TARCOG appreciates the South Alabama Regional Planning Commission (SARPC) team who came from Mobile today to share an outreach training program for Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) to better serve residents in DeKalb, Jackson, Limestone, Madison and Marshall counties.
The overall goals of the training were to assist TARCOG staff:
Increase participation of older adults in SNAP through community-based outreach and enrollment initiatives.
Identify, analyze, and disseminate replicable, cost effective, and scalable strategies for senior SNAP enrollment.
Increase public awareness of senior hunger as an issue of national and local importance, and of SNAP as an effective strategy for reducing food insecurity among older adults.
Julie McGee, director of the SARPC-AAA provided a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Outreach Project Overview with a focus on economic security and senior hunger initiatives.
Nancy Bledsoe, outreach coordinator of the SARPC-SNAP Outreach discussed SNAP Program goals, updates, reporting and community outreach activities, while James Roberson, the regional coordinator for SARPC’s State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), Senior Medicare Patrol and Senior Rx programs presented training on the importance and benefits of having a strong working relationship between the Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) and SHIP program.
Barbara Estes, public relations specialist with SARPC also delivered marketing guidance for the programs.
Participating in the training from TARCOG included: LeQuitta Gaskin, outreach manager, Amanda Randall, coordinator of the ADRC, Pamela Cratic, specialist with the ADRC, Jalyn Powell, specialist with the ADRC, Teresa Hazzard, resource specialist with SHIP program, and Lina Barnett, coordinator with the Senior RX program.
John Sanders, director of TARCOG’s Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), was on a panel of speakers discussing Workforce Development at the monthly meeting of the Elm Foundation.
TARCOG appreciates the opportunity to share information about job training opportunities for those 55 and older at this morning’s Community Connections meeting held at the Huntsville-Madison County Public Library in downtown Huntsville.
John Sanders, director of TARCOG’s Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), was on a panel of speakers discussing Workforce Development at the monthly meeting of The Elm Foundation.
Sanders explained how SCSEP promotes personal dignity and self-sufficiency through work. The training attained through SCSEP provides in-demand skills for older, unemployed, low-income Americans when they are returning to the workforce.
He said SCSEP is a cornerstone program of the Older Americans Act and the only federal job training program targeted exclusively to low-income, older jobseekers.
The Community Connection Meetings are topic-focused and held each month as on opportunity to share resources, information, and professional development. Attendees include nonprofit agencies, civic, faith and corporate partners. The group meets on the second Thursday of each month at 9:00 a.m., at the Huntsville-Madison County Public Library on Monroe Street.
The May 8th Community Connections meeting will focus on Community Financial Stability Programs in the area.
For more information on the senior employment program, contact John Sanders, at john.sanders@tarcog.us or 256-830-0818.
TARCOG was proud to be in attendance as Gov. Kay Ivey visited Fort Payne City Schools on Monday, April 8, for the ribbon cutting at the new BEAT Center, a STEM-focused vocational building to provide students with career specific training in three pathways: construction, electric vehicles, and aviation/drone technology
“Fort Payne Schools are trendsetters for career ready education integrated in the local curriculum … so that students have a job by the time they earn their high school diploma,” the governor said. “The range and depth of career tech instruction already offered in the Fort Payne system is quite frankly unrivaled for a system of this size.”
Ivey authorized $1 million in funding through the Appalachian Regional Commission Southern Appalachian Automotive Worker grant for the BEAT Center. TARCOG assisted with the grant application process and post award grant administration.
This morning, a standing room only crowd of public officials, community partners and educators packed the vocational center’s Aviation Technology Room to celebrate the new facility, which fits right in with the governor’s vision for Alabama.
“Since I’ve been governor, we’ve seen business investments of $49 billion, that’s with a B, and we’ve created some 87,000 new jobs,” Ivey said. “We’ve got the momentum, and thanks to vision of Fort Payne School leaders, backed by state and local funding, we are preparing for the Alabama workforce and the economy of the tomorrow, one student at a time.”
