Newsletter – December, 2017

President’s Podium By Jim Guertin

As we approach the end of 2017, I want to thank all of you for the support that you have given to

me, the NAS board, Serene and our staff during the past year. I also want to wish everyone a wonderful Holiday Season. Please take time to enjoy the holidays with your family and friends. Elections for the NAS Board are coming up on Wednesday, December 13th. Please try to join us for lunch that day and participate in electing several members to the board that will guide our organization for the next year.

Remember to attend the Holiday Mountain Market on December 2nd and 3rd. If you can spare a few hours, we are still in need of some additional volunteers to help with this fun event for the mountain community. The Holiday Mountain Market helps to support our local artists and crafters. The funds raised from this event are essential to support the continuation of the Senior and Mountain Midlife programs.

Silent Auction at Holiday Mountain Market

Thanks to many generous donors, our Silent Auction offers great deals on restaurants, services, and awesome gifts. Enjoy the convenience of shopping dozens of locations in one quick stop with 100% of the proceeds supporting your local nonprofit serving mountain seniors. Our “Buy It Now” feature allows you to buy your item immediately and take it with you. For those whose fun is bidding on items, we will host evening and weekend pickup hours the week after. The action begins at 10am Saturday, December 2.

Holiday Mountain Market

Don’t miss the biggest mountain community event of the year! Save up your holiday shopping to support local talent. We’ve squeezed every inch of the Nederland Community Center’s second floor to provide space for 60 Artisans and Crafters, our Silent Auction, Live Music and Dance Performances all day both days, Festive Hot Foods in our Café, and Photos with Santa Noon to 3pm both days. Market hours are Saturday, December 2, 10am-5pm and Sunday, December 3, 10am to 4pm. We welcome volunteer help, especially during setup on Friday, early Saturday morning, and Sunday afternoon. Please call us at 303-258-0799 if you can sign up to help, even for an hour or two. We also need to bring in lots of shoppers for our vendors and auction—and an audience for our volunteer performers. Please help spread the word through social media, email, and at all meetings and events. We can provide flyers and email announcements to make forwarding to friends easy. Please invite everyone you know!

Colorado Gives—and Other Easy Ways to Support NAS

We encourage shopping locally, but also recognize that many of us shop online for items we cannot
find in our local stores. Our families post their wish lists and we enjoy giving what we know they will like. This holiday season, and throughout the year, please consider us while shopping online at Amazon by
using https://smile.amazon.com and select Nederland Area Seniors as the charitable organization that will receive a donation from them valued at 1/2% of your purchase—at no cost to you. It’s that easy. Just start with a “smile” and add smiles to the faces of our local seniors!

For our donors and members who prefer to use credit cards, please mark your calendar for Colorado Gives Day on Tuesday, December 5. Donors may set up their contributions any time beginning November 1 at www.ColoradoGives.org and set them to launch on 12/5, when a bonus helps us cover the 2% fees. If you prefer to use checks, please mail to us at NAS, PO Box 188, Nederland CO 80466. Thank you for supporting

Luncheon Program

Benefits of a Mediterranean Diet: Registered Dietitian Patti Murphy shares why we may want to shift to certain foods that help us maintain our best health – Monday, December 18.

Holiday Lunch, Annual Meeting, Board Elections

Join us for our annual Holiday Lunch on Wednesday, December 13, featuring a menu of Salmon, Peas, Sweet Potato, and Apple Dessert. Immediately after the meal, we meet for our annual meeting and board election, typically a brief and efficient process. All members ($20/year) are encouraged to attend and vote.

