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 CommonGood E-News |
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Walking for Hunger
The Albemarle Walk for Hunger will be held on Sunday, October 10, 2010. The Annual Walk is largest singl e fundraiser for the Food Food Bank of the Albemarle is having its Annual Walk for Hunger. Every dollar raised will provide approximately 5 pounds of food.
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Autism Society Meets
The next Autism Society of NC OBX Chapter meeting (Kitty Hawk United Methodist Church, 6:30-8:00pm, Oct 7) will be having a mother who has been diagnosed with Autism and a teacher who has been diagnosed with Autism presenting at our next meeting about what it is like having Autism. Babysitting and food will be provided at this meeting. Contact Hours are also available for teachers attending our meetings.
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8th Annual Outer Banks Buddy Walk
 The Buddy Walk® is a one-mile walk in which anyone can participa te. It is a wonderful, heart warming event that celebrates the many abilities and accomplishments of people with Down Syndrome. Whether you have Down Syndrome, know someone who does, or just want to show your support, come and join us! Walk on the beach on Saturday, October 9th -Comfort Inn North, Kill Devil Hills, NC. Registration starts at 9am. Walk on the beach begins at 10am. Rain or Shine.Registration fee $15 individual / $25 for Family of 4 ($5 each a ddl) Learn more and watch this moving video about awareness of Down Syndrome Awareness. For more information, please contact Angels of Dare, Brenda Carter. (252) 449-4757. angelsofdare@yahoo.com
or visit www.AngelsofDare.org
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 Getting My Head Out of the Sand It has been a busy week. Still listening to a book on Climate Change. For a break, I read some Mary Oliver poetry. For those who do not know Mary Oliver, she writes of nature, crickets, leaves, life and death. She believes in the finality of death. “Listen, I don’t think we’re going to rise in gauze and halos. Maybe as grass and slowly, Maybe as the long-leave, beautiful grass I have known and you have known. Or the pinetrees. Or the dark rocks of the zigzag creek hastening along. Or the silver rain. Or the hummingbird.
I interpret Mary as saying our body will return to the earth and after many recycles of our molecules will be reconstituted – perhaps a hummingbird. Very ecofriendly. Which was made all the more interesting when I came across this website that sells the Ecopod, a recylced Paper Coffin. I think Mary Oliver would approve.
The ecopod is made by hand from recycled newspapers and hand finished with paper made from 100% mulberry pulp, the Ecopod is available in a range of colours with screen printed motifs, plain white, or gold. It biodegrades naturally over time when placed in the ground. As an optional extra, the walls of the interior can also be lined with feathers in a choice of colours, including white, red, cream or pale blue.
The unique strap and handle system make it especially easy for families to carry the Ecopod at a funeral, and participate more fully in the ceremony. I especially like the Ecopod’s tagline, Respecting the Earth, Reshaping the Future.
Reducing my carbon footprint one step at a time.
Nancy |
Percentage of NC residents living in Poverty Grows.
The percentage of North Carolina residents living in poverty grew in 2009 in keeping with the national economic downturn, while the number of insured children actually increased, theU.S. Census Bureau said Tuesday in releasing state-by-state data.
The bureau estimated through its American Community Survey that 16.3 percent of all North Carolina residents, or roughly 1.5 million people, had income last year below the poverty threshold. The level for a family of four was $22,050 for 2009. In 2008, the state’s poverty rate was 14.6 percent, or more than 1.3 million people.
 North Carolina’s poverty rate was higher than the national level of 14.3 percent, which is not surprising given that the state unemployment was above the national rate last year at more than 10 percent. A year ago, the U.S. poverty rate was 13.3 percent. North Carolina was one of 31 states with increases in both the number and percentage of people in poverty last year, a Census Bureau release said. The bureau also estimated the state’s median household income at $43,674 in 2009, or a 5.6 percent decrease from 2008. Only Michigan and Florida had a sharper decline. The U.S. median income fell 2.9 percent to $50,221.
