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PRIMARILY FREE EVENTS AND TRAININGS

IMPACTING AREA INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES

Week of June 14, 2015

Helping to Bridge the Gap Between the Wealth of Available Resources

and the Poverty Associated With People Not Knowing About Them

_________________________________________________________________

In an attempt to aid reader searches, new items added each week are highlighting in yellow. As always, we are interested in receiving feedback in regard to how we might

improve our publications, content and convenience of use.

E-Update periodically reports ways in which subscribers use our publications to aid their families or organizations. If you have a short description that might be helpful to others and their uses, we would like to hear about them. Please forward two or three sentences that provide specific uses of benefit to bps461@msn.com. _________________________________________________________________

Activities are subject to change without notice; participants are encouraged

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2009-2015 Casey Jones, Transformation Initiative for Building Healthy Communities Through Healthy Families. Permission is granted to reproduce for personal or non-commercial uses only. Sections Available in the attached Calendar of Events:

UPDATED THIS WEEK: Special Activities: Upcoming primarily free activities

listed by day over the next several months. Ongoing Scheduled Activities: Primarily free activities held regularly each week

or month. Area Ministries for Those Who are Struggling. GriefShare, DivorceCare,

Celebrate Recovery, Mending Hearts. Day Trip Destination Sites: Free admission sites for individual and family outings. UPDATED LAST WEEK: E-Update ResourcesTM: Accompanying Information

About Services, Including Employment Resources, for Individuals and Families. UPDATED THIS WEEK: Calendar of Events - Please Submit Additions Today

Upcoming Activities The following items are detailed in the accompanying Calendar of Events and are in addition to those described within this E-Update. They will be occurring during the current two-week period or are newly listed as part of the longer term Calendar. These activities are provided for both personal use and printing out and sharing with others through suggested posting on public and employee bulletin boards, hard copies or e-mail.

Updated: This Weeks Calendar of Events Activities (Found in Calendar of Events)

Personal Finance Classes Pottstown and Norristown. Our Town Art Exhibit Pottstown. Family Summer Fun for Everyone Series West Grove. American Revolution History Events King of Prussia (Valley Forge). Look Good Feel Better for Women Multiple Locations. PA CareerLink and Job Search Services Area Counties.

Spring Reading and Children Programs Area Libraries. Faith Community Resource Fair West Chester. Farm Focus Forum Chester Springs (Ludwigs Corner). Medicare 101 Workshop Exton. Phoenixville in the Civil War Presentation Phoenixville. Choosing Where to Live in Retirement Presentation Berwyn. Schools Out Party Malvern. Home Gardening Basics Farm Life Series Glenmoore. Community Festival Downingtown. Glaucoma Presentation Exton. Concert on the Square Exton (Eagleview). New Kids on the Farm Presentation Glenmoore. American Revolution Lunch and Learn Series King of Prussia (Valley Forge). The Great Kapok Tree and Hike for Kids Coatesville (Wagontown). Employee Retirement Plans Workshop Exton. How to Start and Operate a Small Business Workshop Exton. Car-Cruise West Chester (East Goshen Township). Freedom, Fugitives and Friends Town Tours and Village Walks Kennett Square. Edible Gardening Today Presentation Phoenixville. Outdoor Family Movie Series Downingtown (West Bradford Township). Family Movie Manheim. Car and Motorcycle Show Geigertown.

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Family Fishing Nottingham. March Out of the Continental Army King of Prussia (Valley Forge). Vintage Base Ball Schwenkesville. Flintlock Rifle Presentation Pottstown (Warwick). Fathers Day Cookout Coatesville. Car Show and Concert Coatesville (West Brandywine Township).

Summer Concert Series Quarryville. Updated: Next Weeks Calendar of Events Activities (Found in Calendar of Events)

Personal Finance Classes Pottstown and Norristown.

Our Town Art Exhibit Pottstown. Family Summer Fun for Everyone Series West Grove. American Revolution History Events King of Prussia (Valley Forge).

Look Good Feel Better for Women Multiple Locations. PA CareerLink and Job Search Services Area Counties. Spring Reading and Children Programs Area Libraries. Daring Dad Scavanger Hunt Norristown. Summer Music Series Lancaster. Summer Author Series King of Prussia (Valley Forge). Health Screenings Chester Springs (Ludwigs Corner).

Coping with Parkinsons Forum New Holland. Herbology Presentation Glenmoore. Creative Arts Camp for Kids Exton. Medicare 101 Presentation Phoenixville. Community Caf Picnic Lunch West Grove. Taking Control of Red Tape: Legal Documents for Seniors Presentation Berwyn. Outdoor Games for Kids Nottingham. Building a Credit Report Workshop Exton. Preparing a Healthy Lunch Presentation Exton. Concert on the Square Exton (Eagleview). American Revolution and Bring Your Own Lunch Series King of Prussia (Valley

Forge). Summer Concert Series Kennett Square. Movie Night Exton (Eagleview). 12 Steps Toward EmploymentTM Workshop Phoenixville. Equal Brotherhood of the Human Family Town Tours and Village Walks Kennett

Square. Summer Concert Chesterbrook.

Lyme Disease Presentation Exton. Healthy Pregnancy Presentation Phoenixville. Outdoor Movie Series Downingtown (West Bradford Township). Personal Hazardous Waste Disposal Coatesville.

Summer Music Jam Downingtown. Poetry in the Park West Chester (East Goshen Township). Residential Tire Collection Pottstown. Family Festival Lancaster. Unity in the Community Festival Downingtown. Disabilities and Firefighters Day Christiana Borough. Community Day West Chester (East Goshen Township).

New: Future Weeks Events and Activities (View in Calendar of Events)

Music and Arts Festival Narbeth. Summer Concerts on the Square Exton (Eagleview).

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Movie Night Exton Eagleview). Family Movie Nights Manheim.

State Rep. Cutlers Ice Cream Social Quarryville. Stop the Drugs, Stop the Violence Day Pottstown. Town Tours and Village Walks Various Chester County Locations. What Killed Downtown? Author Presentation Norristown.

