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Holiday Alert:
As you're visiting with family this coming week, keep in mind that the CRC offers a special service that provides Personal Finance Management for senior citizens in Franklin County.
If you know of a relative or friend who could benefit from such help, or aren't sure but would like to make an initial referral for us to follow up, send us a message by clicking here or call us at 614-267-3050.
Don't wait until the new year!
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Upcoming Events
Community Meals --
Some adjustments have been made in the schedule this final week of 2013. The regular Tuesday night dinners for Dec. 24 and 31 are canceled, although there will be a community dinner at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 26 at the CRC, 14 W. Lakeview Ave.
Also, Sunday morning breakfasts shift to North Broadway United Methodist Church, on East North Broadway, during December. Those begin at 10a.m.
CRC Closes for Holidays -- The CRC, including the food pantry and related services, will close at noon Dec. 24, all day Dec. 25 and 26, and also Wednesday, Jan. 1. Call 268-8118 for specific hours.
For more events at the CRC visit our Calendar.
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Wish List Items
As you know, the needs are many. Sometimes, we're made aware of specific items that can be used to help an individual or family and we'll let you know just in case you have such an item -- or can put us in touch with someone else who does.
Thanks!
The Senior Services team is looking for donations of prizes for Bingo! Other current client-specific needs are listed below:
Charlotte, Kinship Care
--Microwave;
--Vacuum;
--Lamps;
--Crib sheets;
--Twin sheets; and
--Dressers.
Louanne, Kinship Care
--Puzzles for a boy with ADHD;
--Any dish washing soap or cleaning items;
--Diapers size 4 and training diapers/pants size 5; and --A table short in height for three grandchildren to eat/work on.
If you can help with any of these items, please email Lu at [email protected] or call 214-6347. Thank you!
Savannah, Senior Services
--Queen-sized bed bug mattress covers;
--Futon;
--Twin sized mattress pad (foam), sheets and pillows;
--Home repair gift card for Lowe's or Menard's; and
--Two comfortable recliners.
Barb, Senior Services
--A twin bed for senior raising grandson;
-- Couch and kitchen table for a senior who recently moved to a apartment following foreclosure; and
--a TV converter box for Digital to CRT TV.
Dana, Senior Services
--Bedbug mattress and box spring covers;
--Senior with breathing issues in need of a recliner lift chair in good condition; and
--Pots, pans, casserole dishes and microwave safe dishes.
Sarah, Senior Services
--Men's wallet; and
--Address book with large slots to input contact information.
* * * * *
The CRC Senior Services staff is working toward making all of our seniors feel special on their birth dates. If you are able to donate birthday cards and/or postage stamps so we can continue to celebrate the birthdays of the Seniors we serve, please call Senior Services 267-3050 and speak with Barb, Savannah or Karen. Thanks so much!
Items may be dropped off at CRC or you can contact us for more information.
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Service Hours
** Donations can be accepted only after 11 a.m. weekdays, unless previous arrangements have been made with a CRC staff member **
Mondays
* ESOL Classes- 10 a.m.
* Food Pantry- Noon to 4 p.m.
Tuesdays
* Food Pantry- Noon to 7 p.m.
* Mount Carmel Health Clinic- 4-6 p.m., 1st & 3rd Tuesdays every month
* Legal Advice- 5:30-7 p.m. (call ahead as this could move to a different night occasionally)
* The Crest chefs visit the second Tuesday every month to share samples and recipes
* Tuesday Truck Night-Dinner at 5:30 p.m. and truck at 6:30 p.m.
Wednesdays
* Food Pantry- Noon to 3 p.m.
* Fresh Produce- 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Thursdays
* Food Pantry- Noon to 7 p.m.
* Community Dinner - 5:30 p.m.
Fridays
* Food Pantry- Noon to 4 p.m.
Sundays
* Community Breakfast - 10 a.m.
** Our Clothing Closet now is closed while we prepare for the holidays **
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Board of Trustees
Andy Hall, President
Bruce Harkey, Vice President
Diane Hoenig, Secretary
Douglas Argue, Treasurer
Mark Wayda, Past President
Sue Frost, President-elect
Kate Gaylord
Allen Hunter
Brandy Jemczura
Kevin Johnston
Michael Madry
Jennifer Nelson Carney
Zach West |
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Leadership Staff
Bill Owens, Executive Director
Stephanie Baker, Associate
Director
Cliff Wiltshire, Development
Director
Beth Stewart Magee, Basic
Needs Supervisor Patty Cooper, Business Manager Brenda Kauser, Youth Services Supervisor Megan Gish, Clinical Support |
 "Clintonville Really Cooks Books" are for sale through Paypal and our Senior Services office.
