letter from the president - calmra inc.natalia villafuerte 14100 laurel park drive, laurel, md 20707...

14100 LAUREL PARK DRIVE, LAUREL, MD 20707 PHONE: 301-982-7177 FAX: 301-982-7805 MD RELAY: 1-800-735-2258 WWW.CALMRA.ORG

Kathy Labukas

President

As we enter into a new year 2020, we welcome new members to CALMRA’s Board: Susan Cady Johnson, sister of Brian who re-sides in our Parallel home; and Elsie Ziepolt who resides in our Princess Garden home. She will represent our residents along with Lois Funk from the Allview home.

Elsie’s parents were members of CALMRA’s founding Board.

We also thank Fred Windbeck and Hazel Roeder who have retired from the Board for their many years of service and their active participation in all CALMRA relat-ed projects, fundraisers and activi-ties. CALMRA members who attended our Annual Membership Meeting

W I N T E R , 2 0 2 0 V O L U M E 2 5 , I S S U E 1

2019 CALMRA

BOARD OF

DIRECTORS:

President: Kathy Labukas Vice President: William Moon Secretary: Joan Echols Treasurer: David Brokate

Directors: David Saville Sheila Saville Patricia Morris Lois Funk Sara Henry Bill Lowell Mark Mazz Elsie Ziepolt Mary Kenney Trudy Thornton Kenneth Windbeck Susan Cady Johnson Nancy Tolbert

CALMRA

ADMINISTRATIVE

STAFF:

Executive Director: Nancy Tolbert Chief Operating Officer: Danna Zacharek Dir. of Program Oper.: Tammy Money RN: Kadi Decker Director of Finance: Kelsey Jackson Human Resources Director: Farrah Mirambeau Office Manager: Micah Simon Dir. of Day Services: Susie Thompson Activity Coordinator: Antonia Bayly Program Admin.: Felicia Mukasa-Kintu Fostina Kamara Margaret Mbeseha Maintenance: James Allen Robert Money Frank Saenz

Letter From the President

CALMRA’S MISSION: to improve the lives of persons with developmental disabilities by providing

the highest quality residential and other support services in an ethical and loving environment.

Newsletter for and about CALMRA, INC.

The CALMRA Communicator

CFC # 36749

in December were able to hear the audit report that CALMRA contin-ues to have financial difficulties. There are several reasons for this. Primarily, this is due to meeting the required minimum wage for our dedicated direct care staff and to completing the renovations needed for our Mary Solko Senior Day Program to move into our large building. Many thanks to some of our family members who raised much needed funding through Facebook fund-raisers and to all who made dona-tions to our Fall Gift Solicitation. We are seeking other avenues to raise money, including applying for grants. We encourage all members to renew your membership and to

Letter from the President………………………….…………………………………….. 1

Letter from the Executive Director…………………………………………………….. 2

Birthdays and New Employees…………………………………………………………... 3

Gifts With Special Meaning …………………………………………...………………..... 4

From Our Homes….………………………………………………………………………. 5-14

From Our Senior Center…………………………………………………………………. 15-18

From Our Nurse…………………………..………………………………………………. 19

Montgomery County InterACC/DD…………………………………………………….

Tips for Coping with Stressors As You Age…………………………………………….

20

21-22

Giant Food Fundraiser……………………………………………………………………... 23

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

seek out any resources in your community network that can be tapped for raising funds for CALMRA, Inc. I hope to see all of you at the CALMRA Family Picnic in June.


Nancy Tolbert,

Executive Director

From the Executive Director’s Desk

The holidays are over and we are all attempting to get back into the full-time swing of things. Staff report all our homes had a great Christmas and family, friends, and Santa were very good to everyone at CALMRA. I am very grateful to all our supporters who gave generously to the annual Gift Solicitation campaign. Your dona-tions will help us con-tinue our mission and assist us as we move forward!

we are struggling financially but mak-ing plans to improve this situation. Looking forward to warmer weather and the promise of spring!

CALMRA’s Senior Cen-ter, The Mary Solko Senior Center has com-pleted their move!! Everyone seems to have settled into their new digs, and there is a lot of room for their daily activities! I must thank and extend our appreciation to our maintenance crew;

Frank Saenz, Bobby Money, and James Al-len for all their work to make this move go smoothly. Also, Susie Thompson and her staff were phenomenal and pitching in to make the move complete on time! Thanks every-one! We held our Annual meeting on December 10th. Attendees got the first-hand report of our fiscal audit and learned

P A G E 2 V O L U M E 2 5 , I S S U E 1

FOR WAYS YOU CAN

SUPPORT CALMRA,

PLEASE SEE PG. 25


CALMRA would like to recognize

the following residents who have

celebrated or will soon celebrate a

birthday:

Welcome New Employees!


