Millard Senior Center You’re invited to visit the Millard Senior Center at Montclair, 2304 S. 135th Ave., this month for the following: • Dec. 5: Bit of Bronze Bell Ringers @ 10 a.m. • Dec. 9: Attend A Christmas Carol at the Omaha Community Playhouse @ 2 p.m. The bus leaves the center @ 12:30 p.m. • Dec. 11: Blood pressure checks @ 9:30 a.m. • Dec. 12: Board meeting @ 9:45 a.m. • Dec. 18: Attorney John Massih will discuss legal issues @ 10:30 a.m. • Dec. 19: P.A.W.S. visit @ 10 a.m. • Dec. 21: Christmas party. Bring treats to share. Bring toiletries for the Lydia House instead of a gift exchange. Reservations are due Dec. 14. Space is limited. The center is closed on Dec. 24 and 25 for Christmas and Dec. 31 for New Year’s Eve. The center is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Lunch is served @ 11:30 a.m. A $4 donation is suggested for the meal. Reservations are due by noon the business day prior to the meal the participant wishes to enjoy. Other center activities include walking, card games, Tai Chi, dominoes, quilting, needlework, chair volleyball, and bingo. For reservations or more information, please call 402546-1270.
Fontenelle Tours
Omaha/Council Bluffs
712-366-9596
Quoted prices are per person, double occupancy. For more information about our tours, please call Ward or Kathy Kinney at Fontenelle Tours at the number listed above.
Motorcoach Black Hills “Ski for Light”. January 19 – 26, 2019. Our fifth annual trip to Deadwood, South Dakota. A very rewarding week-long event for blind and physically challenged persons to participate in skiing and/or other outdoor activities. If you know of someone who might want to participate, call us. Volunteers are also needed to provide various types of assistance at the event. Financial assistance also needed to make this event more affordable for participants. Motorcoach will pick up at various points across Nebraska. Laughlin (There are currently no Laughlin trips available out of Omaha. Check with us for updates on these very reasonably priced charter flights to Laughlin, Nevada. They typically sell out fast.) In Partnership with Collette Vacations We started working with Collette in 2009 when we were looking for a way to offer international trips to our travelers. We wanted to find a company that shared our core values of providing quality tours, well hosted at a reasonable price. We were not looking for a low-cost alternative. Our first personal experience was when we took about 24 people on the "Shades of Ireland" tour. It was an incredibly positive experience! Since then we have helped others to experience Collette Tours on: Historic Trains of California; New York City; Canada’s Atlantic Coast with Nova Scotia; Pilgrimage to Fatima & Lourdes; Austrian Delight - Oberammergau (coming up again in 2020); Pasadena Rose Parade; Islands of New England; Canadian Rockies & Glacier National Park; Islands of New England; Reflections of Italy; Canadian Rockies by Train; Tropical Costa Rica; Alaska Discovery Land & Cruise and others. Please call if you have one of Collette’s many destinations on your bucket list. We can help make it happen! Watch New Horizons and our website www.fontenelletours.com for our trip schedule. 2019 trip plans in process. 2708 Franklin Ave. Council Bluffs, IA 51503
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Outlook Nebraska seeking financial help to continue providing programs, services for the visually impaired Severe vision loss affects 15,0000 metropolitan Omaha area residents. That’s triple the number of the community’s homeless individuals. Like most people living with a visual impairment, Kenny Blackman wasn’t born blind. He experienced the gradual loss of vision from diabetes; one of the leading causes – along with aging – for vision loss. Through his job at Outlook Nebraska, Kenny has retained his confidence and independence. He has also avoided the plight of many blind Americans: 70 percent are unemployed, and 30 percent live in poverty. One in four adult Americans is at high risk for serious visual impairment, a severe reduction in vision that cannot be corrected with standard glasses or contact lenses and reduces a person’s ability to function at certain or all tasks. What would vision loss mean to the quality of life for you, a family member, or a friend? Could you still enjoy recreational activities, hold a job, or navigate your way around the city? Outlook Nebraska provides free education and training for our visually-impaired community members and their families,
helping them navigate the challenges of vision loss and understand the resources available to them. Whether learning to use a computer to check email, enjoying a theater performance with audio description, or biking with a guide as their eyes, those living with visual impairment gain confidence and independence through Outlook Nebraska’s enrichment programs. Outlook Nebraska also provides meaningful employment that improves self-sufficiency for those with vision loss. It’s the only agency of its kind in a seven-state area that offers job opportunities through production of paper products and at its business support center, Outlook Business Solutions. Private insurers and Medicaid don’t cover the costs of services, tools, and technology that help those experiencing vision loss connect with their communities and enjoy life to the fullest. Outlook Nebraska relies on donor support to fund its enrichment, recreation, and adaptive technology training programs. Visit www.outlookne.org/donate to quickly and easily support those in our community living with vision loss.
