Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Allegheny Link to Aging and Disability Resources

Since being established in 2006, the Allegheny Link to Aging and Disability Resources has helped a growing number of callers looking for assistance that is person-centered, holistic and individualized. The Link staff has a variety of resources to help callers meet a full range of needs, including food housing, utility assistance, in-home therapy, home modification and much more.

Please share this information with the older adults in your communities who may need extra support.

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

AARP Award for Creative Programming for Older Adults

From the Office of Commonwealth Libraries:

The Office of Commonwealth Libraries Older Adults Advisory Committee is offering two categories of awards for public libraries who are serving the older adult population in their communities.

Share what special/best practices programming your library has presented in the past year for the older adult population in your community.
 Follow the instructions listed below to complete the application.
  1. Marietta Y. King and Alberta Walden Still Diversity Award
    The Office of Commonwealth Libraries Older Adults Advisory Committee is seeking to recognize a Pennsylvania public library that has promoted library services to a culturally diverse population. Public libraries of all sizes are invited to submit an application for the Marietta Y. King and Alberta Walden Still Diversity Award. [Application for the Marietta Y. King and Alberta Walden Still Diversity Award]
  2. AARP Award
    The Office of Commonwealth Libraries Older Adults Advisory Committee along with AARP PA is also interested in recognizing and promoting library services for older adults in Pennsylvania. The awards, presented by AARP, will recognize public libraries that are small, medium or large that have presented innovative and creative programming for older adults.

    [AARP Letter
    & AARP Application]
In order to be considered, the application forms must be sent, using email, to Claudia Koenig (ckoenig@pa.gov ) to be received by July 23, 2012. If there is supportive paperwork such as a newspaper article or program flyers for your application, please send that through the mail, if not available electronically, to arrive by July 23, 2012 as well.

The Older Adults Advisory Committee and AARP PA are asking that your Best Practices program for older adults be one that can be easily replicated in another library and has been repeated more than once in the past year in your library.


The award winners will be chosen later this summer. The awards will be presented at the
PaLA Annual Conference in Gettysburg in October.

If there are any questions, please contact
Claudia Koenig
ckoenig@pa.gov 717-783-5747.

Thursday, May 31, 2012

Art Opportunities for Older Adults

Interested in connecting older adults in your service area with opportunities for artistic expression and development? The Lifetime Arts organization and the Alzheimer's Poetry Project both offer unique opportunities to engage older adults creatively, using the library.

About Lifetime Arts:

"Libraries, the most universal and most democratic of America's cultural institutions, are "age neutral" and so appeal to older adults who are reluctant to go to senior centers. Increasingly important as community centers for learning and cultural access, libraries are ideally positioned to evolve as centers for creative aging.

Now in its third year, CREATIVE AGING IN OUR COMMUNITIES: THE PUBLIC LIBRARIES PROJECT is based on a vision for mobilizing the trusted, neutral, information-rich public space of the library to deliver arts education for and with older adults. That vision includes building effective collaborations between teaching artists and librarians and building the capacity of different library systems to carry out and sustain creative aging programs. Our work to date affirms this vision. Teaching artists and librarians find that they share a vision for positive aging and bring complementary strengths to designing and implementing meaningful programs for older adults."

About Alzheimer's Poetry Project:

"The mission of the Alzheimer's Poetry Project is to facilitate the creativity of people living with Alzheimer's disease and related dementia. We engage people navigating memory loss in an exciting call and response performance during the first half of the workshop. The session leader recites lines of classic, well-loved poems and the group joins together in echoing the words. During the second half of the workshop the well-known poems serve as inspiration and models for a communal creation of an original poem. Each session ends with a performance of the group's newly created poem, giving recognition to the lines and words the participants have contributed.

We seek to bond together as a community built on shared words, passions, and discoveries through the performance and creation of poetry. The National Endowment for the Arts listed the APP as a best practice for the NEA Arts and Aging initiative. The APP was awarded the 2012 MetLife Foundation Creativity and Aging in America Leadership award in the category of Community."

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Rachel Carson "Sense of Wonder" Contest

2012 marks the 40th anniversary of the world changing Clean Water Act. To commemorate this legislation and Rachel Carson's involvment in raising awareness and appreciation for the natural world, the Environmental Protection Agency has announced an intergenerational "Sense of Wonder" project.

This year's project will celebrate a "Sense of Water." Teams 2 or more, composed of an older adult and young person, will express the beauty and wonder of lakes, rivers, streams, oceans, and waterfalls through either poetry, essay, photography, or dance.

Visit The Rachel Carson Sense of Wonder Contest webpage for more information about the contest, and this webpage for more information about Rachel Carson!

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Help Finding Free Tax Preparation


from our friends at the IRS:

The new VITA Site Locator is scheduled to launch late evening on Friday, January 27, 2012.  The locator will be accessible from the "Free Tax Return Preparation for You by Volunteers" page on IRS.gov.  Taxpayers can find this page by searching IRS.gov using keyword "VITA" or “Free Tax Preparation.”  All sites that are active and open to the public will appear in the VITA site locator, except AARP and FSA sites.
 
 
Here’s how it works: A taxpayer will enter their zip code and choose a search radius of 5 to 100 miles.  The available sites within the selected radius will appear, providing the following information:
 
·    Site Name
·    Address
·    Phone Number (if available)
·    Dates and Hours of Operation
·    Languages Supported
·    Appointment Requirements (Required or Not Required)
 
Taxpayers can then select a specific location and enter their full address to get a map providing directions from the address to the selected VITA site. Please note that in this initial launch of the VITA Site Locator,only site information from early December 2011 is available.  The first update of this listing is planned for the week of January 30.   We will update the locator on a weekly basis thereafter.

