Welcome to SARPC's digital newsletter. Our goal is to publish a newsletter once a month that provides highlights of projects and activities being undertaken at the agency. If you have any questions or would like to request additional information, please do not hesitate to contact us.
In This Issue
FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR


We are planning the 20th Annual Meeting of SARPC to be held on December 8th & 9th, 2016 at  The Grand Hotel. Agenda speakers include ADECA Director Jim Byard, ALDOT Division Engineer  Vince Calametti, Arch Bishop Thomas Rodi, Regional State Legislators and Economic Development  Executives. This strategic session will be very informative, especially to the newly elected  Officials in our three County region. As always, we appreciate your support and interest and
welcome your thoughts, ideas, calls and visits.

Thanks!
John F." Rickey" Rhodes
TRANSPORTATION



The Mobile MPO Technical Coordinating / Citizens Advisory Committee will be meeting on November 9th, followed by a meeting of the Mobile MPO Policy Board on November 30th.

BIKE PED of the I-10 Mobile River Bridge Project Workshop
The Alabama Department of Transportation has requested that the public and members of the Mobile MPO Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) attend a workshop to solicit input on the location of the bicycle and pedestrian river crossing that will be included as part of the Mobile River Bridge and Bayway Project. The workshop will be held on Thursday, October 27th from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the James M. Seals Jr. Community Center located at 540 Texas Street in Mobile. We hope to see you there.

PUBLIC HEARING ON PROPOSED INTEGRATED CARE NETWORKS

On October 19th SARPC  hosted a public hearing held by the Alabama Medicaid Agency on the proposed Integrated Care Networks.  The meeting was designed to allow Medicaid to gather input into its process to reform Alabama's Medicaid payment system for Long Term Supports and Services such as nursing home care and the Home and Community Based Medicaid Waiver programs.  The Area Agency on Aging currently operates 4 of the 5 Medicaid Waivers that will be managed by the new Integrated Care Networks, with the target date for the start of this new system of October 1, 2018.  The management of these services is designed to help rebalance the Medicaid long term care system so that more care can be provided safely in the community instead of the majority being provided in nursing homes. Information about the development of the Integrated Care Networks can be found on mediciad.alabama.gov.  The Area Agency on Aging is engaged in this process to advocate for the older adults and persons with disabilities that we serve.
SAVE THE DATE - SARPC ANNUAL MEETING

GOING ON NOW!  MEDICARE OPEN ENROLLMENT

Medicare Open Enrollment is in full swing now until  December 7

AREA AGENCY ON AGING HOSTS LARGE EVENTS FOR SENIORS IN OCTOBER

Baldwin County Senior Expo Held October 6
The 5th Annual Baldwin Senior Expo had another successful year with its October 6th Expo theme of a Healthy Harvest, and included free expo bags, lunch,  Wheel O' Fortune prizes, giveaways, a large health fair anchored by South Baldwin Regional Medical Center, a Medicare Mall to kick off the Medicare Open Enrollment season, a Local Market offering juices, breads, goat milk products, and shops, and a variety of booths of interest including the World War II museum in New Orleans.  The event is free and open to the public at the Baldwin County Coliseum every October.  For information, contact Nancy Bledsoe at the Area Agency on Aging   251-706-4647.

Alabama Masters Games holds 27th Annual State Competition
The 27th Alabama Masters Games were held October 10-13 in Trussville with the Area 
Ag ency on Aging sponsoring a chartered bus of local athletes that competed in the statewide games and proudly brought back many medicals.  Local cities participating included Mobile, Robertsdale, Orange Beach and Chickasaw.  Local competitions for the Gulf Coast Masters Games are held annually April through August based on age brackets from 55 to 105, with local champions qualifying to move on to the state games.  The games include bowling, swimming, table tennis, billiards, horseshoes, dominoes, checkers, rook, shuffleboard, tennis, softball throw, basketball throw, Frisbee and Nerf ball toss and golf.  For information about the 2017 games, contact Vivian Barton at the Area Agency on Aging at  251-706-4654 .

South Alabama RSVP receives grant to expand A Matter of Balance fall prevention classes
Through a very competitive process, SARPC was selected as one of 5 agencies in the U.S. to receive a 3 year augmentation grant for the RSVP program (Retired Senior Volunteer Program) from the U.S. Corporation for National and Community Services (CNCS).  The Corporation seeks to increase the impact of volunteer services in local communities through measurable and proven activities and programs, and began a multi-year initiative to support evidence based health promotion programs.  CNCS selected  SARPC due to our experience and success in operating a volunteer based fall prevention program, A Matter of Balance.  Falls are a major cause of death and disability among older adults, and falls cause people to often start limiting their activities.  A Matter of Balance is an evidence based series of classes that increase seniors' confidence  to become more active and avoid falls. Classes have been a very well received  locally.  For information to become a trained volunteer instructor, or to host community classes, or to find a class nearby to attend, contact Marcella Nettles at the Area Agency on Aging at  251-706-4663.
   
