Community/Senior Center Committee Needs Members

A new ad hoc committee has been created to build upon the work of the previous committee.  The previous committee researched and found that there is a strong need, support and interest in McFarland to create a multi-generational community/senior center.

This committee will explore in greater detail the size and scope of the project, assess potential locations and site acquisitions, consider facility design options, and explore financing options.

We are currently looking for committee members who will represent the following;
   Seniors
   Chamber of Commerce
   Financial Background
   Architectural/construction/real estate development background
   Youth Center
   School District
   Members at-large (two members)

To be considered for appointment, please contact either the McFarland Outreach Department or the Village Administration with a letter of interest and your relevant background.  You may call either department with questions or for clarification.

Contact Phone Number

If you call the Outreach office (838-7117) and get an answering machine, press 220 and you will immediately get to a place where you can leave a message. All staff has access to that phone “mailbox”, so you will get a quicker response to your message.

Advisory Committee

The Outreach Department would welcome one to two more retirees to serve on its advisory committee.  The committee meets at 9:30 am the third Thursday of the odd numbered months (six times a year).  We’re looking for responsible, dedicated people who have a positive vision for the department, and have strong people skills.  Call Outreach by June 25th if you are interested.

Free Personalized eBook and eReader Training Sessions

Is that nice eReader or tablet your kids gave you for your birthday still in the box because you are afraid to use it? Did you know that the public library offers free downloadable eBooks? Learn to use the library's free eBook service, Wisconsin's Digital Library, at a personalized eBook training. The free sessions through McFarland Senior Outreach are available for all levels of eReader users. We’ll cover everything from setting up and registering your new device, to searching the eBook collection and downloading free books to your eReader or tablet. The 45 minute one-on-one sessions, will be conducted by helpful (and very patient!) staff from Dane County Library Service. Interested? Contact Outreach at 838-7117.

Yoga Classes

A Thursday morning yoga class is being added to our class offerings. The class will be held from 9 – 10 a.m. in the Community Room of the Municipal Center. Designed to be slower paced and more appropriate for those with various compromised health issues, it is a great fit for many retirees. The cost is $8 per class, pre-paid per month. This class is a companion to an already scheduled Monday morning yoga class, also from 9 – 10 a.m. Sign up through Outreach.

Bocce - Volunteers Needed

Senior Outreach is looking for a few bocce enthusiasts who would be willing to assist in setting up bocce play.  This would involve getting out the equipment and returning it after playing bocce.  Call Outreach if you are interested.  (838-7117)  June play dates:  June 13 and June 24th, beginning at 9 a.m.  Come and learn how to play!  There is no fee.

Foot Care Cost

The fee for toe nail clipping services by Stoughton Home Health will increase to $20 in June.  Please make note of this.

Gardening Programs

The ED Locke Library is sponsoring monthly gardening programs.  The next program will be:

     June 20th, 6 p.m. – Growing Tomatoes

The library gardening programs are co-sponsored with the Senior Outreach Department. All programs are presented by the Dane County UW Extension and will be held at the library.  Please register at the library or call 838-9030.

Computer Assistance

Have a computer question?  Call or stop into the E.D. Locke Public Library to arrange a session (up to 30 minutes) to sit down with a librarian and get some help with a specific computer/digital device question.  Contact them by stopping in, calling 608-838-9030 or emailing them at mcflib@scls.lib.wi.us .

JULIETs

JULIETs (Just us Ladies Is Eatin’ Together) Breakfast at Green Lantern Tuesday, May 28th at 9:00 a.m. Fellowship for retired women. Newcomers are welcome. No reservations are needed.

Singles Over Seventy

The SOS Club will eat at Halverson’s, 1965 Barber Drive, Stoughton on Saturday, June 8th.  Dinner will begin at 5 p.m.  Single men and women over age 70 are welcome to attend.  Call Bea at 838-3060 by June 7th for reservations.

ROMEO

ROMEOs (Retired Older Men Eating Out) will get together for breakfast at 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday, June 26th, at the Green Lantern. Newcomers are always welcome. No reservations are needed.

Transportation

This is a reminder that transportation for a variety of reasons is available for seniors. On page two of this month's newsletter is a summary of options and fees. Of particular note is the once a month “taxi bus”, which takes seniors to destinations of their choice in McFarland between 9:30 a.m. – noon, the second Thursday of each month. The other options include rides to the daily nutrition site, twice a month rides to Pick 'n Save and monthly shopping trips to Madison. Call Outreach to sign up for these rides. Rides to medical appointments can be scheduled through the coordinator, Mary Parks, between 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. at 838-3072. Cost for those rides is on a donation basis. We encourage seniors to take advantage of these offerings.

RSVP Ride Policy

The RSVP Driver Escort Program is a Dane County service which is coordinated by many local volunteers throughout the county. The county screens potential drivers for driver safety records and funds the mileage for those authorized to drive seniors to medical appointments. RSVP’s policy for all rides is that they are a last resort. Family, friends, and public transportation are expected to be the first means of getting a ride.

Because of a shortage of resources (a tight budget and a low number of drivers), riders are limited to a maximum average of one ride per week for their medical appointments. Although this may be a hardship for some riders, RSVP is providing a valuable service under challenging circumstances. In 2010, RSVP provided over 6,600 rides for the county, which covered 338,000 miles of driving. This cost $169,000 for mileage reimbursement. We are grateful that this program exists for seniors. For any transportation concerns, call Outreach.