The Building, Electric, and Aviation Technology (BEAT) Center will consist of one classroom setting with three simulated workplace bays to house the Building/Construction, Electric Automotive, and Aviation Technology programs. Innovative simulated curriculum programs will be used in each vocational career pathway ensuring that students graduating from each program will be credentialed and capable of being employed in their chosen field.
After the ceremony, Lee Terry, director of TARCOG’s Economic Development and Planning said TARCOG is proud to see the completion of such a wonderful project for Fort Payne City Schools and the students who will benefit from the high quality educational opportunities offered by the BEAT Center.
“We are always happy to assist our member governments with such meaningful projects that will have a lasting impact on our communities,” Terry said.
Meet Judy Cundiff. At age 70, she was bored being at home by herself. She was dependent on a wheelchair and didn’t have a way to go anywhere, even though she wanted to.
Then she found out the Arab Senior Center could help.
Transportation is a game-changer
“I had been wanting to come to the Senior Center for a while,” she recalled, adding that having a bus to transport her back and forth changed everything. In the year since she’s been coming, a lot has changed for Judy.
“I’ve made new friends, I’ve learned a lot of different games and I enjoy it,” Judy said after trying Bunko for the first time in March. “I love it.”
But that’s not all that’s changed for her. Judy underwent surgery in early March, and she no longer needs a wheelchair.
“I’m just now back to the center this week,” she said. “Walking!”
One thing she’s looking forward to trying when she’s completely healed is the center’s Line Dancing Class.
Maggie Thrower, manager of the Arab Senior Center, said line dancing is one of the center’s most popular classes. Participants drive from Guntersville and nearby Morgan County to take advantage of the class, offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Helen Hawkins, front, is one of the oldest participants in the Line Dancing Class at the Arab Senior Center.
Line Dancing
At 89, Helen Hawkins is one of the oldest participants in the line dancing class, skillfully led by Patra Bowman, 70, who uses a variety of music and dance routines to keep the class interesting.
“We started the class with four people when we came back after Covid,” she said. “Word has gotten out it’s a good, fun class because we always have a good crowd.”
The two-hour class is broken up into four sessions:
Absolute Beginner
Beginner
Improver
Intermediate Level
Line Dancing at the Arab Senior Center
Helen has been line dancing for at least 20 years and showed no signs of slowing down as she moved in perfect time with tunes from Michael Jackson, George Strait and Shawn Mendes to name a few.
“I like to dance, and I love all music,” Helen said. “I’ll dance to it all.”
Through the years, Helen said the class members have done performances at assisted living centers in Huntsville, Scottsboro and the Shoals area. They’ve gone to Mobile, Montgomery and even Pigeon Forge for performances and workshops, she added.
“And we dance on the streets of Arab at the Poke Salat Festival,” she added. The festival is set for next month on Saturday, May 18.
Helen said at her age, she tries to keep moving and she comes to the Senior Center every day.
“A lot of people come to play games and they really seem to enjoy it,” Helen said. “I don’t do that, but I will sit and color and visit and talk with others on the days we don’t line dance.”
Staying active
Dianne Gilliland, 66, of Guntersville, has been driving to Arab for several months for the line dancing class to keep mentally and physically fit.
“I love it,” she said. “It’s a great exercise program.”
Mike and Brenda Thorn are learning to line dance at the Arab Senior Center
Mike Thorn, 60, was one of a few men participating in the beginner part of the class.
“I’m taking one for the team,” he laughed. He and his wife Brenda, 58, moved from Madison to Arab last year. Mike retired in January and the couple decided to check out the Senior Center with her visiting as his guest.
Brenda recalls the first day they showed up for the line dancing class, thinking it was going to be easy for them because they’re younger.