Books are $10 and support the efforts of CRC. Call 267-3050
to order your copy! |
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We have one more week to make charitable donations for 2013
Just a few days remain for people to make a financial contribution to their favorite charity during 2013 and possibly receive tax benefits from that donation.
There are a number of ways to make such a donation in a timely fashion, including dropping a check in the mail as long as the check is dated Dec. 31, 2013. The mailing address here, where we also will accept cash donations, is Clintonville-Beechwold Community Resources Center, 3222 N. High St., Columbus, OH 43202.
The easiest way to donate directly to the CRC is to make an online contribution using your credit card. Just click here and be taken to the CRC's secure online donation form, where you can support the good things we are doing with a few clicks. If you would like to give the gift of giving for the holidays, and perhaps e  ncourage others to make charitable contributions, consider the "Spirit of Columbus" giving cards available through the Columbus Foundation. They can be purchased in $50 or $100 amounts, and the receiver of the card can choose from among hundreds of non-profits now registered with the Columbus Foundation -- including the CRC!
For more information on the Columbus Foundation and its charitable giving cards, visit the website: http://www.tcfgiftcardpurchase.org/.
CRC supporters who are 70 1/2 or older have a unique opportunity to support the agency before the end of the year. IRS rules are now in place, currently just until Dec. 31, 2013, to allow the such owners of an IRA to make Qualified Charitable Distributions tax-free to a charity such as the CRC. These included the Required Minimum Distributions that people must make annually, as long as the dollars are transferred directly from the IRA to the non-profit agency (which can be done to the CRC through its fund at the Columbus Foundation).
For more information on this process and the tax benefits it brings, contact your personal financial adviser.
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Mozart's Holiday Fundraiser for CRC
generates lots of warmth, funds & fun
Thanks to some great support from many segments of the communit y, the 2013 Mozart's Holiday Fundraiser to benefit the CRC was a resounding success.
With great restaurants, fun and exciting donations for the silent auction, and a holiday music lineup that included Arnett Howard, Mozart's seventh annual holiday gala was a festive affair Dec. 9.
The event was held in the historic, beautifully renovated Mozart's, 4784 N. High St.
Participating businesses were Barley's Brewing Co., Colonial Candy Shoppe, Crimson Cup, Lavash Cafe, McCarthy's Wildflower Caf�, Mozart's, Nancy's Home Cooking, Patrick J's, pattycake bakery, Portia's Caf�, Talita's and Weiland's Market.
With their support, more than $22,000 was raised to directly benefit the CRC and its programs to serve senior citizens, children and families, and people in poverty.
The following CRC investors made a special commitment to the event, beyond ticket sales, and their extra donations are extremely appreciated:
Neighborhood Champions -- Caring Marketing Solutions, Jack Cooley & Jane Pletcher, Bill & Julie Owens, Lorena & Brad Henning, Sarah & Mike Eckholt, Anna Florentine-Knott, Harper Printing, Proforma Buckeye and Experience Clintonville.
Community Supporters -- Don & Joyce Owens, Nancy Hirsch & Doug Webb, Tom & Karen Scheid, Sue Frost, Richard & Janet Pfeiffer, Brandy & Tomasz, Mark Wayda & Julie Davis, Cliff & Carla Wiltshire, James & Janice Smiley, Kristophe r Keller, Sue Snyder, Peter Coccia & Nena Couch, John & Ann Kangas, Jeff & Lucy Caswell, Dick & Carol Igo, Edward Dunlap, Bob Erlanger, Bill Poteet , Bob & Linda Bauer, Sophie Dryer & Jen Leymaster, Richard & Gloria Brehm, Paul & Carol Brody, Chris Gecik & Leslie Scott, Zach West and Suren Tchobanian.
More than 50 items for this year's silent auction were donated, providing for a fun experience that generated more than $4,000.
A special thanks from the CRC staff goes out to the dozens of volunteers who stepped up to make the atmosphere so special during the evening.
Between the volunteers and Mozart's talented staff, hundreds of patrons were served efficiently and tastefully.
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Kids Club rings in the holidays!