We thank the board members who have served us during the past year: Linnea Grovom’s 2-year term has ended; Terry Goyer and Roland Siebold have other obligations requiring them to leave mid-term; Jim Guertin and Marty Cheshes have agreed to renew for another two-year term. Margaret Freeman, Annemarie Fruth, and Past President Jim Elder continue to serve. Stepping up to fill vacancies at our annual election, the fol- lowing five candidates present these answers to our questions:

1) The most important function of Nederland Area Seniors is:
Jim Guertin: To provide seniors in the Nederland area with nutritious meals, with opportunities to socialize and make friends, and with activities that include physical exercise, cultural events, and learning.
Marty Cheshes: To enhance the lifestyle of seniors in the mountain area.
Debbie Gager: To reach out to local seniors as a respectful, welcoming and active community of peers. Michele Hurliman: To provide an opportunity for older adults to come together and find a measure of life satisfaction in community.
Rebecca Lundberg: To care for the members of our community and to help grow and build our community to be a supportive, active, caring place to be.

2) ThetopprioritiesfortheBoardduringthenextyearshouldbe:
Jim Guertin: Reach out to more residents of the Mountain communities and encourage them to participate in NAS and MML events. Raise awareness of NAS/Mountain Midlife within the mountain communities. Continue to evolve NAS and Mountain Midlife to meet the changing needs of current and future seniors. Encourage more involvement of our members in the planning and coordinating of our activities.
Marty Cheshes: To find activities that appeal to our members.
Debbie Gager: Increasing volunteer participation and identifying event coordinators.
Michele Hurliman: To create and manage the lunches, dinners and other venues that enable #1 .
Rebecca Lundberg: Continue to help build and grow relationships among our group and to help overcome the idea that only Seniors attend.

3) The skills and services I feel I can contribute to the NAS Board are:
Jim Guertin: I have been president of the NAS Board for the past two years. I have a good understanding of how the organization functions and of the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. I have recently retired from a career that required both project management skills and the ability to communicate and interact with customers on a daily basis. These skills are important in helping to lead an organization.
Marty Cheshes: My long experience with the organization.
Debbie Gager: Contribute general office skills such as data entry; offer organizational services as a volunteer. Michele Hurliman: The Board needs interested community members to participate in managing the services provided by the NAS. I would like to do this.
Rebecca Lundberg: I am an energetic, enthusiastic, adventurous person. I enjoy a variety of activities and can definitely help encourage more “MidLifers” to join us.

4) The reasons I would like to serve on this Board are:
Jim Guertin: I want to use the skills that I developed during my career to help the community. Serving on the NAS board will enable me to contribute to a very valuable community organization and also give me an opportunity to make new friends and work with a great group of volunteers.
Marty Cheshes: I have been asked to continue serving.
Debbie Gager: I have felt very welcomed, and so I would like to actively participate by serving on the Board. Michele Hurliman: To give back to the community.
Rebecca Lundberg: This group has been a real benefit to my family and I have met some great friends here. Serving on the board is one way I could help extend this benefit to others.

Gift Ideas for Caregivers

Colleen Sinclair, Mountain Area Options Counselor, 303-258-3068

It’s hard to believe Christmas is right around the corner! Does your holiday shopping list include someone who cares for an older adult at home? If you ask the typical caregiver what he or she needs most, three items tend to top the list: money, time, and stress relief. Here are a few ideas to consider for gift giving.

Flowers, care baskets, and massages. Research at Rutgers University has shown that flowers ease depression, inspire social networking and refresh memory. One way to say “thanks” or “hang in there” is to send flowers. Unless a person is allergic to certain flowers that shouldn’t be chosen, flowers are a welcome gift for a caregiver who may not take time to think of his or her own needs.

Another option is a personalized care basket. You can include items based on what you know about your special caregiver. Gift certificates, a book or video, music, comfort items such as candles, soap, lotion, teas, chocolate, heart-healthy snacks or gourmet cookies are just a few of the possibilities.

Caregivers may enjoy massages for stress reduction, promoting relaxation, or pain relief. A gift certificate from a licensed massage therapist makes a wonderful gift.

Time. Time is probably the most welcome gift. Offer to run errands, stay with the person needing care for a few hours, provide transportation, do grocery shopping, or cook a meal. A few hours of your time can mean so much to a caregiver, who may be overwhelmed with chores and unable to leave the care recipient to do them.