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Volunteer Opportunities
 Volunteer at the Beach Food Pantry There are many ways to become involved in helping the Beach Food Pantry. We are open Monday through Friday from 2 pm to 4 pm. If you would like to volunteer to help clients during these hours, please contact a coordinator from a participating church listed on the Supporting Members page
Youth Partnership for Dare County is looking for caring volunteers to tutor at-risk preschool children using the WINGS preschool literacy program. WINGS volunteers will play literacy-based games at least once a week, focusing on memory, comprehension, problem-solving, creative thinking, and decision-making. The typical time spent volunteering each week is 1-2 hours. For more information, please contact Carla Heppert at 252-441-0614 or email her at wings@darekids.org. Children and Youth Partnership is a non-profit organization serving children, youth, and families in Dare County. The Partnership administers the state Smart Start program for Dare County for children birth through age 5 and is a central source of information about activities, programs and resources for children
Children at Play is currently looking for volunteers that would like to work in the museum with the children, doing activities such as arts and crafts, stories and games. Our address is 3809 N. Croatan Hwy, Kitty Hawk, NC 27949 and our number is 599 1373. Children at Play is a non profit 501(c)(3) organization.
The Dare Literacy Council is in need of volunteer tutors. Email dareliteracy@gmail.com
Albemarle Commission needs volunteers to deliver nutritious meals to senior citizens in Dare County Monday through Friday. The Home Delivered Meals Program serves seniors that are 60 years of age or over, homebound and no longer able to prepare a nutritious meal for themselves. If you have one hour a month to help a senior,please contact Mary Jernigan at (252)475-5637 at the Baum Center, Sandra Cantrell- Bush at (252)473-9279 or Sandy Scarborough at (252)475-5625 at the new Dare County Center.
If you are interested in
becoming a volunteer, a partnering church or civic/community organization with Respite Care, please contact, Stephanie Bowers, Program Coordinator at (252) 475-5028.
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Organizations are invited to list volunteer opportunities at CommonGood or email obxcommongood@gmail.com
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Food Rescue
CommonGood would appreciate hearing from anyone involved with Food Rescue from local grocery stores or restaurants.
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Hunger among the Elderly
In February 2010, Feeding America released its fifth and most comprehensive study of hunger in the U.S.: Hunger in America 2010.
 As a nation, we have a special responsibility to vulnerable populations such as the elderly. Older Americans have built the economy and national infrastructure from which we now benefit. Raised during the Great Depression, they went on to defend our freedom in the Second World War and won the cold war. America’s older citizens have rightly been called the “greatest generation.” It is morally reprehensible that the people that built this country should suffer hunger in a land of plenty, which they helped to create. Food insecurity among this vulnerable population is especially troublesome because they have unique nutritional needs and may require special diets for medical conditions.
The following are some key findings from the study regarding the elderly in our country:
- Nearly 3 million elderly persons are served by Feeding America each year. 18.6 percent of client hou seholds have at least one member who is age 65 or over.
- Among all clients served by Feeding America, 8 percent were seniors age 65 or over while 14.2 percent of adult clients interviewed at emergency feeding programs were 65 or older.
- Among all client households with at least one senior, 10.5 percent use senior brown bag programs, 16.5 percent attend senior nutrition sites (such as senior centers that serve lunch) and 6.6 percent receive home-delivered meals or meals-on-wheels.
- 30 percent of client households with seniors indicated that they have had to choose between food and medical care and 35 percent had to choose between food and paying for heat/utili ties.
Other Facts:
- 6.5 percent of households with seniors (1.7 million households) were food insecure.
- 8.9 percent of the elderly live below the poverty line, 3.4 million older Americans.
- The rate of food insecurity among elderly households with incomes at or below 130 percent of the poverty line is 22.1 percent.
- Elderly households are much less likely to receive help thro
 ugh the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) than non-elderly households, even when expected benefits are roughly the same.
