Happy new year to you and your families as we celebrate the first week of 2024!

Beyond the stress, hustle and bustle and family times of the holiday season, I hope you found some time be alone and reflect on your year behind and your year forward. What went well, where are you now and what do you want to change for the year upcoming? We encouraged our entire staff to this as we prepare for what we believe will be an epic year for TARCOG.

We had several big changes in 2023. The year began with us dealing with the aftermath of a flood near the end of 2022 which caused catastrophic damage at our longtime location on Research Drive. We moved to a temporary location in Research Park Office Center on Old Madison Pike and are busy working on plans for a new office building which will be located on Corporate Drive, near our old location. We hope to see construction begin by Summer/Fall of 2024.

Other significant changes involved our executive staff.

We said farewell to Rene Breland, Director of Aging Programs, who is enjoying retirement after 11 years with TARCOG. Picking up where Rene left off is Sheila Dessau-Ivey, who we welcomed to fill that role in May. She has been a great addition to our team and the TARCOG region.

Sara James stepped down as the Director of Economic Development and Planning in June, and we now have Lee Terry, former City of Decatur Planning Manager filling this important role. He brings a wealth of City and Transportation Planning to TARCOG, and we are excited about the future of our region.

Our Human Resource Manager, Brenson Parks, left the agency in August, and Teri Aldridge joined us in October to fill this position. She brings a wealth of experience and knowledge that we are counting on with our employee recruitment needs as our agency continues to grow and provide more services to our communities in DeKalb, Jackson, Limestone, Madison and Marshall counties.

A new Communications Coordinator position was created recently to help TARCOG do a better job of sharing our story. That role is being filled by Wendy Reeves since late August. She is the former executive director of Partnership for a Drug-Free Community who has extensive public relations and journalism experience in our community. You’ll be seeing more stories about what we’re doing in this newsletter, on our website at www.tarcog.us, and through our social media channels on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and coming soon, YouTube. So please be sure to follow us if you don’t already.

These new faces complete our executive team along with Gerald Carter, our director of Finance who has been with TARCOG going on 14 years, and Alexis Gunderson, my executive administrative assistant for 2 years. Together, we all lead our staff of 85 employees who are assisting our aging and disabled population and their caregivers and working to strengthen our five counties and 47 member governments through economic development and planning. We are fortunate to have a team made of men and women who care about what they do, and the people we serve.

In this month’s newsletter you’ll learn a little bit about a staff member who has made a significant impact on the TARCOG Region. Many of our member governments and partners have known Del Shafer from the 48 years he’s worked on getting grants and working on projects that have improved the quality of life in our part of North Alabama. He is a big part of TARCOG’s history, and we are thankful to have him remain a part of our team.

Speaking of history, there’s something else that’s significant in 2024 as it will be the 55th year since the Alabama State Legislature authorized creation of substate regional planning and development commissions. The TARCOG area, created in 1968, was already formed and functioning, but was officially designated an official substate district in 1969.

That’s just one of the reasons we’re reflecting on the past as we look to the future. So please, if you haven’t already, find time to gift yourself with rest and reflection, and enjoy this new year with a renewed spirit, mind and body; your body will thank you.

Wishing you a happy and bright 2024.

TARCOG Executive Director Michelle Gilliam Jordan                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

Thanks to the hundreds of generous sponsors for TARCOG’s 2023 Winter Wishes campaign, there’s three holiday-wrapped gift boxes sitting under a tree in the home of a 79-year-old TARCOG client who plans to open them on Christmas morning.

“She told me she put up the tree because she knew I was bringing a gift,” said Danasia Sowers, a case manager in the Medical Waiver Program. “She received three boxes … These are the only presents she will receive this year and she was so excited to get them.”

This was just one of 361 TARCOG clients who created a Winter Wish list that’s been fulfilled this year. An additional 70 clients under the age of 60 still have an unmet wish, said Melissa Brinkley, manager of the Medicaid Waiver Program. Monetary donations are currently being accepted to finish this year’s campaign, she added.

