Tuesday, February 17, 2009

SWEEP! Day at SCS

Saturday, April 25th will be a special day for many senior homeowners in Atlanta. You can get involved with SCS’ annual SWEEP! 2009 event and help to ensure the impact is strong. This event targets up to 10 seniors’ homes by having over 200 volunteers provide services such as painting (interior and exterior), yard clean-up and debris removal, gutter cleaning, and a whole host of other “maintenance” tasks that seniors have difficulty performing.

This is an excellent way to get your corporate group, church group, or any other group you may be involved with to help support those who have difficulty performing home maintenance. We, the “young’ens”, often don’t think twice about getting out in our yard and raking up the leaves or pine needles. But if you are in your 80s with a bad hip, this task is daunting. Through SWEEP! 2009, you can help not only improve the look of a seniors home but make an even bigger impact in the community.

You can be part of the solution – register for SWEEP! 2009 with your group or come as an individual… all hands are welcomed. You will enjoy a light breakfast prior to the work commencing and lunch in the park afterward. SCS staff and clients appreciate all who make this event happen – thank you.

by Patrick O’Kane
Director of Operations

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Running for Seniors

We are starting a new, spring event this year to raise funds for Senior Citizen Services. The geneRACEtion 5K Run/Walk will be held on Saturday morning, May 16, in Grant Park. May is Older Americans Month and the 5K is great way to get friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers, out for a morning of light exercise.

We are co-hosting this event with Rainbows Georgia. Rainbows provides free grief counseling and support to children who have experienced a death or divorce in their family. This is a way to get to generations interacting with each other.

Planning any event takes lots of time and dedication from many people. We have a planning committee that conducts weekly conference calls to keep everyone on track and to check the progress of assigned tasks. We must get a special permit from the City of Atlanta to hold an event in a park. We must arrange for all kinds of little details such as a registration web page, brochures, drinks at the event, signage, security, port-a-potties, volunteers, publicity, post cards to promote our race, race timer, sponsors for the event – the list goes on and on.

We hope that many people will come out on race day to support the geneRACEtion 5K Run/Walk. For more information, go to http://www.generacetion.org/ and sign up to run, walk, and raise money for two deserving charities.



by Steve Hargrove

Director of Events and Marketing

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

New Year's Resolutions . . . One Day at a Time

As legend has it, Groundhog Day every February 2nd signals either the end or start of more wintry weather. As rumor has it, this day also signals the time when most of us have neglected or forgotten our New Year’s resolutions! One eighty-year old Meals On Wheels senior citizen of ours, Alice, has a better notion.

Alice informed me that she makes Daily Resolutions rather than annual ones. She relishes even little victories, and keeping a promise to one’s self is easier if the span is but 24 hours. However, she also likes to celebrate her small victories, which helps propel her to keep her promise to herself yet another day. A year of resolutions, one day at a time.

Alice reminds all of us that if goals and promises can be planned and met on a daily basis, then a lifetime of resolutions are ours for the taking. What goal is facing you in 2009 that appears to be too big? Take Alice’s advice and take the small steps necessary to achieve the mark before next Groundhog Day!

By
Brad Catherman
Vice President, Gift Planning