Charity

OPEN FOR DINE IN OR TAKE OUT! PATIO DINING ALL DAY!

PEORIA FAMILY OWNED

Your Traditional Mexican Food Restaurant!

6791 W HAPPY VALLEY RD

Just West of 67th Ave & Happy Valley Rd 623.440.5588

Mon-Thurs 11:30am-8:30pm » Fri 11:30am-9:30pm Saturday Brunch 9am - 2:30pm » Dinner 2:30pm-8:30pm Sunday Brunch 9am -2:30pm » Dinner 2:30pm-9:30pm FREE APPETIZER

with purchase of two entrees

For dine-in only. With coupon only. One coupon per customer, per table. Expiration date 8.31.2021

SENIOR DISCOUNT WEDNESDAYS Take 15% o your bill

@Mochilero Kitchen View our menu online at www.MochileroKitchen.com

IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL PRIVATE PARTIES BOTH FOR KIDS AND ADULTS!

IN-PERSON PARTIES: We bring the studio to you! We provide all art materials, tables, chairs, protective coverings, aprons, lighting, and music. We bring our talented artist to guide you through a painting of your choice!

VIRTUAL PARTIES: We provide all art materials needed to complete the painting of your choice! We can ship the supplies anywhere and instruct everyone via Zoom. We also offer delivery and curbside pick-up if you are local.

NOT FEELING THE GUIDED PAINTING? You want to have a party at your own pace? Make it a DIY party! We offer DIY kits for kids and adults! They come with all supplies needed to complete your own masterpiece. We also give you a picture of the finished painting with tips from the artist. CALL TODAY TO BOOK A PARTY! 623-500-9592 • the.happy.canvas19@gmail.com

yourtokenpaintparty • @the.happy.canvas

Charity

Peoria Nonprofit Spotlight: Outreach360

Since 1995, Peoria-based Outreach360 has provided educational opportunities to disadvantaged youth in Latin America. The mission of Outreach360 is to inspire and empower people to reach their full potential and give back by expanding educational, leadership, and service opportunities.

Peoria resident Tom Eklund founded the nonprofit organization after visiting an impoverished orphanage in the Dominican Republic. He began assembling small teams of volunteers to visit the orphanage on weeklong service trips. The groups would help provide basic necessities, improve the orphanage facilities, and provide muchneeded educational assistance to the children.

After a few years, children, families, and schools outside the orphanage began requesting the volunteers work with them as well, primarily teaching English. The organization was blessed with many volunteers and began teaching English in local public schools. By 2011, Outreach360 also had its own after-school learning centers in both the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua.

“In Latin America, knowing English can provide huge educational and career opportunities,” Eklund says. “And opportunities to learn English from native English speakers are extremely valuable, especially in the rural areas where we work.”

By 2020, nearly 25,000 American and Canadian volunteers had served with Outreach360 in the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. Most volunteers participated in one-week service trips. Families, junior and senior high school students, college students, church groups, and seniors were all involved. Thousands of Dominican and Nicaraguan students received life-changing educational opportunities. A number of students from the orphanage and community received college scholarships, supported by Outreach360 donors.

In March 2020, COVID-19 interrupted Outreach360’s international volunteer program. However, the organization quickly pivoted to a virtual education program. Since May 2020, over 400 virtual volunteers have continued teaching Outreach360 students.

Outreach360’s Virtual Impact Program has produced some unexpected and significant breakthroughs. First, rather than being limited to two small communities in the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua, students from throughout Latin American are able to participate. Students from eleven different countries are now learning from Outreach360 volunteers. Second, volunteers no longer have to commit a full week and get on a plane to join Outreach360. Virtual international volunteer opportunities are available for as little as 75 minutes each week.

Virtual volunteer opportunities are available for experienced education professionals to serve as Lead Teachers, for adults and gap year students to serve as English teachers, and for volunteers from any background (as young as 13 years old) to serve as English and/or Spanish Enrichment Volunteers. Outreach360 virtual volunteers find the experience extremely rewarding. Local high school student Paloma Guerin says, “In this Outreach360 family, I have found kindness, passion, dedication, and a sense of community. I am so grateful to have been able to experience such a wonderful program, and I will definitely be coming back in the future.”

To learn more about Outreach360 virtual international volunteer opportunities, visit outreach360.org/ virtualimpact.

Charity

Volunteers Needed to Help Homebound Adults and Seniors Fight Isolation Beyond the Pandemic

As temperatures in the Valley continue to rise, isolated homebound adults, many of whom are seniors, face increased difficulty in everyday tasks such as grocery shopping or getting to and from medical appointments. For forty years, nonprofit Duet: Partners In Health & Aging has been matching compassionate volunteers with homebound adults for free-of-charge services that include help with grocery shopping, transportation to medical appointments, providing friendly visits, and more. Duet is in need of new volunteers to help local homebound adults (affectionately called ‘neighbors’).