TARCOG’s Medicaid Waiver Program serves more than 800 clients of all ages in DeKalb, Jackson, Limestone, Madison and Marshall counties. The holiday campaign, which was previously called Santa for Seniors, started in 2002 as a simple gesture to pass on kindness and joy to those in need, Brinkley said. The campaign starts in early fall with the home and community-based care case managers collecting up to three wishes from clients, setting the expectation they will receive at least one item on their list. Then TARCOG partners with community sponsors to help brighten the lives of seniors during the holiday season. Every year, including this year, the campaign grows. This year the name was changed to TARCOG Winter Wishes because while TARCOG serves mostly seniors, it also has clients from every age groups.

Amber Millimaki, coordinator of this year’s TARCOG Winter Wishes, said there’s a lot of work that goes into the campaign from staff to collect the wish lists, the community sponsors who spend their time and money to buy and wrap the packages, as well as usually deliver them to the TARCOG office. Staff picks up some donated packages and shops for others as needed before case managers distribute gifts throughout the month of December as they make their monthly visits.

“I would like to say a big thank you to all of the sponsors because this would never happen without their support,” Millimaki said. “Christmas is my favorite time of the year and being a part of this brought so much joy to me. I am so happy I got to be involved.”

Case Manager Julie Staggs delivered the first of her client’s presents on Friday, Dec. 1 to a 74-year-old woman. It consisted of a bedside commode topped with a bow and two other gift bags.

“She just kept repeating ‘this is really, really, nice,” about the commode that she needed because it’s hard for her to get on and off of a regular toilet,” Julie said. “One of the other packages was a coffee pot that she and her husband were excited about, and she reserved one package to open later.”

Julie said she was glad to be able to deliver the items to the client because she really needed them. “She is so sweet and does not have a lot of help, hardly any at all, and she was really excited,” she added.

Case Manager Martina Hermes said she truly feels like Santa Claus after the first gifts she dropped off on Dec. 1. She smiled thinking of the 87-year-old woman who was waiting on her to arrive with her gifts.

“She was so thankful and happy,” Martina said. “She had asked for clothing items, and she didn’t open them while I was there, but she promised to let me know how they fit when she opened them up and tried them on.”

Another client was also appreciative, but he set his gifts aside to open later. Some don’t know what to say because they’re overwhelmed, the case managers said.

Most all the wishes came fulfilled in beautifully wrapped boxes and festive holiday gift bags. They included everything from pens and pencils to linens and cookware. Walkers, canes, adult incontinence and cleaning supplies, and even HVAC air filters were items requested.

“Many of sponsors go above and beyond and do even more than what was requested by adding extra unexpected items and notes to brighten their spirits,” Brinkley said. “Then there’s the care and thought that goes into the packages, sometimes our clients don’t want to open up the gifts because they are wrapped so pretty.”

Sheila Dessau-Ivey, director of TARCOG’s Area Agency on Aging, couldn’t say enough good things about the TARCOG Winter Wishes sponsors. She said new sponsors are added each year, but there are several who participate year after year by adopting multiple seniors and that is what make the campaign so successful. And that’s what brings smile after smile, like the one Danasia experienced with her client, with unopened gifts under her tree.

The client wanted to put them under the tree so she can open them on Christmas morning, Danasia said after dropping off the package during a visit on Monday, Dec. 4.

“A lot of my clients have no family or support and sometimes I am the only one who ever visits them and that means that the gift I take is the only one they will receive the whole entire year,” Danasia said. “For example, just now, I saw another client who normally doesn’t get out of bed, but today she got up because she said, ‘I just want to hug you and I love you so much,’ so seeing that reaction when their whole world just lights up, it just warms my heart.”

For more information or to make a contribution, contact Amber Millimaki at 256-684-6611, or amber.millimaki@tarcog.us

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Over in DeKalb County, a worn-out sewer system needs upgrades in Collinsville and Pine Ridge needs a plan to help manage growth. In Marshall County, a water-damaged Guntersville Senior Center needs extensive repairs.

All of these needs can be met now thanks to TARCOG helping each community through recent grant awards totaling more than $750,000, said Lee Terry, director of Economic Development and Planning.

Terry said TARCOG staff utilized the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program to help the three communities. CDBG provides annual grants on a formula basis to states, cities, and counties to develop viable urban communities by providing decent housing and a suitable living environment, and by expanding economic opportunities, principally for low- and moderate-income persons.

