Sauk Valley Media/ SaukValley.com • Wednesday, Jul 27, 2022
GOLDEN ECHO
2 From the LCCOA
Executive Director
By Susan Lawler Well, my friends, summer is almost over, and to close out summer, LCCOA is putting on a spectacular summer Prom. So all you Snow Birds come on down to the Post House Ballroom, and join in the fun. DJ Hamilton (courtesy of Franklin Grove, Meadows of Franklin Grove and Oregon Rehab) will be sending music our way, with all the oldies from ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s. KSB will be providing our appetizers, and Culver’s will be providing our desserts. We will have a cash bar with all your favorite drinks. LCCOA has wonderful door prizes to be given away — and to top it off, one of you will be our next King, and one of you will be our next Queen, everyone has a chance at being Royalty for a night.
Brain and Body Health: Sept. 21 Our Brain and Body Health program was such a hit in June, we’ve been asked to have another event. Joseph Landmichl from the Alzheimer’s Association is thrilled to come back. Joseph said LCCOA had a great group of truly engaged audience and asked great questions. He will be back Sept. 21 with more information to help educate
From the WCSC Director By Susie Welch They call them the dog days of summer, I call them the lemonade days of summer! This month the Center will be offering free lemonade in our main room every day. Every day in August is an open house! We have been working hard for the last 9 months to declutter, clean and fancy up the joint and we are inviting everyone to come tour your building! We could not have done all of this without great volunteers and community support. If you haven’t been to the Center for a while, you will be pleasantly surprised to see it now. SBM came to our rescue by helping us get a grant to reduce the cost of the creation of our craft room and pinochle room. With a generous donation from LuAnn Meyer, our crafting room has two
our seniors. Joseph will bring his dancing shoes, to provide us with another Line Dancing class. Lunch will be provided by LCCOA, and following lunch we will have Chair Yoga, instructed by Brandon Lumzy. Please contact LCCOA at 815-288-9236 to reserve your lunch.
These classes are free, and led by coaches from Lifescape Community Services. The classes will run be on Tuesday, from August 2 through Sept. 20, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Please contact LCCOA at 815-288-9236 for more information.
The Butterfly Garden
LCCOA is excited to present an 8-week program conducted by Lifescape. This program will meet for 1 1/2 hours each week and provide strategies to reduce the fear of falling. Seniors will learn that falls, and the fear of falling, are controllable. Participants will set realistic goals for themselves to increase activity, and learn ways to change their environment to reduce factors that cause falls.
LCCOA is proud to welcome Anna Mainhart to our family. Anna has come to us with a wealth of knowledge, and she knows the true meaning of compassion, and caring for our senior population. Anna has added new meaning to the phrase, “hitting the ground running.” Anna will work in our Outreach Department, providing service to all our seniors. She is the point person for license plate discounts, ITAC phones and our Farmers Market. On top of all this, she will be updating our database. In the short time she has been with us, she has increased our license plate discount applications by 10%. This means more of our seniors are being serviced, and LCCOA’s mission is to reach as many seniors as possible. Thank you, Anna, for joining LCCOA’s family. Our second addition to LCCOA’s family is Nancy Gates. Nancy comes to us from the RSVP program out of Rockford. She has made thousands of connection calls to all our seniors, checking on their well being, asking how LCCOA can help them, informing them on vaccination, transportation, lunches, caregivers, Medicare Part D program, and much more. We are so grateful to have Nancy here at LCCOA. She truly enjoys speaking with our seniors, and our
LCCOA’s fiscal year 2021-22 has come to an end. LCCOA is pleased to say our agency’s membership has increased more than 10%, and our Post House Ballroom has had the best year in the last 15 years. We would like to thank the Lee County community for supporting our Ballroom. We are thrilled that we were able to host weekly afternoon events, and more events, such as the Reagan Ranch Foundation. On top of this, LCCOA’s Senior Center Transportation transported 302 seniors, and provided more than 9,000 rides. We have partnered with United Way to deliver lunches for the Summer Eats program, and we’ve delivered more than $1,000 worth of lunches to our more isolated seniors. We’ve also made over 10,000 wellness calls, and hosted numerous activities in the course of the year. Our senior book, “Back in My Day,” has been a great success, and several other agencies are starting their own book. Our goal is to continue to bring education, activities and enjoyment to enrich the lives of our seniors. On behalf of LCCOA’s staff, drivers, volunteers, Board of Directors, and myself, thank you for your continuing support, and we look forward to 2022-23. We know that with your help, we will continue to provide Lee County seniors and disabled with the vital services they need and deserve. Until next time ... LCCOA, a place where you belong, a place to call home. Susan
