For The Shepherd’s Center of Charlotte, we begin our new fiscal year on April 1, so we’re starting a whole new year and looking ahead to all the possibilities.  One thing we’re really excited about is our Summer Adventures in Learning program.  This will be the first time in many, many years that we’ve offered a Summer AIL, and we’re doing so based on comments and input from those of you who attend our Adventures in Learning Program.  

We have a new committee working specifically on this summer program and we will have a new location.  Our host for our other AIL programs is Pritichard Memorial Baptist Church and they are completely booked for the summer months, so we’ll be announcing soon where the summer AIL will be held.  The new committee is already hard at work organizing and planning this new endeavor.  We’re all excited about the possibilities. 

Since we include our AIL Program Guide in our newsletterrent a car bulgaria, Senior Solutions, we’ll also be publishing a summer edition, which should be delivered to homes the second week of June.  This should give everyone plenty of time to sign up for the classes they wish to attend.

We’re also working on the next Senior Choices Summit, which will be held at Pritchard Memorial Baptist Church on Tuesday, August 19 from 9:00-11:30.  This particular Summit will focus on health and wellness issues for the older adult.  I’ll have more information on this Summit in the next posting.

Until next time, please enjoy this wonderful time of year with the beautiful flowers and blooming trees.  This is the time of year I like to spend outside while the weather is still cool enough to enjoy.  As always, you may reach my by calling The Shepherd’s Center, 704.365.1995 or e-mailing me, lrpellerin@shepherdscharlotte.orgкомпютри.      

March is the end of our fiscal year and that means its time for some of our Board members to rotate off the Board, having served up to six or seven years.  I’d like to extend my sincere appreciation to the following ‘retiring’ Board members:  William Fox, William Barnhardt, Ray Killian, Karen Harriss and Joe Williamson.  Both Bill Fox and Joe Williamson served as President of the Board during their tenure.  These Board members have been an integral part of this organization and they will be greatly missed. 

I’d like to welcome the following new Board members to The Shepherd’s Center:  Phil Koch, President of ComForcare Senior Services; William McNair, Partner with Shumaker, Loop & Kendirck, LLP; Richard McKnight,  Senior VP and CIO, Novant Health; and Harry Creemers, Director of Development, Charlotte Latin School.

I’m happy to report that our Winter Adventures in Learning was very well attended and our General Session was thoroughly enjoyed week after week.  That’s usually the case when we offer the Artscape series with entertainment from the arts community.  The talent in the Charlotte community is extraordinary and our seniors are very appreciative.  The last General Session was highlighted by dancers from the Arthur Murray Studio in Charlotte, who did their own version of “Dancing with the Stars”.    

The Winter Session also included a Tai Chi class, which was brought back after several years by popular demand.  The class had approximately 40 students who are anxious for the next session to begin so they can continue.  Many thanks to instructor William Wong, who takes time from his real job to come out to teach our seniors. 

Geneology was also a popular class in the Winter session.  It’s always fun to try to find out about your ancestors and this class also included new ways of searching for this sometimes illusive data.

Our Senior Choices Summit provided an excellent program on financial issues for older adults on Tuesday, March 11.  Once again, we are indebted to Dan Starks of Starks Training Institute for serving as our MC.  I also want to send a special thanks to Barbara Shear with First Charter Bank.  She presented a program on reverse mortgages even though earlier that morning she had been involved in a family emergency.  She showed up at The Summit on time and ready to go.  Thanks also to John Maron with the NC Secretary of State’s Office, who presented a program on Financial Fraud; Bill Romeo, who talked about Estate Taxes and Carl Brooks, who updated seniors on Living Trusts. 

