Healthy Families Task Force, Ariel Staton, Community Action meeting, Honor Flight, blood drives, hospice gifts, Together for Lincoln, LCHS exhibit at Lincoln Art Institute, Hartem Alumni Banquet, Relay For Life luminaria, Route 66 weekend June 7-9

[May 16, 2013]  Healthy Families Task Force brings community service agencies together -- Part 1

On behalf of the Healthy Families Task Force, Coleen Moore coordinated a meeting last week of area family service providers. The Healthy Families Task Force is a part of the Healthy Community Partnership, which is directed by Angela Stoltzenberg.

The purpose of the meeting Thursday was to open a dialogue so that the groups and individuals could get acquainted with one another, and to raise awareness on what each organization does to assist families in Logan County.

Moore began by talking about a training she had attended last year and how it had benefited her in her program. She said in that meeting she had seen some of the most frightening statistics for this area. Ranking high on the list of issues for young children were problems with childhood obesity and child abuse.

She said that at one time, her school had 30 foster children. So, she was very well-versed in the problems of child abuse, as well as how to work with the state Department of Children and Family Services and the foster care program.

She said she was led to write a grant through the Illinois Action for Children and won the grant. This gave the Healthy Families Task Force the momentum to start a program of working together to offer valuable services to those in need.

She said the best part of the meeting Thursday was the opportunity for the various groups to talk about what they do and, more important, to share information on how to access the services they do provide. Moore said it would surprise them to find out how many people say they don’t know how to get the help they need; they don’t know whom to contact.

Moore began the presentations around the room by discussing her program, Christian Child Care.

Christian Child Care

Christian Child Care is located on Wyatt Avenue in the single-story building of the Odd Fellows campus. The phone number for the office is 217-732-5750.

Christian Child Care offers affordable day care services for working families. Depending on the income level of the family, day care services can be supplemented with payments from DCFS. DCFS pays the qualifying portion of the day care bill and parents are responsible for the balance, if there is one.

Moore said that when she took over as the director of the day care six years ago, it was in dire straits financially. She told the group that it was community support that helped her get the center back on its feet, but money is always going to be a problem for the day care.

In addition to financial improvement, Moore and her staff have worked hard to achieve high ratings from the state on the quality of care they provide. Currently the center is holding a strong 3-star rating. Moore said that in all of Illinois, there are only slightly over 400 day care facilities that have that high a rating, something she is pleased with, but not satisfied with. She wants to see her agency earn a 4-star rating. But again, there are improvements that would have to be made, and that means more money. Moore said she hopes to do more parent-teacher activities and more parent trainings. This will go toward her higher rating.

She said it was very hard to run the agency on what they do have. She said, "I would love to give my staff raises," but she told the group the money just isn’t there. She doesn’t want to raise rates because her parents are already struggling with the fees. She also noted that in Springfield the same services she offers would cost over $400 a month, and in Bloomington it would cost over $300 a month. Christian Child Care rates are about half that amount.

Head Start

There were three representatives in the room from the Community Action Partnership of Central Illinois: Marcia Hieronymus, Mackenzie Montgomery and Libby Canady. Hieronymus began their presentation by offering a rundown of all the services the agency offers.

Community Action offers programs such as Low Income Heating and Energy Assistance, which provides funds to help pay heating costs for seniors and low-income families. The agency also provides a weatherization program to help make homes more energy-efficient. In addition they offer senior meal programs with home delivery and congregate dining sites, and the Foster Grandparent program that links seniors to at-risk children in the public school system. Community Action also administers the Logan Mason Transportation Program.

The group was there to primarily talk about Head Start and Early Head Start. In this area there are three Head Start classrooms that serve approximately 90 children. The Community Action Head Start program serves six counties, and the total enrollment is close to 400 children.

Hieronymus said right now they are recruiting for the fall classes, and families are being encouraged to sign up their children. The program is divided into two stages: the birth to 3-year-old group and the 3- to 5-year-old group.

Hieronymus said the programs are available free of charge to qualified families. The program includes daily transportation to school for the children and healthy meals and snacks during the class period.

Head Start is federally funded, and Hieronymus said they, too, face challenges as government funding is always changing and they have experienced some deep cuts.