- Seniors require greater consideration towards their health and medical needs that can become compromised when there is not enough food to eat. A study which examined the health and nutritional status of seniors found that food insecure seniors had significantly lower intakes of vital nutrients in their diets when compared to their food secure counterparts. In addition, food insecure seniors were 2.33 times more likely to report fair/poor health status and had higher nutritional risk.
- For seniors, protecting oneself from food insecurity and hunger is more difficult than for the general population. For example, a study that focused on the experience of food insecurity among the elderly population found that food insecure seniors sometimes had enough money to purchase food but did not have the resources to access or prepare food due to lack of transportation, functional limitations, or health problems.
Locally seniors are provided nutritions meals at senior centers and home delivery services.The Albemarle Commission’s Senior Nutrition Program was created by the “Older American’s Act”. receives funding from federal, state and county governments. They follow federal and state guidelines in serving nutritious meals safely. There are temperature and safe handling standards that are monitored regularly. Seniors have to be sixty or older, unable to prepare a nutritious meal for themselves and have a doctor’s recommendation to be on the home delivered meal program. The program receives funding for the food but not for delivering the meals. Therefore, volunteers to deliver the meals to clients. The Commission serves ten counties, Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Dare, Gates, Hyde, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Tyrrell and Washington. They have food delivered to twenty-eight sites from four caterers to be disbursed to approximately 680 clients per day.
Aubr ey Holland of the Albemarle Commission says “The fact that someone is coming to the client’s door 5 days a week bringing them nutritious food and checking to see if they are ok (the volunteers report if the client does not respond to the door), often allows the senior to remain independent or in their own home longer. They are getting attention as well as nourishment. There have been many instances of volunteers “making a difference” when they’ve discovered a client ill or in distress. T he volunteer was able to call for assistance. Most of our clients say they enjoy the volunteer as much as the food because the volunteer is often the only one they see or speak to that day. There is more than one kind of hunger amongst these seniors! The volunteers grow to care for the clients. Many will always do the same route because they have come to care for the people there. We often hear about the volunteers doing things for them such as changing light bulbs, moving or getting something they can no longer reach or bring in the mail or newspaper. I’ve had some that would even check the client’s oil tank to make sure they would have heat during a cold spell.”
The seniors that need our assistance now are the ones that have helped us get where we are. These seniors have been our teachers, scout leaders, Sunday School teachers, our family, grandparents and even our parents. It’s time to give back. Most people can spare one hour a month to deliver meals. They now need our help!
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Volunteers Bring Beauty to Hospice
 Twice a month, local florists donate flowers to the hospice program of Dare Home Health & Hospice, an agency of the Dare County Department of Public Health. Hospice volunteers then arrange these flowers in vases, complete with ribbons and cheerful tags and take the arrangements to the homes of hospice patients and their families throughout Dare County. Volunteer Karen Muse said of the flower program: “The best feedback I received was from a woman whose husband used to get her flowers all the time and was unable to do that for her anymore because of his illness.
This simple gesture sends the message that others outside the immediate family are thinking about the patient and their family with genuine concern and love. Volunteer Sherrie Lemnios says, “Sometimes it’s hard to know what to do or say to someone who is dying, but this is something tangible that says so much.” The delivery of flowers introduces patients and families to the hospice volunteer program, which plays an important role in the support they receive. Volunteer Coordinator, Stephanie Bowers says that the flower program “allows interaction between our volunteers and the family members that is non-intrusive and this has served to increase requests for volunteer services and support throughout the community.”
