July/August 2019 www.eldoradoconnections.com Volume XXX No. 4

824 Camp Street El Dorado, Arkansas 71730

870-864-7080

Literacy Council

w e the people of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union,

establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. Today’s politicians can’t even agree on what the New Hampshire state bird should be, it’s hard to imagine a time when our nation’s Founding Fathers got together and agreed on a set of laws to form the structure of the United State’s government. Appropriately, for this time of brief, brief unity, the Constitution begins “We the people”. Those people established justice, tranquility, and prosperity...and the “we” of today have been arguing about it ever since. Did you know that the Declaration of Independence

wasn’t signed on July 4th? Congress adopted the Declaration on the 4th of July 1776, but it became official July 9th, 1776.

Did you know that more than one copy exists? Did you know that when the news of the Declaration

of Independence reached New York City, it started a riot? (With hundreds of British naval ships occupying New York Harbor, revolutionary spirit and military tensions running high, George Washington, commander of the Continental forces in New York, read the document aloud in front of City Hall. A raucous crown cheered the inspiring words, and later that day tore down a nearby statue of George III. The statue was subsequently melted down and shaped into more than 42,000 musket balls for the fledging

American army. Did you know that eight of the 56 signers of the

Declaration of Independence were from Britain? Did you know one signer later recanted-Richard

Stockton, a lawyer from Princeton, New Jersey, became the only signer to recant his signature?

Did you know there was a 44 year difference in the oldest signer to the youngest signer of the Declaration of Independence? Benjamin Franklin was 70 years old and Edward Rutledge was only 26 years old.

Did you know that the Declaration of Independence spent WWII in Fort Knox?

Did you know there is something written on the back of the Declaration of Independence? In the movie “National Treasure,” Nicholas Cage’s character claims that the back of the Declaration contains a treasure map with encrypted instructions from the founding fathers, written in invisible ink. Unfortunately, this is not the case. There is, however, a simpler message, written upside-down across the bottom of the signed document: “Original Declaration of Independence dated 4th July 1776.” No one knows who exactly wrote this or when, but during the Revolutionary War years the parchment was frequently rolled up for transport. It’s thought that the text was added as a label.

https://www.history.com/news/9-things-you-may-not-know-about-the-declaration-of-independence

2 Sonnie Bell James Miears 3 Steve Terry 5 Barbara Nicklaus 6 Carolyn Norman 7 Betty Lorenz 10 Debbie Clark 13 Peggy Lybarger 14 Mary Guthrie 15 Julie Smith 16 Sandra Anderson Doris Ashcraft Wylie George 17 Joan Perdue 19 Teressa Cox 25 Polly DeBruin 28 JoAnn Jones Shari Terry

1 Arneila Gulick 3 Margaret Ross 8 Lavella Dornan 13 Dohnna Williams 14 Jean Coleman Jo Lowery 15 Judy Kyle 16 Virginia Brown Bobbie Carpenter Gina Mitchell 18 Mel Herr Janelle Williams 20 Linda Kalcich 23 Patricia Trincia 24 Bob Stephenson Betty Washington 27 William Jamerson Lynda Sinyard Cherry Smith Nancy Webb 28 Annette Culpepper 29 Janell Decossas 30 Barbara Dickson Wanda Moreland 31 Bobby Williams

What To Do If You Get a Robocall

If you have a telephone, robocalls may be ruining your day. If you answer the phone and hear a recorded message

instead of a live person, it’s a robocall. If the recording is a sales message and you haven’t given your written permission to get calls from the company on the other end, the call is illegal-PERIOD.

So when you get an illegal robocall, here’s what to do. 1. Hang up the phone. 2. Don’t press one to speak to a live operator. 3. Don’t press any other number to get off the list. If you respond by pressing any number, it will probably just lead to more robocalls. You might consider contacting your phone provider and asking them to block the number and whether they charge for that service. *Remember that telemarketers change caller ID information easily and often. So it might not be worth paying a fee to block a number that will change. Finally, contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to report your experience. You can do that online at ftc.gov or by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP. To learn more about illegal robocalls and what the FTC is doing to stop them, visit ftc.gov/robocalls. *Report calls that use a recorded message instead of a live person (whether or not your number is on the Do Not Call Registry).

Genetic Testing Awareness • Do not consent to any lab tests at senior centers, health fairs, or in your home. Be suspicious of anyone claiming that genetic tests and cancer screening

are at no cost to you. • Genetic tests and cancer screenings must be

medically necessary and ordered by your doctor to be covered by Medicare. Random genetic testing and cancer screenings aren’t covered by Medicare. If you are interested in the test, speak to your doctor.

• Monitor your Medicare Summary Notices to see if there are any services you didn’t have or didn’t want but were billed for. (MSN) are sent out every three months. If you get any services or medical supplies charged to your Medicare during that 3-month period they will show up on your MSN.

Don’t become a victim of FRAUD and Scammers! Watch out.

