Showing posts with label seniors. Show all posts
Showing posts with label seniors. Show all posts
March 20, 2014
Cockayne's senior tax relief plan stalls
August 7, 2009
Colapietro organizes expo for seniors, veterans
An informational exposition for seniors and veterans is likely to draw hundreds of area residents to Bristol Eastern High School this month.
“I’m pretty excited to see it happen,” said state Sen. Tom Colapietro, the Bristol Democrat who organized it.
“I expect to see a good turnout,” said Colapietro, whose 31st District includes Bristol, Plymouth, Plainville and a piece of Harwinton. “People enjoy it and it’s free.”
The August 26 expo, which will feature at least 40 informational booths from private and government agencies and companies, is in its second year.
Colapietro said it’s back “basically by popular request.” He said he intends to make it an annual event because it has shown its value to seniors and veterans in the region.
Some of the senior living facilities in the area are expected to bring busloads of residents, Colapietro said, in order to take advantage of the chance they’ll have to talk to experts in so many areas.
Representatives from various organizations – including Bristol Hospital, the state Department of Social Services, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Social Security Administration, the state Commission on Aging, the Connecticut Energy Efficiency Fund, the Bristol Veteran’s Council and the Plymouth Senior Center – are expected to be on hand to field questions.
Bristol Hospital and the Social Services department will provide health screenings for diabetes, balance, and other conditions, the senator said.
A veterans’ bus and information booth will have answers for those wondering about veterans’ benefits.
But other booths will have experts who can help with questions on elder law, home energy efficiency, Social Security and other common issues for seniors and veterans, Colapietro said.
All area seniors, veterans, and their families are welcome to attend. Lunch will be provided, he said.
The expo runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 26.
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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
“I’m pretty excited to see it happen,” said state Sen. Tom Colapietro, the Bristol Democrat who organized it.
“I expect to see a good turnout,” said Colapietro, whose 31st District includes Bristol, Plymouth, Plainville and a piece of Harwinton. “People enjoy it and it’s free.”
The August 26 expo, which will feature at least 40 informational booths from private and government agencies and companies, is in its second year.
Colapietro said it’s back “basically by popular request.” He said he intends to make it an annual event because it has shown its value to seniors and veterans in the region.
Some of the senior living facilities in the area are expected to bring busloads of residents, Colapietro said, in order to take advantage of the chance they’ll have to talk to experts in so many areas.
Representatives from various organizations – including Bristol Hospital, the state Department of Social Services, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Social Security Administration, the state Commission on Aging, the Connecticut Energy Efficiency Fund, the Bristol Veteran’s Council and the Plymouth Senior Center – are expected to be on hand to field questions.
Bristol Hospital and the Social Services department will provide health screenings for diabetes, balance, and other conditions, the senator said.
A veterans’ bus and information booth will have answers for those wondering about veterans’ benefits.
But other booths will have experts who can help with questions on elder law, home energy efficiency, Social Security and other common issues for seniors and veterans, Colapietro said.
All area seniors, veterans, and their families are welcome to attend. Lunch will be provided, he said.
The expo runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 26.
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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
December 17, 2008
Senior center's heating system is failing
The Beals Senior-Community Center needs as much as $5 million in repairs to its heating system.
Public Works Director Walter Veselka said the city had to make emergency repairs to two sections of steam tunnel pipes at the senior center because they were leaking.
But it’s not entirely clear that the repairs are going to prove sufficient even for the short run.
Morris Laveiro, a public works commissioner, said a game plan should be in place in case the entire heating system crashes “which they predict it very possibly can.”
Another member of the public works panel, Frank Stawski, said a consultant warned the city two years ago about the risks there.
Mayor Art Ward said Wednesday there is “a longstanding problem” with the heating system that’s going to have to be addressed.
Veselka said the city has plans “to keep that system operational” but acknowledged it has significant problems.
He said, though, it wasn’t his role to make a contingency plan for the entire building should the heating system die.
Ward said that city leaders should talk with Peggy Sokol, the director of the senior center, “to make sure we have one.”
Sokol did not return calls Wednesday.
Veselka said the long-term fix is already part of the city’s five-year capital improvement plan, which lists likely projects that various departments hope to embark on.
