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| December 2021/January 2022, Vol. XXII, No. 5 |
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| Filled With Thanks & Optimism |
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Another year will soon be in the official record and once again we find ourselves commenting how quickly it has flown by. Some would say they would happily forget most of this year, but even with the many challenges, there is so much for which to be thankful and to look back on with a smile.
For your Council, we had the opportunity to fully return to the business of seeing people while taking the necessary precautions to keep those in our care as well as ourselves safe. Yes, you can connect via phone, e-mail and Zoom. But these don’t come close to being in the same room with someone, even at six or whatever feet apart. This is what we had missed the most and what the seniors and caregivers we have the honor of ‘connecting’ with missed as well.
We have learned a great deal about ourselves and we take more seriously those things that once seemed trivial and unimportant. We find joy in the sound of
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a family member or friend’s voice and we find ourselves holding on tight when we have the opportunity to give or receive a hug from the special people in our lives. We are not as quick to relish the idea of having time alone and we find that our patience has been strengthened even in the most repetitive of situations.
We took to heart some very basic lessons we had pushed aside, as we were reminded about the impact of sending and receiving notes, offering a helping hand to a neighbor, letting people know what they mean to us, and even washing our hands.
We are pleased to report that calls from community members wanting to be of help to area seniors and caregivers continue to come in. And our efforts to seek out others have taken a front seat as we try to be as creative as we can to be of service, especially given the difficulties facing traditional homecare and related service organizations. But every hour, task, and person makes a difference.
Your Council team and volunteers are thrilled to be able to close out the year with the return of the in-person Holiday Gift Soirée. This event, while a fundraiser for the Council, has always been our ‘open house’ of sorts, where we can thank the community for your support during the year. It is a beautiful and magical experience for all who come out and this year it will be even more special than ever.
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| The work of Local Artists is not sitting on cargo ships! |
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| Holiday Gift Soiree ~ In person and Online |
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If the days are getting shorter and colder, you know it is time for the GCCOA Holiday Gift Soirée. We will have a new set up to provide a wonderful and spacious experience. We hope to see you on Wednesday, December 1st, from 10am—6pm, at the Xenia Community Center. There will be delightful hand-crafted gifts and yummy treats, holiday music, a beautiful Soiree Tree Farm, a special door prize basket, a quilt raffle, and more.
All creations and treats are made by your Council team and volunteers, with all proceeds to be used for future senior and caregiver programs and services.
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| The news has been full of stories about empty shelves and limited inventory of toys and gifts this year, due to pandemic-related shortages and shipping problems. We will have plenty of gifts at our Holiday Gift Soireé, so be sure to come out, but if you can’t make it or you want still need some gifts, the online store will be open starting Tuesday, December 7th until Friday, December 10th on our website. Payment and pickup at our Xenia office on Monday, December 13th and Tuesday, December 14th. |
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Jamestown Hometown Christmas Santa's Workshop
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Come to the Jamestown Senior Center on Saturday, December 4th from 9:00 am — 4:00 pm for the Hometown Christmas Santa’s Workshop. There you can find beautiful Holiday Crafts and delicious Homemade Baked Goods.
Kids can win a prize in the Find Rudolph’s Nose! Contest.
Sign up when you come in for a chance to win a Holiday Door Prize.
Mr & Mrs Santa Claus visit from 11:00am to 1:30pm.
The Jamestown Senior Center is located in the space behind the Opera House, at 6 East Xenia Street, along the handicap access ramp. For more information, please contact Diane Hollenbeck or Tim Brickey at the Council
937-376-5486 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Our Fall Prevention Event was a terrific event that helped us all. Thanks to our volunteers, participants, and sponsors:
• Barr’s Pharmacy
• Tai Chi Instructor Lori Slone
• Buckeye Home Health Care
• VRI
• Cedarville University Schools of Nursing and Pharmacy
The 2021 It’s My Money program was a big hit. Our thanks to our presenters & participants. Plans for 2022 are underway!
• Jerry Mahan, Retired Extension Educator
• Matthew Bennett, SCRM, with Anderson Williamson Insurance Agency LLC, and Bellbrook Insurance Agency LLC
• David Peterson, Attorney
• David Cusack, Attorney
We also want to thank all who came out to the Shredding Event. It was fun and great to know that your personal papers are in tiny bits, out of your homes, and not in the hands of someone wanting to steal your information! The next shredding event ~ Spring 2022!
A special thanks to the randomly selected folks and volunteers who completed the Council’s Community Survey. The researchers at Scripps Gerontology Center are compiling the responses and have begun their analysis work. We are hopeful that highlights and trends will be ready to share in the Council’s next newsletter, as well as on our website.
