health

When will we help ourselves?

By Paul Bridgewater

What’s keeping us from

improving our health and fi- nancial well-being, especially when free information and coaching is available to us?

I ask this question when-

ever I hear that helpful work- shops are cancelled when too few people register. When it comes to our health, I’m es- pecially disheartened when PATH workshops are resched- uled when they fail to draw in- terested seniors.

PATH (Personal Action

Toward Health) is a six-week workshop for adults age 60 and older.

It provides the skills

and tools needed by people living with chronic health con- ditions to manage their symp- toms and improve their health. It’s also designed to aid and educate family caregivers who assist those with chronic con- ditions. When we consider the numbers of our residents with diabetes, arthritis, high blood pressure, heart disease and cancer pain, hundreds of local residents should be beating a path to these free workshops. For information about cur- rent and upcoming workshops near you, call Anita Kanakaris, DAAA Healthy Aging manager, at (313) 446-4444, ext. 5841.

Now, about our financial

health. During Money Smart Week, April 17-24, over 250 educational events will be held throughout Michigan, spon- sored by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and some 168 partner organizations. Ses- sions will teach kids to save, help young adults manage their first paycheck and coach seniors on how to manage their pensions. Booklets list- ing all events can be found in area libraries, and an online calendar is available at www.

moneysmartweek.org/Michi- gan.

Here are workshops in our

area of particular interest to older adults:

On Monday, April 19, at

St. Patrick’s Senior Center in Detroit, the law firm of Mall Malisow Cooney and Hunting- ton Bank will present “Under- standing Your Credit Report,”

Paul Bridgewater

“Top Ten Tips Older Adults Need to Know,” “The Truth About Taxes on Lottery Win- nings, Inheritances and Other Windfalls,” and an “Ask the Experts” panel at lunchtime covering estate planning, pro- bate, taxes and more. For de- tails, call (313) 833-7080.

Mall Malisow Cooney will

present workshops at the Farmington Hills Public Li- brary on Wednesday, April 21. Three morning sessions are fo- cused on women: “What Every Woman Should Know about Social Security,” “Ten Things Women Need to Know About Estate Planning” and “Elder Care Planning for Women.” In the afternoon, the focus is on “Practical Money Management Techniques,” “Financial Free- dom for 2010 and Beyond” and “Couples Talk Money.”

Homeowners may be inter-

ested in these: The Wayne County Mortgage Foreclosure Prevention Program is holding five workshops, all at different locations, between April 19 and 22. Macomb County will host the basics of home repair at the Michigan State Univer- sity Extension in Warren on Thursday, April 22, and a half- day Home Buyers’ Expo will be held at the Best Western Ster- ling Inn on Saturday, April 24.

The Detroit Public Library

will host over 15 events at var- ious branch libraries during Money Smart Week, beginning April 19. On Saturday, April

24, the Main Library’s Tech- nology Learning Center will hold a free online session on money matters that doesn’t require a library card or com- puter experience.

Review the calendar atwww.

moneysmartweek.org/Michi-

gan and get help in managing your assets. Every generation should be money smart.

With National Volunteer

Week coming up (April 18- 24), we salute Christmas in Action Detroit, a non-profit organization that will provide free home repairs for low- income senior homeowners in Detroit’s Northend commu- nity, Saturday, April 24. With donated materials from area businesses, volunteers will set out to improve our com- munity one house at a time. To help, call Craig Bradley, Detroit Area Agency on Aging, at (313) 446-4444, ext. 5216.

We also extend thanks to the

many volunteers who support our agency through Holiday Meals on Wheels. Four times a year, hundreds of volun- teers pack and deliver holiday meals to homebound seniors. Thanks to these individuals and the private contributions of caring residents, we’re able to provide 20,000 meals an- nually to cover Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter and Labor Day.

We’re also grateful to the

volunteers for “Make a Senior Smile Day,” Saturday, April 24. Armed with rakes and brooms, these volunteers will provide a spring clean-up for the yards of numerous Wayne County seniors. Sponsors are the Wayne County Board of Com- missioners, City of Detroit, Detroit Area Agency on Aging, and The Senior Alliance (Area Agency on Aging 1-C).

Spring is a time of renew-

al, and nothing should get in the way of helping others and helping ourselves.

Tune in to “The Senior So-

lution” on WGPR 107.5 FM every Saturday morning at 10 a.m., hosted by Paul Bridge- water, Detroit Area Agency on Aging president and CEO, (313) 446-4444

April is National Alcohol Awareness Month

THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE

and wellness based business is focusing on the Metro De- troit market with its natural and organic based product line created uniquely for your body, beauty, style, sensuality and spirit. It is a “green com- pany” from our product line to the use of vegetable based inks and recycled paper. The company’s founder, Nadine Thompson, “hopes that Soul Purpose will be the kind of company that will challenge people to redefine the things that really matter in life. Re- define the notion of beauty, sense of style and empower- ment.”

Soul Purpose lifestyle en-

trepreneur, Peggy Evans (I Am Prosperity) passionately be- lieves in the products and is excited about building a team of energetic entrepreneurs who are hungry for an oppor- tunity with purpose.