Birthdays and New Employees

CALMRA would like to recognize the following

staff members who have

celebrated or will soon celebrate a

birthday:

Mary Horan

Joan Wyvill

Lillian Maureen Gray

Eugene Perry

Jeffrey Rolston

Elsie Ziepolt

Hilda Newman

Eileen Harrington

Louis Cox

Gloria Shen

Bianca Gatten-Rivers

Rebecca Wright

Ruth Shipps

Dawit Gebretsadik

David McDermott

Arlene Dockendorf

Hope Crutchfield

Cassandra Chijoke

Frank Saenz

Joy Sappleton Howell

Louis Kamara

Patricia Okongwu

Hana Asfaw

Atinuke Babayale

George Morgan, Jr.

Felicia Mukasa-Kintu

Olufunmilayo Oke-Adeniyi

Tymeka Williams

Rosalie Poukouta Mbimi

Ruth Sackey

Felix Ibe

Rose Delice

Tochi Duhu

Kim Washington

Tymeka Williams

Diane Dekoladenu

Isata Jalloh

Theresa Enwerem

Marie Delice

Kim Washington

Catherine Tate

Veronica Conteh

Rose Delice

Kenneth Mmakwe

Vera Selmah

Catherine Awung Nke

Farrahdia Mirambeau

Babatunde Ladejobi

Natalia Villafuerte



Day Program Donations

Matilda Bradford

Gifts With Special Meaning

Staff Appreciation

Being rich is not about how much we have, but how much we give.

Carol Aspinall Laura Bennett

Susan Cady Johnson Sara and Austin Henry Veronica and Bill Lowell

Mark Mazz Shawn Perry Lincoln Pitts Hazel Roeder

Sheila and Dave Saville Peter Van Houten

Tolson’s Landscaping

William and Barbara Nock

Joan and Lester Echols

Susan DePlatchett

Jay Davis

Damascus United Methodist Church

Bill Moon

Theresa Brown

Eric Siegfried

Patricia Savory

Christopher Otley

James Langworthy

Karen duVon

Patrick Cady

In Memory of In Memory of Mona Turner Stuart Eisen

Sara Watt John & Christine Proctor

Chris Connell & Kathy Wilson

In Memory of

Sara and Austin Henry

Kathy Labukas

Ruth and William Flahive

Matthew Titus

Lynn Edward

In Honor of

Michael Connell

Liz Labukas

General Donations

In Honor of Gabby Roeder

Theodore Junghans

Mary Julia Bailey

General Donations Cont.

Farrah Mirambeau

William and Sandra Halloran

Constance Russell

Training & eTracking

Solutions

Sharon Spurrier

Clareen Heikal

James and Carol Lowell, Sr.

In Honor of Julia & Bill Lowell

Marcel and Susan Heuver

In Honor of Frederick Tolbert

Laurie Saenz

In Honor of Gwen N.

Julie Vermeulen

In Memory of Elysse

Joyce Camacho


News and Events from October 2019 through December 2019.

From Our Homes P A G E 5 V O L U M E 2 5 , I S S U E 1

The ladies also en-

joyed Thanksgiving. Julie

was with her family of

course, and Lois and Bianca

ate right at home. They en-

joyed everything, even their

pumpkin pie!

December and

Christmas were here before

we knew it! The ladies loved

going Christmas shopping

for each other. They made

banana pudding.

Boy, was it deli-

cious!

We had our annual

Christmas party at our

house. It was so much fun!

We enjoyed listening to

Christmas music, dancing

and eating good food of

course! Gathering around

with each other was the

most fun and exchanging

gifts. � Thanks for the staff

gifts, Mrs. Kenney and

Kathy!

Lois continues to

enjoy the social club/ thea-

ter club and going to see her

friends at her Golden Age

club. She loves being a

Calmra Board member as

well. She and Julie went to

see A Christmas Carol and

loved it!

The ladies and staff

at Allview would like to

thank Kathy Labukas, Mrs.

Kenney, and all that helped

with getting us a new oven!

The ladies love it and truly

appreciate all the donations.

ALLVIEW

Please stay safe and warm

as we will try to do the

same!

Greetings from

Allview House! The ladies are

doing great! They have been

enjoying the winter weather.

The ladies loved the fall as

well! In October we all

dressed up for Halloween as

our favorite characters from

the Wizard of Oz! What fun it

was giving candy out to the

trick or treaters in the neigh-

borhood. Julie and Bianca are

back with their bowling team

the Woodchoppers. Lois is

their cheerleader!

In November, the

ladies celebrated the Queen

of the house’s 81st birthday,

Lois Funk! She wanted to go

to Olive Garden to celebrate.



jor renovations .