sewing machines, along with a quilt rack donated by Michelle Miller. A big thanks to all members who donated yarn and cloth for our projects. Computers 4U generously donated all new phones to the Center just in time before our former system was due to be shut down. Sauk Computer Group has helped us enlarge our computer area for anyone needing to check their emails, and has volunteered to do one-on-one technology training, (they are even helping staff get up to speed with our computer skills). We were able to put some lipstick and mascara on the outside of the building with the help of volunteers like Dick and Linda McCormick, who helped weed flower beds and mulch them. Thanks to a donation from Burton Foundation, we were able to fix the ramp coming into the Center. A generous memorial in remembrance of Art Bendick made it possible to replace the torn and tattered awning in the back of the building. And my most favorite donation, paint that came from Grummerts, which helped us pretty up the exterior of the building. I hope Brian doesn’t get upset with me for wearing more of the paint than what was applied to the building. I did have lots of fun! In August we are looking to launch a
new volunteer program. As the Center is seeing more and more people coming, staff needs your assistance to make a trip to the Center enjoyable. We are looking for seniors who are willing to serve as Center host or hostess for the day. This position would ensure all patrons are greeted, assisted with checking in, provided friendly visits, escorted to areas in the Center if they are not sure where they are going, and offered lemonade or coffee. You might be called upon to be a fourth in pinochle or extra in some other area. It’s okay if you don’t know how to play a game. These groups are always willing to help and will enjoy the friendship you have to share. If you have never met a stranger and have a few hours in a day to spare, please contact us for an application & more information. Also in August we will be showing the Zoom presentation by the Alzheimer’s Association on Living with Alzheimer’s for Late Stage Caregivers. This will be a twopart series, Aug. 9 and 16 at 6 p.m. On Aug. 4 we will have a corn husking party from 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. in preparation for our Corn Boil on Aug. 5. A light continental breakfast will be available from 8 to 10 for those willing to join in the fun. Coffee,
lemonade and ice tea will be served all day. Come for the fun and stay for lunch served by Golden Meals, then learn how to play hand and foot at 12:30 p.m. — remember to bring a snack to share for cards. Our Corn Boil is scheduled for Aug. 5, which is also Sterling’s Hot Dog days, so make sure you pick up a hot dog and bring it to the Center to enjoy with some delicious sweet corn. The corn has been donated by Selmis — it isn’t summer until you have tasted Selmis sweet corn! Diane Green from Diane’s catering will be running our kitchen that day, as she is donating her time to assist with this fundraiser. I will be making my St. Patrick’s day cake, pineapple upside down cake and cream puff pies. Dorothy Szewczyk is making her fresh red raspberry pie (my favorite!). It’s not too late to show off your baking skills by donating a dessert for this fun day. Just give us a call for more details. All deserts will be $2 a piece (they will be cut into generous slices), with proceeds helping the food pantry. On Aug. 24, Golden Meals will host another cookout, with pork chop sandwiches and all the fixings for only $3. Stay and enjoy adult coloring or Bingo that day too! See you soon, Susie
We were pleased to have all our friends and families of Twila Beard, Linda Reynolds, Willy Gibbson, Ed Kerley, Nell Nooney, Jessie Ware and John Fritts attend our memorial to lives well lived. Executive Director Susan Lawler gave the opening presentation for each of LCCOA’s friends. Bonnie O’Connell, LCCOA Board of Directors chairwoman, provided a tribute to John, a long-time fellow board member. John dedicated his time and passion to LCCOA’s Senior Center. He was an intricate part of organization’s success. John will always remain in spirit at the Senior Center, and in our hearts. He was a man who truly knew the meaning of a life well lived. The closing prayer was given by Deacon James Barnett. James is also LCCOA’s valued transportation driver.
Matter of Balance
New additions to LCCOA
seniors just love her.
Thank you for a great year!
Golden Echo published monthly by Sauk Valley Media, 113-115 S. Peoria Ave., Dixon, IL 61021, in cooperation with the Lee County Council on Aging and Whiteside County Senior Center. Golden Echo disclaims any liability for any advertisements published herein and in no way endorses or guarantees these ads. Press releases of interest to seniors will be accepted at 100 W. Second St., Dixon, IL 61021; or 1207 W. Ninth St., Sterling, IL 61081. Deadline for submission is the 15th of each month. Golden Echo does not discriminate in admission to programs or treatment or employment in programs or activities in compliance with the Illinois Human Rights Act; the U.S. Civil Rights Act; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act; the Age Discrimination Act; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act; and the U.S. and Illinois Constitutions. If you feel you have been discriminated against, you have a right to file a complaint with the Illinois Department of Aging. For information, call 800-252-8966 (Voice & TDD), or contact the director of Lee County Council on Aging, 100 W. Second St., Dixon, IL 61021 or telephone 815-288-9236; or Whiteside County Senior Center, 1207 W. Ninth St., Sterling, IL 61081 or 815-622-9230. The senior centers do not require duration of residency or citizenship as a condition of participation in any services or programs funded by the Northwestern Illinois Area Agency on Aging. Residency or citizenship may be a requirement for other programs that the senior centers may provide assistance with in application or accessing of same. Services are made available, in part, with funds provided under Title III-B of the Older American Act, and the Illinois General Revenue Funds, through the Northwestern Illinois Area Agency on Aging. We are a United Way-funded agency.