Pine Ridge is looking to its future and received $40,000 to fully fund the creation of a

community wide comprehensive plan. Terry said the proposed comprehensive plan will establish goals and policy actions that will help the town manage growth, pursue improvements in quality of life, and identify and incorporate community assets.

He said the goals and policies will ensure that Pine Ridge is able to adapt to changing conditions while developing into a town that is resilient, attractive, and a safe place to live, both now and in the future.

In Collinsville, TARCOG was able to secure $400,000 in CDBG funding to help with a $460,000 sewer system upgrade.

Terry said each service line in the town will be excavated and replaced from the main line to the residence as required. Leaking manholes in the project area will be sealed with a waterproof cement-based coating and manhole tops will be raised to eliminate surface infiltration into the manhole.

One manhole in the system has been identified as substandard because of its square poured basin that historically has caused severe back-ups in the system, will be replaced entirely, Terry said.

The largest grant award for $312,013 was for the Guntersville Senior Center, which is looking at a total project cost of just under $2 million to repair and expand its services.

During freezing weather in December 2022, a water pipe burst flooding the center’s multi-purpose room and damaged other parts of the western side of the building. Terry said during efforts to clean up the flood damage, structural damage was discovered to the building’s support beams.

The structural needs addressed by the renovations will increase the longevity of the building, Terry said, while providing an opportunity for more visitors and activities.

Terry said TARCOG is proud of the work that went into securing these much needed funds for our partners and also added a special thank you and much deserved recognition of the time and effort put into the grant applications by the ED&P staff.

This year’s Caregiver’s College lived up to its #CaregiversConnect theme for more than 300 people who experienced a daylong event filled with education and self-care activities. As a result, new Caregiver Support Group is planned for those who attended the event, said it’s organizer, Lydia Weeks, coordinator of TARCOG’s Alabama Cares Program.

“The development of the support group is important because it allows Alabama Cares to identify caregivers that require additional support throughout the year,” Weeks said. “Since Caregiver College only happens once a year, the goal is to create a space for family caregivers to connect, share their personal experiences, participate in activities that promote relaxation and self-care.”

As part of National Family Caregivers Month, on Nov. 17, attendees gathered for the TARCOG event from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Willowbrook at Madison church campus on Jeff Road in Huntsville. Co-hosts for the event included the Alabama Cooperative Extension Systems and The Legacy Center.

Eighth annual

In its eighth year, attendees traveled to Huntsville from as far away as Montgomery and Tuskegee. A special highlight of the event included a $1,000 donation to TARCOG to support self-care services for family caregivers donated by the families of Dr. Tonya (Jackson) Davis in honor of her mother, Brenda Jackson.

Protecting against fraud were prominent issues addressed with attendees learning strategies on how to defend themselves and others against fraudsters from morning keynote speaker, Nick Vonderau, education and public affairs manager, Alabama Securities Commission, and Dave Morrow, AARP Alabama Fraud Watch volunteer, who spoke in the closing general session. Takeaways included information on preventing identity theft and information to make informed decisions regarding investments, insurance and other decisions.

Dementia resources

The lunch keynote address was presented by Dr. Nicole Ruggiano, professor and associate dean of research at the University of Alabama-Alabama Caregiver Connect. She focused on support and resources available for people dementia and their care partners. Takeaways included learning how commercially available technologies can be used to support people with dementia and their caregivers, how to evaluate the benefits and drawbacks of using various technologies for caregiving purposes, and important factors to consider when adopting a new technology for caregiving.

There were 20 Caregiver College faculty members, including four at the doctorate level. Topics covered included Mental Wellness and Nutrition, All about Medicare, Parts A, B, C and D, Suicide Prevention for Caregivers, Entering the World of Caregiving, Self-Care for Caregivers, Estate Planning Basics, Medication Safety at Home, and Mental Health and Substance Abuse. Attendees had an opportunity to destress with interactive painting, journaling and holiday ornament creations classes.

Also adding to the educational experience were 31 exhibitors offering additional materials about products and services that support caregivers.

Volunteers

Volunteers played a key role in the event, Weeks said, thanking WAAY TV-31 News Anchors Demetria Green and Marie Waxel, who shared emcee duties throughout the day, along with Alabama A&M University student volunteers from the Honors Program and the School of Education, the Epsilon Gamma Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., The Links, Inc., and other community members.

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