For starters, we went on vacation to Williamsburg , Virginia for a two weeks' stay at the Staybridge Suites hotel at Newport News. During the first week both guys were under the weath-er and the virus was later transmitted to staff as well but with resilience, we all pulled through and were

able to do some sightseeing within Newport News and some of the attractions we visited include but not limited to the Mariner museum, which is a popular attraction for the Newport News guests. Also, at the Yorktown riverfront, we saw colonial architecture which gives character to the specialty shops and restau-rants that line the riverfront.

We are exploring possibilities of changing day program ser-vices for David, who is going through a lot of unwelcome challenges at his current day program. We will hate to see him lose friends and other ac-

BEAUWICK

The Beauwick crew started the quarter with celebrating David's 52nd birthday at home with his room mate and staff before he got picked up again by his sibling to complete the celebration at his dad's place with close relatives. We spent the rest of the holidays away from home because our house is currently going through ma-

quaintances but his welfare takes precedence over other matters. Finally, we like to take this op-portunity to make our impression felt by thanking our able PA/DOO for her tireless efforts in making us realize our dream of a com-fortable home and the incredible support she gives us a whole in-cluding all those who in one way or the other have contributed to help forge through these trying times.

BEECHVUE

Greeting from the ladies and the

staff from Beechvue house. Happy

New Year! We began the new

year with a lot of hope and bless-

ings. We hope everyone is

enjoying the new year as

are. Nancy Trainman had a

very nice birthday. She

turned to 73 years old. She

was very excited about her

birthday celebration. Nancy

picked the cake and the dec-

orations from the store.

Marilyn had a wonderful

holiday. Also, she was very

effective helping her house

mates and staff. Marilyn did a

lot of arts and crafts. Melynda

visited her family for Christ-

mas and New Year.

We had an unforgettable time

going to different malls, the

Watkins Christmas lights, park

and planning, holiday hop and

movie nights. We went to

church every Sunday, and had

a wonderful and precious time

in the church. The ladies lost

their long-time pastor. Please

pray for him and his families.

We have been invited to a

friend’s church a couple of

times, and we had wonderful

experience over there. The

ladies received beautiful

Christmas gifts from friends

and family. They were very

happy and thankful.



BRANCH VIEW

Hello from Branch View. The fall came with warm

weather. Halloween was celebrated as the guys handed candies to the kids. They were very ex-cited. Louis and Kevin went on their trip to Georgia. They had a lot of fun while Wade took a day trip to Ocean City. He was very excited. Wade celebrated his birthday in October. He had cake and

ice cream which he shared with his housemates and staff. They also went to the CHI Christmas Party, and gift bags were handed out. We celebrated our Christ-mas party too. The guys decorated their tree and wrapped their gifts. On

December, Blessing and Law-rence went to Beltway plaza.

Eugene’s family came to Bucklodge on the 22nd of De-cember for their Christmas gifts exchange and spent time with him. Eugene’s sister, Betty from Minnesota, is planning to see Eugene. Everyone is plan-ning to celebrate his 53rd birthday in March.

BUCKLODGE

Hello friends and families of Calmra. Bucklodge staff and the resident extend their greetings to our new HR Di-rector and CLS of Greencas-tle.

On the 29th of October, staff and residents went to Arun-del Mills Mall and enjoyed our lunch at McDonald's. On the 22nd of November, staff and Lawrence went to Costco for shopping. On the 1st of

Christmas day everyone opened their gifts. They were so excited. Louis went to camp. He said he had a lot of fun. Everyone remains in good health.



Saturday.

For Halloween, they all dressed up in their favor-ite costumes and attend-ed the Halloween cele-bration at their Day Pro-gram. For Thanksgiving, Donald and Dawit went home to spend the holi-day with their families.

In December, the guys enjoyed decorating the house and putting up the Christmas tree. They had the opportunity to go shopping to buy gifts for

themselves. Donald and Dawit participated in the Holiday Hop Party orga-nized by Park and Plan-ning in Landover.

We at Columbia house and the Calmra family are happy that the guys are in good health

COLUMBIA

Greetings from Columbia house! Our residents and staff wish everyone a Happy New Year. The guys have been really busy as usu-al. They still continue to keep in shape by partici-pating in the Park and Plan-ning fitness activities once a week and using the tread-mill at the house. Bowling is another favorite activity that Donald and Lewis have been participating in every

DRESDEN

brated Thanksgiving feasting with lots of food and desserts. For Christmas the ladies had a blast ex-changing presents.

Colleen went to her family Christmas party and the family were very happy to see her and she had lots of fun and presents. The family Christmas party was very delightful.

Monique's family came to celebrate the holidays with her in the house.

