Each summer, the City of Albany joins Senior Services of Albany to bring a special series of concerts to the Corning Preserve. The shows are designed especially for older adults, offering entertainment and food selected for their enjoyment. The concerts are free, and the picnic barbeque is only $2.50 per meal.
The Sunday Concerts have become popular and many people turn out for the afternoons. This year’s series of three events begins July 12 with the music of Brian Zapel.
The second date is July 20 and features Tony Toscino. The series concludes August 9 with a show by “Guytonno�.
All events begin at 11:30 a.m. and conclude at 2:30.
Reservations are required for the lunch and can be made by calling 456-3325. Transportation is also available through Senior Services of Albany transportation department, call them at 434-4219.

Do you have a sewing machine collecting dust?
Senior Services of Albany needs working sewing machines in good condition. Machines need not be new, just ready to be put to work in our sewing class.
If you have a sewing machine that’s just gathering dust, sitting in the attic or being used as a clothes hanger, please consider donating it to the ladies who love to sew at Senior Services. To learn more, call Ellen at 518-463-4381.

Senior Services has been chosen to participate in the Community Foundation’s Legacy Partnership Program and has recently established a permanent endowment fund - the Centurion Legacy Society.

Senior Services of Albany’s Centurion Legacy Society is a planned giving program designed to create an endowment fund that over time, will sustain the programs and services that address the needs of the elderly in our community for generations to come.

The exciting part of building an endowment is that anyone can participate. The Centurion Legacy Society provides the opportunity for everyone to create a personal legacy – no matter how great or small. Because the funds grow together, every gift is significant. In the words of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow “Give what you have. To someone, it may be better than you dare to think.�

We invite you to join us in becoming a member of the Centurion Legacy Society. Perhaps you have already made a planned gift or have been considering making a provision to support Senior Services of Albany in your estate plans. If so, we hope that you will share this information with us so that we can celebrate your commitment to our future. When you review your planned giving options with your financial advisors, you will likely find there are many additional legal and tax benefits to lending your support, in addition to the satisfaction that comes from sharing your good fortune in life with the community you leave behind.

For additional information about your planned giving options, please contact Jane Schramm at 465-3322, or Mindy Derosia at the Community Foundation for the Greater Capital Region, 518-446-9638 or mderosia@cfgcr.org.

The Health Insurance Information, Counseling and Assistance program (HIICAP), is an outreach effort funded by the Albany County Department for Aging and run by Senior Services of Albany. HIICAP’s mission is to make sure that every Albany County senior gets the health insurance they need, and the best coverage that they can afford to have.
HIICAP Coordinator Peggy Moran explains the program like this: “We counsel seniors on the Medicare choices available. We don’t sell products or endorse plans. We educate, inform, enlighten and give assistance.�
Moran and her staff of trained volunteers counsel seniors and caregivers individually, make home visits when necessary, and also do group presentations at senior centers, health fairs or other venues. HIICAP counseling is provided at no charge to residents of Albany County.
If you need help understanding your Medicare options or would just like to talk to an expert, call HIICAP at 935-2307.

Are you thinking of selling or trading in a drivable older car or van? Why not donate it to Senior Services of Albany instead? You will receive a tax deduction, and your vehicle will be put to work serving the needs of elderly Albany County residents.
Right now, we need four-door sedans and mini vans with low mileage and in good working order. We’ll use them in our Transportation Program, a door-to-door service that provides more than 500 rides each week, or in our Meals On Wheels program, the largest operation of its kind in the area, delivering more than 1,000 meals every day.
Our vehicle fleet is aging, and each time one requires repair, it affects the entire program. Seniors must wait longer for their rides, and at times are left sitting in an office at a store. Meal deliveries can be delayed and when you are homebound and hungry, any delay is too long.
According to IRS rules, a vehicle donor can claim a deduction of the vehicle’s fair market value if the receiving charity makes significant use of the vehicle- and SSA makes significant use of donated vehicles every day.
In contrast, many non-profits accept donated vehicles for the purpose of selling them at auction, and according to IRS rules, a donor’s deduction is limited to the amount of gross proceeds from the charity’s sale of the vehicle. For more information visit irs.gov.
To start the no-hassle donation process, call SSA at 463-4381.

Senior Services of Albany has a new partnership to announce- one that you can join in with us.
We’ve recently teamed up with a new company called ShopWurld, an innovative internet mall that gives Senior Services and you, the ability to earn a portion of the revenue generated when other people shop online. It’s a chance to share in the profits of the over $200 billion dollar online shopping industry and support Senior Services of Albany at the same time!
We are inviting all our supporters to join ShopWurld and be a part of this unique opportunity. When you join ShopWurld, you will not only help Senior Services of Albany, but you will have an opportunity to earn income for yourself at the same time. The combination of an exciting income opportunity coupled with your interest in helping our organization succeed is a win/win relationship.