“The feedback I get from hospice patients and their families about our volunteers is so positive. They can’t believe that there are people they’ve never met who want to help them during such a difficult and challenging time.” The flower program is just one way in which hospice volunteers share their time, skills, and compassion with others. Direct service volunteers provide respite, support, and assistance to the patients and their caregivers. There are also opportunities for volunteers who are interested in bereavement, clerical, or fundraising activities. If you are interested in learning more about the Dare Home Health & Hospice volunteer program, please contact the volunteer coordinator, Stephanie Bowers at 252-475-5028. |
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Not Too Late to Enter Cancer Support Quilt Raffle
 The Outer Banks Cancer Support Group will be drawing the lucky ticket holder for their quilt raffle on October 5th. The quilt was made with material gathered by the late Sheilah Cone of Manteo, who died in 2009 from cancer. Sheilah loved vibrant bright colors as you can see from the quilt. This quilt was put together and quilted by the  Tea Cup Quilters also of Manteo. Over 1000 tickets have already been sold and will be available until the night of the drawing. Contact Karen Rodgers at 252-473-9447. The tickets are $1.00 each or 6 for $5. The regular meeting of the group will also be held on October 5th at 7PM at the Cancer Resource Center of The Outer Banks Hospital. Guest speaker will be Michelle Sanchez of Theraroma, who will talk about aroma therapy and also about Reike. The meeting is open to anyone interested in attending.
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Volunteers Needed for Free Adult Dental Clinic
The Dare County Department of Public Health and Healthy Carolinians of the Outer Banks are partnering with the North Carolina Dental Society to host the second annual NC Missions of Mercy event, a free adult dental clinic. The clinic will be held on Friday and Saturday, Ocotber 29 and 30 in Kill Devil Hills at the Dare County Parks and Recreation Youth and Family Recreation Park at 602 South Mustian Street.
 Over 150 dentists and hygienists from across the state and Dare County will provide free dental services including cleanings, fillings, and extractions. The goal is to serve 1200 adult patients as part of the Missions of Mercy dental program. Assistance is needed to orchestrate such a large scale event, community volunteers are needed to help with registration, parking, set up, clean up, and numerous other support functions.
Last year’s Dare County Missions of Mercy dental clinic provided  free services valued at over $400,000 to nearly 1000 adults. During those two days, 2,950 dental procedures were performed.
Volunteer applications are available on-line. Please submit applications by October 15, 2010. For more information contact Sheila Davies, Community Development Specialist with DCDPH, at (252)441-2324 or sheilad@darenc.com. Additional information about the Dare County Missions of Mercy dental clinic can be found at www.ncdental.org.
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The Dare County Department of Public Health (DCDPH) recommends a yearly flu vaccine as the first and most important step in protecting against flu viruses. This years flu vaccine protects against the three viruses that research suggests will be most common. Everyone 6 months of age and older should get vaccinated against the flu as soon as the 2010-2011 season vaccine is available.
l centers are part of that good news. – a place where food is offered to the hungry for free. They are often staffed by volunteer organizations, such as chur
ch groups or community groups. That certainly is true for the Dinner Outreach at Mt Zion Methodist Church in Grandy and for Ruthie’s Kitchen at the Dream Center in Nags Head.
The Dinner Outreach ministry at Mt. Zion United Methodist Church is held at 6 PM till everyone is served on 4th Tuesdays – except during the summer months. In the spirit of discipleship the meal is offered free to the community and church family. 
All who come fellowship and enjoy God’s bounty. For more information, call 252.453.3559.
Hills, a small woman with a big heart, left money to St. Andrews by the Sea Episcopal Church in Nags Head, those in her church community knew the way to honor Ruthie would be to reach out to serve the greater community. The St. Andrew’s Outreach Committee invited other congregations to the table and the interfaith initiative, “Ruthie’s Community Kitchen” was born.
Ruthie’s Community Kitchen is serving complimentary delicious dinners every Tuesday night from 5:00 to 6:30 at His Dream Center located at 123 E. Baltic Street in Nags Head. The dinners are geared to individuals and families who would appreciate a hot meal and fellowship. Three thousand dollars was budgeted from the money Ruthie Rigor left the church to get this going and underwrite the expenses. With the money, we have been paying His Dream Center $50 a week plus cost of supplies which include the beverages, cleaning supplies, flatware, plates, to go containers and such.
After the initial start in October 2009, volunteers were successful in spreading the word serving 30 some guests then to now serving 50 plus guests. It was a great start that has 
Green Drinks will be meeting once again starting next week. Reps from the UNC Coastal Studies Institute will be joining us on Thursday, October 14th at 7 pm at the Outer Banks Brewing Station
