Thanks to everyone who was able to attend our quarterly volunteer meeting on May 31 at The Hub! As always it was great to see everyone and to touch base about important happenings at Care Partners. Here’s a little meeting recap:
Special Guests from the Alzheimer’s Association
We were pleased to welcome Jenna Pogorels, Associate Director of Community Services for the Alzheimer’s Association’s Northern MN region and Tami Siebert, Walk to End Alzheimer’s regional Walk Manager. Jenna has been a presenter for several of our Lunch & Learn classes, and Tami is helping us organize a Grand Marais Walk to End Alzheimer’s Team! Jenna and Tami shared a little bit about the wonderful work that the Alzheimer’s Association does to help people who are living with dementia and those who care for them…and to support vital research for prevention, treatment, and an eventual cure. They also told us a bit about themselves and what drew them to their important work.
We’re Walking to End Alzheimer’s
Care Partners is putting together a Grand Marais team to participate in the 2023 Walk to End Alzheimer’s, so this year there will be TWO Cook County teams! Grand Portage will hold a walk on Saturday, September 9th – more details are coming soon. The Grand Marais Team will walk on Saturday, September 23rd at 2:30pm, starting at The Hub/Senior Center.
There are lots of ways you can be part of the team! You can register and walk with us on September 23rd in memory or honor of a loved one with dementia, as an advocate for a dementia-friendly community, or to show your support for a dementia-free world. If you’d like, you can also set a personal fundraising goal and encourage your friends and family to help you reach your target. Or you can make a donation to the Grand Marais team through our Walk to End Alzheimer’s team page.
All donations are given to the Alzheimer’s Association for their efforts to support research and people who are affected by Alzheimer’s and other dementias. Give us a call to find out more or go to our Walk to End Alzheimer’s Team Page to register or donate! Hope to see you there!!!!!!
Empty Bowls Grant
Care Partners recently received a grant from Empty Bowls to provide support and encouragement to our friends and neighbors through food. Although we’re happy to help folks who are struggling with expenses, these gifts don’t have to be related to financial need. Maybe you are aware of a caregiver or someone recovering from illness or injury who would appreciate some pre-made meals from the deli, or perhaps a client seems a bit “down in the dumps” and may be heartened by a small expression of care. If you know of a client who might be cheered by a gift card from Gene’s Foods, Johnson’s Foods, or Cook County Whole Foods Co-op, please let us know. Thanks so much to our friends at Empty Bowls for their partnership and generosity!
Quilt Raffle Tickets are Here!
If you haven’t already, head on over to Drury Lane Books to see this year’s beautiful auction quilt handcrafted by Nancy Backlund and Carol Morgen! The drawing will take place at the Care Partners office on August 31st. Raffle tickets are $5 each and come in packs of 4 or 10. You can pick them up at the Care Partners office from 10-3, Monday through Friday or let us know and we can mail or deliver them to you! When they are sold, return the stubs to us along with the money collected. Let your family, friends, and neighbors know you’ve got them for sale…and maybe purchase a few for yourself as well! We’ll keep our fingers crossed for you!!!! Here’s more info about this year’s quilt!
Ice Cream Social Update
As you may have heard, Bruce Block plans to open Sydney’s Custard in its temporary location across from Sivertson Gallery (next to Sven & Oles and the Crooked Spoon food truck) sometime in July! Bruce has let us know that he would LOVE to host our annual Ice Cream Social again this year! Details are being worked out and will be finalized by mid-June…stay tuned for more info to come. A HUGE thank you to Bruce for his wonderful support throughout the years!
Policy Reminders
• If a family member or friend of a client contacts you for information about that client (including questions about their condition or well-being, or for any contact information) please ask them to speak to the client directly or refer them to us. Thank you for helping us respecting our client’s privacy.
• Care Partners is not licensed to provide personal care, such as giving medication, feeding a client, or helping a client get dressed or use the restroom. We can offer minimal balance assistance by lending an arm to a client or help with household tasks like light cleaning or cooking, but we can’t provide “hands-on” help, even if a volunteer feels comfortable doing so. If in doubt, please call and ask. If you need to speak with someone outside of office hours, you can call our Executive Director Julie Wilson at (218) 519-0420.
First Aid Kit Supplies
Senior Rides volunteers, please check your Care Partners first aid kits for expired hand sanitizer, wipes, or antibiotic ointment. We have just purchased some fresh supplies – give us a call or send us an email if you need anything replenished or replaced.
Staff Meeting and Office Phones
Care Partners holds a weekly staff meeting, generally on Tuesdays from 1pm to 2pm (sometimes 2:30pm.) As our team now includes more folks who are job sharing and who are engaged in a combination of in-office and remote work, this meeting has become an invaluable way for us to stay connected and share important information. We don’t answer phones during our staff meetings, but we will listen for messages as soon as we are finished and will do our best to get back to you for any urgent need. Thanks so much for supporting a work model that has helped us stay fully staffed to support our wonderful clients and volunteers!
A Fond Farewell to Longtime Volunteers
We recently said good-bye to two wonderful volunteers who have moved out of Cook County:
Phyllis Parker has been a Care Partners volunteer since the beginning! She has volunteered over 455 hours, making more than 365 visits with nearly a dozen clients over the years – in their homes, at the hospital, in the care center, and by phone to offer companionship and supportive presence at end of life. Phyllis plans to continue offering telephone reassurance to her current companion (with whom she’s been meeting since April 2018) from her new home in the Twin Cities area. We know that her community is receiving a treasure, and we wish Phyllis and her family all the best in their new ventures! Thank you, Phyllis!!!!
Dan Edson has been a Care Partners volunteer driver since 2017, logging over 37,000 miles for more than 475 rides! During the COVID pandemic he also began making telephone reassurance/check-in calls to selected Senior Rides clients, and has continued to connect with a couple of clients weekly. Since April 2020, he’s made over 400 calls. We will miss “Dan the Man” as we affectionately referred to him in the office, and wish he and his wife all the best as they transition to their new home in the North Branch area – nearer to family and friends, and still close to some mighty good fishing. Thank you, Dan!!!!!