The initial capital project list last spring included $2.2 million for upgrades to the senior center’s heating system, plumbing and other systems.
But officials did not include any money for it in the final project list approved as part of the budget for this fiscal year.
The tab for the repairs could run as high as $5 million, public works officials said.
City Comptroller Glenn Klocko said that some projects may be funded in next year’s budget if it can be shown that failing to do them soon would pose a danger to the public or to city workers. He warned that any requests would be scrutinized carefully by Ward, the comptroller’s office, city councilors and the Board of Finance.
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
November 20, 2007
Giving seniors the bird
Don't miss this story by reporter Jackie Majerus:
The Foodshare turkey distribution at the Bristol Housing Authority got all fowled up this Thanksgiving.
Because they wouldn’t give out their Social Security numbers when signing up for a free turkey, some seniors were shut out of a holiday bird this year.
Instead of getting a turkey as most of them do every year, the seniors instead got a letter from the housing authority saying that since they were “already signed up for a free turkey with the Christian Fellowship Center,” they were not eligible for a turkey through the housing authority.
But the trouble is, the seniors aren’t clients at the Christian Fellowship Center.
“I never signed up at the church on Prospect Street,” said Helen Senical, a Bonnie Acres tenant. “How did my name get up there at that church?”
“We never signed up over there,” said Penny Kalentkowski. “Something’s wrong somewhere. This has never happened before.”
The seniors said they and friends who got the letter are upset and embarrassed at the idea that they’d take charity from the food pantry.
“That’s for families that can’t afford Thanksgiving, not for people like us,” said Senical, who worked at the Bristol Community Organization before she retired. She said she often took clients to the Prospect Street food pantry for help.
“There are families and people up there who need it a lot more than I do,” said Senical. “It’s a little embarrassing.”
Dorothy Ludlum, another Bonnie Acres tenant who was directed to the food pantry through the housing authority letter, said she was really upset about it.
“I was insulted. I thought, Gee, what do they think – I’m trying to steal two turkeys?” said Ludlum.
What happened, according to officials at Foodshare, the housing authority and at Christian Fellowship Center, was that the tenants didn’t put their Social Security numbers on their application for a free turkey.
The housing authority’s Beatrice Nieves, who penned the letter to tenants, said more than 50 households – almost 20 percent of the total number of applications – left off the Social Security number. The housing authority filled in 000-00-0000 on each application that was missing a number, Nieves said.
The turkeys distributed by both the housing authority and the food pantry come through Foodshare.
Foodshare President Gloria McAdam said the agency distributes about 14,600 turkeys at Thanksgiving and has a system to ensure that there isn’t any duplication.
“Our goal is one turkey per household,” said George Lombardo, community program coordinator at Foodshare.
For about the last 10 years, McAdam said, Foodshare hasn’t given out turkeys unless there is a Social Security number on the application.
“We don’t accept anybody that doesn’t give their number,” said McAdam.
Apparently one application that came to Foodshare from the Christian Fellowship Center before the ones from the housing authority arrived, had 000-00-0000 in place of the Social Security number.
That false Social Security number from the food pantry was apparently accepted, but then Foodshare’s computerized system rejected the ones from the housing authority that came after it, deeming them duplicates.
After Foodshare rejected the tenants’ names, Nieves sent them a letter informing them that they were “already signed up” at the Christian Fellowship Center.
The food pantry “has you on their pick up list,” Nieves wrote, adding that tenants could get their turkeys on Prospect Street this morning. She told tenants to direct any questions to the food pantry.
Meanwhile, the food pantry knew nothing about the tenants.
“We didn’t know why people were being referred here,” said Michelle Palmer, promotional director at the Christian Fellowship Center.
Palmer said there appear to be a lot of people who put zeros down on their application.
Nieves said the housing authority was able to come up with turkeys for a number of the tenants who were rejected by Foodshare. The rest, which she said numbered a dozen at Bonnie Acres and a few elsewhere, could get them from the food pantry, Nieves said.
“In essence, everybody’s covered,” said Nieves.
Not so, said some of the Bonnie Acres tenants who were still without a turkey late Tuesday.
Though both Kalentkowski and Senical said they received leftover turkeys from the housing authority when that agency’s distribution ended Saturday, Ludlum and her friend Judy MacDougall weren’t so lucky.
