The Dinner & Auction Raffle is Live!

As part of the 41st Annual Dinner and Auction, TCOA and Raffle Sponsor Cypress Home Care are teaming up to host the cash prize raffle! All proceeds will benefit in-home supports, including Meals on Wheels, for older adults and adults with disabilities in Clinton, Eaton, and Ingham Counties.



Prizes

Grand Prize: $1,000

First Place: $500

Second Place: $300

Third Place: $200



Cost to Enter

$5.00 = one ticket

$20.00 = five tickets

1. To get tickets for you or your organization, contact Kayla at NicholsK@tcoa.org or 517-887-1487.
2. Fill out your ticket stub(s) and return them to TCOA's office by November 6, 2026. If you are attending the Dinner and Auction on November 19, you may also return them that evening.

Winners will be selected and announced during TCOA's 41st Dinner and Auction at approximately 8:00 PM EST on November 19, 2026 at the Eagle Eye Banquet Center in Bath Township, MI. Winners do not need to be present to win.

Questions? Email Kayla at NicholsK@tcoa.org.

License: R86198

About 2.5 million children in the U.S. are growing up in kinship families—being raised by grandparents, other relatives, or close family friends when their parents cannot care for them. These families provide stability, love, and cultural connection, but too often, they do so without the recognition or support they deserve.

This National Kinship Care Month, we’re raising awareness, listening to kin caregivers, and committing to work alongside them to build stronger systems of support—this month and beyond. Organizations across the country are, too.

📣 Join the movement. Use #KinshipCareMonth to help elevate the voices and experiences of kinship families.

The story of a Kinship Caregiver from The Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network:

It’s important to practice infection prevention so that you don’t jeopardize your health. Older adults are also vulnerable to infections. Use these tips to keep you and your care recipient safe. 

• Ask visitors to stay away if they’re ill. 
• Make handwashing a priority. Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially if your hands are visibly dirty. You can hum the song “Happy Birthday” to practice washing for this length of time! You may use hand sanitizer in between, but should wash with soap and water after about 5 uses of sanitizer, even if your hands don’t look dirty. 
• Use personal protective equipment (PPE) like gloves, masks, gowns, or other available protection. You may need it for incontinence care, cleaning open areas on the skin, using catheters or drains, or if your care recipient has a respiratory infection.
• Regularly clean and disinfect surfaces like tables, rails, doorknobs, handles, and light switches.
• Ensure you’re up-to-date on vaccines.

For more helpful tips, sign up for Trualta at tcoa.trualta.com.

TCOA needs your help! Check out this list of our top volunteer needs, and learn how you can make a big difference in your community!

Clinton County

🚗Meals on Wheels drivers urgently needed in Clinton County.

Eaton County

🚗Delivering Meals on Wheels for the following:

• Grand Ledge at 10:30am on Mondays.

Ingham County

❤️‍🩹Volunteering as a State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) Counselor.

🧑‍🍳Central Kitchen Food Production Line (9am-1pm Mon-Fri) OR packing meal boxes (12 noon - 2pm on Wednesdays).

🚗Delivering Meals on Wheels in Greater Lansing for the following:

• West/North Lansing Mondays, Tuesdays, and/or Wednesdays.
• W. Mt Hope/MLK Area on Mondays.
• Okemos/Haslett on Mondays, Tuesdays, and/or Fridays.
• Miller/Waverly/Jolly Area on Mondays, Wednesdays, and/or Fridays.

🚗Delivering Meals on Wheels in Rural Ingham County for the following:

• Substitute drivers in Leslie and Onondaga
• Mason on Tuesdays and every other Friday
• Dansville on Mondays
• Stockbridge on Thursdays
• Holt on Mondays, most Thursdays, and most Fridays

*Meal Pick-Up for Rural Ingham occurs at 10:30am

*Pick-Up Locations will be in the same local area as the delivery route.

Learn more and apply at tcoa.org/volunteer/ or call Kayla Nichols at 517-887-1487.

Please share and spread the word — helping us find volunteers helps us continue serving those who rely on these programs and services every day!

The Volunteer Spotlight for September is... David, a volunteer with the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP):

About David:

I am a volunteer counselor for the TCOA Medicare program, which is now called State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP). In 2019, I retired after being an orthopedic surgeon in Lansing for over 37 years. I volunteered for the health department during the pandemic and learned about the TCOA's Medicare counseling program. I began Medicare counseling in 2021. Although I thought I knew about Medicare and Medicaid while I worked, I have studied and learned much more about Medicare and Medicaid.

I enjoy educating and signing up people for Medicare programs such as Medicare Savings Program and Extra-Help. I have observed that many people do not know about these programs. Many people are surprised to learn how much money these programs save them. I hope to minimize people from "leaving money on the table". In the last 2 years, I have been able to mentor new volunteers so that we all do a thorough job (Madison's [the SHIP Supervisor's] way) and build trust in all TCOA programs. I have found that KC Austern [Options Counselor] and Jill Moulton and her I&A [Information & Assistance] coworkers help our clients with a wide range of non-Medicare problems.

Finally, I also prepare tax returns at TCOA. In 2025, we prepared 1238 tax returns at the TCOA Tax-Aide site. The total client refunds were $751,787 from the IRS and $972,338 from the state of Michigan. We appreciate being able to train volunteer tax preparers at TCOA. The tax program is sponsored by the AARP Foundation through a grant for the IRS with the cost to prepare a return of about $10.

Medicare annual open enrollment starts October 15th. I plan to continue to volunteer and help people decide on the best Medicare insurance and Medicare programs.

Thank you, David, for all of the ways you are helping people understand and make the most of their healthcare options and finances!

For more information about volunteering please contact us at volunteer@tcoa.org or apply at tcoa.org/volunteer.

We have a lot of options coming up this Fall!

These workshops are FUN and provide education and support!

All workshops are free of charge, but we accept donations.

Check out TCOA's website for details. Pre-registration is required to attend these workshops. Please call Tri-County Office on Aging at 517-887-1465 or email TCOA's Evidence-Based Programs Manager, Christine, at HistedC@tcoa.org. 

Please Note

The TCOA Office will be closed Monday, September 7 in recognition of Labor Day.

Tri-County Office on Aging

5303 S Cedar Street, Bldg 1

Lansing, MI 48911