Senior Nutrition Program

McFarland offers a meal site and home delivered meals for people over age 60. Dane County reviews its budget annually and looks closely at locations where the meal program is underutilized. To ensure that McFarland keeps its funding, we need more seniors to use the site. The meal program is available to all seniors, no matter what their income is. The meals are prepared by a caterer and brought to McFarland for consumption. It is a well balanced meal. It is especially appealing for people who do not enjoy cooking or who eat alone. Typically, seniors who live alone eat meals which tend to be those of convenience – cereal, soup, sandwiches, etc. – rather than balanced meals containing fruits, vegetables, food rich in anti-oxidants, fiber, and omega-3. Newcomers are welcome. If every McFarland senior ate just one meal a month at the site, it would make a difference!

Shared Table Free Community Meal

A community sponsored free meal is offered each Thursday evening at McFarland Lutheran Church (corner of Marsh Road and Hwy MN). Doors open at 5 p.m., with meals served from 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. The benefits of the community meals include: supplying meals for those in financial need, building community and relationships, and providing fellowship. These meals are especially appealing to those who have a hard time making ends meet financially, food pantry clients, the elderly, those wanting companionship, and families who need a respite from making a meal. No reservations are needed. Simply show up at the designated time.

Medicine Drop-Off Box

There is a MedDrop Box in the McFarland Municipal Center for people to discard their unused medications.  Patrons should pour pills into a zip-lock bag before discarding.  It is important to clean out your cupboards of unwanted medications to prevent others having access to them.  To protect the environment, the MedDrop Box is the best way to dispose of medications.  (Do not flush them down the toilet or put them in your trash, since that could pollute area land and water.)

MEDIGAP Helpline

The Board on Aging and Long Term Care has launched its Medigap Part D and Prescription Drug Helpline.  Counselors are available to assist callers age 60 and over who have questions related to prescription drug insurance, including Medicare Part D and SeniorCare.  Counselors will also aid callers in exploring other coverage options for prescription drugs. 

Medigap Part D and Prescription Drug helpline can be reached at 1-855-677-2783

For other questions about Medicare and other insurance, call 1-800-242-1060.

The Helpline is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Elder Friends Program

Looking for an opportunity to give back to your community? Become an Elder Friend.  Elder Friends are needed to provide friendly home visits to seniors in the McFarland area. The Elder Friends Program through Peer Support of Dane County connects older adults (60+) with a trained Elder Friend.  The program gives homebound or isolated seniors a chance to connect with a warm listener and provides volunteers with a meaningful way to give back to their communities.  In most cases, long lasting and mutually rewarding friendships develop.  No experience needed, training provided.  This is a flexible volunteer opportunity. To learn more about the Elder Friends program or request an application packet, please contact Anita Brown-Huber @ 608-846-9469 or abrown-huber@thecommunitycornerstone.org or contact the McFarland Outreach Center at 838-7117.

YOGA

Take a look at incorporating yoga into your schedule for 2012. It meets Mondays at 9:00 a.m. Cost: $8/session. The 1st session is free for newcomers. Here is a comment from one of the participants: “I enjoy yoga because I get to relax an hour a week away from the hustle and bustle of the world. I also like the stretching – it makes my body feel great.” Dee (student).

Drivers for RSVP Driver Escort Program

Responsible drivers are needed to take older adults to medical appointments in McFarland, Stoughton, and Madison. Schedules for driving are flexible, so volunteers can designate which days and times they are willing to drive. Mileage is reimbursed for this program. Many seniors rely solely on this form of transportation to get to vital appointments. Call 838-7117, if interested.

Senior Newsletter Subscription

Activities and services for seniors are included in the Senior Outreach Department’s monthly “McFarland Area Senior News”.  Free copies can be picked up at the Municipal Center, library, doctors’ offices, and other McFarland locations.  It can also be emailed for free by adding your email address on Outreach’s group mailing list through outreach.dept@mcfarland.wi.us.  Subscriptions for receiving the newsletter by mail cost $8 annually.  A check made out to “McFarland Senior Outreach” for $8 may be mailed to Senior Outreach at PO Box 110, McFarland, WI 53558.

Vegetarian Menu

Vegetarian options are now available at the McFarland meal site.  Please refer to “VO” listed in the menu for substitutes to the main entrée.

Thursday Salad Options

Salad options at the meal site will take place on Thursdays.  Each Thursday, diners at the nutrition site may choose to order a salad instead of the main entrée.  All salads are served with the dessert of the day.  Check with the Outreach Office (838-7117) for "salads" of the month schedule. 

Homebound Library Service

Do you have an ongoing physical condition that prevents you from going to the library? Do you live in Dane County outside of the Madison City limits? If so, then you qualify for the homebound library service. This is how it works:
1. Call 608-266-4419.
2. Tell them what types of books interest you.
3. They select books for you according to your criteria.
4. They mail them to you in postage-free packages as you request them.
5. You return your finished books in the postage-free mailers.
6. They can also reserve specific books and materials for you at your request.
The library also has talking books, books with large print and CD’s. Feel free to ask about them.