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| Calling All Artists and Artisans! |
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| We are planning for the 2022 Senior Artisan Show, and invite any senior artists and artisans to let us know of your interest. Please call or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to let us know. We know that all our Greene County artisans have been busy creating over the last 18+ months, and look forward to seeing what you have. |
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| The Council’s 2022 calendar is available at the Council office, the senior centers, libraries and other community locations. We still have three more months of the beautiful 2021 calendar, but many of us are already scheduling 2022 appointments and activities and there is no better place to record these than the Council’s printed calendar! |
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Autumn is here and that means the weather is turning colder, days are getting shorter, and snow and ice will soon be arriving. This may be a good time to make some plans for winter weather and more. If an emergency happens, the better prepared you are, the faster you can take action and protect your home and family. Being prepared means not only having a plan, but also staying informed about and connected to your community.
Click here for an article about Planning for Emergencies.
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| The Council’s Financial Advocate is a volunteer who can help with financial matters. If you are in need of assistance, please contact the Council. |
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| Preparing for Next Year's Taxes |
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It’s not too soon to start looking forward to next year’s return. With the ripple effects of Covid still impacting the economy in the form of tax credits, remote work and more, 2021 is shaping up to be another tricky tax year.
“It’s the third year of complex implications from the pandemic, including tax changes, life changes, society changes and all that goes with it,” says Mark Steber, chief tax officer for Jackson Hewitt Tax Services.
A number of factors will make 2021 tax returns more complicated than average, including the third stimulus payment that started going out in March, and the advance child tax credits.
Click here for two key things you can start doing now so that you are ready when tax day rolls around in 2022.
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| The Council’s Financial Advocate is a volunteer who can help with financial matters. If you are in need of assistance, please contact the Council. |
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Please join us in thanking these generous donors who shared their time and talents and financial gifts since the last newsletter.
In Memory Of:
Ethel and Hilliard Boggs
Sarah Lorraine Crider
W. Ray Crider
Gleason Danford
Ruby Kramer
Lyle Lockwood
Marc and Birdella Marderosian
Donors:
Paula Adams
Jon & Carol Engels
Dave & Susan Finster
Nancy Fruehling
Rika Hendrickson
Jeanette Johannes
Velma I. Joslin
Don & Maureen Kocarek
Jan Lehman
Lauren Myers
Bonnie Nolen
Frieda Parks
Joe Radin
Jerome & Sharon Raflick
Pizza Dive
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Volunteers:
Lynn Berry
Leah Donohue
Don Dunn
Molly Hall
Barb Hawk
Rika Hendrickson
Alforetta Hughes
Ed Hughes
Linda Jones
Sherry Matsel
Chris Middleton
Megan Randall
Tracey Rickey
Ginny Vikmanis
Barb Werth
Dee Willis
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To ensure you receive information and alerts, sign up for our various mailing lists, or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., and like us on Facebook.
For more information on any of these events, or to make a reservation, contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or 937-376-5486.
◊ Holiday Gift Soirée
Wednesday, Dec 1st 10am to 6pm, Xenia Community Center
◊ Hometown Christmas Santa’s Workshop ~
Sat, Dec 4th, 9am to 4pm, Jamestown Senior Center
◊ 2022 Medicare Open Enrollment ~ Ends Tuesday, December 7th
◊ Medicare 101
~ Wed, Dec 8th, 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm, Xenia GCCOA Office
◊ Legal Chat - No Legal Chat in December.
◊ Memory Loss, Dementia & Alzheimer’s Disease
Wed, Jan 12th, 2:30 to 4:30 pm, Xenia GCCOA Office
◊ Grief & Loss Group ~ 2nd Monday from 10 am to Noon, Peace Lutheran Church
Dec 13th & Jan 10th
◊ In-Person Caregiver, Parkinson’s & Kinship Support Groups
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information
◊ Weekly Programming with our Partners at Real Roots Radio, WBZI FM 100.3:
Boomers and Beyond on Wednesdays around 12:05 pm
Partners in Caregiving on Thursdays soon after 6:00 pm
Please continue to be on alert regarding the various COVID-19 scams. For more COVID-19 information, please go to www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/or coronavirus.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/covid-19/home
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Greene County Council on Aging
937-376-5486
Committed to Seniors and Caregivers
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| Our mission: To promote independence and quality of life for Greene County senior citizens and caregivers by facilitating and supporting the development, implementation and continual improvement of a comprehensive and coordinated system of contact and care. |
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| This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |
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