The March Senior Solutions Newsletter just went in the mail and you’ll notice that we were able to go to two colors!  This should make the publication easier and more enjoyable to read.  Something new this Spring is the inclusion of our Raffle tickets in the newsletter.  We were able to save a good deal of money by combining the raffle tickets with the newsletter and hope it will be convenient for you as well.  Raffle tickets are also posted on our Web site for your convenience.  Please support The Shepherd’s Center of Charlotte through this raffle.  This is our major fundraiser for the year and your donations are extremely important.  By buying raffle tickets, you help us fund all of our programs and services, which in turn help us to help the seniors in our community.  If you don’t participate in raffles, please send a donation anyway.  Your gift is so very important to our mission of helping to keep seniors in their homes for as long as possible.

Resolutions always play a part in our plan, but sometimes fall to the wayside after a couple of weeks.  A good incentive is to pubilsh your resolutions.  So, here are my top five resolutions for The Shepherd’s Center for 2008!

1.  Continue to research ways to make The Shepherd’s Center more vital to the older adults in the community.

2.  “Spread the Word” about The Shepherd’s Center through area church and senior groups.

3.  Keep the Summits coming!  Organize and present at least three Summits in 2008 to keep seniors informed on topics such as finance, health, insurance, fraud and legal issues.

4.  Listen!  The best way to learn what is needed is to listen to input from those you serve.

5.  Learn!  Continue to seek out new programs and services for seniors which may add depth to the organization.

I’m going to count on you to help me keep these resolutions.  I welcome your thoughts and suggestions.  Together, we can make this organization one of the leading senior organizations in this community.

On a personal note, 2007 has been an interesting year for me.  I’ve worked in non-profit for nearly 20 years and in 2007 I left a job that I had planned on keeping until I retired.  Why did I do that?  Because becoming the executive director of The Shepherd’s Center of Charlotte offered me the opportunity to reach out to more people in a more meaningful way.  This organization has so much potential and a strong, vibrant base making the possibilities endless.

As with any change in management, there have also been changes in the way The Shepherd’s Center does some things.   Our newsletter has a new name and a new look, making it difficult for some of you to find information. Some of our programs have expanded; some of our policies have changed.  It’s all new to you and for some of you - it’s disconcerting.  I apologize for that, but in order for this organizationto embrace the 21st century, we have to look forward and not back.

We implemented the Senior Choices Summits with our inaugural event on November 13, 2007.  It was a very successful event, with over 125 attendees, who learned more about the legal issues facing seniors.  Our next summit will be held on Tuesday, March 11 at Pritchard Memorial Baptist Church and the topic will be “Financial Issues for the Older Adult.”  All in time for tax season!

We’re expanding our Adventures in Learning Program in 2008 to include a summer session, which will fill in the gap between our Spring and Fall Sessions.  No more three-month wait over the summer months.

I recently had to face my own mortality when my aortic heart valve ceased to function properly due to a congenital condition.  Within the span of a short few days, I entered Carolinas Medical Center and had my valve replaced.  Thanks to my terrific surgeons at Sanger Clinic, my recovery is going well and I should be back in the swing of things within a week or two.  As a matter of fact, I’ve been keeping up with things by telecommuting from the comfort of my home.  I’ve been able to do this thanks to a very dedicated staff and volunteers.  They have kept The Center running smoothly in my absence and have done an excellent job.  I mention this only becuase sometimes it takes somthing like this for you to really appreciate your family and friends.  I have been overwhelmed by the cards and e-mails from those wishing me a speedy recovery.  You never really know how many lives you touch until something like this happens.  I am truly grateful for the friendships I’ve developed through The Center.

As 2008 stretches before us and as The Shepherd’s Center family continues to grow, I’m excited about all the possibilities and opportunities available to us.  The board of Directors, staff and volunteers of The Shepherd’s Center wish you a very Happy 2008!

The Shepherd’s Center staff continues to be here for you from 9:00-5:00 each weekday.  Please feel free to call if you have any questions or concerns or if you would like to register for a class or trip, 704.365.1995.

