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In the News
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A guide to eating better on a budget |
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Written by Felicia Thompson
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Tuesday, 17 April 2012 00:00 |
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At Options for Independence, my main responsibility is managing funds and helping people with disabilities budget their Social Security funds. Living on a fixed income is quite a challenge for most without a representative payee. I try to help the people I serve with tips on how to budget, better their life and save money at the same time. I believe eating healthy is important, and am making suggestions on how they can eat better on a budget.
With all the news circulating lately regarding the quality of the food in America — like pink slime, and arsenic in apple juice — I have been trying to make changes in the foods I eat and feed my family. Choosing healthier, less processed foods without hydrogenated oils or high fructose corn syrups, and selecting fresh foods to place on the table is my goal. Making these choices on a budget is quite a challenge, as it is a bit more expensive to eat healthy, but it is not impossible to make nutritious choices while staying responsible to a budget or while on a fixed income.
One of the most important keys to eating healthy on a budget is planning. Preparing a menu for a week or two before grocery shopping is a great way to limit impulsive buys at the grocery store. Also, writing a grocery list is a great way to stay on track while shopping. Checking the Internet and newspaper for coupons while preparing for your trip to the market is another way to stretch your dollar. I research the flyers for several different stores before my shopping trip to locate sale items that might be included in my menu plan.
The next task is reading labels, to be sure I am not sabotaging my efforts by choosing items that state on the packaging "made with multi-grains" or "no trans fats." These labels can be misleading and, at times, just a selling point when hydrogenated oils are listed or the multi-grains are the last ingredient in the product. Effective marketing for a product is what the food suppliers are doing, and it's up to us as the consumer to be diligent in researching the ingredients list and the nutritional value of a product.
There are several ways to save money on fresh produce; for instance, now is a perfect time to start seeds for a small garden that can provide vegetables in a couple months. Choosing fresh produce that is in season at the grocery store can save money and gives a different variety throughout the year. The local farmers market is an awesome way to support local farms and choose affordable fresh fruits and vegetables. Buying foods in bulk is another way to save some money. Family packs of meat and larger bags of brown rice or dried beans are good choices, too.
It becomes a little tricky to save money on bread, pasta and rice when trying to eat healthy and stay on budget. Most of these items are made with enriched flour or enriched wheat flour that has been stripped of most of the natural vitamins and minerals. When these are removed, your body absorbs wheat differently. Instead of being a slow, steady process through which you get steady bursts of energy, your body breaks down enriched flour too quickly, flooding the blood stream with too much sugar all at once. Your body then has to work hard to absorb the excess, and stores it as fat. Choose brown or wild rice in bulk, and make your own bread or choose breads made with whole-wheat flour. Whole-wheat pasta is also better for your health and can be found affordably.
Another way to save is to prepare large batches of your favorite recipes on a day off or the weekend, and freeze individual containers for later in the week. Cutting down on eating out is also a huge savings; picking a night out just once a month or going to an early bird special are ways to save your wallet and your belt. Eating healthy on a budget is attainable with change in routine, and I hope some of these tips help those who want to be healthier and save a little money in the process, whether you have a disability or not.
Felicia Thompson is a benefits advisor at Options for Independence in Auburn.
Read more: http://auburnpub.com/lifestyles/a-guide-to-eating-better-on-a-budget/article_0925ae1e-ff59-5f30-ba59-7cdda3637024.html#ixzz1v8ge4t2g |
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A busy spring is in store at Options |
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Written by Greg Guy
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Tuesday, 10 April 2012 00:00 |
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Turning the calendar to April provided a stark reminder of just how quickly time flies! How is it possible for one quarter of 2012 to have already passed us by? Amazing!
The leap into spring also served to focus my attention on what's ahead, as April's calendar page included Post-It notes filled with reminders for upcoming events, each of which is an annual and eagerly anticipated occurrence. As the year advances to May, things begin to heat up!
Saturday, May 5 is the date of Options' annual Bowl-a-Thon, with proceeds going directly toward the purchase of products ultimately distributed at no charge to eligible individuals through our Personal Care Bank. This year's event will be held at Starlite Lanes on Clark Street Road in Auburn. Registration will begin at 12:30 p.m., with actual bowling from 1 to 4 p.m. The cost is only $40 per team of four, and includes shoe rental, two games of bowling and a commemorative T-shirt.
Bowlers are encouraged to bring a personal care item or cleaning product (or two or three!) to the event. Each donated item will entitle you to a chance to win multiple door prizes, with the grand prize being a new rocker/recliner donated by Lynch's Furniture! Please call Sara Douglass at Options (255-3447ext. 318) for a registration form!