Please visit www.ShopWurld.com and see how you can earn money, helping out Senior Services of Albany at the same time. Joining ShopWurld is by invitation only, so you will need to use our ShopWurld ID EAAANL when you sign up.

Are you looking for relief from paying the full cost or your prescription drugs? New York State recently launched the New York Prescription Saver, a free prescription discount card for New York residents ages 50 to 64 years old, or persons with a disability regardless of age. Income eligibility limits for the card are $35,000 for a single person and $50,000 for a married couple. People with Medicaid coverage are not eligible.
Beginning April 1, 2009, New York State will offer the card free of charge to those who meet the eligibility. The card can lower prescription costs by as much as 60 percent on generics and 30 percent on brand name drugs. When the card is presented, the price will be reduced by cash discount right at the pharmacy counter. Most outpatient prescription drugs are eligible for the discount New York is sponsoring the program with the support of a statewide network of more than 3,300 pharmacies. Many pharmaceutical manufacturers are also participating and providing additonal discounts.
Individuals must meet the income requirements and use the cared at participating pharmacies. Applications are available on line at nyuprescriptonsaver.fhsc.com. Download the form and mail it in, or call the toll-free helpline at 1-800-788-6917. The discount card will be mailed within two weeks after application is approved.
Apply now and start saving at the pharmacy counter.

Albany’s Mayor Jerry Jennings has announced his support for Every Meal Counts by joining more than 1,000 Mayors around the country in Albany’s first Mayors For Meals Day, Wednesday, March 18. Mayor Jennings will be delivering meals to homebound seniors, doing his part to make sure that no senior goes hungry.
“Meals On Wheels is a vital part of Albany’s commitment to services for seniors,� said Mayor Jennings. “Every Meal Counts is a great way for the community to get involved in making sure that none of our senior friends, neighbors or relatives goes hungry.�

Empire BlueCross, located on Corporate Woods Boulevard, Albany recently presented a $30,000 grant to Senior Services of Albany’s Meals On Wheels program, the largest home delivered meal program in upstate New York. Meals On Wheels delivers more than 1,000 meals each day to disabled and homebound elderly, and in 2008, delivered more than 308,000 meals.

The grant will go to the purchase of updated kitchen equipment.

“We are thrilled to have corporate partners like Empire BlueCross step in at a time where the economy is really having an impact on community giving and volunteerism – particularly when the need to feed seniors is on the rise,� said Jane Schramm, Executive Director, Senior Services of Albany.

The Albany Meals On Wheels kitchen facility services hundreds of seniors and homebound citizens in the Capital District. Subsidized by private, community and government funds, Meals On Wheels is available to those at least 60 years of age who are generally unable to prepare meals, through referrals from a doctor, neighbor, family, friend, as well as through self-referrals.

In a national study sponsored by the Meals On Wheels Association of America Foundation (MOWAAF), “The Causes, Consequences, and Future of Senior Hunger in America,� research showed that 1 in 9 seniors is at-risk of hunger in the U.S. today. This number is expected to rise as the older adult population grows.

“We have a responsibility to maintain the health and vitality of our communities, particularly when it comes to ensuring that our seniors and home-bound citizens have access to healthy meals,� said Mark Wagar, President of Empire BlueCross BlueShield. “We look forward to visiting MOW this spring – and hope that it will inspire others to embrace a commitment and dedication to the local senior community.�

Senior Services of Albany’s Meals on Wheels program recently received a donation of 1,650 cans of tuna from Price Chopper’s Golub Foundation.

The tuna will provide emergency rations to supplement home delivered meals in the event of inclement weather. Meals On Wheels delivers more than 1,000 meals each day, supplying clients with at least one meal for every day of the week. The addition of canned goods provides an extra layer of nutrition when circumstances prevent delivery.

“Healthy canned provisions provide a safety net for people who rely on home delivered meals,� said Senior Services of Albany’s Executive Director Jane Schramm. “This donation from Price Chopper’s Golub Foundation allows us to make sure that our clients are well stocked with something nutritious to eat in the event that our drivers and volunteers can’t get their meals to them.�

Senior Services of Albany’s Meals On Wheels program is the largest home delivered meal program in upstate New York, delivering more than 308,000 meals in 2008. The program is funded in part by Albany County but relies heavily on private and corporate donations, grants and funds raised through Senior Services of Albany Foundation.