Call for Tutors for OASIS Intergenerational Tutoring Program

From our community partners at OASIS

For just a little of your time once or more a week,
you'll give a child the chance to shine.


As an OASIS tutor, you can help a child learn to love reading and learning. OASIS volunteers, Pittsburgh Public Elementary Schools, and Woodland Hills School District work together to help young children build reading skills and positive attitudes towards learning. 


That's the wonder of an OASIS tutor!


Tutor Training: Winter/Spring Session
Dates: Thursday, February 16 & Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Time: 10:15a.m. - 3:45 p.m.
Place: OASIS Office, Macys 6th Floor, 400 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15219
 

Required two-day training is provided free along with all clearances, books, and materials.
For more information please contact Shirley Fisher at 412-232-2023 or email tutoringpgh@oasisnet.org.

OASIS Intergenerational Tutoring Program is made possible by grants from The Grable Foundation,  and The Jack Buncher Foundation. 


Please forward this to anyone who you think would enjoy this opportunity.


Thursday, January 19, 2012

Tips from the Social Security Administration

Social Security Column
EARN (AND KEEP) MORE MONEY
By Martin Keegan
Social Security District Manager in Pittsburgh, PA

You probably already know that there was an increase in Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) monthly payments at the beginning of the year. If you receive monthly Social Security or SSI payments, you received a 3.6 percent cost-of-living adjustment beginning with your payment for the month of January 2012.

For people who receive Social Security retirement benefits, there’s more good news. In addition to receiving a little more each month, you may now earn more income without offsetting your benefits because the “earnings test” numbers also have gone up.

If you have reached your full retirement age (age 66 for anyone born between 1943 and 1954), the earnings test does not apply and you may earn as much money as you can without any effect on your benefits.  However, if you are younger than full retirement age, collecting benefits and still working, we do offset some of your benefit amount after a certain earnings limit is met.  For people under full retirement age in 2012, the annual exempt amount is $14,640, and if you do reach that limit, we withhold $1 for every $2 above that limit from your monthly benefit amount. For people who retired early, continue working and will obtain full retirement age in 2012, the annual exempt amount is $38,880 and we will withhold $1 for every $3 you earn over the limit from your monthly benefits.

You can learn more about the earnings test and how benefits may be reduced by visiting our website, www.socialsecurity.gov, and searching on the topic “earnings test.”

Find out what your full retirement age is at our Retirement Age page, www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/ageincrease.htm

You also may want to read our publication, How Work Affects Your Benefits. It’s available at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10069.html.

Social Security Administration Updates

Visit the website of the U.S. Social Security Administration and sign up for email newsletters to keep you abreast of changes and updates in Social Security programs. Newsletters available for subscription include: public service announcements, help with mediare and prescription drug costs, eNews, disability research, Social Security news and many other topics. Visit www.ssa.gov/govdelivery to learn more!

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

GO DIRECT

Winter Storms Can Be Hazardous to Your Federal Benefit Check
With electronic payments you can count on your money despite severe weather

Source: U.S. Department of the Treasury, Financial Management Service


If you get federal benefit payments by paper checks, you should know that you are required by the U.S. Department of the Treasury to switch to an electronic payment method. By getting your money electronically, you will help save taxpayers millions of dollars each year. You must make the switch by March 1, 2013, but you don’t have to wait for the deadline. The winter months are the perfect time to switch and take advantage of the reliability and ease of electronic payments.

Ice, snow and subzero temperatures can leave you trapped in your home and temporarily interrupt important services like mail delivery.  If you rely on paper checks for your federal benefit payments, a winter storm can leave you without access to your money at a time when you need it most. 

Last winter was a record-setter for many parts of the Northeast. Accuweather.com predicts above normal winter precipitation for most of the Northeast during January and February 2012.It’s important to take action now to protect your money before a winter storm hits.

Winterize Your Money Today
Switching to electronic payments is a simple step you can take to ensure your money gets to you on time, every time. With electronic payments, your money won’t be slowed down by winter weather and you won’t need to leave your home to cash or deposit a check. The Treasury Department recommends two electronic payment options:

  • Have a bank or credit union account? Sign up to get your money by direct deposit to a checking or savings account. Your federal benefit payment will go straight into your account on payment day each month. On time, every time.
  • Prefer a prepaid debit card? Switch to the Direct Express® Debit MasterCard® card. You money will be posted to the card account on payment day each month. You can make purchases and get cash back with purchases at no charge anywhere Debit MasterCard® is accepted. There are no sign-up fees, overdraft fees or monthly fees. Some fees for optional services may apply. For information on card fees and features, visit www.GoDirect.org. No bank account or credit check is needed.

Switching is Fast, Easy and Free

To switch to direct deposit or the Direct Express® card, contact your federal benefit agency office, visit the Treasury Department’s Go Direct® campaign website at www.GoDirect.org, or call the U.S. Treasury Electronic Payment Solution Center at (800) 333-1795. For direct deposit to a checking or savings account, you can also make the switch at your local bank or credit union.

Winterize your federal benefit payments now before a winter storm gets between you and your money. Switch to direct deposit or the Direct Express® card today.  For more information, including an instructional video on how to sign up, visit www.GoDirect.org.