Also in May, Options will once again celebrate passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act by holding its Disability Awareness Day at a Cayuga County school. This year, third-graders at Port Byron Central School will participate in an assembly on May 8, during which they will hear from numerous community members and teachers who have assumed disabilities for the day (or who actually have a disability). Disabilities will range from vision and hearing impairment/blindness to mobility impairment (requiring the use of a wheelchair), and will include an individual working with the guidance and assistance of a service animal.
Students will learn how the individuals' days were impacted by their disabilities, and have a chance to ask questions of the participants. Those who actually have or have assumed a disability will be transported to the Port Byron school through the generosity of and by volunteers from the SCAT Van, and treated to a luncheon graciously donated and catered by the Simmons family and Balloons Restaurant of Auburn.
June is usually the month for Options' Annual Conference, and this year is no exception. This year's conference, with the theme "Empowering Your Tomorrow: The Tools for Building Your Future," is scheduled for Thursday, June 21 at the Auburn Holiday Inn. Twelve different workshops/seminars will be available during three separate sessions during the course of the day, and attendees will be able to browse the wares and information made available at numerous exhibitors' tables in between sessions and following the luncheon.
Of special interest this year is our keynote speaker for the conference, Ms. Angela Winfield of Blind Faith Enterprises LLC. We are indeed grateful and excited to have Winfield, an Auburn resident who is both a superb attorney and a renowned inspirational speaker, agree to speak to the advocates and consumers who will gather for our conference!
All in all, a busy spring and early summer is in store at Options for Independence. Please give us a call us at 255-3447, stop at our offices at 75 Genesee St., or visit us at www.optionsforindependence.org for more information or to register for any of the events mentioned. We're looking forward to seeing you!
Greg Guy is the executive director of Options for Independence.
Read more: http://auburnpub.com/lifestyles/a-busy-spring-is-in-store-at-options/article_da44de1d-39c7-52e1-b2be-4dfc6a6c44fd.html#ixzz1v8WkEJ2p |
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Program can give homeless a helpful boost |
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Written by Albert Townsend
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Tuesday, 03 April 2012 00:00 |
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When people think of a homeless individual, many different images come to mind. Most of them are negative. Unfortunately, many homeless people have some kind of disability as well.
At Options for Independence, we have a housing program that assists those with a disability and are homeless. Our Supported Housing Program is funded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. It is designed to assist those with disabilities with not only finding housing, but addressing issues that led them to homelessness in the first place.We typically work on three different goal areas: housing stability, linking individuals with mainstream resources and linkages to services to assist with the disability.
During this time, the program is able to pay a participant’s security deposit and rental amount while they are successful in the program. Once income has stabilized, participants begin paying a percentage of their rent. This allows the program to recoup some of the funds that can be used to assist other people in need.
This program has met with some great successes. Recently, an individual has successfully completed the program because he found full-time employment that provided enough of a salary that he no longer needed the financial support the program offered him.
In two years, this individual was able to identify areas he needed to focus on to return to self-sufficiency, and helped himself succeed. He has thanked Options many times for giving him the “break” he needed to get his life back on track. Although his thanks are appreciated, it was his hard work toward his own self-sufficiency that got him to where he is today; Options just helped nurture the independence and determination that he had within himself all along.
This person’s desire to improve his own life, taking responsibility for himself and his choices, with some assistance from our program, led to his successful completion of the supported housing program, and his re-captured independence.
Albert Townsend is a housing advocate for Options for Independence in Auburn.
Read more: http://auburnpub.com/lifestyles/program-can-give-homeless-a-helpful-boost/article_209af88e-7d35-11e1-acd2-001a4bcf887a.html?mode=story#ixzz1v8bdYNMs |
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Resources can help the newly disabled adjust |
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Written by Susan Gray
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Tuesday, 27 March 2012 00:00 |
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As an advocate for people with disabilities, I am sometimes called on for advice for people who are newly disabled. One such recent conversation was with a woman who had a career that required good vision, and after a medical condition rendered her legally blind, she found herself struggling with whether or not to try to adapt to her career or make a change. For any newly disabled person, whole parts of their lives are being modified to accommodate their disability. Their homes, travel capabilities and personal care may all require adaptations. If they are still of an age that would allow them to continue working, the challenge of maintaining the present career may prove too difficult. Then the question remains: What to do as an alternative?