A Matter of Balance fall prevention program graduation at Westminster Village in Spanish Fort. Volunteer instructor Bobbie Holt-Ragler on far left and Marcella Nettles and Julie McGee of the Area Agency on Aging on right back row.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is sponsoring two application workshops on Tuesday, November 15, 2016, at the Center for Commerce, 401 Adams Avenue, Montgomery, Alabama in the 7th Floor Auditorium.
 
The first workshop is for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF).  Registration will  begin at 8:00 a.m. and the workshop will begin at 8:30 a.m. and end by 12 noon.
 
The second workshop is for Recreational Trails Program (RTP).  Registration will being at 12:30 p.m. and the workshop will being at 1:00 p.m. and end by 5:00 p.m. 
 
Participants can access the Center for Commerce parking deck from the South Decatur Street entrance by entering the code 2133#.  Everyone interested in competing for LWCF or RTP grant assistance during this funding cycle is encouraged to attend.
 
Registration is required.  To register for either workshop, please call Kim Martin at (334) 353-3151 or email her at [email protected] by Friday, November 4, 2016.  Please provide the name(s) of the workshop attendees and the organization they will be representing.  The maximum capacity for each workshop is 100.  Should registration exceed 100, a second workshop will be scheduled.
 
The workshops will be accessible to all persons.  If you have a disability that requires special services, materials, or assistance please notify Ms. Martin when you preregister.  We look forward to working with you during the next funding cycle.
EMPLOYMENT & ECONOMICAL DEVELOPMENT

Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP)
The SCSEP program has a new partner as a Host Agency - MOWA Choctaw Indians.   We were able to locate an eligible participant and assigned her to the MOWA Choctaw Senior Center.  This is the beginning of a great relationship.
 
Congratulations go out to Rayford Conner, a SCSEP participant who was hired on at the Ronald McDonald House as a result of the work he performed there. 
 
The Senior Community Service Employment Program assigns eligible participants, who match the guidelines of income and family size, to host agencies on-the-job training/work experience.  The experience they gain will result in the participant becoming more marketable.  The goal of the program is to encourage participants to gain experience and move out of the program into an unsubsidized job.
 
Mature Staffing Service
The Baldwin County After-School-Care Program has kept us busy with new sign-ups.  As a result of a new grant they received we have signed up 20 more workers. 
 
Mature Staffing Service (MSS) provides services to government and non-profit organizations in which part-time temporary workers are placed.  It also handles workers compensation, all payroll taxes, and processing. 
 
Revolving Loan Fund (RLF)
SARPC staff met with the leadership of the University of South Alabama's Melton Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation to rekindle a MOU for combined services to entrepreneurs for start-up businesses or existing businesses.
 
SARPC's RLF staff continues to work on the projects in the pipeline with hopes they will be eligible for funding. 
 
The Revolving Loan Fund can be used for the purchase of property and buildings, equipment, and working capital needs.  The loan limits are $10,000 to $125,000.  The purpose of the RLF funds is to assist small businesses in their capital needs and to create and sustain jobs in the communities it serves.
AGING AND DISABILITY RESOURCE CENTER HAS NEW PHONE NUMBER

Notice a change when you call SARPC to reach the Area Agency on Aging?  Our 1-800-AGE-LINE now directly connects to our Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC)  and centralizes intake for all aging and disability programs. The direct line is 706-4680.  If you need  "Answers on Aging" give us a call! 
"WELCOME TO MEDICARE" SEMINARS IN BALDWIN AND ESCAMBIA COUNTIES

The new location for the Baldwin County "Welcome to Medicare" monthly seminar is at the Spanish Fort Community Center and is held the 2nd  Wednesday  of each month.  The new location in Escambia County is the Atmore Community Hospital and is held the first  Monday  of every month. 


In Mobile the monthly seminars continue at SARPC's office in the GM&O building the 1st Tuesday of each month. Welcome to Medicare seminars are held in Mobile and Baldwin County from 9am  until noon and Escambia County 10am-11:30am .  For additional information, contact James Roberson at 706-4617.

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