Activities Submission - Organizations are encouraged to submit information about ongo-ing services and activities, along with special events, as soon as possible after establishing a date to maximize publicity and to help individuals and other organizations with planning

processes for their own events. Formats for submission should be similar to and include all information as that shown on the

current, accompanying Calendar of Events. Further information about submissions appears at the end of this E-Update and the Calendar. Information should be submitted to bps461@msn.com. Don't let your important activity be left unknown.

NEW THIS WEEK: Researcher Says Trauma Informed Communities Are Needed A pediatrics instructor and researcher at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia says that entire

communities need trauma informed education to understand the impact that childhood trauma has on lives if it isnt addressed, including mental and physical health issues that can reduce life

expectancy by as much as 20 years. Dr. Roy Wade, Jr., talked about identifying, understanding and mitigating adverse impacts of

childhood stresses at the annual meeting of Pottstown Early Action for Kindergarten Readiness (PEAK) held last week at the Montgomery County

Community College satellite campus in Pottstown. The gathering also heard that silos created by

organizations focused primarily on their own interests versus those of the community need

to be broken down as PEAK has accomplished with its initiative, and building systems of care for families, neighborhoods and communities need to be a focus.

Dr. Wade told some 100 representatives of community organizations that what often is diagnosed as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children actually may be posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) caused by community violence, family dysfunction including alcohol and drug abuse, community stressors, personal victimization, peer

retaliation, general poverty and more. The greater the number of stressors, the greater the impact that needs to be addressed early in life to avoid ramifications that carry into adolescence and adulthood, including the

reduced life span potential, he said. Pottstown School Superintendent Jeffrey Sparagana, Ed.D., traced the history of the PEAK,

saying it has overcome being seen when it started as a "business competitor" to some organizations to one of community partners now providing "unconditional commitment to children and families, putting competition in the background".

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The PEAK initiative was created to improve the readiness of children entering kindergarten and to engage and impact families of young children.

It recently received a $2.5 million grant over three years from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation to focus on five inter-related strategies of community outreach, family engagement, quality improvement, health/wellness and kindergarten transition, and working with a variety of

community partners to achieve positive change in the community. Becoming a trauma informed community is part of the strategy implementation. Dr. Wade gave several examples of focuses that communities need to maintain if they are

going to be effective in combating these types of issues, including, it's all about mentoring and family supports within and among neighborhoods, interventions with children at risk to determine whether they are suffering from trauma versus assuming they simply are being

disruptive and acting out, and developing a two generation approach to addressing issues, that provides natural support for children, their parents, and children and parents together. Additional information on the session is available at

www.facebook.com/TransformationIni/photos/a.635705349828053.1073741828.623317604400161/880802661984986/?type=1 and www.facebook.com/TransformationIni/photos/a.635705349828053.1073741828.62331760

4400161/880821165316469/?type=1. Further information on Dr. Wade's work is available in a March To Head Off Trauma's Legacy, Start Young report at www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2015/03/09/377569414/to-head-off-traumas-legacy-start-young. NEW THIS WEEK: Volunteer Fees for Most Child Abuse Clearances Eliminated

Effective Thursday, July 25 Pennsylvania volunteers working with children will be relieved of fees for child abuse clearances and criminal

background checks required by the state Child Protective Services Law starting July 25, but it won't help those who have been or are being required to have

such clearances by July 1 or during the nearly month-long interim period.

Governor Tom Wolf announced the waivers today, also saying the cost of Department of Human Services (DHS) and Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) child abuse and criminal history

record checks are being reduced from $10 to $8 for all other applicants, also effective on the same date. FBI clearances, required for all employees and for volunteers who have not been a

continuous resident of the Commonwealth for the last 10 years, will continue to apply. Jeffrey Sheridan, press secretary to Gov. Wolf, told Transformation Initiative that the gap in time between the July 1 volunteer clearances requirements and the July 25 waiver effective

date is due to computer system updates that need to be performed to enable the new actions to be undertaken.

Therefore, savings for individuals who must apply prior to July 25 won't be realized until a volunteer's three-year clearance renewals.

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In 2014, 23 pieces of legislation were enacted including Act 153 of 2014, changing how Pennsylvania responds to child abuse, such changes significantly impacting the reporting,

investigation, assessment, prosecution and judicial handling of child abuse and neglect cases. However, organizations using volunteers raised concern about future recruitment due to the costs.

The list of persons required to obtain clearances, according to the Governor's Office, are: -- Child care service employees;

-- Foster parents and adult household members; -- Prospective adoptive parents and adult household members;

-- Individuals 14 year of age or older applying for a paid position as an employee responsible for the welfare of a child or having direct contact with children;

-- Any individual seeking or provide child-care services under contract with a child-care facility or program;

-- School employees governed by public school code and those not governed by the public school code (colleges and universities). From Jan 1, 2015 to April 30, 2015, 61,019 clearance applications were received for

volunteers, with the projected total number of volunteer clearances for FY 2015-2016, starting July 1, being 296,836. For DHS, the total number of clearances received was 512,583 from the time the electronic

system went live in late December 2014 through May 31, 2015. The PSP processed 828,579 Criminal History Record Checks from January through May of 2015.

More information about clearances required under the Child Protective Services Law is available at www.keepkidssafe.pa.gov. Individuals seeking clearances can go directly to www.compass.state.pa.us/cwis to create an individual account and apply for their child abuse clearance electronically.

NEW THIS WEEK: State Property Tax/Rent Rebate Application Deadline Extended

Now December 31 The deadline for eligible seniors and the disabled to apply for up to $650 in Pennsylvania

Property Tax/Rent Rebates, which may be increased to $975, again has been extended from

June 30 to December 31, with some 450,000 individuals already having applied. Rebate distribution will start Wednesday, July 1, for

those who already have applied, with applications after that date being processed as they are received.

The program benefits eligible Pennsylvanians age 65 and older; widows and widowers age 50 and older; and people with disabilities age 18 and older.