“They told us to ‘get ready’ and I thought, yeah, right, it’s just line dancing – how hard can it be? But that first day, halfway through the first song Mike told me his thighs were hurting and I told him mine were too,” she said with a laugh. “The 90-year-olds were making us look bad. I thought they broke us the way we hurt afterwards.”
Worth the drive
Betsy Spencer, 67, drives to the center from Ryan Crossroads in nearby Morgan County for the past year.
“It’s great for companionship, exercise and we have fun,” she added.
Susu Watkins, 67, also from Guntersville, has been making the drive over to Arab since last November for the line dancing class.
“It’s fun and it’s just a great environment to be in because you don’t have to be perfect while you’re learning,” Susu said. “And you really have to get your mind together to do it, so it helps you with your mind too.”
Michele Hill, front, is back on the dance floor at the Arab Senior Center following surgery.
Longtime Senior Center participant Michele Hill, 77, is just returning after a two-year hiatus for hip and knee replacement surgeries, but she couldn’t wait to back out there.
“I’m starting to feel good again, but I’ve been out for a long time,” Michele said, while taking a break. “Time flies, but I’ve been dancing easily over 10 years and glad to be back.”
Dance floor versus swimming pool
Amanda Hollrah, 84, who lives just outside of Arab, started going to the Senior Center in 2011. It was about a year after her husband died.
“I had to do something to get out of the house and I tried swimming. I enjoyed it but when I would leave there, I’d be wet, my hair would be wet, and I was cold and then I’d stay cold, and I was like why I am I doing this?” she remembered thinking. “So, this a good option.”
Arab Senior Center entrance
About the center
Located in Marshall County, Arab is nestled on top of Brindlee Mountain. More than 8,600 residents live in Arab, with 16.6 percent of those being age 65 or older.
The Arab Senior Center is a 17,000-square-foot multi-purpose facility that provides a safe and enjoyable setting for those 60 and older. Maggie said the center provides plenty of space to fellowship for visitors to various activities and share experiences with new friends.
The center also serves the greater community during severe weather. Maggie said it is also designated as a safe place for anyone in the community, regardless of age, if the National Weather Service issues a Tornado Watch, and the weather becomes active. But no pets or firearms are allowed inside the building.
Hot meals and more
While line dancing is a big draw for the center, it offers much more for seniors.
The center serves hot meals to about 25 participants daily and provides meals for 18 who are homebound, Maggie said. Even more stop in to play billiards, card or board games, exercise in the gym, and enjoy the library and reading room, arts and crafts, or computer room.
Maggie said each morning there are planned activities designed to get the center’s participants moving and keep them active.
For participant members ages 60 and up who are unable to drive, bus transportation is provided to and from the center, but on request, once a week the bus will also take them for groceries, household items, and doctors’ appointments.
Arab Senior Center Manager Maggie Thrower
“This is not just a job to me, they are my friends,” said Maggie who has been at the center for 11 years as manager and assistant manager.
“This one, she does a great job,” said Amanda Hollrah, a longtime center participant. “All the people she’s brought in and they keep coming because it’s very welcoming and we just all have a good time here.”
How long have you been at TARCOG and what do you do? I’ve been with TARCOG for 22 years, my official work anniversary is in April.
I provide administrative support to the Legal Assistance Program, Elder Law Attorney, LaTanya Rhines, and the Ombudsman Program, Lead Ombudsman Representative, Alicia Howard, and LTC Ombudsman Representative, Vernel Mitchell. Both the Legal Assistance Program and the Ombudsman Program has expanded their growth in the over twenty years that I’ve been with TARCOG, due to baby boomers and the population growth of new businesses to our five-county region.
I receive all calls for the Legal Assistance Program and attempt to return calls within 48 – 72 hours, depending on the volume of calls. I schedule all appointments for Madison County new clients seeking legal assistance and refer clients from our outlying counties to their county of residence to schedule the next available appointment. I schedule appointments for Madison County clients to notarize their approved final documents or prepare the final documents to be mailed to the clients for outside execution. I generate a monthly email to DeKalb, Jackson, Limestone, and Marshall County requesting the current appointment list for the month, I review the lists and prepare any final documents needed for clients that are ready to execute their documents.