In the case of blindness or visual impairment, there is a state agency, the Commission for the Blind and Visually Handicapped, that will assist with either staying at your present job, or offering training and education for a career change. Along with this, our county has Aurora of CNY, a nonprofit agency that offers programs such as mobility training, homemaker and computer technology courses, and counseling to assist with the transitions that you are making. One of the common problems that I hear about is the lack of knowledge of these services by the medical proffessionals. The doctors and opthomologists, for the most part, just diagnose and treat the eye condition. They do not refer patients to these agencies that can be such a beacon of light during this time. Both agencies actively promote their programs, and spend time in the community to make their presence known. It just seems that too often, the patient is left to themselves to find their way, and valuable time is lost in the healing process.
Keeping these and other agencies that assist people with disabilities in the forefront would go a long way in ensuring the comfort of a newly disabled person. These agencies assist all age groups and economic levels. They will come to you, if you cannot get to their offices, and will offer you the tools necessary for getting on the path to independent living. Aurora of CNY holds monthly support groups for people who have vision impairments or are blind, and you can call 422-7263 to find out where and when these meetings are held. Options for Independence would be happy to coordinate a meeting with the Commission for the Blind and Visually Handicapped, a division of the Office of Children and Family Services of New York State. Our office number is 255-3447. Options also has an adaptive computer in our office, thanks to the commission, that is capable of speech and magnification, so that someone who needs these features can utilize them right in Auburn. It is part of a free service that Options provides to the community.
We continue to seek better ways to inform the community about the agencies and programs that are out there to assist people in living more independent lives. If we can be of assistance to you or a family member or friend, please call us. The path is made smoother by those who have gone before us.
Susan Gray is chair of the Options for Independence board of directors.
Read more: http://auburnpub.com/lifestyles/resources-can-help-the-newly-disabled-adjust/article_bf1129a4-779d-11e1-bb05-001871e3ce6c.html#ixzz1v8ZpfENp |
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Written by Sara Douglass
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Tuesday, 20 March 2012 00:00 |
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Options for Independence is an agency that advocates for individuals with disabilities in Cayuga and Seneca counties. We work diligently to address the needs of the individuals we serve, and we attempt to create the most up-to-date programming that follow the current trends in the needs of the people we serve.
In our community, many families struggle to provide the basic necessities for themselves and their children. Last April, Options kicked off an entirely new program designed to assist people who do not have access to the items of daily personal care that many of us take for granted: toilet paper, shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant, paper towels, and laundry detergent, just to name a few.
The barrier to accessing these items is that they cannot be purchased with food stamps and they are rarely available through other community resources. As a result, many of the people we serve have to make difficult choices between personal care items and rent, utilities or food.
Throughout Cayuga and Seneca counties, the Personal Care Bank will be meeting the needs of individuals and families currently receiving services from Options by distributing toiletries and cleaning supplies, as well as providing educational information to encourage self-sufficiency. These items will be distributed to clients on a semi-monthly basis, and is completely free of charge.
The Personal Care Bank has been funded in part though grants provided by the Cayuga Community Fund and the United Way. We have also received generous donations from Westminster Presbyterian Church, the Cayuga County Sheriff#’s Benevolent Fund and many community members. The need, however, far exceeds these local grants and donations.
Options for Independence will hold its second annual Bowl-a-thon fundraiser from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 5 at Starlite Lanes to benefit the Personal Care Bank.
Registration for the bowl-a-thon is on a first come, first served, basis and lanes are filling up fast! Cost for a four-person team is $40 and includes two games of bowling, shoe rental and a T-shirt for each team member. Options members save $5 per team. If you are not yet a member of Options, you can become a member at any time!
If you cannot get a team together but would like to bowl, let us know, we’ll team you up with someone. Bowlers of all abilities are welcome; ramps and bumpers are available.
We are asking participants to bring a personal care item or cleaning product (or two or three!) Each item entitles you to a chance to win a door prize. Only new items will be accepted. The grand prize for the raffle is a recliner donated by Lynch#’s Furniture!
The bowl-a-thon is currently sponsored in part by Cayuga Lake National Bank, Savannah Bank and Elmira Savings Bank. Options for Independence would like to thank all our donors and sponsors for their assistance with this event.
For more information, a registration packet or to make a donation, please visit our website at www.optionsforindependence.org or call me at
255-3447 ext. 318.
Sara Douglass is the housing support services supervisor for Options for Independence
Read more: http://auburnpub.com/lifestyles/bowlers-can-restock-bank/article_775e01f8-722b-11e1-a45a-0019bb2963f4.html#ixzz1v8crY7uu |
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