I share this story with you because in thinking of Cam’s castle, I realized that many of us think of our homes as our castles.  We’re safe and secure in our fortresses.  The old saying, “familiarity breeds comfort” really does apply.  That’s what The Shepherd’s Center of Charlotte is all about - helping you to stay in your castle for as long as possible.  In order to do that, it is our job to provide programs and services which address the needs of the older adult community.

You may have already heard that The Center has lowered the eligibility age for participants from 65 to 55.  We did this for a couple of reasons.  First and foremost, we want to be able to serve as many in the community as possible, and by limiting participation to those who are 65 and older, we are limiting our services and programs.  Second, believe it or not, the Baby Boomers are approaching retirement and many of them are ready to use the knowledge they’ve obtained throughout their lives to benefit the community through volunteerism.

Let me throw some Baby Boomer stats at you.  If you’re a Baby Boomer, you were born between 1946 and 1964.  Seventy-eight million of you are now straddling the half-century mark - half have passed it by and the rest will in the next few years.  Every seven seconds another Baby Boomer turns 50!  Over the next 10 years, all Baby Boomers will have crossed that milestone and the leading edge Boomers will be facing 70!  Baby Boomers are responsible for over $2 trillion in consumption and thre’s no let up in sight.

The Shepherd’s Center of Charlotte, along with all businesses and organizations with products and services for seniors, need to be prepared.  Are we ready for the onslaught?  Do we have the right services for this unique population?  Do we have the right programs to keep the interest of the Baby Boomer?  These are questions we’ll be trying to answer in the years ahead.

Meanwhile, The Center is continuing to offer those programs and services that have been popular throughout the years.  Our Adventures in Learning Fall Session will begin on Monday, October 1 with the General Session at 10:00.  Our Education Committee and staff have put together an excellent program for you.  For the details, please be sure to visit our Adventures in Learning page by clicking here.

Our Travel Program has also expanded.  I’m very proud of our Travel Committee and staff for the wonderful trips that are planned through the end of 2008.  They’ve even added some new trips for this Fall.  We’re very excited about the addition of a Sunday trip to Davidson for lunch and a matinee of “Driving Miss Daisy” on November 11 and on December 11, we’ve planned another trip to Newberry, SC for a wonderful presentation of “Christmas in Dublin”with the Three Irish Tenors.  Shepherd’s Center staff will try to accompany our travelers on all the trips.  I just might save the Newberry trip for myself.  It promises to be a great adventure.  For more on our Travel Program, click here.

For the past year, our Computer Committee has been talking about offering a Digital Managing and Editing Class for those who wish to learn how to get their digital photos off the camera, into the computer and either printed or e-mailed to family and friends.  It’s taken a great deal of thought and expertise, but this class is now ready to go.  We’re offering the first class on September 18, 20, 24 & 25.  Unfortunately, this class is already full and there is a long waiting list for the next class, which may not be until December.  Because of the popularity of this class, we’re working on trying to set up an alternate location to teach additional classes.  We’ll keep you posted.  Meanwhile, we’re ready to go with our other computer classes.   For a complete run-down, click here.

And, last but not least, we’re very excited about our Senior Choices Summit, which is scheduled for Tuesday, November 13 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.  This event will be held at Pritchard Memorial Baptist Church and will feature presentations focusing on legal issues for the older adult.  You don’t want to miss this inaugural event, which is FREE!  Seating is limited, so please get your reservation in early by contacting The Center, 704.365.1995 or jwright@shepherdscharlotte.org.  For more on the Summit, click here. 

I’d like to close by thanking those of you who have taken time out of your day to contact me with positive and not-so-positive input.  My staff and I cannot make The Shepherd’s Center bigger and better without feedback from those whom we serve.  Your opinions are important to us and we welcome them with open arms.

I have been the Executive Director of The Shepherd’s Center of Charlotte for three months. During those three months, I’ve had the opportunity to review our programs and services. I’m happy to report that I have found The Center to be in relatively good shape. Our staff are knowledgeable and hard-working, our Board of Directors are committed and energetic, our volunteers are dedicated and our programs and services are strong.