I serve as a default contact for the Ombudsman Program if a concerned resident, family member, or staff, have questions for the Ombudsman Representatives. I generate an email to the social workers in our 26 nursing facilities for the Monthly Gateway to Community Living Facility Referral Report that I calculate and submit to the State Ombudsman Office. I serve as the secretary for the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Culture Change Task Force Advisory Council, recording and preparing minutes, generating emails to Advisory Council members on upcoming meeting dates or other requests made by Alicia, the chairperson.
As an administrative assistant, I serve as backup to the receptionists, as needed. As a TARCOG team member, I offer my assistance as needed to all programs.
What did you want to be when you grew up? A guitar player in an all-girls band!!
What do you hope to accomplish within the next year? On a personal note, my sister and I hope to have my mother settled here in Huntsville as her caregivers.
Who is your hero and why? My husband, Terence Jackson. My husband has provided support to my family over the thirty-one (31) years of our marriage, quietly behind the scenes. Making travel possible for my mother to be with her daughter and son during their time of medical emergencies and strength during their passing. His selfless love, devotion, and commitment is what makes a real hero.
If you could choose to do anything for a day, what would it be? Have a day at the beach, soaking up the sun, listening to the waves, eating some real good seafood, watching the sunset, and then the sunrise the next morning.
What is the best piece of advice someone has given you? Your character and moral values represent who you are as a person, not what you do for a living.
What’s the most daring thing you’ve ever done? Rode one of those sky lifts in Gatlinburg, Tenn. I prayed to God that if he allowed me to get down safely, I would never get on one of those things again. He did and I haven’t!!
Who knows you the best? My best friend, my husband, Terence.
What would you do if you won the lottery? I would make a financial blessing to my mother, my church, and ALS of GA in memory of my sister. I would hire an investment advisor and setup full four-year college scholarships for my two grandchildren. Take me and my husband on a long overdue quiet vacation for just the two of us!! Make repairs to my home and put the rest in my rainy-day fund account.
People stopped by and filled out transportation surveys at TARCOG’s Northeast Alabama Safe Streets for All booth at the Jubilee Market and Art Festival in Scottsboro on March 30. More public outreach to come in April.
What do you see that needs improvement when traveling in Northeast Alabama?
Sidewalks, guardrails, and wider shoulders were discussed as area roadway needs at the Northeast Alabama Safe Streets for All booth at the Jubilee Market and Art Festival in Scottsboro on March 30.
Festival participants stopped by the booth with 30 people completing printed surveys and another 100 taking postcards with the online survey link to help guide planners as they create a new Regional Safety Action Plan for DeKalb, Jackson, Marshall and portions of Limestone and Madison counties.
“This is all part of our public outreach for this plan to make sure the public has a say in what the safety issues are and the areas that need focus,” said Lee Terry, director of economic development and planning.
TARCOG staff along with Alta Planning + Design consultants will be seeking input through in-person engagements at five locations throughout April to conduct surveys as part of developing the plan.
“Traffic experts and data tell one side of the story, but now it’s the drivers who travel Northeast Alabama roadways who are needed to complete the picture,” Lee said.
To encourage participation, those who fill out a survey not only are helping make their roads safer, but they also have a chance to win a $100 gift card which will be given away. Fill out the survey here.
The area project is funded by the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration.
For more information or any questions or information requests about this process please contact TARCOG Economic Development & Planning Staff at 256-830-0818.
The Alabama Department of Senior Services (ADSS), in partnership with TARCOG Area Agency on Aging (AAA), wants to hear from you. Every four years, ADSS completes a State Plan on Aging that acts as a blueprint of advocacy efforts and services to help meet the needs of senior adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers so they can live at home for as long as possible.