Montgomery talked about the health aspects of Head Start. In addition to offering good nutrition, the program works to get needed medical services for the children. She said their biggest challenge is in finding dental care. Many of the families have medical cards that will subsidize the needed services, but the problem is that there is a shortage of dentists locally who will take the card. Head Start does take advantage of the dental clinics offered by the Logan County Department of Public Health, but in many cases their services are not enough to meet the needs of the child.

Canady talked about the early childhood program and what it offers to parents of small children. She said the program reaches out to parents to offer parenting help and education.

The program also offers help for parents in conducting job searches and writing résumés. In addition they do job interview trainings.

The Community Action corporate offices are at 1800 Fifth St. in Lincoln. Their phone number is 217-732-2159.

Department of Child and Family Services

Cince Bowns was on hand from the Department of Child and Family Services. DCFS deals with abused, neglected and delinquent children. Bowns said they do a lot of work with mandated reporter training and have a memorandum of understanding with the local Head Start.

Mandated reporting is a program specifying that agencies working with children are required to observe child behavior and report to DCFS any actions that could be an indication of neglect or abuse in the home. DCFS investigates those reports on a one-on-one basis and acts accordingly. DCFS can be reached by calling 217-735-4402.

Lincoln Christian Church

Marsha Wells of Lincoln Christian Church is a youth minister at the church. The church offers worship programs for children, and a day care program is also available.

Lincoln Christian Church is across from Latham Park on North McLean Street.

___

Part 2 of this report will be published on Friday with glimpses of area youth summer programs offered by 4-H, Salvation Army, United Cerebral Palsy and the Lincoln Park District.

[By NILA SMITH]

---

Staton named May Employee of the Month at ALMH

Ariel Staton of Lincoln has been named the May Employee of the Month at Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital in Lincoln. Staton has worked as a dietary technician at the hospital for the past four years.

She is a 2009 graduate of Lincoln Community High School.

In her role as dietary technician she is responsible for washing dishes and delivering trays to patients. She enjoys her work because of the people she comes in contact with on a regular basis.

"I love working at ALMH. I get to meet new people every day, work alongside wonderful people and I get to have fun at work! Every day is a new adventure," said Staton.

Staton was nominated for the honor by her co-worker Kathleen Cunningham.

"Ariel always has a smile to greet you! Happy to help no matter which position she is working that day. She often comes to work when we are short even if it’s at the last moment or early in the morning. Her positive nature always makes for a great place to work," said Cunningham.

Staton enjoys being active so she spends as much time outdoors as possible. She regularly attends Zumba classes and enjoys dancing, drawing and crafts.

ALMH, at 200 Stahlhut Drive in Lincoln, is a 25-bed critical-access hospital affiliated with Memorial Health System. ALMH employs more than 315 in a variety of roles. For more information about the hospital, visit www.almh.org.

---

Community Action board meeting notice

The next corporate board meeting of the Community Action Partnership is scheduled for Thursday, May 30, at 7 p.m. at the corporate offices, 1800 Fifth St. in Lincoln.

For transportation to the meeting, contact the resource specialist at your county office:

• DeWitt County:
  Anita Russell, 217-935-2455

• Logan County:
  Cyndi Campbell, 217-732-2159

• Mason/Fulton County:
  Anna Richardson, 309-543-6988

• Piatt County:
  Wendy Dotson, 217-762-2421

---

Land of Lincoln Honor Flight plans May 21 trip

SPRINGFIELD -- Land of Lincoln Honor Flight will honor 26 more World War II veterans and 61 more Korean veterans with a one-day trip to Washington, D.C., on May 21 to see the World War II Memorial, Korean Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, Arlington Cemetery, National Air and Space Museum, and other memorials. Seventy-four guardians who are responsible for the veterans' comfort and safety will also be on this 21st Land of Lincoln Honor Flight.

Donations and efforts of many individuals, organizations and businesses have allowed Land of Lincoln Honor Flight to honor the veterans. This will be the third flight for 2013.

The public is invited to a "welcome home" ceremony for these WWII and Korean era veterans when the plane arrives back at Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport in Springfield at 9:30 p.m. on May 21. Wear red, white and blue to show your appreciation.

Veterans on this flight come from the Illinois towns of Alton, Ashland, Bartonville, Beason, Bloomington, Carlinville, Chatham, Cuba, Delavan, East Alton, East Peoria, Elgin, Elkhart, Glasford, Godfrey, Hamilton, Havana, Hillsboro, Jacksonville, Lewistown, Lincoln, Marquette Heights, Minonk, Morrisonville, Morton, Mount Pulaski, Nokomis, Normal, North Pekin, Pawnee, Pekin, Peoria, Pleasant Plains, Roanoke, Rochester, Roxana, Ruma, Springfield, Taylorville, Tremont, Trivoli, Waverly, Winchester and Wood River and from Fort Madison in Iowa.