Greetings from the from the ladies at Dresden. The winter has not been quite brutal albe-it a little bit of a nuisance. The ladies went on community outings weather permitting. Places visited were Shoppers, Costco, The Mall at Prince George’s, Greenbelt Mall, Lau-rel Library, Boston Market, Anne Arundel Mall, and took rides around the community for sightseeing. The ladies cele-

Ms. Smith and her brother, David came to spend some time with Nanita during the holidays. Colleen and Nanita continue to enjoy full partic-ipation at Mary Solko Senior Center whereby they are highly supported by excellent staff. Monique also continues to enjoy her participation with her attendance at the Arc of Prince George’s County.

Overall, the ladies are grate-ful for a wonderful winter, and nevertheless; we are looking forward to wonder-ful spring Season.



October started the

quarter with a fun-filled

Halloween party. Follow-

ing the party, the guys

passed out candy to the

local kids in their neigh-

borhood.

The holidays were upon

us, and that means par-

ties, family, fun and love.

However, November was

quite uneventful. There

were long days and short

nights as we looked for-

ward to the Thanksgiving

holiday. That week all the

guys spent time with their

families.

As December rolled in,

the guys were excited

about Christmas. Just like

Thanksgiving, the guys

spent time with their

families.

DURANT


P A G E 1 0 V O L U M E 2 5 , I S S U E 1

warm days. Kristy helped with picking out fresh new plants for inside the house, they are so nice and beauti-ful. Jennifer enjoyed a beautiful church ser-vice, and Gabby loves

GREENCASTLE

Happy New Year, From Greencastle!!

The ladies from Greencas-tle are not letting the cold stop them from going out! Especially on our

her car rides with some nice music away from the cold weather. We

definitely are ready for some warm weather!

GAVIN

With all of the holidays Maureen and Joan experi-enced it was nothing less than amazing. We had the opportunity to spend this time with family and those whom are close to us. We enjoyed family dinners, musical plays, concerts, and games just to name a few .

Maureen spent time with her sister and was so hap-py at the sight of all her gifts. Joan was delighted to taste every dish pre-pared for Thanksgiving.

We have had so much to be thankful for over the months and we look for-ward to what lies ahead. Happy New Year to all from Gavin house.



LACKAWANNA

The folks of Lacka-

wanna have en-

joyed good health,

a cold or two, but

nothing very seri-

ous. Eileen contin-

ues to get healthier

everyday. This is in-

deed good news

and a blessing.

Pamela celebrated

her birthday on

Halloween. Unfor-

tunately, she had to

share it with trick-

or-treaters. Yet she

still managed to

enjoy her birth-

day with cake, ice

cream and

friends. Pamela

wore her cos-

tume as she

joined her house-

mates in passing

out candy.

Thanksgiving was

a busy and fun

time at our

home. We cele-

brated at a family

member’s home,

which was fun.

Everyone came

with their favor-

ite dish. The tur-

key and trim-

mings were pre-

pared here. It was

a fantastic night

with more than

enough food to

go around.

Next we decorat-

ed for Christmas

and went shop-

ping. Once we

setup the tree, it

looked like one of

the prettiest ones

in the neighbor-

hood. Pam, Eileen

and Delores

couldn’t stop

staring and smil-

ing at it.

“Goodbye televi-

sion. Hello tree.”

The ladies also

enjoyed the Festi-

val of Lights, shop-

ping at different

stores and the annu-

al Holiday Hop.

We pray all of you

have made it though

this cold winter. We

look forward to the

coming spring.

May God keep you

in his arms as you

move forward.

Much Love,

Delores, Eileen,

Pamela and Staff



PARALLEL

"HAPPY NEW YEAR"!!! from Parallel house.

It's the beginning of a new year, with lots of planning to do and new year resolutions to keep. The resi-dents visited their families for both Christmas and New Year, which they all enjoyed very much. They also enjoyed going out

to their scheduled outings every week, which they look forward to every weekend and during the week when possible. Christopher seemed to like going to the Guitar Place in Lau-rel. He always draws a cheerful crowd when he starts to bang the

drums and laughs. Jeffrey visited church in his community which he liked very much when asked. Brian also enjoyed his community outings each time he was taken out, whether it be looking at planes or just simply a car ride in his community. They all have vari-ous likes and dislikes like anybody else, and that's what makes them unique in their own way.

The residents are fun loving individuals who get along with each other in the home. More and more each day, Parallel house feels more like a warm and welcoming home instead of a job. Thanks to all who have contributed to the wellbeing of Parallel house. Both staff and

residents, you have made it all possi-ble. Thanks again.