The support of dedicated volunteers allows CRC to provide special events for the Kids Club students. The annual Kids Club winter festival is one example of how community and parent al support ensures that the Kids Club events are successful. A very special thank-you goes to Brad Henning, who has volunteered for many years as Santa Claus. Santa visited both the Maple Grove and Clinton Heights Kids Club sites on Dec. 19 for this year's winter festival. Each student had the opportunity to visit for a few minutes and get a picture taken with Santa. Mozart's Caf� is another community partner that has continued to support Kids Club with many donations of special treats for the students. A special thank-you to Mozart's for the donation of eight dozen iced sugar cookies for the event. The cookies were really yummy! Parent volunteers also ensure the success of each Kids Club event. Thank-you to Erica Bass for the donation of juice, Tiffany Mourn, and Stephanie McDaniel for your assistance in helping make the 2013 Winter Festival a huge success. We really appreciate all that you do for Kids Club!
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Holiday giving effort was tremendous
Clintonville-Beechwold Community Resources Center staff and volunteers are catching their breath after a whirlwind couple of weeks that saw thousands of lives being touched by the generous spirit of local supporters.
Dozens of local businesses, schools and churches generated donations for the CRC in various ways, whether it was Sobo Style dedicating a percentage of HolidayVille sales to the CRC or Our Lady of Peace conducting its annual Thanksgiving food and Christmas toy drive.
With the donations comi ng in, an army of volunteers stepped in to help get the goods into the right hands.The helpers delivered cloth bags (donated by Proforma Buckeye) to more than 200 seniors, while some sponsored individuals received gifts to make their holidays a little happier. Local residents also stepped up to sponsor about 100 families so they would have a special time around their trees Christmas morning. For people not on the CRC's limited sponsorship list, they were welcome to visit the Lakeview building last week and "shop" through the donated items. They could choose from new toys and other items donated to the CRC, as well as hundreds of filled stockings contributed by North Broadway United Methodist Church and Whetstone High School. Families who live out of this area were signed up for the massive Firefighters for Kids effort that benefits families countywide. Children also had opportunities to pick up gifts for their family members, with the annual children's gift shop set up at Clinton Heights Lutheran Church Dec. 14. Hundreds of families also were able to stock their pantries during the four weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, including nearly 150 every Wednesday night when fresh produce is distributed. The CRC is grateful for all the support and donations that help us care for our neighbors, during this time of year and throughout the year. 
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Can you help?
Many opportunities are available for individuals or groups to help out local folks in need. Here are a few:
A senior, studying to pass the GED, needs a tutor especially in math, reading and writing.
If you can help in this way, please click here to send to send an email to our volunteer coordinators.
The CRC and the seniors it serves also could use a few more Senior Medical Transportation volunteer drivers! Scheduling is very flexible based on the volunteers' availability. The service -- primarily roundtrip delivery for medical appointments -- is a valuable one as the CRC helps local seniors maintain an independent lifestyle.
No specific experience is necessary, as "Safe Transport of the Elderly" training will be provided by CRC's Transportation Coordinator Megan Racevskis, a trained trainer. Most volunteers use their own vehicle, although a CRC's minivan also is available. Reimbursement for fuel cost available upon request. Call Megan R. at 268-3539 for more information.
There are many other volunteer needs through the CRC as well, with many based right here in your community. Those include:
Fresh Produce Distribution
Volunteers are needed on Wednesdays from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. to help distribute fresh produce to more than 90 families each week -- nearly double what it was just a few months ago. Contact Beth for more information about this project.
Several senior clients could use help with small projects. Please call if you can lend a hand with any of these:
--A senior with vision issues needs a volunteer to assist twice monthly with reviewing grocery ads, setting up shopping list with her and then escort her while grocery shopping. If anyone can assist this woman it would be appreciated!
--Volunteer needed to do a small repair on a client's toilet, and some minor sanding on a door;
--Volunteer to reattach the downspout on a senior's home that blew off;
-- Volunteer to assist a senior with cleaning of mirrors and blinds 3 -4 times/year
--Volunteer to assist senior client preparing to downsize to a senior apartment; will involve lifting and carrying of items and boxes.
--Volunteers to assist client with cleaning tasks.
--Volunteers who can commit a small amount of time to weed some flower beds.
Email CRC to help out with these or other projects, at [email protected] . You also can download our volunteer application online or find more opportunities at our Volunteer Match page.
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SENIOR SMILES
Dana Starks (right), of the CRC's Senior Services staff, poses for a smile with Bernistine McDearmon during the December Breakfast Club.  During the monthly event, which is open to all seniors in the community, attendees were treated with extra special attention by the students of Clintonville Academy. The students waited on the seniors and provided to their every needs.
Included in the outing at North Broadway United Methodist Church was entertainment as Clintonville Academy students sang songs they performed at their Holiday concert.
They also led a sing-a-long of Holiday Tunes. Everyone enjoyed the special attention and smiles abounded!
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