Edition 311 | December 16, 2021
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E-Newsletter. This bi-weekly newsletter is designed to provide timely information on health and human service topics of interest for
people living and working in Barnstable County.
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SHINE Completes another Open Enrollment!
Who can you trust to provide unbiased, accurate Medicare information to make the best health insurance decisions possible? SHINE! Tracey and the highly trained SHINE team provide objective, personal insurance counseling in trusted local settings. SHINE counseling sessions are changing lives across the region. They allow residents the ability to make good consumer choices often resulting in cost savings. The SHINE Program supports public facing organizations and agencies who serve Medicare beneficiaries, but don’t have the staff resources or training to provide this insurance counseling. AND, they did this in 2021 through continued pandemic conditions, pivoting to provide additional hybrid services including in-person counseling sessions and counseling remotely via phone and email. This required coordination, support and leadership which Tracey and the regional SHINE office provided. The Barnstable County SHINE office preliminary reports show over 1,200 people were counseled during this past Open Enrollment resulting in over $350,000 in beneficiary savings! A HUGE THANK YOU to our 60 local SHINE counselors, 30 of whom are volunteers who logged more than 1,280 hours. The SHINE Program is available year round for your Medicare needs.
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COMMUNITY NEWS / ANNOUNCEMENTS |
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News from Elder Services of Cape Cod and the Islands
The Board of Directors of Elder Services of Cape Cod and the Islands is pleased to announce the promotion of Maryanne Ryan, LCSW, to the position of Chief Executive Officer, effective January 1, 2022. Ms. Ryan is currently the Director of Community Services and brings over twenty-five years of experience working in the aging network and human services community as well as in management and leadership roles in nonprofit settings to her new position. She will succeed Leslie E. Scheer, who is retiring on 12/31/21 after thirty-three years with the Agency.
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Duffy Health Center Awarded $317,000 from State for Cold Weather Sheltering
Duffy Health Center has been awarded $317,000 from the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) to provide temporary shelter beds for homeless individuals in Barnstable County. Duffy Health Center has been running a program called In From the Streets (IFTS) for nearly 10 years, in collaboration with several towns, which provides short-term sheltering during the winter season.
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Cape Cod Family Resource Center December Calendar
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The Cape Cod Family Resource Center is currently collecting coats for Cape Cod kids. Please consider donating new or CLEAN and gently used coats to the CC Family Resource Center. We are especially in need of Youth Sizes 10/12 up to Adult (Small- XXL), for both girls and boys. If you are like me, you probably have some pretty nice, barely worn coats hanging around to drop off. Or maybe pick one up when you are out doing your Christmas shopping if you are able. It makes such a difference for a lot of our families here on the Cape. Thank you in advance for your generosity. Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season.
Hours: Monday 9-5 | Tuesday 10-7 | Wednesday 10-7 | Thursday 10-7 |Friday 9-5
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neighbors and reducing food insecurity in our community!
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Patrons are invited to donate non-perishable food items and toiletries for the Cape & Islands Veterans Outreach Center in Hyannis. They will collect items in the front lobby of Centerville Public Library through this Friday, December 17. Thank you for your generosity!
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Yarmouth Housing Summit January 11, 2022, 5pm
You’re invited!! The Town of Yarmouth is hosting a Housing Summit on January 11, 2022 5PM at the Yarmouth Senior Center to solicit public feedback on the topic of housing. This public forum will be hosted by the Community Housing Committee in conjunction with the Board of Selectmen. Please see the attached flier for more details.
Please RSVP so we can send you meeting materials ahead of time:
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Suicide Bereavement Clinician Training, January 25 & 26, 2022, 9-12:30pm via Zoom
Space is limited and applications will be accepted on a rolling basis, with priority given to those serving Plymouth County and the Cape and Islands.
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House Manager at St. Joseph's House
St. Joseph’s House is a DHCD-funded individual emergency overnight shelter program for men and women facing a housing crisis. The main focus of the shelter program is to help individuals achieve successful placement into stable housing. Additionally, Catholic Social Services connects individuals to resources that are available within their respective communities to sustain long-term stable housing.
The House Manager will provide leadership and supervision to Direct Care staff and will ensure that operational policies and procedures are enforced at all times. For more info click below.
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COVID-19 NOTICES / RESOURCES |
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Food Access Cape Cod
The Barnstable County Cooperative Extension has compiled information on programs and sites in Barnstable County where prepared meals and pre-bagged groceries and supplies are available for pick-up.
Please see flyer below for listing of meal distribution sites on the Cape.
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Coping During the COVID-19 Pandemic
The Cape Cod COVID-19 Response Task Force has collected helpful wellness resources for you during COVID-19. Please check back regularly as we add to these resources.
Each month we will highlight tools to help manage this crisis and identify for you web videos, articles, discussions, and resources we have found helpful. These tools apply to those of all ages, children, adolescents, young adults, adults, and elders.
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Barnstable County COVID-19 Recovery Resources
COVID-19 can be difficult for all of us but especially for those in recovery. This might be exacerbated by people unable to attend their normal support group meetings or other recovery supports. Please click on button below to find local and nationwide resources related to substance use disorder and mental health. You can also call the MA Substance Use Helpline anytime at 800-327-5050.
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FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA |
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ARE YOU LISTED ON OUR SERVICE DIRECTORY? |
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Are You Represented on our Human Services'
'Service Directory' Website? and if not, would you like to be?
Please click below for further information.
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NEWSLETTER SIGN-UP & SUBMISSION GUIDELINES |
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- Submissions will only be accepted using our online submission form.
- Submission buttons are located at the bottom of newsletters and on our website.
- Content Policy - Attachments must be in .PDF FORMAT ONLY please.
- We are prioritizing timely information on the ever-changing landscape of health and human services events and opportunities.
- Due to the increasing number of submissions to the newsletter, the Department reserves the right to limit the number of times a submission is published.
- Posting of articles submitted for publication in the Barnstable County Department of Human Services E-Newsletter is at the discretion of the Department. To request this newsletter in alternate formats, please call 508-375-6628.
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