ADSS wants to make your voice heard by giving you the opportunity to share what’s important. If you are a senior adult, person with a disability, caregiver, and/or someone who’s interested in people living at home and their communities for as long as possible,please click here to complete the short anonymous Needs Assessment.
The deadline to submit is Friday April 12th, 2024.
Waiting to meet with U.S. Congressman Robert Aderholt at his office in Washington about funding legislation for agencies like TARCOG were from left, Northwest Alabama Council of Local Governments Executive Director Keith Jones, Fayette Mayor Rod Northam, TARCOG Board President Connie Spears, West Alabama Regional Commission Director Dennis Stripling, TARCOG Executive Director Michelle Jordan and Economic and Development Planning Director Lee Terry.
Board President Connie Spears, Executive Director Michelle Jordan and Economic Development and Planning Director Lee Terry met with U.S. Congressman Robert Aderholt in March to talk about legislation that would provide additional funding for economic growth in the TARCOG region.
During a meeting of the National Association of Development Organizations and the Development District Association of Appalachia held in Washington, D.C., Michelle and Lee participated in sessions focused on regional development, the federal landscape, and the programs and policies that matter most to regional development organizations like TARCOG and its stakeholders.
Alabama Councils Reach Out
While in the nation’s capital Michelle and Lee, along with representatives from the Northwest Alabama Council of Local Governments and West Alabama Regional Commission scheduled a meeting with Aderholt. During their time with Aderholt and his staff, Michelle and Lee encouraged the passage of the Economic Development Reauthorization Act of 2024 (S. 3891). Lee said it is a bipartisan bill which, if passed, would modernize and update crucial elements of EDA’s statute and its investments for the first time in 20 years.
There are more than 400 Economic Development Districts (EDDs) like TARCOG in the U.S., and each one receives an annual appropriation from EDA. That’s barely enough to cover one full time staff person. Most EDDs, like TARCOG, cover numerous counties, cities and towns, so one staff person covering such a large territory is already stretched thin.
The funding supports an EDD helping:
Stakeholders and organizations apply for EDA grants.
Administer EDA project funding and assist with project implementation.
EDA grantees properly administer and steward the EDQ funding they receive.
Lead and leverage local partnerships and help identify local projects that are eligible for EDA funding.
Develop Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy, provide local planning expertise, which lays the foundation for successful project implementation.
“It’s been on the back burner for 20 years,” Lee said. “The issue with that is the funding for the Economic Development Administration has been basically at the same level from 20 years ago. With inflation along with all the infrastructure work that needs to be done, the funding hasn’t kept pace.”
He said if approved, the new authorization would increase the funding level from about $34.5 million in 2023 to $90 million in 2024, escalating to $130 million by Fiscal Year 2029.
Lee said this change would go a long way to get needed services into communities around the nation.
“By increasing the funding level, it would increase the amount of work we can do for our community partners at no or very little cost,” Lee said.
A memory screening is a simple and safe “healthy brain check-up” that tests memory and other thinking skills that TARCOG staff is certified to provide at no cost.
Lydia Weeks, coordinator of the Alabama Cares Program provided through TARCOG, and Darrell Hill, program case manager, will perform screenings by appointment either virtually, in person at the TARCOG office, or at community sites throughout DeKalb, Jackson, Limestone, Madison and Marshall counties.
TARCOG was recently designated as a trained memory screening site by the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA), after Weeks received her certification and Hill also began the certification process.
What is a memory screening?
The memory screening is a series of questions and or tasks that takes about 10 minutes to complete. It can indicate if someone might benefit from a comprehensive medical evaluation. It is not used to diagnose any illness and does not replace consultation with a physician or other clinician, Lydia said.
Why are memory screenings important?
Lydia said the screenings are a significant first step toward finding out if a person may have a memory problem. Memory problems could be caused by several medical conditions, including vitamin deficiencies, thyroid issues and depression, as well as dementia-related illnesses including Alzheimer’s.
