Veterans will receive a discounted ticket--$7--if they bring proof of service. 

No need to register for the parade, just show up at Leinie Lodge by 10 AM on Tuesday, the 27th.

Military Appreciation Day at the MN State Fair 
Military Appreciation Day at the State Fair is an opportunity to educate fair visitors about the military community and military support organizations in Minnesota. The day will also pay respect to members of the military and their families with a program thanking Vietnam Veterans featuring country artist Rockie Lynne,  and discounted tickets for all veterans.
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Schedule of the Day

• 8:00-4:00 –Education Alley opens – nearly 70 military displays and educational booths from different branches of service and organizations that support military families on West Dan Patch in front of Heritage Square

• 9:30 –Veterans Memorial Park program recognizing Gold Star families

• 10:25 – Flag raising at Leinie Lodge

• 10:30 – 34th Red Bull Infantry Division Band performs at Leinie Lodge

• 10:30 – 1,000 Vietnam Era Veterans march from Leinie Lodge to Carousel Park

• 10:45 – Commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Vietnam War programin Carousel Park, with a World War II North American T-6 Texan flyover and guest speakers

• 11:15 – Country artist Rockie Lynne performs in Carousel Park

• 11:45 – 34th Red Bull Infantry Division Band performs at Leinie Lodge

• 12:30 – Minnesota Military Radio taping at Twin Cities News Talk AM 1130 in Carousel Park

• 1:45 – Country artist Rockie Lynne performs in Carousel Park

• 2:00 – State Fair parade will feature some military supportive organizations

• 2:00 – Minnesota Military Radio taping at Twin Cities News Talk AM 1130 in Carousel Park

• 4:00 – Education Alley closes
All day – discounted tickets ($7 rate) for military members with documentation.

Vets Helping Vets
Volunteers needed-- The RSVP volunteer program can connect you to volunteer opportunities that benefit veterans and the families of deployed military. Volunteers 55 and over receive special benefits. For more info: Call 952-945-4162 or Email 

Home Repair Assistance Available

Rebuilding Together is  looking for homeowners in need of repair services in and around the Twin Cities. 
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The mission of Rebuilding Together Twin Cities is to bring volunteers and communities together to improve the homes and lives of low-income homeowners. They provide no-cost home repairs for homeowners in need, particularly older adults, individuals living with disabilities and families with children.  This service ensures that these homeowners live independently in homes that are safe, warm and dry.

                                                

-Qualified applicants must own or be current with mortgage payments; be up-to-date with tax payments; reside in the home for which they are applying; and have homeowners insurance. 
And, at least one resident in the home must be an older adult (55+)  an individual living with a disability, a child under the age of 18, or an active or retired member of the armed services.

-The household income must be at or below 50% of area median income.  For a family of four, 50% of the area median income is currently $41,350. 

-Interested homeowners can:
-download an application online at  www.rebuildingtogether-twincities.org
-request an application by email  homeowners@rebuildingtogether-twincities.org
-call 651-776-4273.

Examples of Repairs Include:

• Weatherization & Energy Efficiency Improvements – Installing insulation; caulking; re-glazing or replacing windows; replacing doors; replacing appliances with Energy Star-rated models; installing low-flow water faucets and toilets; and more.
• General Repair & Maintenance – Upgrading or repairing electrical and plumbing; repairing walls; landscaping to divert water from home or prevent erosion; repairing or replacing a roof; addressing issues cited by city or county housing inspections; and additional repairs as needed.

Volunteers needed--RSVP can connect you to volunteer opportunities at Rebuilding Together. Volunteers 55 and over receive special benefits. 
For more info: Call 952-945-4162 or Email 

The Safe at Home Program
Safe at Home Program provides home safety and accessibility modifications for low-income homeowners who are older adults or are living with a disability.  Often these homeowners are faced with the prospect of losing their independence as the result of needing home safety or accessibility modifications that they are unable to address.  Projects are small in scale and are completed by two to four volunteers in about four hours. A project may include tasks such as installing grab bars, raised toilet seat adapters, handrails, door and window locks, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and more.

Interfaith Event: Break the Ramadan Fast

  Sponsored by RSVP's partner, The St Paul Area Council of Churches:

Have ever been curious about Muslim practice?

You are invited to share in the breaking of the Ramadan fast at either of the these two St. Paul area Muslim facilities:

• -Friday, July 19,  7:30 pm.--Masjid Ihsan--955 West Minnehaha Ave, St. Paul 

• Thursday, July 25, 8:00 pm-- Muslim American Society of Minnesota, 4100 East 66th Street, Inver Grove Heights  

This is part of our Taking Heart program, organized by the Minnesota Council of Churches and the Muslim American Society of Minnesota, designed to bring Muslims and non-Muslims together for conversation and food so that neighbors can get to know neighbors.  We have been doing this Ramadan program for the last three years.  This year we have 15 mosques involved and will greet more than 300 guests at the various open houses.

You are invited to come to the mosque, hear a short presentation on Ramadan, observe prayer and share in the evening meal with the people at the mosque.  There is no charge and you will receive instructions about what to expect at the mosque when you register.   

If you have ever been curious about Muslim practice, or if you are Muslim and want an opportunity to share your practice with your non-Muslim friends, please come and bring others.  We have plenty of room.

Here’s how to register:  http://www.mnchurches.org/respectfulcommunities/interfaithprogramming/takingheart/registration.html

Please forward to others you think may be interested.

Thanks,

Gail Anderson,   Minnesota Council of Churches