Tips for purifying your home’s air quality By Annaliese Olson
M
aking sure your home is safe for you and your family is important given the amount of time the average person spends at home. Purifying your home’s air quality is one way you can help relieve stress and create a sense of peace while also receiving natural benefits. Check out these 10 ways to purify your home naturally. • Indoor plants: Similar to going outside to get natural air and relieve stress, using houseplants incorporates those properties inside your home. Houseplants have many uses within a home but the most important is the ability for them to help naturally filter the air. Place houseplants in different areas of the home to get the maximum benefit of their air quality purification abilities. Some popular houseplants that purify the air include weeping fig and snake plant. • Beeswax candles: For those homeowners who enjoy dinner by candlelight, consider using a beeswax candle instead of paraffin candles. Beeswax is a natural compound that burns clean as opposed to paraffin candles that can release contaminants while burning. • Essential oils: Burning essential oils is a great way to purify the air as well as offer many health benefits to those within your home. Consider using high quality
December 2018
pure essential oils in order to receive the most benefit from their scents. Use a few different burners around the home for maximum benefit. • Activated charcoal: Also known as active carbon, activated charcoal air filters are a great way to naturally filter and purify the air quality within your home. These carbon air filters can be easily found in stores or online. The charcoal will absorb toxins in the air without releasing any odor. • Clean air filters: One of the easiest ways you can purify the air within your home is to regularly change the air filter within your heating and cooling system. Air filters should be changed on a regular basis for maximum benefit. Choose a HEPA filter in order to effectively clean the air of contaminants in your home. • Ceiling fans: During the mild seasons of summer and fall, consider using your ceiling fan in order to circulate the air within your home. Ceiling fans are a great way to cool down a home and can help make sure more air is being pulled through the ventilation system for cleaning. • Window treatments: Another great option to naturally filter the hot sunlight that enters your home is to purchase window treatments that will block the sunrays. Choosing blackout window shades or other light filtering options will help keep your home cool as well as reduce the amount of sunlight that enters your home. • Salt lamps: Himalayan Pink Salt lamps are popular in their ability to pull toxins from the air. This natural ionic air purifier acts like a nightlight that is small enough to place anywhere without your home for maximum air filtering benefits. • Get rid of the source: Choose to use products in your home that are Low-VOC meaning they have less amount of toxic chemicals when painting or staining parts of your home. Consider textiles for your home that are labeled as low or no-VOC in order to reduce the amount of products within the home that emit toxic chemicals. • Use natural cleaners: The weekly use of cleaning products introduces many chemicals into a home. Consider using natural cleaning products like white vinegar or baking soda to fight grime. Other good options including hydrogen peroxide and club soda that will clean just as well without the residual effects of chemicals. Making every effort to help purify the air within your home is important to the health and wellbeing of your family. Consider all these ways you can naturally improve the air quality of your home as well as know you’re reducing the amount of chemical exposure for your family. Try any or all of these ways to purify your home naturally. (Olson is a gardening and animal care writer.)