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The income limit is $35,000 a year for homeowners and $15,000 annually for renters, with half of Social Security income being excluded from the limit. In addition, due to program

changes last year to ensure claimants arent disqualified from rebates solely because of Social Security cost-of-living-adjustments, homeowners and renters may be eligible for rebates even if their eligibility income is greater than these limits.

Therefore, any homeowner who collected Social Security, received a property tax rebate in 2013 for claim year 2012 and had annual income last year discounting half of Social Security up to $36,129 ($15,484 for renters), is encouraged to apply for a rebate for claim year 2014. The maximum standard rebate is $650, but supplemental rebates for

certain qualifying homeowners can boost rebates to $975, with the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue automatically calculating supplemental rebates for qualifying homeowners.

Further information and applications are available at www.revenue.pa.gov/GeneralTaxInformation/PropertyTaxRentRebateProgram/Pages/default.aspx#.VX_2pka9BP1, county Department of Aging and senior centers, and state legislator

offices. Application deadline and income limit information hadnt been updated on some Department of Revenue web pages as of this writing but appears at www.media.pa.gov/Pages/Revenue-Details.aspx?newsid=139.

NEW THIS WEEK: Study Says Some Area Hospitals Among Top 50 Nationwide for

Highest Uninsured Patient Charges

A new study, reported on by Lancaster Online, says that six of seven Pennsylvania hospitals with the highest charges nationally to uninsured patients are in Southeastern Pennsylvania, including Crozer Chester Medical Center in Delaware County, Brandywine Hospital at Coatesville, and Phoenixville and Pottstown Hospitals.

Five of the seven top chargers, among 50 nationally, are identified as part of the for-profit Community Health Systems, with costs as much as 10 times over Medicare-allowable costs.

Hospital spokespersons argued that their facilities "provide significant discounts to uninsured and underinsured patients to help cover out-of-pocket costs".

Further information on the report is available through www.facebook.com/TransformationIni/posts/880257112039541.

NEW THIS WEEK: Lyme Disease Up in Pennsylvania; Chester County Remains the

Leader in Southeast Lyme disease is up 25% in reported cases in Pennsylvania last year, although area counties

other than Delaware showed a decrease. Secretary of Health Dr. Karen Murphy reported last week the Commonwealth

recorded 7,400 cases of Lyme disease in 2014, compared with 5,900 cases in 2013, with the increase, in part,

attributable to heightened awareness about Lyme disease, better reporting, and enhanced monitoring efforts, particularly in Allegheny County.

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"Lyme disease is present in every county in Pennsylvania," the Secretary reported, saying that residents need to better protect themselves from tick bites and know the signs and

symptoms of Lyme disease "For those with the disease it is important to seek early treatment to avoid any potential long-term health complications," she said.

Chester County continues to lead the number of cases in our reporting area, with 2,022 last year, or 134 per 100,000 average annual rate, versus 2,395 cases the year before, or a 159.5 average annual rate.

Delaware County, in the meantime, skyrocketed from 62 cases, or a 3.7 average annual rate in 2013, to 320 cases, a 19.1 average annual rate, last year.

Other area county rates, all showing declines between years, are: -- Berks: 142 cases in 2013 (11.5 average annual rate) / 79 in 2014 (6.4 average annual

rate). -- Bucks: 1,977 (105.3) / 1,400 (74.5) -- Lancaster: 36 (2.3) / 35 (2.2)

-- Montgomery: 1,262 (52.9) / 1,052 (43.6) -- Philadelphia: 549 (11.9) / 435 (9.4) Earlier this month, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey and eight colleagues introduced the federal Lyme

and Tick-Borne Disease Prevention, Education, and Research Act of 2015 to increase public awareness and strengthen efforts to combat tick-borne diseases. A text of the bill is at www.blumenthal.senate.gov/download/lyme-and-tick-borne-illness-prevention-act.

A Department of Health Lyme Disease Fact Sheet is at www.health.pa.gov/My%20Health/Diseases%20and%20Conditions/I-L/Documents/Lyme%20Disease.pdf.

The 2014 County Health Profiles are available at www.statistics.health.pa.gov/MyHealthStatistics/VitalStatistics/CountyHealthProfiles/Pages/CountyHealthProfiles.aspx#.VXkgyUa9BP0.

NEW LAST WEEK: Southeastern Pennsylvania Counties Unveil New Emergency

Alert Systems Chester, Montgomery, Delaware and Bucks counties have unveiled a new emergency alert notification system via telephone, text and e-mail to replace the current Cooper Industries

ReadyNotifyPA brand.

Citizen signups for ReadyChesCo, ReadyMontco, Delco Alert and ReadyBucks have started. Those enrolled in the current alerting system will need to re-enroll in the

EverBridge system by the end of the month to continue to receive emergency alerts.

The new system allows residents to choose the alerts they receive and the order of notification, along with other types of information.

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Enrollment is available at: Chester County: www.readychesco.org

Montgomery County: www.montcopa.org/index.aspx?nid=595 Delaware County: www.co.delaware.pa.us/delcoready/delcoalert.html Bucks County: www.buckscounty.org/ReadyBucks

Alerts for South Central Pennsylvania counties, including Lancaster, also are available through Everbridge at www.co.lancaster.pa.us/658/Emergency-Services. Alert information in Berks County -- Berks Alert -- is accessible through the Cooper

Industries system at https://berks.alertpa.org/index.php?CCheck=1. Pennsylvanias alert system -- Alert PA -- for any county, also through Cooper Industries, is

available at https://alert.pa.gov. More comprehensive weather information for the region is available through our Facebook page. To receive updates for this and other family-related information during the week,

"Like" our page at www.facebook.com/TransformationIni and "Get Notifications" in the dropdown menu next to "Like" to avoid Facebook filtering posts to individual Timelines and News Feeds based on its own algorithms.

Although we also provide alerts, Facebook should not be considered a primary alerting source for emergency broadcasts if emergency alert systems are working.

NEW LAST WEEK: FTC Creates Resource to Help Recover From Identity Theft Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has developed a new website to help consumers identify steps and follow a process to recover from identity theft.