PERSONAL SUPPORTS

"Hello my name is Sean, and I have been busy with the help of my Personal Support Staff, Pete, from CALMRA! We have been working on a bunch of things I like to do and want to get better at. We've been spending time each week learning what I will need to know to pass the MD Drivers Knowledge Test, the first step to getting my Driver's License. I am getting faster at correctly answering the prac-tice tutorials test questions online. I can only get two of the 25 questions wrong and still pass the real test. I am getting a lot closer and hope to be ready to take the test before the end of winter. Last October my support team met, and we came up with a new goal for me to make a new friend inde-pendent of my family connections. In December, I met up with someone I know from the Spirit Club gym and Special Olympics cycling events. He lives near me, and we had lunch at The Outta The Way Cafe in Derwood. You can see the picture we took together! In January, we went to the new Star Wars movie and had a great time. We are working on going to Dave & Buster’s soon! I am also talk-ing to someone I met at my group exercise class in Brookeville and hope to be able to get together with him because we like the same things. This spring I'll be looking into local car/truck clubs in hopes of making more new friends who love vehicles as much as I do. I'm also including a picture of me "driving" a tractor at the Montgomery County Agriculture Museum that Pete and I like to walk around on nice days. I have be-come more independent with my daily medications by learning to use a pill box which I refill each week. Next, I will be sitting down with my dad so he can show me how to order refills from the pharmacy. I've learned how to enter appointments and upcoming events in the iCalendar and use Reminders on my iPhone to be more independent about getting ready for them on time. Pete and I explored the possibility of taking American Sign Language classes at Montgomery College and may start as early as February. We're also going to take First Aid/CPR together, probably this summer. These new skills will help me pursue my dream to become a personal trainer. I com-pleted a job duties checklist for a position being created at the Spirit Club gym helping to put away the equipment at the end of the day. I know I would be able to complete most of the tasks inde-pendently after some initial training. I have lost some weight with regular exercise and eating a healthier diet. I can't wait to see what this year will bring and I wish you all a very Happy New Year!!"

- submitted with the support of Pete VanHouten


. Happy holidays from the resi-

dents and staff at Princess

Garden! We hope everyone

had a thankful Thanksgiving,

the merriest of Christmases and

a prosperous and blessed New

Year!

We started our holiday season

with our annual Thanksgiving

dinner with our families and

staff. We had a table full of in-

ternational dishes represented

by our staff and traditional

Thanksgiving food. It was an

enjoyable evening, and all had a

great time. We were stuffed

with not only food but also fel-

lowship.

We had Julie’s birthday celebra-

tion in December at Long Horn

Steakhouse in Bowie. Julie was

so excited with all her gifts and

enjoyed herself.

We had our annual gift ex-

change for Christmas with staff

PRINCESS GARDEN


SCOTT

It’s been a wonderful winter for all of us at Scott as we have enjoyed winter without snow.

By the grace of God the ladies are in good health and they've enjoyed different ac-tivities over this few months as the weather permitted. They went for a picnic at Wheaton, shopping in Colum-bia Mall, Target, Macy's etc.

Gwendolyn is doing well.

and residents. We had such a

good time with laughter and fun

for all.

Diane went to spend Thanksgiv-

ing and Christmas with her sis-

ter. Julie spent Thanksgiving and

Christmas with her Mom and

Dad. Elsie spent Thanksgiving

with her cousin and Christmas

with both of her brothers.

New Year was spent with lots of

She enjoys rides to the parks without complaints. She enjoys rocking most of the time, and she’s still the main boss of us all.

Gloria went out with her family to celebrate Chinese New Year. She had a lot of fun and looking forward to next year's celebration.

Rebecca celebrated her birthday with her mum and other family members, and she visits home as often as possible.

The ladies are looking forward to a wonderful year ahead and thanks to all staff for holding down the house when their CLS was away. God bless all.

cheer and fun, fun, fun here

at Princess Garden. CLS Ol-

ive toasted and danced to

bring in the New Year with

the ladies’ favorite sparkling

cider. What a fun night we

had!

We had such good weather

to begin in January. The la-

dies went to see the Martin

Luther King Jr. Memorial in

Washington, DC. We en-

joyed the warm day by walk-

ing around the memorial

reading all the quotes from

Dr. King. What a beautiful

way to start the New Year.