RSVP Volunteers

Senior Safety Workshop

Thursday, August 8th, 2019 St. Mary’s Parish Hall 9:30 a.m. –11:30 a.m.

*Special Speaker-Officer Chris Lutman

• Are you aware of your surroundings when you’re

shopping? Do you know what to look out for? • Do you know the dangers of Opioids?

• Do you know what to do if your identity has been compromised or stolen?

Q: “Why don’t you play poker in the jungle.” A: Too many cheetahs

Fun Fact:

August was named in honor of Augustus

Caesar. It has 31 days because Augustus

wanted as many days as Julius Caesar's month of

July.

Please turn in your timesheet at the end of July. We need your

volunteer hours monthly. Thanks

Schools out for the summer for children, but for an adult who can’t read, there isn’t a vacation.

You can make a difference

Volunteer with the Literacy Councils of Union and Columbia Counties.

If not us, who? If not now, when? `John F. Kennedy

Union County Columbia County 870-864.807 870-234-6064

National Day of Service and Remembrance

Every year for the 911 National Day of Service and Remembrance, Tri-County RSVP

volunteers participate in a community service project. This year, we are asking you to collect non-perishable food items and bring them to El Dorado Connections, 824 Camp Street to be distributed to local food pantries on September 11th, 2019. According to the 2018 studies done by countyhealthranksings.org, Union County has approximately 8,580 people who are food insecure. That is 21% of the population that doesn’t have proper food to stay healthy. Help us make a difference in their lives.

12 Easy Ways to Volunteer

Serve meals at a local shelter or community kitchen Become a tutor or mentor

Host a resume writing/review workshop Organize a food donation drive-get a list of items local

food pantries need in advance Connect with local, state, or national park services to

beautify parks Serve at a community garden

Make and distribute disaster preparedness kits Help with free tax prep services

Read to students or seniors-contact a local community or senior center

Volunteer at an animal shelter Offer to rake leaves, clear a walkway, run an errand, or

replace lightbulbs for a neighbor Take a neighbor to their doctors appointment, grocery

store, or pick up their medicines.

Volunteer all year

Summertime Chicken Tacos

4 skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1”strips

Season with: 3 tsp extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, 2 tsp chili powder, 2 tsp. cumin, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, 1/4 tsp cayenne, 1/4 tsp paprika 8-corn tortillas, warmed

Toppings: Thinly sliced red onion, diced tomatoes, shredded Monterey Jack cheese, diced avocados, fresh cilantro, lime wedges Directions: 1. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil.

Season chicken with salt, pepper and add to skillet. Cook until golden, 6 minutes. Add spices and stir until coated, cook 1 minute more.

2. Build your tacos and enjoy!

Volunteer Spotlight Rosie Hicks

Rosie has been a RSVP volunteer for three years but she has been busy volunteering for many years before she joined RSVP. She volunteers at local food pantries, carries meals to homebound individuals, has a nursing home and a jail ministry. When

Rosie heard about the Phone Pal Program that El Dorado Connections had started, she knew this was something she wanted to be involved with because it’s a great way for her to reach out to those individuals who didn’t have any family living close by. Rosie is also very active in the Senior Medicare Patrol Program (SMP) where she gets to share with senior adults the importance of watching out for scammers who want to steal their Medicare information. Rosie and her husband, Larry will be celebrating their 50th Wedding Anniversary July 26th. They have 4 children, 14 grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild. Before retiring, Rosie was the Executive Secretary at Sims Mortuary. She loves spending time with her grandchildren, riding ATV’s, fishing and reading. Rosie and Larry started the “Circle H Ranch” (20 years ago) where kids from all over can learn how to work on a ranch. Rosie said that along this journey they want to teach future generations great work ethics and be productive citizens when they grow up. Thank you Rosie for your love of people and your winning smiles.

Literacy Council News

824 Camp Street El Dorado, Arkansas 71730

RETURNED SERVICE REQUESTED

South AR Regional Health Center

715 N. College, El Dorado, AR 71730

Transportation for Senior Adults 60 years of age and older

870-864-7082

Do you need a ride to the doctor? To the grocery store? Or to pay some bills. Give us a call we can make it happen.

• 24 hour notice for local • 48 hour notice for long distance

MISSION STATEMENT

To provide a variety of opportunities for citizens to participate more fully in the life of their community through significant volunteer service and to advocate for the aging population in South Arkansas.

RSVP STAFF

Julia Amis, Director Dara Stanfill, Literacy Dir./Admin Asst.

Cheryl Splawn, Volunteer Manager

EL DORADO CONNECTIONS/RSVP ADVISORY COUNCIL 2019

Bill Odom-Chair Leroy Shelton-Vice Chair

Lucy Bawel Vince Dawson

Vicki de Yampert Bonnie Miears Annette Pate Connie Short

Barbara Warrick

Our Advisory Council Volunteers are the best!