Grand Portage Elders celebrated Active Aging Week September 26-30 with special presentations about Emergency Preparedness with Mike Keyport, a visit and presentation by Amy McClellan from the State Services for the Blind and a community Alzheimer’s presentation with a meal facilitated by Jenna Herbig, outreach specialist with the Minnesota Alzheimer’s Association. Both Amy and Jenna worked with individual families providing information and assistance one-on-one. Anyone wanting to contact either woman can call the ENP or Health Clinic for his or her phone numbers.
The Elders with the help of some young women baked and decorated 42 cakes for the annual Halloween Carnival Cake Walk. Community members donated another 16 cakes. What a wonderful time everyone had! We marked Fire Safety Month in October with fire extinguisher checks and a demonstration on how to properly use them. Remember to change your smoke detector batteries this month.
Ti Ji Quan will be offered after January 1, 2017. Sessions began, but due to busy schedules, Agatha and Patty have had to reschedule. After January 1 there will be evening sessions combined with Zumba and a daytime chair version offered. Watch for flyers.
Ellen Olson decorating cakes for the Halloween Carnival with help from Nevaeh. In all, 42 cakes were baked and decorated for the cake walk.
Open enrollment for Medicare Part D has begun. The enrollment period is from October 15 through December 7. Now is a great time to check your coverage and update your insurance due to changes in your medicine, income or health. Marjori Bottila will be at the ENP and Community Center November 21 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. for individual counseling and at 5 p.m. for a dinner presentation. Please call Patty to schedule a time with Marjori. Transportation is available for the individual sessions and/or dinner. Watch for the flyer. November 16 will be the 11th annual Chili Cook Off & Meat Bingo. This year it will be held at the Community Center with dinner starting at 5 p.m. and bingo to start at 6 p.m. Please come and vote for your favorite chili and support the Elders with this fundraising event. Anyone interested in submitting a chili contact Carol Hackett at 475-2655. On November 19 the American Legion Auxiliary is hosting an Auxiliary workday to make lap blankets and personal care bags for veterans in the Care Center and Silver Bay Vets Home. The session will start at 11 a.m. at the ENP. Food, friendship and a good time will be provided.
Above: Holly and Uriah Dahl with three of their Canadian cousins at the Halloween Carnival. Left: 92-years-young Doris Blank playing the drums while at a church retreat.
December will once again be a busy month. We will be participating in the Holiday Craft Sale on Saturday, December 3. We will be selling two different types of soup and Christmas cookies. Carol will be contacting Elders to bake cookies and to work the sale. The ENP with the Elder Advisory Board will be offering the annual Christmas shopping trip to Duluth, December 6 and 7. Contact Patty or Carol if interested in going. We will overnight at the Black Bear Casino. This is a fun trip to get most if not all your holiday shopping done. Mark your calendars for the Elder Christmas party. This year it will be Sunday, December 11 starting at 2 p.m. Due to the lodge being under construction it will be at the Community Center again. The band “Portage” will provide the entertainment; there will be great food, wonderful door prizes and a good time to be had by all. Watch for your RSVP invitation in the mail.
Volunteers are always needed and appreciated. The ENP needs Elders to listen to children read two times a week. This takes about 15 to 20 minutes with Oshki Ogimaag students on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11 a.m. We will also need volunteers for the Chili Cook-Off, Holiday craft sale and Elder Christmas party. Please consider helping out. You can contact Patty, Carol or Polly at the ENP at 475- 2655 or 2002.
The ENP staff would like to say Chi Miigwech to all our veterans for their service and wish everyone a very happy Thanksgiving and Christmas season!
Please pick up your funeral food dishes from the ENP. We have quite an assortment. Thanks.
Cook County has a vibrant and active community of elders. Each week we will offer Senior News to highlight our senior citizens. This week’s submission is about the Grand Portage Elder Nutrition Program courtesy of Patty Winchell-Dahl.
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