Thanksgiving was celebrated with good cooking by the staff. We had apple cider to drink, cakes, pie, Jollof rice and mixed vegetables with some stew to grace the occasion. Our neighbor requested the recipe due to the aroma so that his wife can cook it. We went for a late fall season visit to Ocean City to stimulate our environmental awareness for change in scenery, and we managed not to get burnt by the sun. We went sight seeing in the area for Christmas lights. We saw the National Lights on the mall in Washington D. C.,

the Mormon Temple, Embassy Row Christmas Deco-rations, homes in the neighbor-hood. David, Antonio, and James enjoyed the weather so much with smiles. David went to visit his siblings, the three DJ's and their fami-lies for Thanksgiving holiday. He was also happy to see them. We are looking forward to a good weather again to continue our usual tour of the area to satisfy our awareness. On behalf of the residents and staff of Shanandale House, we wish to say thanks to everyone

SHANANDALE

SUSQUEHANNA

The season began well with vari-ous trips to places of interest to David, Antonio, and James. We went to the movies, malls, Wash-ington Harbor, and Baltimore Inner Harbor.

for their continued support. God's blessing always.

The ladies, families and

staff enjoyed a big

Thanksgiving meal at

home where everyone

gave a reason to be

thankful. A round table

prayer session was led by

Patricia, and Farida ended

her prayer in her lan-

guage. The ladies felt hap-

py as dinner was accom-

panied by music and

dancing. Christmas and

New Year’s were celebrat-

ed in a similar way, but

more people were invited

to the banquet.

This period brought a close

to Patricia’s garden of flow-

ers and vegetables. She har-

vested all her remaining veg-

Highlights during this period

were the celebrations of Hal-

loween, Thanksgiving, Christ-

mas and New Year’s.

For Halloween, the ladies

chose how they wanted to

dress. Patricia refused to be a

witch this time like the previ-

ous years and chose to be a

deer. Dorothy said she was a

lioness while Farida dressed

like a bunny.

etables and flowers and put

them in flowerpots in the

house. This outdoor activity

(watering, weeding and har-

vesting), was replaced by

yoga, an indoor activity at

the Marlboro Community

Center. She loves this and

looks forward to each ses-

sion.

The ladies have continued

to enjoy indoor activities

such as bowling, movies and

musical shows. They love

the pampering haircuts and

eating out. Saturdays and

Sundays are reserved for

bowling and church activi-

ties. During these days, they

are treated to lunch out.



News and Events from the end of October, 2019, to the end of December, 2019.

From Our Senior Center

MARY SOLKO

SENIOR CENTER

October is always a “Spice-tacular” time for everyone. Each particpant spent days and weeks searching for the perfect costume in preparation for our annual Halloween Costume Party. All the Costumes were “fa-BOO-lous.” From the

smiles on the participants faces, we can say everyone had a happy "Howl-oween."

Greetings from everyone at the Mary Solko Senior Center! Fall was one of our busiest and fun filled seasons of the year. We re-located the senior center, created “fa-BOO-lous,” Halloween memories, observed the season of thankfulness, and celebrated Christmas with one of our favorite persons, Santa! We are so excited to share our memories with you.



News and Events from October, 2019, to the end of December, 2019.


FANGS so much for looking at our “fa-BOO-lous” Costumes.

The month of November brought in much colder weather. However, that did not stop us. During the month, we ventured to sever-al department stores looking for great deals, and a couple of our participants even found time to sneak in a lunch date.





We started the month of December by planning for The Twelve Days of Christmas. Each day was filled with different activities, music, games, and delicious snacks. We also received a surprise visit from one of our favorite people, Santa. There were smiles on everyone’s faces as they received a nice gift, hug, and big smile from Santa.





Last but not least, we welcomed a new family member, Arlene Dockendorf. Arlene warmed her way into the hearts of everyone with her big beautiful smile, gorgeous ocean blue eyes, and warm personality. She is a great addition to our family.

As we close the year with beautiful memories, we look forward to seeing what 2020 will bring.



Hi All— Coronavirus is much in the news. There is one case in Maryland being investigated for verification of coronavirus. Just like the flu, folks should stay home if they are sick, watch for fe-ver, cough, cover mouth/nose when sneeze, look out for pneu-monia and— Hand washing, Hand washing, Hand washing. Please make sure folks are vaccinat-ed for the Flu vac-cine and Pneu-movax if they meet criteria. About Corona-viruses

There are many viruses in the coro-navirus family that can cause illness in

From Our Nurse: by Kadi Decker, RN

Coronavirus

• Shortness of breath Pneumonia While the exact incubation peri-od for this coro-navirus has not yet been deter-mined, it is be-lieved that most infected people will develop symp-toms 2-14 days after they were exposed. Transmission

Many of the pa-tients in the pneumonia out-break caused by 2019-nCov in Wuhan, China had some link to a large seafood and live animal market, sug-gesting animal-to-person spread. Howev-er, a growing number of pa-tients reportedly have not had exposure to ani-

both humans and ani-mals. Several coronavirus-es commonly circulate among people all of the time, and cause mild to moder-ate illnesses, such as the com-mon cold. Other coronaviruses commonly circu-late only in ani-mals. Rarely, animal corona-viruses can evolve and in-fect people and then spread be-tween people as has been seen with MERS and SARS. Symptoms of 2019-nCoV In-fection