Applications are still being accepted for the following, but WWII veterans will be served first:

• Veterans who enlisted by Dec. 31, 1946 (WWII -- 71 currently on the list)

• Veterans who served Jan. 1, 1947, through Dec. 31, 1957 (Korean era -- 299 currently on the list)

• Veterans who served Jan. 1, 1958, through May 7, 1975 (157 currently on the list)

The June 18 flight is already full. Additional 2013 flights will take place Sept. 10 and Oct. 22.

The Land of Lincoln Honor Flight board welcomes the chance to speak to organizations, businesses, churches, conventions or other groups about their mission, future flights, guardian duties, fundraising and donations.

For more information about how individuals and groups can help the mission, how to become a member, how to obtain applications, and to learn more about Land of Lincoln Honor Flight, go to http://landoflincolnhonorflight.org/ or contact Ray Wiedle, chairman: home phone [phone], cellphone 217-622-1473 or email [e-mail].

---

Upcoming blood drives in Logan County

To help ensure an adequate blood supply for the region, the Central Illinois Community blood center is offering opportunities to donate blood in Logan County later this month.

Thursday, May 23

• Elkhart -- Elkhart Christian Church, 113 S. Gillett; 3-6 p.m.

• Atlanta -- St. Mary's Catholic Church, 805 Pearl St.; noon-6 p.m.

Saturday, May 25

• Lincoln -- Hampton Inn, 1019 N. Heitmann Drive; 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

For your convenience, call Alexis toll-free 1-866-GIVE-BLD (1-866-448-3253), ext. 5158, to sign up, or schedule an appointment online at www.bloodcenterimpact.org. Walk-ins are also welcome and truly appreciated.

Central Illinois Community Blood Center, a not-for-profit organization, is the provider of lifesaving blood for 14 hospitals throughout central Illinois, including Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital in Lincoln and Memorial Medical Center and St. John's Hospital in Springfield. CICBC is a division of the Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center, which collects over 180,000 units of blood annually and serves 87 hospitals in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri and Wisconsin.

---

---

Donor gifts make hospice patient wishes come true, help families cope with grief

A check representing collective donor gifts of $8,332.21 from the Abraham Lincoln Healthcare Foundation's Dr. Wayne J. Schall Hospice Fund was recently presented to the Memorial Home Services nurses who work with Logan County patients and their families.

The Light Up A Life and memorial contributions from local donors will help promote a bereavement support group and support the final wishes of local hospice patients.

Memorial Home Services is a not-for-profit affiliate of Memorial Health System and serves 14 central Illinois counties. Shelley Gray, R.N., and Jessica Spiedel, R.N., (pictured above) commute daily from Girard and Chatham to work with Logan and Mason County patients of Memorial Home Services. The two nurses do so because they "love the families, pharmacies, physicians and hospital in the Lincoln community."

As part of their daily routine, Gray and Spiedel visit hospice patients in their homes to help make their final days as pain-free and rewarding as possible. They also partner with ALMH case managers and Dr. Mary Bretscher's chemotherapy clinic to ensure that the transition to hospice care is as smooth as possible.

Gray says that the gifts passed along from the Abraham Lincoln Healthcare Foundation will be used to support a new bereavement support group, which meets in the ALMH Steinfort Room the third Thursday of every month from 6 to 8 p.m.

Spiedel added that the gifts will also help them grant wishes for local patients as part of the Memorial Home Services Hospice Sharing Wishes Fund. Gray and Spiedel work with the Memorial Hospice team of social workers, chaplains and volunteers to get to know the patients and their desires, and then use the Sharing Wishes Fund to make those wishes a reality. Wishes granted to Logan County patients have included a ride in a hot-air balloon, a laptop needed to Skype with far-away family members, a hearing device, and a haircut and special dinner.

According Marty Ahrends, executive director of the Abraham Lincoln Healthcare Foundation, ALMH started its own hospice program in the late '80s and named it in memory of beloved physician Dr. Wayne J. Schall. Even though the Schall Hospice at ALMH merged with Visiting Nurses Association of Central Illinois in the mid-'90s, the community continued to support the Schall Hospice Fund. More than $522,000 from 6,047 donors has been donated to the fund since then.