They said they were told they’d get a confirmation letter in the mail to take to the Prospect Street food pantry today that would get them a turkey, but no letter had arrived by Tuesday.
“I’ve never even been up there,” said MacDougall.
Palmer said they expect to have long lines of people standing for hours outside the Prospect Street pantry today, waiting for food.
MacDougall, who has mobility issues and can’t stand a long time, and Ludlum, who is legally blind and cannot drive, won’t be there in line. Both said they’d received turkeys from the housing authority in the past and this year didn’t put down their Social Security numbers.
Oddly, Kalentkowski’s application did include her Social Security number, she said.
“I’m quite sure I did,” said Kalentkowski. “I always do.”
But she got the same letter as Senical and the others, saying she was on the list for the Christian Fellowship Center.
After getting the letter Friday, Senical said, she repeatedly called the food pantry, but never got an answer.
On Tuesday, Senical went to the Prospect Street pantry and asked them to take her name off their list.
Robert Wilk, director of the food pantry, showed Senical that her name wasn’t on the client list.
“If you didn’t put your Social Security number down, what happens is you don’t get a turkey,” said Wilk.
If she has to surrender her Social Security number, Senical said, then Foodshare can keep the turkey. According to Senical, it’s not worth the risk or the hassle.
“This is the last year I’ll ever accept a turkey from housing,” said Senical.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
The Foodshare turkey distribution at the Bristol Housing Authority got all fowled up this Thanksgiving.
Because they wouldn’t give out their Social Security numbers when signing up for a free turkey, some seniors were shut out of a holiday bird this year.
Instead of getting a turkey as most of them do every year, the seniors instead got a letter from the housing authority saying that since they were “already signed up for a free turkey with the Christian Fellowship Center,” they were not eligible for a turkey through the housing authority.
But the trouble is, the seniors aren’t clients at the Christian Fellowship Center.
“I never signed up at the church on Prospect Street,” said Helen Senical, a Bonnie Acres tenant. “How did my name get up there at that church?”
“We never signed up over there,” said Penny Kalentkowski. “Something’s wrong somewhere. This has never happened before.”
The seniors said they and friends who got the letter are upset and embarrassed at the idea that they’d take charity from the food pantry.
“That’s for families that can’t afford Thanksgiving, not for people like us,” said Senical, who worked at the Bristol Community Organization before she retired. She said she often took clients to the Prospect Street food pantry for help.
“There are families and people up there who need it a lot more than I do,” said Senical. “It’s a little embarrassing.”
Dorothy Ludlum, another Bonnie Acres tenant who was directed to the food pantry through the housing authority letter, said she was really upset about it.
“I was insulted. I thought, Gee, what do they think – I’m trying to steal two turkeys?” said Ludlum.
What happened, according to officials at Foodshare, the housing authority and at Christian Fellowship Center, was that the tenants didn’t put their Social Security numbers on their application for a free turkey.
The housing authority’s Beatrice Nieves, who penned the letter to tenants, said more than 50 households – almost 20 percent of the total number of applications – left off the Social Security number. The housing authority filled in 000-00-0000 on each application that was missing a number, Nieves said.
The turkeys distributed by both the housing authority and the food pantry come through Foodshare.
Foodshare President Gloria McAdam said the agency distributes about 14,600 turkeys at Thanksgiving and has a system to ensure that there isn’t any duplication.
“Our goal is one turkey per household,” said George Lombardo, community program coordinator at Foodshare.
For about the last 10 years, McAdam said, Foodshare hasn’t given out turkeys unless there is a Social Security number on the application.
“We don’t accept anybody that doesn’t give their number,” said McAdam.
Apparently one application that came to Foodshare from the Christian Fellowship Center before the ones from the housing authority arrived, had 000-00-0000 in place of the Social Security number.
That false Social Security number from the food pantry was apparently accepted, but then Foodshare’s computerized system rejected the ones from the housing authority that came after it, deeming them duplicates.
After Foodshare rejected the tenants’ names, Nieves sent them a letter informing them that they were “already signed up” at the Christian Fellowship Center.
The food pantry “has you on their pick up list,” Nieves wrote, adding that tenants could get their turkeys on Prospect Street this morning. She told tenants to direct any questions to the food pantry.