“The summer has always been a tough time for us to retain the volunteers that we have but also recruit new volunteers to help fill in the gap of the volunteers who are out of town,” says Wendy Cohen, MPH, senior director of volunteer services. “Our highest need is volunteers who can take homebound adults to their medical appointments and trips to the grocery store. It’s about more than just transportation though; it’s about connecting with isolated adults and seniors who often share with us that the time they spend with their Duet volunteer is the highlight of their week.”

Volunteers set their own hours and Duet matches them with homebound adults close to them, so it’s flexible and convenient. Just a few hours a month during the day, evening, or weekend can make a world of difference in the life of a homebound adult. With the COVID-19 vaccine now readily available, Duet volunteers can also help local seniors with transportation to and from their vaccine appointments.

“I am so very thankful for over five years of the help and assistance given to me by Duet,” says Verne, a 97-year-old Duet neighbor. “Duet thankfully arranged my COVID shots and drove me there. I give my very sincere and grateful thanks for their help, which I could not have managed without.”

“The neighbors we serve are so appreciative and easy to be with,” shares Bernice, a Duet volunteer. “I would encourage anyone who has the time to try helping Duet make life easier for seniors and make your own life much more enjoyable.”

Right now, there are 56 homebound adults waiting to be matched with compassionate volunteers. The first step to becoming a Duet volunteer is to attend an orientation. Orientations are held at the Duet office (located at 10000 N. 31st Avenue, Suite D200, in Phoenix) in the large Mariposa Room with a HEPA air filtration system. Non-vaccinated attendees are asked to wear face coverings but face coverings are not required of fully vaccinated attendees. Attendance is capped to allow for safe social distancing. Sanitation protocols include disinfecting of frequently touched objects and surfaces before and after each gathering.

The next volunteer orientation is August 18 at 2 p.m. at the Duet office. They are held monthly. To register for orientation, call 602-274-5022, email volunteer@ duetaz.org, or visit duetaz.org/volunteer.

PHOTO BY JENNA-LEE NEFF

LOCAL MYTHS ABOUT HOSPICE Part 2

Continued from part 1 in the June/July issue!

Patients Must Transfer To Another Hospice When Told To Do

So. Only patient and his/her family can make that decision. No other caregivers or entity can insist that services be transferred to another hospice. Transferring to another hospice can be traumatic for a patient who has already bonded with their team but could be necessary due to service failures. Transferring does not affect benefi t periods as cancelation of services can. A Hospice That Is “Not-For-Profi t” Provides More Comfort. All Medicare hospices must provide the same services based on the rules and regulations set forth by Medicare and each hospice is audited by Medicare to make sure they are providing and documenting what the guidelines require. Patients should receive the same services from a “for-profi t” hospice, as they would a “not-for-profi t” hospice, and those services should be palliative comfort care in nature. “For-Profi t” Hospices Make More Money. Medicare compensates each hospice the same amount, without regard to the profi t status of the business. The amount varies by state and region, but it is a per-day rate. “For-profi t” hospice companies pay taxes as a corporation, “non-profi t” hospices do not. Memorial donations given to a “non-profi t” hospice may be used at the discretion of the hospice management without any encumbrance regulations from the government. Donations to a “forprofi t” hospice have strict guidelines and rules for use of the monies and is monitored by the federal and state government. Patients Must Have a Full-Time Caregiver. Again, hospices interpret the regulations in different ways. For patients who are independent, many hospices do not require a full-time caregiver. They will want to know what plan is in place if the need arises for a higher level of care and a full-time caregiver is required for safety and comfort of the patient.

Patients Must Choose Do Not Resuscitate (DNR orange form).

Hospices interpret the regulations in different ways. Some hospices have this requirement but many do not. Electing the Hospice Benefi t Eliminates Medicare Coverage. By electing the Hospice Benefi t, hospice will manage the care related to the terminal illness. Any care needed that is not related to the terminal illness will continue to be covered under Medicare or the existing insurance that the patient has. Hospice Benefi t Eliminates Ability To Visit the Hospital. Patients have the right to return to the hospital at any time they choose. Most care is at home, but they are not prevented from seeking treatment at hospitals for emergency events. Nurses are available on-call to assist families and alleviate the distress and decline associated with multiple Emergency Room visits. Families, clients and caregivers are encouraged to call the 24/7 hotline number to get immediate triage from a licensed RN and get assistance and guidance when events or emergency questions arise as to 911 and hospital visits.

Mountain View Hospice wants you to know that we..

• We come out to provide resources to families in need • Patient remains in their environment • Stay independent as long as possible • Provides needed medication for the diagnosis

• Provides medical supplies needed • Provides equipment- hospital bed, wheel chair, walkers, shower chair and much more • Nurses come to the home! • Doctors, Nurse Practitioners, Nurses, CNAs, Social Workers, Chaplains and Volunteers are all at your fi nger tips. A at no cost!

8263 W Thunderbird Rd #120, Peoria, AZ 85381 offi ce623-230-3698 fax623-215-6042

MOUNTAIN VIEW HOSPICE HAS A 5 STAR GOOGLE RATING!