Some memory problems such as those cause by vitamin deficiencies or thyroid problems, can be readily treated, she added. Other memory problems might result from causes that are not currently reversible such as Alzheimer’s disease. In general, the earlier the diagnosis the easier it is to treat one of these conditions.
“Early detection of mild cognitive impairment may afford a person the opportunity to take advantage of treatments that may slow the changes in memory and thinking skills ‑ or participate in a clinical trial,” Lydia said.
If the memory problem is the result of a dementia-related illness such as Alzheimer’s disease, she said early detection may enable the person to begin treatments and therapeutic interventions sooner, afford greater opportunity to participate in a clinical trial and take a more active role in developing their health legal and financial plans.
Other TARCOG resources
The memory screenings are a new tool for the TARCOG staff which also provides virtual dementia tours and Dementia Friendly Alabama trainings for school aged children, businesses and first responders.
For more information about services or to schedule an appointment for a memory screening, contact Lydia at lydia.weeks@tarcog.us or 256-830-0818.
Think back to 1980 — or the many celebrations since that year when you may have heard Kool and the Gang singing, “Celebrate good times, come on,” and you will have an idea of what’s in store for the upcoming 2024 Senior Fun Fest.
It’s going to be a party to remember for up to 2,000 seniors celebrating Older Americans Month, which is recognized in May. Fun Fest is sponsored by TARCOG and the Madison County Commission, with ticket sales and other local businesses also providing financial support to offset costs.
Tickets
Tickets are now on sale, said TARCOG’s Director of Aging Programs Sheila Dessau-Ivey, It will be the 37th annual event held May 14, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Sharon Johnston Park, 783 Coleman Road in New Market. The rain date will be Thursday, May 16.
Advance tickets are $5. This year, an advance ticket and T-shirt bundle is available for $15. Advance tickets may be purchased at any Senior Center in DeKalb, Jackson, Limestone, Madison and Marshall counties, or, at the TARCOG Office at 7037 Old Madison Pike, Suite 450, in Huntsville. Advance ticket pricing ends Friday, April 12. For more information call TARCOG at 830-0818.
Tickets may also be purchased after April 12 or at the gate on the day of the event for $7. T-shirts at the gate will be $13.
TARCOG Region Together Again
This year will be the first time since 2019, before COVID, that seniors from all the region’s counties will gather in one place to celebrate their month.
“We are so excited to see things getting back to normal,” Sheila said “During the past three years we were forced to do things differently, like holding individual Older Americans Month celebrations in each county. Since I’m relatively new to TARCOG, I’m excited to see seniors from DeKalb, Jackson, Limestone, Madison and Marshall counties get together in one place to celebrate their lives, achievements and their lively spirits.”
She said the Senior Fun Fest Committee began meeting in January to plan this year’s event, which will be focused on celebrating good times with a Mardi Gras theme.
What happens at Fun Fest?
A pre-event Tai Chi session will take place from 9:30 to 10 a.m. where participants may join in to loosen up before the festivities begin, said Emmitt Davis, this year’s Senior Fun Fest coordinator.
After a short welcome ceremony at 10 a.m., activities will include BINGO, a photo booth, with music by DJ Jammin Jeff and live music provided by:
Hard on the Chickens Band
Tina Turner Group
Jimmy Ray’s Slap Happy Hayride
A Masters Games competition will be held for Corn Hole, the Nerf Ball Throw and Frisbee Throw, Emmitt added.
Those attending with tickets will enjoy a boxed lunch, Emmitt said. And snacks like popcorn and snow cones also available throughout the event. There will also be door prizes given out, he added.
“This is always a fun event, and we can’t wait to be there at Sharon Johnston Park and celebrate, truly celebrate all of our amazing TARCOG region seniors,” Emmitt said. “Our staff is hard at work putting all of the details in place so that it’s a special day to remember.”
More information is available by calling 256-830-0818.
TARCOG was proud to be in attendance as Gov. Kay Ivey visited 
