INSURANCE

How much homeowner’s insurance do I need?

This question comes up quite often. You want to insure your home for its full value. As far as homeowners insurance is concerned, the value you want to insure it for is the amount it would take to rebuild it. You can check with your insurance agent, a builder, or a contractor to get an idea. Keep in mind though, anytime your remodel or add living space, that value will increase so you’ll need to adjust your coverage. For your belongings, take a room-by-room inventory. Keep this list somewhere in a fire-safe place. Many people use a video camera or digital camera and store them on a disc.

Tom Lane

Dream Center of Alton relaunches program to help children of incarcerated parents

The Dream Center of Alton hosted Christmas Experience to serve Kids With Incarcerated Parents as part of its KWIP (Kids With Incarcerated Parents) program. This event was made possible by Prison Fellowship, Angel Tree, The River Church, Imo’s Pizza Bethalto/Wood River and an army of volunteers.

and crayons for the kids to color Christmas scenes while at the event.”

Having regular reviews with your insurance agent is the best way to make sure you are adequately covered so nothing unexpected pops up.

116 W. Bethalto Blvd, Bethalto 618-377-8912 tomlaneagency.net

“We work with Prison Fellowship and Angel Tree annually to receive the names of kids in need in Madison and Jersey counties who have a parent who is incarcerated,” Executive Director Dar Bryant said. “The parent submits this information, which is then forwarded to The Dream Center of Alton. We called volunteers in to call every family and verify information with the parent-caregiver left behind to raise the kids while the other parent is incarcerated. We then work with the church congregation at The River Church in Alton to pass out angels for church members to purchase the gifts for the kids. This year, we were so blessed to have all the food provided to us by Imo’s Pizza in Wood River. Volunteer donors stepped up to donate cookies to enjoy

The center needs financial contributions to continue expanding this program and continue serving these families. Families can be assisted in the following areas: help securing housing with landlords who work with The Dream Center, transportation assistance for the child and caregiver, legal services, family strengthening classes, birthday presents, school supplies and clothing for back-to-school, hygiene kits and a referral service for any additional services such as mental health and counseling for children and caregivers as well as employment and continuing education resources for the caregiver.

To donate to The Dream Center of Alton, mail a check to The Dream Center of Alton, P.O. Box 1044, Alton, IL 62002 or via the website. “No donation is too small to make a difference and we are so grateful for donation to serve our families and kids in need,” a press release states. 3 thedreamcenterofalton.com

Midwest Members employees support Restore Network

Midwest Members Credit Union employees donated $1,084 to Restore Network through their Jeans Day Program. Employees pay to wear jeans Fridays and Saturdays that month and all donations are made to local charities.

The Restore Network was formed in 2017 as a handful of churches that felt passionately about caring for children in foster care and the families who love them. Since then, the network has grown into approximately 40 partner churches serving six counties, including Madison,

Jersey, Bond, St. Clair, Monroe, and Williamson.

The Restore Network’s vision is to change the culture of foster care so every child experiences healing. The foster care system is designed to protect children, but unfortunately, it can harm them further. Children shuffle from home to home, many of which are not equipped to help them heal from their trauma. The Restore Network was created to help the church respond. First, it aims to recruit more than enough foster families, then equip them with trauma-informed training and tools, and wrap around them with ongoing support.

“We believe that whether you foster, volunteer, or give financially, we each have a part to play in transforming stories of pain and suffering to ones of healing and hope,” a press release states.

Network volunteers provide assistance in many ways. They have a Clothing Team, Meal Team, volunteers who provide transportation for family visits, and other ways of supporting families. 3

Alton Memorial lab helps patients to sleep

Pamela Voyles can rest easy now that she has gotten a little “shut-eye” — at Alton Memorial Hospital’s Sleep Diagnostics Center.

Voyles, a Wood River resident, was anxious about coming to AMH for a sleep study. But she credits Rachael Beane, a tech in the sleep lab, for putting her mind at ease.