In 2004 the local hospice advisory group recommended that Schall funds purchase low-air-loss mattresses and other items that hospice patients would use in their homes. Later they approved the renovation of a hospice respite care room at the former ALMH facility and voted to use funds for pain medications that keep local hospice patients comfortable during their final months.

Gifts for the Schall Hospice Fund can be sent to the Abraham Lincoln Healthcare Foundation, 200 Stahlhut Drive in Lincoln. For more information, contact Ahrends at 605-5006 or visit www.almh.org.

---

Together for Lincoln pork chop dinner

Together for Lincoln will have its annual butterfly pork chop dinner fundraiser on Thursday, May 16, from 4 to 7 p.m. in the IGA parking lot. In addition to a butterfly pork chop, the meal includes au gratin potatoes, green beans and a dinner roll.

Tickets are $8. Tickets may be purchased in advance at the Jefferson Street Christian Church office during regular office hours Mondays-Thursdays or on-site the day of the dinner.

All proceeds will go to support projects at the annual Together for Lincoln service project day on Sunday, Sept. 22.

---

Logan County Arts presents 'Functional and Fine Art: Lincoln Community High School Textiles, Woods, Metals and Fine Art'

An exhibit of works by Lincoln Community High School students in textiles, woods, metals and fine art will be on view at the Lincoln Art Institute in downtown Lincoln from May 9 through May 26. The show opens Thursday, May 9, at 5 p.m. and is free and open to the public.

This event will feature various works by current students attending Lincoln Community High School and includes works that are both functional and creative in a variety of media.

Refreshments will be served at the opening, in addition to a bake sale with the proceeds going to support Logan County Arts, which serves artists and the community throughout Logan County.

The Lincoln Art Institute hosts Logan County Arts with the goal of expanding awareness of arts with a focus on Logan County.

___

Lincoln Art Institute
Address: 112 S. McLean, Lincoln, IL 62656
Contact: Toby Prange, curator,
[e-mail]
Phone: [phone]
Website: www.logancountyarts.org
Hours: Saturdays 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
or by appointment

---

Hartsburg-Emden High School Alumni Banquet will be June 8

HARTSBURG-EMDEN -- The 86th annual Hartsburg-Emden High School Alumni Banquet will begin at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, June 8, at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Lincoln.

Invitations to the banquet will be sent out the first week of May. Anyone who did not receive an invitation but would like to attend the banquet may send a request via email to Ron Spencer at [e-mail], or you may reach him on his cellphone at 309-838-0360.

Anniversary classes being honored this year are 1933, 1938, 1943, 1948, 1953, 1958, 1963, 1968, 1973, 1978, 1983, 1988, 1993, 1998, 2003, 2008 and the senior Class of 2013.

The winner of the "Wall of Fame" award will be selected and announced at the banquet. This year's award will be represented in the category of "Athletics/Sports."

Please mail nomination letters to Ron Spencer, 8923 Blooming Grove Road, Bloomington, IL 61705.

Due to the rising costs of the banquet, the alumni association will accept donations to help out with the cost of the event and to continue funding the Alumni Scholarship. Donations are payable to the Hartem Alumni Association and may be sent to Greg Phillips, 208 Market St., Emden, IL 62635.

Officers of the alumni association for 2013 are Chris Boerma, president; Ron Spencer, vice president; Loretta Hellman, secretary; Greg Phillips, treasurer; and Kay Mullins and Verna Lessen, corresponding secretaries.

---

Logan County Relay to celebrate American Cancer Society's 100th year

The Logan County Relay For Life is joining all of America in celebrating 100 years of saving lives and creating more birthdays through the efforts and research of the American Cancer Society, begun in 1913. Formerly the word cancer was not spoken, so almost all patients with this dreadful disease were lost.

On Saturday, May 18, the Logan County Relay For Life teams will sell $10 luminaria bags at Lincoln IGA from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. The luminaria will also be available at the annual Relay For Life Breakfast at Lincoln College on Sunday, May 19, from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. On Wednesday, May 22, these luminaria will draw attention to the 100th anniversary, as all of those purchased will be placed on the front porch of each participating home and lit at sundown to show support in helping to stamp out this disease in this century.

The luminaria purchased for this celebration will not be relit at the Relay For Life event June 14-15 at Lincoln College.