Visit in person or by telephone regularly. Ask about how the caregiver is doing, not just about how the care receiver is doing. The caregiver needs love, attention, and prayers, also. Let the caregiver share how he or she feels. Listen without being judgmental. Don’t tell the caregiver what you think he or she should have done. Keep visiting even if the care receiver no longer recognizes you or is unable to communicate. This will mean a lot to the caregiver, and it is a way to honor the care receiver.

Boulder County Area Agency on Aging caregiver programs are available throughout the year and can provide a variety of services for family caregivers, including respite care, special events, training, and information & referral/assistance.

Best wishes to all for a joyful holiday season!

If you would like more information about respite services for caregiving, emergency preparedness, fire mitigation, or any other resources related to aging, caregiving, and disabilities, please call me at 303-258-3068 to schedule an appointment. My office hours are generally from 8:00am to 4:30pm on Monday and Wednesday at the Nederland Community Center.

Welcome Cher—Mtn MidLife Volunteer Opportunity

Our new Head Chef Cher Rainbolt offers us an opportunity for a fun afternoon working alongside her in the Nederland Community Center kitchen, assisting as she prepares our delicious Mountain MidLife dinners. Cooking for 70 people is a huge job that needs lots of help. We also love volunteers who help with preparing breakfast/brunches, serving the meal, greeting/check-in at the door, and more. Call us when you can join our fun kitchen crew—a week ahead is most helpful! 303-258-0799

December Menu

Please RSVP two days ahead for lunches, a week ahead for breakfasts and dinners to 303-258-0799.

M 4 Spaghetti w Meatballs, Garlic Bread, Romaine Salad, Banana
W 6 Roast Turkey, Asparagus, Baked Potato/WW Roll, Pineapple w Coconut
M 11 Szechwan Chicken, Stir Fry Vegetables, Brown Rice, Orange
W 13 Salmon w Dill Sauce, Green Peas, Sweet Potato, Apple
Fr 15 Cornish Hen, Brussels Sprouts, Brown/Wild Rice, Cucumber Yogurt, Pineapple/Cherry M 18 Tuna Noodle Casserole, Cole Slaw, Apple
W 21 Roast Beef, Carrots/Brussels Sprouts, Oven Browned Potato, Pear
M 25 HOLIDAY—No Lunch
W 27 Zucchini Parmesan, Pasta, Garlic Bread, Mixed Greens Salad, Apple

Nederland Area Seniors PO Box 188
Nederland CO 80466 303-258-0799

NederlandAreaSeniors@nullgmail.com

www.NederlandAreaSeniors.org

DECEMBER BIRTHDAYS

Director: Serene Karplus Board of Trustees:

3. 3  Richard Henrichs
4. 4  Linnea Grovom
5. 5  David Evans

5 Sheila Evans

5. 5  Deborah Simmons
6. 6  Christopher Blake

6 Doug Cosper 6 Roger Smith

6 Atashnaa Werner 8 Michael Ryan

9 Timi Dillon
10 Cheryl Fanelli
10 Michael O’Neill 12 Gaylynn Long
12 Joe Stepanek
13 Jeanne Arsenault 13 Stephanie Roff 14 Anna Motz
15 Betty Stransky 15 Jerald Ward
19 Bonnie Sundance 21 Jerry Donahue 21 Gary Owen
21 Sally Rings

22 George Blevins 22 Claudia O’Neill 26 Charlie Dillon
26 Marianne Hill
27 Aurelian Bukatko 28 Ann Gillis

28 Carol Kozlowski 29 Bob Ellis
29 Sharon Ferguson 29 John Gonzalez 30 Sue Evans

30 Bobby Wooten
31 Marilyn Fagerstrom 31 Jim Hubbard

Jim Guertin
Jim Elder
Martin Cheshes Roland Siebold Margaret Freeman Annemarie Fruth Terry Goyer Linnea Grovom

President Past President Vice President Secretary Treasurer Member Member Member