Page 2 - Rolling Stone April 2016

Page 2
Letter from the Director
By Susan Lambert Executive Director
Did you notice that the front page of the Rolling Stone looks different? The banner across the top depicts the SRC 8 pillars of service model. While the services are not new the way we view them is. Pillars represent strength and the SRC is built on 8 pillars of strength that support our mission of promoting independence and quality of life for seniors in Jo Daviess and Stephenson County. Each pillar represents a program area as described below.
• Adult Protective Services (APS) – Investigates and assists victims of neglect, and/or financial, sexual or physical abuse
• Community Care Program (CCP) – Coordinates non-medical in-home services, deflecting nursing home placements
• Education & Activities – Facilitates health seminars, screen- ings, healthy living presentations and fun social events
• Information & Assistance (I&A) – Provides seniors objective, easy-to-grasp information about programs and services. Bridging the gap between need and services.
• Money Management Program (MMP) – Develops monthly budgets and pay bills for those unable to do so themselves
• Tax Aide – Assists seniors with AARP Tax Counseling and 1040 preparation
• Transit – Provides seniors with access to services with low- cost rides throughout Stephenson County
• Volunteerism – hours of direct client assistance and behind the scenes help .
An article featuring one pillar of service will appear in the Rolling Stone for the next eight months so you can learn more about the what is happening at your senior center.
Happy Spring! Sue
There are currently 18 volun- teers filing taxes, helping sort paperwork and making tax phone calls at the Senior Resource Center. One of these volunteers is Karen Goecke. She has been an AARP volunteer tax preparer at the Senior Resource Center for 10 years.
Karen and her husband moved
to Freeport 50 years ago in 1966
so he could work for Micro
Switch. Karen’s occupation was in
insurance and income tax prepa-
ration and that is how she heard
about the Senior Resource
Center’s tax Program. Even though she is now retired she can con- tinue to enjoy numbers and problem solving while helping people file their taxes.
Karen is fortunate to have her mom and granddaughter, Jennifer, living in Freeport and her son, Robert who lives in Baton Rouge.
Karen has been a widow for 14 years and has met the second love of her life. He has dark curly hair with a touch of grey, big brown eyes and is very, very affectionate. His eyes light up when he sees her. He has a great personality and knows how to make Karen laugh. She confesses that he is a younger man. Also, when he sees her, he wags his tail and as you probably guessed, he’s her dog, Truffles. Just like the song, “A Boy Named Sue,” he
has a girlie name. She named him after her next love which is for chocolate. He is 12 years old and
has some serious medical problems so time with him is limited but she loves him like crazy and cherishes her time with him.
Karen’s mom has been her faithful traveling companion, always ready to go on a cruise with her. Her mom feels great
on a cruise. She thinks that is because she does more walk- ing and is more active while on it. Her mother says that
they are better than doctors. She also says, “Cruise ships are healthier and cheaper than nursing homes.”
Karen loves taking cruises because the food, ambience, activities and the relaxing are all fantastic. Her other
interests include reading and playing “words with friends” on Facebook. We are so grateful to have
Karen at the SRC as an AARP Tax Aide Volunteer.
If you share Karen’s interests and skills in working with taxes and helping people, We invite you to
join her and volunteer for the AARP Tax Aide pro- gram. For more information go to aarp.org/tax
aide or call the Senior Resource Center 815-235-9777, extension 221.
Karen Goecke
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINOUS SUPPORT OF THE
SENIOR RESOURCE CENTER
AFSCME Retirees Sub Chapter 71 Dale Lapp
Lauren Frederick Jean Grant Mildred Harbers Richard Hasken
Gwenneth Maass Dorothy Schlueter Laurie Swanson John Walt
Thanks for Caring In Memory of:
Mae Maines and Willadean Caudle