Identity theft has been the top consumer complaint reported to the FTC for the past 15 years, it says, with the Commission receiving more than 330,000 complaints in 2014

from consumers who were identity theft victims. The online guide and checklist are available at www.identitytheft.gov, with a Spanish version at www.robodeidentidad.gov.

NEW LAST WEEK: Pennsylvania Launches Mobile Child Support Website

Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) has launched a mobile version of its Pennsylvania Child Support website to simplify screen navigation and case details for people accessing child support program information with a smartphone or tablet.

The website provides access to child support program information and case details, including the status of their cases, making payments, viewing upcoming appointments, requesting materials, calculating estimated child support payments, and locating local domestic relations sections.

More than 18,000 people visit the child support website daily, according to the department, with 67 percent using mobile devices as their primary means of accessing online content.

Further information is available at www.childsupport.state.pa.us.

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Eastern Lancaster Community of Care Initiative Rated Tops by United Way

A Lancaster County Pequea Valley School District collaboration is being granted $297,500 in

each of the next three years to further its community-wide, community-based System of Care approach for services delivery to those in need. United Way of Lancaster County made the award, under a new grant focus to a Together

Community Center in Paradise that includes The Factory Ministries as the lead. The coalition also includes Amish View Resorts, Grace Point Church of Paradise, Hildebrandt Learning Centers, Pequea Valley School District, Safe Families and Safe Families Plus, Urban Outfitters, and Welsh Mountain Medical & Dental Centers.

The initiative will offer a breadth of services including transportation to and from the Paradise site, located in the former Pequea Valley Elementary School along Route 30, Pre-K

Counts childcare, adult education and mentoring and medical, dental, and behavior health services. The award, one of the two top among 16 to receive $2,483,706.85 in funding, reflects a

new county United Way focus to achieve four goals by 2025: 100% of Lancaster County children will enter kindergarten ready to learn; 100% of students and adults will have post-secondary credentials; individuals and families living in poverty will be decreased by 50%;

and 100% of individuals, children, and families will have a medical home. The new grant focus requires development of true collaborations among nonprofit organizations, businesses, schools, faith-based groups, volunteers, and government to

achieve results unable to be accomplished by individual entities. As reported previously in our Facebook postings, some long-time funded organizations won't be receiving awards under the new initiative criteria, leaving significant gaps in their

budgets. Further information on the new initiative, described as "bold, new impact Partnerships", is

available at www.lancasteronline.com/news/local/a-reinvented-united-way-aiming-for-bold-social-change-awards/article_7d9cf166-0173-11e5-a74d-5f9f84819d2c.html. A list of award recipients and collaborative initiatives is available at

http://www.uwlanc.org/News/ID/56/UNITED-WAY-OF-LANCASTER-COUNTY-INVESTORS-TO-HELP-UNDERWRITE-WORK-OF-16-IMPACT-PARTNERSHIPS.

Faith Community Resource Fair Scheduled Monday, June 15 The Faith Community Gathering on Hunger, Homelessness and Poverty and the Chester County Department of Emergency Services will host a Creating an Informed Community Resource Fair from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. June 15 at St. Pauls Baptist Church, One Haggerty Blvd., West Chester. The forum, for houses of worship, community organizations and government agencies

addressing hunger, homelessness and poverty, will include sharing of information regarding services and resources, exploration of possible opportunities for collaboration, a presentation and refreshments.

Further information and required registration are available at www.chesco.org/DocumentCenter/View/25715, rslater@chesco.org or (610) 344-5022.

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NEW THIS WEEK: Montco Schedules Public Hearings on Human Services Block

Grant Tuesday, June 16, and Thursday, June 18 Montgomery County Commissioners and the County Human Services Cabinet will hold two public hearings for input on the Human Services Block Grant Plan for discretionary funding for several human services departments for 2015-2016 that will be submitted to the state

by Friday, July 10. The first session will be from 10:30 a.m. to noon, June 16, in Community Room 126, Montgomery County Community College, 101 College Drive, Pottstown, with the second

from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. in Conference Room A/B, Montgomery County Human Services Center, 1430 DeKalb Street, Norristown.

Further information is available at www.montcopa.org/Archive.aspx?ADID=2391 or (610) 278-3061.

NEW THIS WEEK: Free No Wrong Door Implementation Forums Scheduled

Tuesday, June 16 to Thursday, June 18 Pennsylvania Link to Aging and Disability Resources has scheduled a series of three area

meetings to obtain stakeholder comments in regard to a No Wrong Door three-year implementation plan for a shared statewide approach for long term service and support (LTSS) for those in need.

Forums are scheduled from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 16 at the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging at 642 North Broad Street, Philadelphia; June 17 in the Community Room of Montgomery County Human Services, 1430 DeKalb Street, Norristown; and June 18 at the Public Safety Training Center, 101 Champ Blvd., Manheim.

They are among 15 meetings state-wide to explain the No Wrong Door System that involves all service payers, from federal to local and private, and all populations regardless of age,

income, ability or program eligibility. Further information and required registration are available at www.paautism.org/desktopmodules/asert-

api/api/item/ItemDetailFileDownload/3122/NWD%20Stakeholder%20Save-the-Date.pdf, nwd@deringconsulting.com or (717) 234-0567.

Free Nonprofit Conference Thursday, June 18 TriCounty Community Network (TCN) will host a Nonprofit Conference from 9 a.m. to noon on June 18 at Montgomery County Community College, 101 College Drive, Pottstown.

Workshops about social media, volunteering and collaborating, along with a vendor showcase and breakfast, highlight this event.

Further information and required registration are available at www.tcnetwork.org/nonprofit-conference or (610) 705-3301.

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NEW THIS WEEK: Christiana Firefigters to Host Persons with Disabilities

Saturday, June 27

Individuals with disabilities will be able to learn about firefighting from Christiana firefighters from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, June 27 at the Christiana Fire House, 214 Bridge Street, Christiana.