Commonly re-ported symp-toms of 2019-nCoV infection include: • Fever • Cough

mal markets, indicating per-son-to-person spread is occur-ring. Prevention

There is no vac-cine available for 2019-nCoV. In gen-eral, people can protect themselves and others against respiratory vi-ruses by taking the following precautions: • Wash your hands fre-quently with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer or soap & water • Cover your mouth and nose while coughing or sneezing • Avoid close contact with people who are sick • If you are sick, stay home

from work or school • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth • Practice good

health habits. It's not too late to get your flu shot! While the influenza vac-cine does not pro-tect against coro-navirus infection, it can help keep you healthy during the flu season.


Montgomery County InterACC/DD

On January 8th, The Montgomery County InterACC/DD held its meeting at the ARC of Mont-gomery County. The meeting was held to introduce the group and our individual agencies to the new Montgomery County Director of DHS, Dr. Crowel and other county employees. We shared three stories from people receiving our services. Jubilee, CALMRA, and JSSA had guests that shared personal stories of how services they received impacted lives. Cecil and Barbara Torrico from CALMRA talked about their personal life events with regards to their daughter Jennifer. It was a moving and touching story. The Torricos did a great job explaining their journey to obtain needed services for Jennifer and how CALMRA provides needed supports with help from Montgomery County and the supplement they give to pro-viders. The meeting was a great success and we send our thanks and appreciation to Barbara and Cecil for spending their time with all of us and their ability to personalize the meaning of our services to their family.

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Tips for Coping with Stressors as You Age

By Kent Elliott

Many people hold the misguided belief that stress goes away after retirement. However, stress is unfor-

tunately something you have to deal with at just about every stage of your life. As you age, the factors

that cause stress simply change rather than go away. The effects of aging on your health, financial situa-

tion, and emotional well-being can cause a great deal of stress. It’s sometimes hard to think about fac-

tors that cause stress in your life, but you can improve your mental and physical health by addressing these concerns. Below, learn about five

things you can do to reduce your stress and cope with changes better as you age.

Learn How to Manage Stress

The first step in managing stress is learning how to recognize it. You probably know how it feels to be stressed, but stress has many signs and symptoms that may go overlooked. When these symptoms are ignored, you may find yourself dealing with physical complications of stress, such as a lowered immunity and digestive problems.

There are a variety of stress-reduction techniques that are particularly helpful for seniors. Things like meditation, cognitive puzzles, and breath-

ing exercises can have great results for older adults dealing with stress.

Know Where to Get Support

According to The American Institute of Stress, having strong social support is one of the most important ingredients for emotional well-being.

Social support can mean something different to each of us. For some, being involved in a religious group or having the support of a close net-

work of friends is the most important thing. For others, emotional support can come from a trusted counselor or a regular support group.

Having a pet may provide a similar feeling of companionship. For seniors in particular, there are many emotional and physical health benefits to owning a pet. When choosing a pet, be sure to consider your ability to provide everything your companion needs. A puppy, for example, might have more energy than you can handle on your own, whereas an older dog might enjoy a lifestyle that’s more your pace. Keep in mind that different breeds might be more suitable for seniors than others. Focus on Your Health

As you get older, your health needs are likely to change. However, the importance of eating right and exercising will always be the same. The right diet can keep your mind sharp, help you stave off illness and boost your energy as you age.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can be a challenge as you encounter changes to your physical health. Many fitness experts recommend walking as the number one form of exercise for seniors. However, you can also try workouts to maintain your balance, strength, and flexibility.

Get the Right Insurance Coverage

One of the main stressors for older adults is worrying about what will happen after they pass away. If you are concerned about your family hav-ing to pay for your funeral arrangements, medical bills, and other debts you leave behind, consider buying final expense insurance. When com-paring insurers, it is important to choose a provider that specializes in this type of coverage and has a strong BBB rating, such as Lincoln Heritage Life Insurance.

Plan for Future Living Arrangements

Many seniors plan on living in a nursing home or assisted living facility when they are no longer able to be independent at home. If you are counting on your medical insurance covering long-term care costs, make sure you understand what your policy actually provides. If you have Medicare, for example, it won’t cover all types of long-term care. Medicaid, on the other hand, may cover some of these expenses, depending on your situation. Ultimately, you may find that it’s necessary to have a separate long-term care policy to cover your expenses.

Each stage of life brings on new challenges and opportunities. As you age, you will need to learn new ways to cope with stressors and maintain your physical, emotional, and financial health. By keeping a strong support network and planning ahead for the fu-ture, you can stay on top of common stressors you’ll face as you age.

