JCLC April 2023 Newsletter

National Volunteer Week

By Michelle McGraw, 55+ RSVP Director

The Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) is the largest older adult volunteer program in the nation through AmeriCorp Seniors. RSVP recruits, trains, and places adults aged 55 or better in a host of community-based human service agencies. Service opportunities are as diverse as the communities in which volunteers serve and include areas such as health promotion and wellness; fraud education, transportation, and home-delivered meals as well as cross-generational efforts in tutoring and mentoring children through the Reading Buddies and Pen Pal programs. RSVP volunteers choose how, where, and when they want to serve, with commitments ranging from a few hours to 40 hours per week.

The Medical Transportation is one of our busiest programs. Oftentimes, a client might need a ride to their medical appointments. This is due to no longer having the ability to drive themselves, or no financial means to pay for transportation services. For whatever their reason is, the message is clear to us that there is a strong need for more volunteer drivers to continue this great service to the community! Last year, volunteers drove over 20,000 miles taking people to their appointments. The volunteers receive supplemental insurance and mileage reimbursement stipends for their services. The best benefit is the many friendships the volunteers have made throughout their trips. One driver shared, “I feel so good after returning a client home from their appointments because I know they are being cared for.”

“Just to say thanks for all you’ve done in getting many rides I’ve needed. I imagine it’s challenging finding drivers on some days and I truly appreciate all they provide.” ~From a client

There truly is something for everyone! Let us find something meaningful for you to share your talents and time while making a difference in your community! For more information, give us a call at 319-338-7823.

You may also visit our website at 55+ RSVP Initiative | United Way of Johnson & Washington Counties (unitedwayjwc.org)

The Iowa Elderly and Disabled Property Tax Credit

by: Scott Finlayson, Johnson County Treasurer

The State of Iowa has established a property tax credit for elderly and disabled, under Iowa Code Chapter 425. This property tax credit is administered by the Iowa Department of Revenue. The amount of credit per household is variable based upon income. To determine a household’s credit amount, it is suggested to work though the annual credit application. The credit must be applied for annually, and forms are produced by the Iowa Department of Revenue and available at https://tax.iowa.gov/forms. The form is called the “Iowa Property Tax Credit Claim form 54-001”; make certain you filter for the year for which you are applying. Paper copies of the Iowa Property Tax Credit Claim form are available at the Johnson County Treasurer’s Office, which may be mailed or emailed to you upon request. The Johnson County Treasurer’s phone number is 319.356.6087.

Annual applications for oncoming tax years are due before June, 1, 2023, and should be returned to the Treasurer’s Office before that date. If in the judgment of the County Treasurer good cause exists, then the County Treasurer may extend the time for filing a claim for the credit through September 30 of the same calendar year. In the case of sickness, absence or other disability of the claimant or if, in the judgment of the Director of Revenue or the Director of Human Services, as applicable, good cause exists and the claimant requests an extension, the Director of Human Services may extend the time for filing a claim for reimbursement and the Director of Revenue may extend the time for filling a claim for credit. However, any further time granted shall not extend beyond December 31 of the year following the year in which the claim was required to be filed.

Johnson County Housing Rehab or Emergency Home Repair

The Johnson County Board of Supervisors is happy to announce that they have allocated funds from the American Rescue Plan Act! The Johnson County Housing Rehab or Emergency Home Repair Grant will assist in home rehabilitation and repair projects to improve residents living conditions. See the flyer below for additional information.

Applications must either be mailed to ECICOG at 700 16th St NE # 301 Cedar Rapids, IA 52402, or submitted through email.

For more information or to apply to the program, please contact Deanna Robinson at deanna.robinson@ecicog.org or by calling 319-289-0060.

Click here to view the program flyer and information in Spanish.

Lawn Care Assistance

UnityPoint AbbeHealth-Aging Services has openings for low-income older adults in need of lawn mowing assistance. Contact Cara Stolba at 319-398-3647 or by email at cara.stolba@unitypoint.org for more information about the program.

Caregiver 101 Medicaid Elderly Waiver

Heritage Area Agency on Aging is excited to share that they will be hosting Caregiver 101 Medicaid Elderly Waiver this Spring! This program will take place on Monday, June 5th from 10-11:30AM. See the flyer below for additional information.

For questions or to register, please contact Heritage at Heritage.Aging@kirkwood.edu or by calling 319-398-5559.

New Policy Board Member

The Johnson County Livable Community Policy Board is happy to welcome new member John Kalohn.

John recently retired from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) after completing over 14 years of service. In his last position he served as Senior Advisor and /FINRA Fellow to the Credentialing, Registration, Education, and Disclosure department. Prior to this he was the Vice President of the Testing and Continuing Education department and was responsible for leading FINRA's programs for licensing/registration and continuing education of stock brokers, traders, and investment bankers in the United States. Prior to that, John worked in a variety of capacities for over 14 years at ACT in Iowa City. John is a PhD graduate of the University of Wisconsin Madison. He lives in Iowa City with his husband Tom and enjoys spending time volunteering at the Iowa City Animal Care and Adoption Center, serving as Treasurer for the Galway Hills Homeowners Association and most of all, spending time with his five grandchildren.

Powerful Tools for Caregivers

Heritage Area Agency on Aging is excited to share that they will be hosting Powerful Tools for Caregivers this Spring! This 6 week session begins on Tuesday, May 9th from 1-2:30PM. See the flyer below for additional information.

For questions or to register please contact Bryan Bruner at bryan.bruner@kirkwood.edu or by calling 319-249-8749.

National Prescription Drug Take Back Day and Needles Collection Event

Drop off your expired, unwanted, or unused pharmaceutical or OTC medications to law enforcement officers for destruction. We're focused on removing potentially dangerous controlled substances from our community's medicine cabinets.

Do you have a cabinet full of unused medications that you just haven't gotten around to throwing away? Here's your solution! This program is anonymous and no request will be made for identification.

Please help us combat the nationwide issue of pharmaceutical drug abuse.

Sheriff's Office staff will be available on Saturday April 22, 2023 from 10:00am-2:00pm at 511 S Capitol St, Iowa City.

The City of Iowa City is also offering a location for all residents of Johnson County from 10AM-2PM at the parking lot of the East Side Recycling Center at 2401 Scott Blvd. SE. Click here for additional information regarding this site.

Can't make it to Iowa City that day? No problem, we also have a secure collection box in the Sheriff's Office lobby that is available 24/7 where you can leave your unwanted medications.

NO NEEDLES OR INHALERS will be accepted.

If you have more questions, please give us a call, 319-356-6020.

Falls Prevention Classes

By Kathleen Lee, Injury Prevention Coordinator, UIHC Trauma Program

Older adults and adults with a health issue are invited to join us for fall prevention classes.

Tai Chi for Arthritis and Fall Prevention is an eight-week class series that meets one hour twice per week for a total of 16 class sessions. Modified tai chi programs reduce falls in older adults up to 49%. Upcoming classes include:

June 7–Aug. 4 from 9-10 a.m. Register Here
July 10–Aug. 31 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Register here

Local Programming and News

Click on the categories below to access more information

Senior Connections Lunch	AARP Iowa Events	Alzheimer's Association Upcoming Events	Solon Senior News April 2023 Newsletter
Silver Linings Older Iowans	Hancher Auditorium Upcoming Events	Iowa City Senior Center Iowa City- March/ April Activity Guide
Stanley Museum of Art Calendar	Trail of Johnson County Calenda r	UI Center of Human Rights Events