Free activities will include a tour of the firehouse, dressing as a firefighter, basic first aid, how to Stop, Drop and Roll, be part of a bucket brigade, and other activities that can be performed at ones own pace.

Further information and required registration is available at www.christianafire.com/content/front/file/Firehouse%20event.pdf or (610) 470-3745.

UPDATED THIS WEEK: Community Organization Networking Connection Meetings

(Regular Meeting Dates are Subject to Change)

COSECHA (Harvest) meets from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. the second Wednesday of the

month from September through June at the Head Start Center, 380 West Cedar Street, Kennett Square. Further information is available from Elizabeth Garduno at elizabethga@cciu.org or (610) 444-2880 x305. Berks-Lancaster-Lebanon Counties LINK to Aging and Disability Resources meets from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of the month at various Lancaster area locations, and from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on the third Tuesdays of the month at various

locations in Berks County for services cross-trainings and exchange of information on creating a one-stop, no-wrong-door resources for older adults and adults with disabilities, including consumers, family members and others, seeking information about local resources. On June 18, United Cerebral Palsy of Central Pennsylvania will discuss

telephones for those with hearing and visual disabilities and personal trainer Wayne Mutata will discuss exercise programs and low stress activities at the Blair Room, United Way of Lancaster County, 630 Janet Avenue, Lancaster. Specific topic workshops also are being

scheduled in the counties. Further information is available at http://berkslancasterlebanonlink.org, or from Brian Long, coordinator, at blllink@mail.com or (717) 380-9714.

Coatesville Area Resource Network (CARN) meets from 9:30 to 11 a.m. on the third Wednesday of the month, except August and December, in the fourth floor conference room at Brandywine Health Center at 744 East Lincoln Highway, Coatesville. Representatives of

community organizations exchange information about current and upcoming activities and hear presentations from various services providers. Further information is available from Kathryn Spurlock at ccch@comcast.net or at (610) 380-7111 x16.

Phoenixville Area Resource Network (PARN) meets from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on the fourth Tuesday of the month, except December, at the First United Methodist Church (north entrance), 865 South Main Street, Phoenixville. Representatives of community organizations exchange information about current and upcoming activities and hear presentations from

various services providers. Additional information about the group is available from Debbie Dundon at Open Hearth, Spring City, at (610) 792-9282 x201 or debbie.openhearth@verizon.net.

Kennett Area Bridging the Community meets at 7 p.m. on the second Wednesdays of January, March, May, July, September and November at various community locations with any interested individual or organization welcome to attend and share information on

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resources and needs that can build "bridges" toward a more integrated Kennett area community. On July 8, the annual community potluck picnic will be start the gathering at

6 p.m. at His Mission, 342 East Birch Street, Kennett Square. Additional information is available from Joan Holliday at dochollisv@aol.com or (610) 717-2180. Minutes from prior meetings are available at www.bridgingcommunity.com/bridging.php.

Chester County Family and Community Partnership meets from 10 a.m. to noon on the first Friday of February, April, June, August, October and December at various locations. The group is a diverse partnership of individuals, families, community organizations, service agencies, businesses and funders committed to empowering individuals and families in

living self-sufficient, productive and fulfilling lives. Additional information is available from Kathy Brauner at kbrauner@chesco.org or (610) 344-5262.

Chester County Faith Community Health Ministry Network meets from 4 p.m. to 5:15 p.m., on the first Thursday of each month, from September through June to exchange information on promotion of holistic health within faith congregations and communities and to develop additional faith community nurses, also known as parish nurses. Further

information is available from Joan Holliday at dochollisv@aol.com or (610) 717-2180. Communities That Care (CTC) groups in several Chester County school districts provide

networking opportunities for community organizations and individuals that use a planning and mobilization model to promote healthy youth development and prevent and reduce negative youth health and behavior issues that may include substance abuse, delinquency, teen pregnancy, school drop-out, and violence.

West Chester CTC meets from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., on the second Thursday of

each month of the school year at the West Chester Area School District Spellman Administrative Building, 829 Paoli Pike, West Chester. Lunch is provided by

reserving at rsvp@wcctc.org or (610) 359-5817.

Downingtown Area CTC meets from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. the third Tuesday of the

month from September through May at the Lionville Community YMCA, 100 Devon Drive, Exton (Lionville). Further information and registration available at dtownctc@umly.org or (610) 458-9090 x2827.

Coatesville CTC Community Prevention Board, a body coterminous with the Coatesville Youth Initiative Steering Committee, meets periodically in the fourth floor Community Room, Brandywine Health Foundation, 744 East Lincoln Highway,

Coatesville. Further information and requested lunch reservations are available from Jarvis Berry, CTC community mobilizer, at Jarvis@coatesvilleyouthinitiative.org or (610) 380-0200.

UPDATED THIS WEEK: Support Groups for Unemployed and Underemployed -

Ongoing

Several networking/support groups (open to everyone) are available at area churches for

persons who are unemployed or unemployed, with each providing its own variety of specific services in support of those who attend:

Downingtown (Lionville/Exton) -- Barnabas Group, at Calvary Fellowship Church,

95 West Devon Drive (rear entrance) at Route 113 in Exton (Lionville) is named after the Biblical disciple known as the Son of Encouragement. Weekly sessions are part of the churchs Care Monday, that includes a prayer group that meets at the same time in the Prayer Lobby (Portico Entrance), with intercession for those attending the

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Barnabas Group and the churchs other Care Ministries, including DivorceCare for those coping with separation or divorce, even years later; Mending Hearts for those with prodigal children and other family members; and various offerings focused on assistance in healing and coping. Further information for Barnabas Group activities is available at barnabasgroup@cfdownington.com or (610) 363-7171.

Malvern Penn State Great Valleys Alumni Association and My Career Transitions (MCT), an all-volunteer job counseling group, meets from 9:45 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. the second Saturday of the month, except August and December, in 130 Main Building, Penn State Great Valley, 30 East Swedesford Road, Malvern, preceded by a

new member orientation at 8:30 a.m. On July 12, Amy Dinning, a senior training and talent development leader, will discuss Youve Lost Your Job Now What? In August, there is no meeting. Further information and required registration are

available at http://mycareertransitions.com/new/?q=upcoming-meetings.