So, where do we go from here? It is my plan to take what we already have and build upon it so that we may offer even more within the programs and services we already have.

How do we do that? One of the first things is to change our eligibility age from 65 to 55! This one act alone will deepen our commitment to the older adult community by extending our programs and services to thousands more people.

As the “Baby Boomers” age into retirement, some of them are anxious to finally be able to give back to their community in a way that was not possible when they were working full-time. Others are finding that years of work-related stress; habits of excessive eating, drinking and smoking and lack of exercise have taken a toll on their bodies and minds. Some are in financial distress due to unforeseen hospital expenses and overuse of their credit cards. They are in need of Shepherd’s Center services to help them regain control of their lives. It might be a ride to their doctor or a request for a handyman to fix the leaking faucet. It might be a seminar on financial services or the hiring of a Companion Aide to help them with the little things around the house while they recuperate from surgery or illness. Whatever the reason, The Shepherd’s Center is here for anyone who needs assistance.

Welcome to The Shepherd’s Center of Charlotte Web Blog! This will be a constant feature on our Web site and will be updated as often as I have something to say. Those who know me will expect to see something new daily, since I’m not usually at a loss for words. This Web Blog is new to me, so we’ll be learning all the intricacies together. First and foremost, I invite comments, questions and suggestions on how my staff and I can make The Shepherd’s Center of Charlotte the best it can be for you.

All is well as I sit here in my office on the lower floor of Trinity Presbyterian Church. We’ve just finished a successful Adventures in Learning session with close to 200 participants; a trip to Flatrock Playhouse in the NC mountains last week was a huge success; our Introduction to Computers class graduated 30 new, competent computer users this week - and summer has just begun! What more can an Executive Director wish for?

Since assuming the leadership of The Shepherd’s Center of Charlotte in April, each day has been filled with gratitude and surprise. From unexpected donations to volunteers going above and beyond the call of duty.

I have been involved with volunteerism on a personal basis for years, so I know what it takes to take time out of your personal life to drive into an office and answer the telephones for a few hours. Or to drive someone to a medical appointment, wait for them, and drive them back home. Many of our workers treat their jobs as if they were paying jobs. They continually work with a dedication and resolve that is astounding. So it is with sincere gratitude that I thank The Center’s many volunteers for their continued service.

I’d also like to thank our program participants. The Center has a dedicated following in our program area, whether it’s our Adventures in Learning Program, our Computer Program or our Travel Program. The Center’s staff and volunteer committees continually strive to keep these programs vital, interesting and affordable. Please spread the word to your friends and relatives. Participation is the key and the more these programs grow, the more we are better able to serve the community.

One of our special services that I would like to highlight is our Companion Aide Program. This program matches qualified aides to clients in need of help in their homes. The clients may have had recent surgery and need a little help getting around or they may be failing in health due to advancing years; whatever the case, our pre-screened aides are available to help them through the tough times so they may stay in their homes as long as possible. The aides are paid directly by the clients. Our service is a referral service. At this time, we have a long list of aides available. If you know of anyone who needs help, please give us a call and we will do everything possible to find the right fit.

And last, but certainly not least - I’d like to congratulate the winners of our recent raffle. The raffle drawing was held on June 4 at our last Adventures in Learning session. The winners are: Priscilla Griffin who won the grand prize of $500 and the beautiful fresh-water pearls from Perry’s at South Park were awarded to Ellie Roberts. Our third prize was a Kodak digital camera and the winner was so excited that she came by the afternoon of June 4th and picked up the camera. She also took her ticket as a souvenir and we didn’t realize we hadn’t written down her name until she had already left. So, if the winner of the Kodak camera happens to read this, please call us and give us your name again so we can give you proper recognition.

Thank you to all who participated in our annual raffle. We made approximately $11,000 this year, which is a substantial increase over the $9,100 from last year. And a big thank you to those of you who don’t participate in raffles, but who donated to the cause anyway. We certainly appreciate your continued support.