April 14-20, 2010

Page D-5

Company offers entrepreneurial opportunity

Soul Purpose, a nature

salt body scrubs, shea body butter balm and a 4-in-1 soy candle,” she said. “Another exciting benefit of starting a business with Soul Purpose is our strategic partnership with Youngevity, the lead- ing designer of dietary and personal care and wellness lifestyle products. Youngev- ity has fifteen additional busi- ness opportunities under their umbrella of which I am also a wholesale distributor for, so by default my product line has significantly expanded.

Peggy Evans

“We have an array of beau-

tiful global fragrances such as Brazilian Jackfruit, Persian Pomegranate Mango, Ghana- ian Brown Sugar & Honey and Haitian Vetivert Pepper. Each fragrance is introduced in a natural and organic lotion, custard, shower gel, sugar and

I am

extremely excited to be part of Soul Purpose during this season of mass wealth build- ing and growth.”

Soul Purpose business

meetings are held the first and third Thursdays, 7 to 8 p.m. at 421 E. Ferry. There is a cost to attend. please RSVP

iamprosperity@ymail.com

or visit www.iamprosperity.

soulpurpose.net.

‘Women Helping Women’

Grace Centers of Hope

is hosting its 12th annual “Women Helping Women” luncheon and fashion show on Saturday, May 1. World- renowned fashion and style expert Mary Alice Stephenson will be the lead runway style coordinator during the fashion show featuring Grace Centers’ women and children, as well as professional models. The women’s clothing displayed will be Talbots’ spring and summer lines. Proceeds ben- efit Grace Centers of Hope.

The event will be held at

the Royal Park Hotel, 600 Uni- versity in Rochester. It begins with a silent auction preview at 10:30 a.m., followed by the luncheon and fashion show from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Present- ing sponsor is The Jamison Williams Foundation.

Grace Centers of Hope is

Oakland County’s largest homeless shelter and also offers comprehensive recov- ery and rehabilitation ser- vices. A leading faith-based organization in southeastern Michigan, it confronts issues of homelessness, addiction, poverty, abuse and spiritual emptiness. Grace Centers pro- vides transitional and emer- gency shelter to 150-200 men, women and children nightly, in addition to serving more than 127,000 meals each year. Its $4.6 million yearly budget is maintained solely through

corporate and private donors, exclusive of any government assistance.

The 2010 event will feature

Mary Alice Stephenson, who will be styling the models and bringing her particular flair and expertise to the runway.

Stephenson grew up in the

Detroit area and now lives and works in New York. One of the world’s most sought after fashion and style experts, she is highly regarded as a well-versed and knowledge- able commentator covering the latest trends in fashion, beauty and lifestyle. Provid- ing extensive fashion coverage for print and electronic media, Stephenson analyzes trends and contextualizes style.

Whether backstage re-

porting from the world’s top runway shows or front-and- center on the red carpet, Ste- phenson entertains and in- forms audiences and readers alike, making fashion under- standable and accessible. She has served as a fashion and beauty commentator for many networks and shows.

Assisting at the micro-

phone during the event will be local broadcast notables Ruth Spencer and Doris Biscoe. Event coordinator is Shan- non Grace Clark of Bloomfield Hills; Karen Williams of Bloom- field Hills is chairperson; and Sue Luther of Oakland Town-

ship is event co-chair. Honor- ary committee members are Tammy Alberts of Bloomfield Hills, The Hon. Lisa Gorcyca of Troy, Denise Ilitch of Bing- ham Farms, Danialle Karma- nos of Orchard Lake, Mona Richard of Dearborn, Kathy Shelton of Rochester Hills and Jacqueline Wiggins of Roches- ter Hills.

Platinum Sponsor for the

event is Volkswagen Group of America. Gold sponsor is Eng- lish Gardens. Silver sponsors are Toyota Motor Company, Aecc Linens; Delta Airlines, Penske Corporation, Rick and Karen Williams and Savers Printing. Bronze Sponsors are Charter One Bank, Children’s Hospital of Michigan, Com- puware, Flagstar Bank, Ford Motor Company Fund, Grace Centers of Hope Thrift Stores, MGM Grand Detroit, Passage- ways Travel and Pepsi. Patron sponsors are Crittenton Hos- pital, Denise Warren, Hun- tington National Bank, Plante Moran and UHY Advisors MI, Inc. Valet sponsors are Roch- ester Hills Chrysler Jeep and Shelton Pontiac Buick GMC. Media sponsor is Ambassador. Hair provided by FIGO Salon in Birmingham and make-up pro- vided by Clinique.

Tickets are $85. Make

checks payable to Grace Cen- ters of Hope, or visit www. gracecentersofhope.org purchase tickets online.

to

Diabetes can impair your vision

To Join Midwest Health Plan, call Michigan Enrolls 1-888-367-6557 during the month of May.

See that you get your screenings yearly.

If you have Medicaid, Midwest Health Plan offers:  An extensive network of physicians  A large network of specialists practicing at major area hospitals  Affiliation with all major pharmacy chains  Experience in serving Southeast Michigan for over 10 years

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