Wayne A one-on-one Employment Guidance Ministry, along with periodic special employment related events to aid jobseekers is available at St. Davids Episcopal

Church, 763 South Valley Forge Road, Malvern. Further information is available from George Vosburgh at gbvosburgh@aol.com or (610) 688-7947.

West Chester Unemployment support group meets bi-weekly from 5:45 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, 130 West Miner Street, West Chester, to learn tips and techniques related to job searches. Further information is available from Elisabeth Hartwell at ehartwell@firstpreswc.com, at (610) 696-0554.

West Chester BarnabasWC group meets from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. Mondays,

except holidays, in the Community Room, Providence Church, 430 Hannum Avenue, West Chester. Further information is available at www.barnabaswc.org or

info@barnabaswc.org.

Six Area Affiliates of Joseph's People meet during the month:

Berwyn/Main Line - 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on the first and third Thursdays at the Hagenbach Room, St. Monicas Church, 635 First Avenue. Further information is available from Bob Schubert at bobschubertjr@aim.com or (610) 755-2398. Central Delco Groups at three locations in Central Delaware County now coordinate meetings in Media and Upper Darby at 7 p.m. on the first three Tuesdays of the month. First Tuesday: St. Francis Room at St. Mary Magdalen Church,

2400 North Providence Road, Media, with further information at smmemploy@gmail.com or (610) 873-7117. Second Tuesday: The Parish Hall Rear Entrance, St. Laurence Church, 8245 West Chester Pike, Upper Darby. Third Tuesday: Hassler Chapel, Media Presbyterian Church, 30 East Baltimore Pike,

Media, with further information at robinst37@gmail.com. On June 16, attendees will discuss Finding a Fit, Not Just a Job. Downingtown -- 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesdays, in the

Parish Meeting Room Rear of the School Property, St. Joseph's Parish, 338 Manor Avenue (Route 322). Information about the affiliate is available by leaving a message at (610) 873-7117.

Upper Uwchlan Township 7 p.m. on the first and third Mondays at the School Education Center, St. Elizabeths Catholic Church, 100 Fellowship Road, Chester

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Springs. Further information is available at (610) 321-1200 or at david.bolz@verizon.net.

Reading 7 p.m. to 8:30 pm. on the first and third Wednesdays at St Catharine's of Siena Parish Center. 2427 Perkiomen Avenue, Reading. Further information is available from John Senick, facilitator, at (610) 779-4005.

West Grove 6:45 p.m. on the fourth Wednesday of the month in the new Parish Life Center, Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church, 300 State Road, West Grove. On June 24, group leaders John Colgan and Ann Barr will acquaint

attendees with the significant amount of resources available to Josephs People members. Further information is available from John Colgan at johnfcolgan@gmail.com. Additional information on all St. Josephs People chapters is

available at www.josephspeople.org. Free Job Assistance Workshops, Job Fairs and Job Openings Report June

Unemployed and underemployed persons seeking education and training in career planning, along with employment assistance for veterans, ex-offenders and persons with disabilities, can take advantage of a broad series of services and monthly workshops offered by the

Pennsylvania Department of Labor CareerLink at its Exton offices in Suite 500, 479 Thomas Jones Way in the Oaklands Corporate Center. These trainings include an orientation presentation as to what PA CareerLink has to offer.

A calendar of PA CareerLink-Chester County workshops for the current month is available at www.pacareerlinkchesco.org/calendar.

Monthly job openings list that provides several pages for the Chester County area is available at www.chesco.org/DocumentCenter/View/25877. Daily position openings updates are available through www.cwds.state.pa.us.

Websites for additional county PA CareerLink offices in the area, at which many services are available to out-of-county residents, include:

Berks: www.co.berks.pa.us/Dept/CareerLink/Pages/default.aspx Delaware: www.delcoworks.org Lancaster: www.jobs4lancaster.com

Montgomery: www.montcopa.org/index.aspx?NID=1024 Free Certified Nursing Assistant Training Available

Chester County Opportunities Industrialization Center (OIC) is enrolling income-eligible individuals for its Certified Nursing Assistant Training Program. Further information is available at (610) 692-2344.

Pottstown and Phoenixville Locations Providing Additional Job-Seeker Support

Pottstown YWCA and the Phoenixville Public Library are continuing to expand services for job-seekers.

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Pottstown YWCA has started a weekly Job-Seekers Connection support group from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesdays at its Tri-County Area Adult Literacy Center at 1830 East High Street.

Sessions are designed to provide a supportive environment on how to obtain assistance in revising resumes, write cover letters, start an internet-based job search, and maximize job search visibility.

The organization currently offers adult literacy classes, including reading, writing, math, English language, and GED and U.S. citizenship tests preparation, along with a six-week Job Skills Program, for eligible area residents.

Further information on the new support group is available at www.facebook.com/ywcatricountyarea/photos/a.468031103259613.106123.142873902442

003/813804245348962/?type=1, on the adult literacy and other workforce development components at www.ywcatricountyarea.org/adult-literacy.html, or at (610) 326-7323.

Phoenixville Public Library will host its monthly, fourth Thursday Job-

Seeker Workshop Speaker Series from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. On June 25, Casey Jones Transformation Initiative for Building Healthy Communities for Healthy Families will present his four-hour 12 Steps Toward EmploymentTM workshop.

In December, the library began hosting a free weekly support group and individual job coach assistance for the unemployed and underemployed, expanding already significant

library services available to job-seekers. A sampling assists is available at www.phoenixvillelibrary.org/category/adults/learn, www.phoenixvillelibrary.org/resources, www.phoenixvillelibrary.org/ovr-employment-

support, www.phoenixvillelibrary.org/computer-services and www.phoenixvillelibrary.org/programs-for-adults-2.

Further information and required registration for limited workshop seating is available at mpinto@ccls.org or (610) 933-3013 x132.