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https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/6406-warning-signs-of-emotional-stress-when-to-see-your-doctor

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/6406-warning-signs-of-emotional-stress-when-to-see-your-doctor

https://www.healthcompare.com/articles/advice-and-articles/stress-in-older-adults

https://www.sunshineretirementliving.com/benefits-meditation-seniors/

https://www.stress.org/emotional-and-social-support/

https://www.seniorcaring.com/resources/8-benefits-of-having-pets-in-your-golden-years

https://www.suddenlysenior.com/best-dog-breeds-for-seniors/


Giant Food Fundraiser! CALMRA is selling Giant Food Gift cards that you can use just like cash at any Giant.

CALMRA will earn 5% of each card sold!

Cards are good for their face values (i.e. $25.00, $50.00, & $100.00).

PLEASE Consider purchasing these cards for your grocery shopping needs, gift needs, etc.

Thanks for helping!!

Date: ______/______/______ Phone: (______) ________________

Name: _____________________________________________________________________

Address: ____________________________________________________________________

Street

____________________________________________________________________

City State Zip

I would like a total of $ ___________ in Giant food cards in the following denomination(s):

_______ x $25.00 card (s)= $__________________

_______ x $50.00 card (s)= $__________________

_______ x $100.00 card (s)= $__________________

Payment options:

______ Cash

______ Check

______ Credit Card Type: ____Visa ____ MasterCard ____Discover

Card number: _____________________________________________

Expiration date: _____________________ CVC: _________________

Signature: _______________________________________________________

***********************************************Staff use only**************************************************

Date Processed: ______/______/______ Staff fulfilling order: ________________________________

Is this a Petty Cash order? YES ( ) NO ( )



PURCHASE GIANT GIFT

CARDS

Please remember that CALMRA

continues to sell GIANT grocery

gift cards. You get the full value

of your purchase and CALMRA

earns 5%. Please call the office to

order (301-982-7177), or you can

complete the Giant Gift Card

Order form on the preceding

page.

SHOP ONLINE AT

AMAZONSMILE

Amazon donates 0.5% of the

price of your eligible Amazon

Smile purchases to the charitable

organization of your choice. Just

visit http://smile.amazon.com

and choose CALMRA!

TAX-DEDUCTABLE

MONETARY

DONATIONS

CALMRA is always accepting

monetary donations for our

general operations, memorials,

special events, gift solicitation

drive, and CALMRA member-

ship. Please send checks to:

CALMRA, INC.

14100 Laurel Park Drive

Laurel, MD 20707

You can also donate through

our website at http://

www.CALMRA.org/

Donations.htm. Once you

have donated, you will receive a

“Thank You” card with our tax

ID number that can be used to

document your donation.

SHOP ONLINE AT

GOODSHOP

Many major online retailers will do-

nate a portion of their profits to non-

profits like CALMRA. Before buying

online, go to the website http://

www.goodsearch.com/goodshop

and select CALMRA as your organiza-

tion. Then link to one of the 700 big-

name stores hosted by the site (i.e.

Travelocity, Best Buy, Amazon.com,

etc.). Good Shop will automatically

donate up to 37 percent of your pur-

chase to CALMRA!

The mission of CALMRA, Inc. is to improve the

lives of persons with cognitive disabilities by

providing the highest quality residential, day

and other support services in an ethical and

loving environment.

It is the goal of CALMRA to ensure that each person

who has a cognitive disability has the opportunity to

live his/her life in a manner which is as close to normal

as his/her disability allows. This includes assuring that

the services which are needed to help individuals are

available and accessible and that they operate in a way

that meets the individual's needs while offering him/

her the freedom, dignity, and respect to which he/she

is entitled. To accomplish this, CALMRA works with

governmental agencies, private agencies, and providers

of generic and specialized services to develop and pro-

vide services which are not otherwise available.

CALMRA's ultimate goal is to assure that each person

who has a cognitive disability has the opportunity to

be fully integrated as an equal partner into the com-

munity at large.

Ways You Can Support CALMRA

-Serving people with cognitive disabilities-

We’re on the web!

www.CALMRA.org


Laurel, MD 20707

Phone: 301-982-7177

Fax: 301-982-7805

Maryland Relay: 1-800-735-2258

CALMRA, Inc.

Thank you in advance for

your participation!


DONATE YOUR CHANGE


CALMRA, Inc.


Laurel, MD 20707

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Please make any name and/or address corrections right on your label and return it to us at the address above, or send an email request to [email protected].

□ Please change the spelling of my name.

□ Please update my address.

□ Please send future newsletters by email.

Email Address: ________________________________

□ Please remove my name from the newsletter mailing

list.

letter from the president - calmra inc.natalia villafuerte 14100 laurel park drive, laurel, md 20707...

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