Happy New Year!

Happy New year everyone! 2008 is behind us but the global financial struggle is not. More than ever, community non-profit organizations rely on volunteers to help meet the resident’s needs for food, health care, transportation and many other human needs. Please consider helping out at our local food pantries, thrift shops or Schuyler County Health Check, our community’s only free health clinic for the uninsured. Drivers to medical appointments continue to be in short supply but the need is great since public transportation is limited. There are so many ways that volunteers help fill the gaps when public funding is restricted.

This year, RSVP is working to develop more “green” opportunities to address environmental initiatives through intergenerational “Citizen Scientist” projects. Watch for new opportunities to assist in development of local community gardens and projects aimed at monitoring global warming.

We want to hear from you too! What have been your greatest volunteer achievements in 2008? What types of volunteer opportunities would you like to be involved in? Please use the “comment” section to share your experiences and observations in regard to volunteerism. RSVP looks forward to your input!

Free Tax Counseling Services Available

RSVP is once again offering free income tax preparation.

Schuyler County residents age 60 and older should call 607-535-8242 for an appointment. Please leave a message including your name and phone number and someone will return your call. Appointments are available on Wednesdays from February 4 - April 15 in Montour Falls.

Yates County residents (any age) can call 315-536-5515 to schedule an appointment.

CASA Gala

Looking for something special to do for Valentine's day? Come enjoy o'dourves, dinner, wine tasting and entertainment at the Radisson Valentine's Day in Corning while at the same time proceeds will help abused and neglected children in your community. Flier attached.

CASA Gala

Saturday, February 14^th, 2009

Cocktails 6:00 to 7:00, Dinner 7:00 to 8:30, Live band following

$55 per ticket or $99 for two

Special room rate also available with champagne, chocolates and breakfast

The Radisson Hotel

Corning, New York

Call for your tickets today

Amy Miller-Plumley
CASA of the Southern Tier, Inc.
PO Box 778
Corning, NY 14830
phone: 607-936-CASA (2272) or 1-888-936-CASA
Fax: 607-936-3876
www.casasoutherntier.org

Literacy Volunteers Offers Free Tutor Training

Do you enjoy reading?
Do you like working with people?
Have you considered tutoring adults?

A new Tutor Training course will start on Thursday, January 29th at 6:30 p.m. and will run for 5 weeks thru February 27. There is no fee.

If you are interested, contact Roger Hugo at Literacy Volunteers by calling 535-2468, ext. 206.

Benefits of Exercise are Real

DEAR JIM: I have read your columns for many years and always find them very educational and entertaining. However, I sometimes have difficulty believing that exercise can really help people that much. I see my friends and relatives growing older every day and suffering from declining health, and exercise is the last thing on their minds. I know that you really believe in the whole exercise thing, but surely it can’t be as good you as you say it is for you. DOUBTING DEBBIE FROM DUBUQUE

DEAR DOUBTING DEBBIE: Yes, I really do believe in the whole “exercise thing,” and yes, it CAN be as good as I say it is for you. If you have read my columns for as long as you say you have, you will know that I have frequently emphasized that exercise is not a cure-all for everything that besets us, but it can help to prevent certain conditions from developing and greatly improve our quality of life. But why take my word for it?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), regular physical activity can improve health and reduce the risk of premature death in the following ways:

- Reduces the risk of developing coronary heart disease (CHD) and the risk of dying from CHD.
- Reduces the risk of stroke.
- Lowers both total blood cholesterol and triglycerides and increases high-density lipoproteins (HDL or the “good” cholesterol).
- Lowers the risk of developing high blood pressure.
- Helps reduce blood pressure in people who already have it.
- Lowers the risk of developing non-insulin-dependent (Type 2) diabetes mettitus.
- Reduces the risk of developing colon cancer.
- Helps people achieve and maintain a healthy body weight.
- Reduces feelings of depression.
- Helps build and maintain healthy bones, muscles, and joints.
- Helps older adults become stronger and better able to move about without falling or becoming excessively fatigued.

Even as we grow older and, perhaps, even frail and incapacitated, the important thing is to “keep moving” – the expression so famously identified with fitness guru Jack LaLanne, now 94 and still going strong. Age and disabilities may limit the amount and scope of our physical activity, but there are very few of us who can’t do “something” physical to make our lives better.

For more information about the importance of exercise in our lives, refer to www.cdc.gov.

Jim Evans is a 41-year veteran of the health and fitness industry and internationally recognized fitness consultant. Send your questions about health and fitness to pacsd@aol.com.

FBI Fraud Alert

The FBI has identified elder fraud and fraud against those suffering from serious illness as the most insidious of white collar crimes being perpetrated by today's modern and high tech con-man. Many elderly citizens rely on pensions, social security and life savings to support themselves. The seriously ill and their families are desperate to find some glimmer of hope. The losses inflicted by these unscrupulous con-men and their organizations are both financially and emotionally devastating to these victims.

When it comes to products that promise increased cognitive function, virility, physical conditioning, properties and so on, those with Parkinson's disease make up the segment of the population very concerned about these issues. In a country where new cures and vaccinations for old diseases has given every American hope for a long and fruitful life, it is not so unbelievable that the products offered by these con-men can do what they say they can do.

Those suffering from Parkinson's disease and other serious illnesses are targeted for one simple reason. The con-man knows that many of these individuals are desperate to find some reason to believe that a "miracle cure" exists. These people, many of whom are elderly but some who are not, are willing to pay whatever price is asked and subject themselves to whatever risk is required to gain an advantage over their disease. Regrettably, in most cases, it is the con-man taking advantage of these individuals. In addition to the financial loss, these patients often lose valuable time away from conventional medical treatment which could have resulted in a higher quality of life and/or prolonged life. The FBI has identified several instances where dietary and nutritional supplements promise curative effects have been utilized to defraud American citizens. The FBI has been involved in several investigations concerning "miracle cures" in which the bureau has joined forces and shared resources with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and others.

Their best advise is, "If it seems too good to be true, it probably is too good to be true. Always discuss treatments with you doctor."

For more information: FBI Web Site