Free Online Training Available for Health Care Professionals Aiding Veterans Health care professionals now have a free online course developed by the federal Departments of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Defense (DoD) to help serve veterans and service

members. The eight-hour Military Culture: Core Competencies for Health Care Professionals training covers a variety of topics through interactive features, video vignettes, case examples and

treatment planning scenarios. Each of the four modules within the course was developed using research, surveys and extensive interviews with service members and veterans.

Information and registration for the training, along with other military culture-related materials, are available at www.deploymentpsych.org/Military-Culture.

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Pennsylvania Seeks Missing Photos of Vietnam Veterans Pennsylvania is aiding the search for photos of 606 state service members who sacrificed

their lives in the Vietnam War so their faces will never be forgotten. The state Department of Military and Veterans

Affairs (DMVA) has partnered with the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, Inc. (VVMF) to locate pictures of all 3,148 service members from

Pennsylvania whose names are on the Vietnam Memorial -- known as The Wall -- in

Washington, D.C. To date, 606 from Pennsylvania still are being sought, with some 14,000 photos still to be located nationally.

A list of Pennsylvanian photos attempting to be located is available at www.dmva.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/veterans_benefits/11386/faces_never_forgotten/2039552, with further information on the project nationally at www.vvmf.org/faces-never-forgotten.

Hailed US Airways Pilot Relates His Story of Depression

Former US Airways pilot Chesley (Sully) Sullenberger, who performed an emergency landing of Flight 1549, with 155 passengers on board, in the Hudson River in New York on January 5, 2009, is telling his story of depression as a result

of that incident in a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Make the Connection feature. "I didn't have to carry this myself," Sully says,

urging those who experience emotional struggles for any number of reasons to get and "stay connected". The video is available at

www.facebook.com/VeteransMTC/videos/816397305112931/?fref=nf. For additional insight by veterans, their families and those in civilian life into the world of struggles in all types of life circumstances, what it is like to need connection and obtaining

assistance, go to www.maketheconnection.net. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, with one out of every five individuals in the United

States, including children, said to have a diagnosable mental health issue at any point in time. A key to overcoming situations is early treatment and connection. A map for how to obtain adult mental health services in Chester County is available at

www.chesco.org/DocumentCenter/View/19240, for children at www.chesco.org/DocumentCenter/View/19242 and intellectual disabilities at www.chesco.org/DocumentCenter/View/19238.

NIDA Says Abuse of Prescription Pain Medications Risk Heroin Use National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) says that one in 15 people who take non-medical

prescription pain relievers will try heroin within 10 years.

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In an infographic campaign, it is noted that nearly one in 20 adolescents and adults, or 12 million people, used prescription pain medication in 2010 when it was not prescribed for

them or only for the feeling it caused. While many believe these drugs are not dangerous because they can be prescribed by a doctor, abuse often leads to dependence, according to the NIDA. And eventually, for

some, pain medication abuse leads to heroin. Further information on prescription drug and other abuse is available at www.drugabuse.gov/related-topics/trends-statistics/infographics/abuse-prescription-pain-

medications-risks-heroin-use.

Study Says Early Sipping by Kids Increases Alcohol Risks Students having a sip of alcohol before sixth grade were four times more likely to have been drunk by the ninth grade, according to a Brown University Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies researchers study.

In the report, approximately three in 10 students reported having sipped alcohol before the sixth grade. In addition to ninth graders having been drunk, those children were five times

more likely to have consumed a full drink of alcohol and 3.7 times more likely to have tried binge drinking. The study counters many parental hypotheses that introducing children to alcohol when

they are young will reduce its tempting taboo and help them better manage alcohol as they get older. Further information about the study and its results are available at

https://news.brown.edu/articles/2015/03/kidsip.

New Consumer Hospital Discharge Planning Checklist

Available Medicare has published a six-page checklist to help individuals avoid being re-admitted after a hospital stay.

It is suggested by Medicare that Your Discharge Planning Checklist be used early and often during your stay and that a patient talk to their doctor and hospital staff, such as a discharge planner, social worker or nurse, about items on the list. The publication, including a list of additional resources, is

available at www.medicare.gov/Publications/Pubs/pdf/11376.pdfm with the The Joint Commission, an independent, nonprofit organization that accredits and certifies more than 20,500 health care organizations and programs in the United States, providing additional information at

www.jointcommission.org/toc.aspx.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness May be Available for Some Student Loans Individuals working in governmental organizations, some charitable organizations and some organizations providing specific services such as public education or health may be eligible for a broad, employment-based forgiveness program on qualifying student loans.

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Further information on Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) is available at

www.ed.gov/blog/2015/04/how-to-qualify-for-public-service-loan-forgiveness-2 and www.studentaid.ed.gov/sa/repay-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service#page.

Area Said to be a Hot Spot for Human Trafficking The Philadelphia area is a hot spot for human trafficking, including sex and labor trafficking, according to 2014 statistics from the National Human Trafficking Resource

Center. Over 30 percent of cases involved children and youth. Further information about the numbers and recognizing signs

of trafficking is available at www.traffickingresourcecenter.org/sites/default/files/2014%20Minors%20Trafficking%20Report_FINAL.pdf and www.polarisproject.org.

Additional information about some area cases and impacts is at www.facebook.com/chestercountyantihumantraffickingcoalition.

Pennsylvania Gears Up Against Bird Flu Poultry and other avian competitions will be absent from this year's state-approved

agriculture fairs due to the threat of highly

pathogenic avian influenza, or H5N2, that has intensified nationally. The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture

has suspended the competitions to minimize risk of the disease spreading from other states and the estimated $13 billion in total economic activity in the state's poultry and egg industry.

Avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, is said to be "very contagious" and can make domesticated birds, including chickens, ducks, quail, pheasants, guinea fowl and turkeys, very sick or even cause death. It rarely affects humans, according to the federal

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and in those cases usually follows direct or close contact with infected poultry, resulting in mild to severe illnesses.