For more information, contact Bill Post, 732-7564; Tonita Reifsteck, 855-1645; or Nicole Lee, 828-1100.

---

Route 66 will anchor weekend of activities in Logan County

Route 66 will be the centerpiece for a diverse series of activities taking place in Logan County on the weekend of June 7-9, Friday-Sunday.

Events will range from garage sales, auto racing and an electric car show to art exhibits and the Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame Banquet.

Festivities will begin with the annual Route 66 Garage Sale, which will take place from 7 a.m. until dusk Friday, Saturday and Sunday in Lincoln.

This year, vendors can rent indoor or outdoor space at the VFW, 915 Fifth St., or flea market space at The Mill, 738 S. Washington St. For reservations at the VFW, or general information about the garage sales, call Andrea Dykman at 217-735-0294. The Logan County Tourism Bureau at 217-732-8687 is taking reservations for spaces at The Mill.

For the first time, Logan County Outreach, a community betterment organization, and Lincoln Printers will host the Route 66 Garage Sale.

Private garage sales will also take place throughout the community. Those planners are urged to use traditional news and social media outlets to advertise their sales.

On Friday night, race fans can watch the POWRi competition at Lincoln Speedway on the Logan County Fairgrounds. Gates open at 3 p.m., with hot laps at 6:30 p.m. and racing at 7 p.m.

The Mill 2nd Saturday Flea Market on June 8 is the premiere event for a series of flea markets there on the second Saturday of each month through October. The flea market will run from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.

The Lincoln Art Institute gallery at 112 S. McLean St. in downtown Lincoln will be open on Saturday from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m.

Main Street Lincoln will sponsor a PLUS 5K run and health fair in downtown Lincoln on Saturday.

Also on Saturday, an Electric Vehicle Cruise-In will take place from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. along the original Mother Road in historic downtown Atlanta. The free public cruise-in is sponsored by the Atlanta Betterment Fund.

After it was commissioned in 1926, Route 66 was responsible for a huge increase in automobile traffic that led to the need for businesses to serve the traveling public. Among these new businesses were service stations.

Now, Route 66 is poised to help create the next big transportation infrastructure -- charging stations for electric vehicles. Atlanta is interested in helping other Route 66 communities discover how to better serve the traveling public that will be searching for an electric plug-in instead of a gas pump.

The June 8 Electric Vehicle Cruise-in, Illinois' first, will display some cool EV cars and offer a chance to learn more about how the Mother Road is working to give birth to a new travel infrastructure.

All electric and hybrid cars are invited to participate in the cruise-in. The event will also feature vintage music, great food, a 50-50 drawing and hourly drawings.

Atlanta offers two Level 2 Eaton charging stations, available by advance reservation at no fee. There are also 16 Level 1 charging stations available at no cost on a first-come, first-served basis.

For more information about the cruise-in, or to make reservations to use the Level 2 charger, contact Bill Thomas of the Atlanta Betterment Fund at 217-648-5077 or [e-mail].

Atlanta will also exhibit the results of its first Rt. 66 Reinterpreted Art Project from May 1 through Aug. 13.

Modeled on Chicago's "Cows on Parade" exhibit, the Rt. 66 Reinterpreted Art Project presented artists the opportunity to create their own take on one of the 20th century's most iconic and recognizable symbols, the U.S. Route 66 highway shield.

Artists were provided a blank 2-by-2-foot wooden cutout of the Route 66 highway shield, painted white, which then became their personal canvas. Each shield was required to incorporate the text "U.S. 66," but otherwise the design was left to each artist's imagination.

The Atlanta Betterment Fund, sponsor of the project, selected 10 shields as finalists. Visitors can vote on their favorites, and those with the most votes will be named winners of the contest. At the conclusion of the project, the five winning shields, along with the names of the artists who created them, will be displayed on a permanent basis in the Atlanta Rt. 66 Park. For more information, contact Bill Thomas at the telephone number or email address above.

The annual Route 66 Association of Illinois Motor Tour will pass through Logan County on Saturday, June 8. Many of the participants will stay overnight Saturday before continuing the tour on Sunday.

The Route 66 Association Hall of Fame Banquet will take place Saturday evening at Lincoln College. Advance reservations are required for the banquet. For more information about either the banquet or the motor tour, visit the Route 66 Association of Illinois at il66assoc.org.

---