Meanwhile, the food pantry knew nothing about the tenants.
“We didn’t know why people were being referred here,” said Michelle Palmer, promotional director at the Christian Fellowship Center.
Palmer said there appear to be a lot of people who put zeros down on their application.
Nieves said the housing authority was able to come up with turkeys for a number of the tenants who were rejected by Foodshare. The rest, which she said numbered a dozen at Bonnie Acres and a few elsewhere, could get them from the food pantry, Nieves said.
“In essence, everybody’s covered,” said Nieves.
Not so, said some of the Bonnie Acres tenants who were still without a turkey late Tuesday.
Though both Kalentkowski and Senical said they received leftover turkeys from the housing authority when that agency’s distribution ended Saturday, Ludlum and her friend Judy MacDougall weren’t so lucky.
They said they were told they’d get a confirmation letter in the mail to take to the Prospect Street food pantry today that would get them a turkey, but no letter had arrived by Tuesday.
“I’ve never even been up there,” said MacDougall.
Palmer said they expect to have long lines of people standing for hours outside the Prospect Street pantry today, waiting for food.
MacDougall, who has mobility issues and can’t stand a long time, and Ludlum, who is legally blind and cannot drive, won’t be there in line. Both said they’d received turkeys from the housing authority in the past and this year didn’t put down their Social Security numbers.
Oddly, Kalentkowski’s application did include her Social Security number, she said.
“I’m quite sure I did,” said Kalentkowski. “I always do.”
But she got the same letter as Senical and the others, saying she was on the list for the Christian Fellowship Center.
After getting the letter Friday, Senical said, she repeatedly called the food pantry, but never got an answer.
On Tuesday, Senical went to the Prospect Street pantry and asked them to take her name off their list.
Robert Wilk, director of the food pantry, showed Senical that her name wasn’t on the client list.
“If you didn’t put your Social Security number down, what happens is you don’t get a turkey,” said Wilk.
If she has to surrender her Social Security number, Senical said, then Foodshare can keep the turkey. According to Senical, it’s not worth the risk or the hassle.
“This is the last year I’ll ever accept a turkey from housing,” said Senical.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
October 1, 2007
RSVP program recruiting new tutors
Just got this press release:
The Retired & Sr. Volunteer Program (RSVP) is recruiting tutors for Bristol Public School children. Persons 55 and older, retired or working who enjoy being with children are encouraged to come to a one hour tutor training. The next training is Tuesday October 23, 2007 at Hubbell School.
They will learn that tutoring need not be a big time commitment but can positively impact an underachieving student. Typically tutors meet for one hour with the student one to two times per week. This training is co-sponsored by Bristol Public Schools.
Register for tutor training by calling Pat Malone at 860-584-9533, Monday-Friday 8:30-4:30 pm.
Who We Are
Since its creation in 1972, RSVP has assisted thousands of people 55 or older to lead full and meaningful lives. RSVP recruits and places volunteers age 55 and over to help non-profit community agencies and organizations. Our area of service includes Bristol, Burlington, Plainville, and Terryville/Plymouth. RSVP is a program of the Corporation for National and Community Service, the State of CT Department of Social Services, a partner with the United Way of West Central CT, and is locally sponsored by the Bristol Community Organization.
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Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
The Retired & Sr. Volunteer Program (RSVP) is recruiting tutors for Bristol Public School children. Persons 55 and older, retired or working who enjoy being with children are encouraged to come to a one hour tutor training. The next training is Tuesday October 23, 2007 at Hubbell School.
They will learn that tutoring need not be a big time commitment but can positively impact an underachieving student. Typically tutors meet for one hour with the student one to two times per week. This training is co-sponsored by Bristol Public Schools.
Register for tutor training by calling Pat Malone at 860-584-9533, Monday-Friday 8:30-4:30 pm.
Who We Are
Since its creation in 1972, RSVP has assisted thousands of people 55 or older to lead full and meaningful lives. RSVP recruits and places volunteers age 55 and over to help non-profit community agencies and organizations. Our area of service includes Bristol, Burlington, Plainville, and Terryville/Plymouth. RSVP is a program of the Corporation for National and Community Service, the State of CT Department of Social Services, a partner with the United Way of West Central CT, and is locally sponsored by the Bristol Community Organization.
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Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
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