Further information from the Department of Agriculture is available at www.agriculture.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/pennsylvania_department_of_agriculture/10297 and from the CDC at ww.cdc.gov/flu/avianflu/avian-in-humans.htm.

Free GSK Science in the SummerTM for Kids Registration Underway Registration is underway for GSK Science in the Summer for elementary grade students in June and July at local libraries in the Greater Philadelphia area.

The two-hour-long, four days of activities, held in partnership with The Franklin Institute, provides a focus this year on bioscience in Bucks County, simple machines in Chester,

chemistry in Delaware, oceanography in Montgomery and physical science and electricity in Philadelphia.

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Experiment-oriented courses are taught by certified teachers to two classes of students, those entering second and third grades and fourth through sixth grades.

Further information and online enrollment for limited seating are available at www.scienceinthesummer.com/greater_phila/index.html.

Free Child Abuse Prevention Resource Guide Published A new 2015 Prevention Resource Guide: Making Meaningful Connections, along with other publications to aid in combating child abuse, has been made available as part of April is

National Child Abuse Prevention Month. The materials and other information are available at

www.childwelfare.gov/topics/preventing/preventionmonth/?utm_source=Gateway&utm_medium=homepage&utm_campaign=NCAPM15.

Free Motorcycle Safety Courses Scheduled Pennsylvania Motorcycle Safety Program (PAMSP) is offering all riders from novice to experienced -- safety training for the riding season.

In addition, anyone under 18 years of age must take and successfully complete a Pennsylvania motorcycle safety program basic rider course before he or she can receive a motorcycle license. To be eligible to test, youth must have a motorcycles learners permit

for at least six months and have 65 hours of supervised riding. Further information about new motorcycling laws effective last year is available at http://dmv.state.pa.us/centers/motorcycleCenter.shtml, with information on PAMSP at

www.pamsp.com.

Berks County is under Drought Watch Berks and 26 other Pennsylvania counties are under a DROUGHT WATCH due to below-average groundwater levels.

Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) says that "despite the recent surge of surface water caused by snow melt .... low groundwater levels can cause well-fed water supplies, both private and public, to go dry.

"The very dry fall and below-normal precipitation in January and February have contributed to low groundwater levels in the northeast and central portions of the state. The increasing temperatures and melting snow have helped, but groundwater levels may not be back to

normal before the summer," it says. A drought watch declaration is the first and least-severe level of the states three drought classifications. It calls for a voluntary five percent reduction in non-essential water use and

puts large water consumers on notice to begin planning for the possibility of reduced water supplies.

Further information and conservation information are available at www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/newsroom/14287?id=20710&typeid=1.

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Please Note: New and Updated tags refer only to the time of appearance of information in these E-Updates. Some on-going activities may have been in existence for some time and are being listed for awareness.

Letting People Know/Making a Difference - Ongoing Feedback indicates that a lack of communications tools is a primary deficiency in bringing community services providers and those needing information together. If you know of an activity designed to have a real impact on families (this includes individuals and youth) that we should be aware of or might be interested in reporting in these periodic e-mail updates, please let me know, either with details or a web site link. In order to maintain its value, this forum currently is a subjective, selective distribution so all information submitted may not be used. Also, if you know someone who might be helped by these periodic updates, please forward all or selected portions as you feel appropriate. If you would like to be added to or removed from this list, please hit reply and advise by typing "Subscribe" or "Unsubscribe" or something similar in the Subject line. Events listed are based on subject matter related to activities impacting families and is based on information reported to us. No endorsement is made or implied. Suggestions for improvements are encouraged. We currently are developing a more advanced electronic communications method for this type of material that will have more expansive yet less obtrusive characteristics. Please stay tuned. To submit materials for publication, please refer to the guidelines that follow. Blessings

Casey Casey Jones Transformation Initiative Building Healthy Communities Through Healthy Families (610) 707-1494 / bps461@msn.com

2009-2015 Casey Jones, Transformation Initiative for Building Healthy Communities Through Healthy Families. Permission is granted to reproduce for personal or non-commercial uses only.

Information provided is designed to highlight activities within the broader community that can help enhance Christian principles relative to development of healthy children, individual and family relationships. Recipients are encouraged to print and post this Calendar to employee and public bulletin boards for benefit of others. Activities included in this publication are gathered from various submissions and other sources. No

representation is made as to their accuracy or value. Persons wishing to be included in future e-mailings of updates, should request inclusion by sending an e-mail with Subscribe in the Subject line, along with your name, organization, community and where you heard about the publications to bps461@msn.com. General Guidelines for Information Submission:

Submission up to two to three months prior to the event is encouraged to increase exposure to new subscribers, individuals who only may read the list periodically, and for other organizations that want to avoid scheduling opposite an event or may want to collaborate with others in the area. For annual

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events, even longer lead times may be appropriate. Our deadline generally is the Friday before the week of publication. A general idea of the information needed (many submit too little for the consumer to understand what

actually is occurring and why they should consider attending) can be obtained by perusing the publications or using the following guide: Please use full names followed, if appropriate, by acronyms in parenthesis.

Name of Event:

Date(s) - Include both day(s) of week and actual dates:

Times (Starting and ending):

Location (Including any applicable room number, particularly in a large facility, and a MapQuest or Google Maps searchable address:

Sponsoring Organization(s), if not part of the location address:

Participant Eligibility (Ages, gender, etc.):

Description of Activities and, as applicable, the presenter and the purpose of the event (Two to three descriptive sentences with the most appealing information; please avoid superfluous words such as "wonderful", "great", etc.):

Any Fees, including free-will offerings:

Contact name, e-mail, telephone, along with any web page that is focused primarily on the specific activity:

Any registration requirements. We generally use only free activities of a non-commercial nature or those in which a very small, optional materials fee is charged.

Fund-raising activities generally are not published unless there is a good mixture of free activities also available, including free admission, with a participant having the choice of purchasing incidental items such as food or crafts.

Church events generally are published only if they are separate from normal weekly worship

services. Due to the wide variety of activities available, decisions on publication ultimately are determined on a case-by-case basis in context with focus of the publications.