Dutchess County Office for the Aging’s
AGING NEWS
For the week of June 24th
Note: the Office for the Aging and its Senior Friendship Centers will be closed for Independence Day on July 4th. The OFA Home Delivered Meals program will not operate on July 4th and July 5th, with clients receiving shelf-stable meals in advance.
Golden Living . . . News for Seniors, Their Families and Caregivers
Todd N. Tancredi, Director
Dutchess County Office for the Aging
FARMERS MARKET COUPONS AVAILABLE
FOR LOW-INCOME SENIORS
The New York State Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) provides coupons for low-income seniors. The purpose of the program is twofold: to promote improved nutrition through increased consumption of local, fresh fruits and vegetables; and to expand sales at farmers markets and farm stands.
This year’s coupons are now available to income-eligible seniors in Dutchess County.
The coupons can be exchanged for locally grown fruit and vegetables at participating farmers markets in Dutchess County and elsewhere in New York State. Contact the Office for the Aging at (845) 486-2555 for eligibility and distribution information. Seniors with residences in low-income senior housing in Dutchess County may be able to find out more from their residence administrator.
The coupons will be valid through the 2019 growing season, until November 30th, or until a participating market closes for the winter, whichever comes first. Treat coupons like cash; they cannot be replaced if lost or stolen.
Look for vendors that display the sign, “We Gladly Accept NYS FMNP Checks.” Here are the participating markets and stands in Dutchess County, along with hours of operation; many continue operations after the FMNP coupons expire November 30th, and some operate year-round:
- Arlington Farmer’s Market, Vassar College Alumni Lawn, 123 Raymond Ave., Poughkeepsie (Thursdays 3-7 p.m. until October 31st)
- Dykeman Farm, 31 Dykeman Lane, Pawling (daily 9 a.m.-6 p.m., July 1st – October 31st)
- Millerton Farmers’ Market, Millerton Methodist Church (Saturdays 10 a.m.-2 p.m.)
- Obercreek Farm Stand, 87 New Hamburg Rd., Wappingers Falls (Wed-Fri 4-7 p.m. and Saturdays 9 a.m.-5 p.m. until October 31st)
- Pawling Farmers Market, Pawling Village Green (Saturdays 9 a.m.-1 p.m., June 15th until September 12th)
- Poughkeepsie Waterfront Farmers Market, 75 N. Water St. (Mondays, 3-6:30 p.m. until September 2nd)
- Rhinebeck Farmers Market, Municipal Lot at 61 E. Market St. (Sundays 10 a.m.–2 p.m. until November 30th)
- Z Farms Farm Stand, 355 Poplar Hill Rd., Dover Plains (daily 9 a.m.–6 p.m.)
Additionally, Dutchess Outreach operates farmers markets in several Poughkeepsie-area locations until November 13th. Find out more atwww.dutchessoutreach.org or call (845) 454-3792.
Participating farmers may only accept New York FMNP checks for fruits, vegetables and culinary herbs that are fresh, local and unprocessed. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Local vegetables like cucumbers, potatoes, lettuce, bok choy, etc.;
- Local fruits like apples, berries, currants, etc;
- Local edible pumpkins;
- Local edible mushrooms;
- Local cut herbs for cooking, like basil, mint, thyme, etc.
Fruits and vegetables that are NOT locally grown (for example, bananas) are not eligible to be included in the FMNP program, nor are baked goods, potted plants and herbs, ornamental gourds or corn, painted pumpkins, juice or cider, eggs, meat, dairy products, jams and jellies, cut flowers, honey and maple syrup.
Note: The Office for the Aging and its Senior Friendship Centers will be closed for Independence Day on Thursday, July 4th. Clients of the OFA Home Delivered Meals program will receive shelf-stable meals for Thursday, July 4th and Friday, July 5th.
Golden Living is prepared by the Dutchess County Office for the Aging, 114 Delafield St., Poughkeepsie, New York 12601, telephone (845) 486-2555, email:ofa@dutchessny.gov website: www.dutchessny.gov/aging
Office for the Aging events schedule
See the online calendar at www.dutchessny.gov to find out more
(All events subject to change)
Mon 6/24, 11 a.m. – The Benefits of Local Farmers Markets
With OFA nutrition coordinator Nimesh Bhargava
Millerton Senior Friendship Center at the Millerton Library Annex
28 Century Blvd., Millerton
Thu 6/27, 11 a.m. – The Benefits of Local Farmers Markets
With OFA nutrition coordinator Nimesh Bhargava
East Fishkill Senior Friendship Center
890 NY 82, Hopewell Junction
Fri 6/28, 11 a.m. – The Benefits of Local Farmers Markets
With OFA nutrition Coordinator Nimesh Bhargava
City of Poughkeepsie Senior Friendship Center
114 Delafield St., Poughkeepsie
Mon 7/15, 11 a.m. – The Benefits of Local Farmers Markets
With OFA nutrition coordinator Nimesh Bhargava
Kings Apartments, 20 Pine Dr., Pawling
Thu 7/25, 1 p.m. – OFA Scam Prevention Presentation
With OFA outreach coordinator Brian Jones
Arbor Ridge, 11 Mountain Laurel Lane, Rhinebeck
WAPPINGERS-AREA PICNIC VOLUNTEERS WANTED (Wed 6/26)
This week’s Senior Picnic, for residents of the Town of Wappinger and Village of Wappingers Falls, is taking place at the Robinson Lane recreational facility (95 Robinson Lane) on Wednesday, June 26th – and if you’d like to volunteer to help your senior friends and neighbors enjoy the day, please get in touch with OFA Outreach Coordinator Brian Jones at bjones@dutchessny.gov or (845) 486-2555.
This is the fifth picnic of 12 on the schedule, which is available at www.dutchessny.gov/seniorpicnic.
PAWLING-AREA HOME DELIVERED MEALS DRIVERS WANTED
For many years, hundreds of senior citizen residents of Dutchess County who live in their own homes but are unable to cook, shop, or prepare meals have benefitted from the Office for the Aging’s Home Delivered Meals (HDM) program, which has made hot, nutritious midday meals available for most locations in the county Monday through Friday, along with frozen and shelf-stable meals for cases when inclement weather prevents delivery of hot meals.
Volunteers are currently needed immediately, to drive for the HDM program in Pawling and southeastern Dutchess County. Whether you’re available one weekday or five, we can accommodate your schedule. To learn more about HDM volunteering, contact the Office for the Aging at (845) 486-2555 or ofa@dutchessny.gov.
Office for the Aging director Todd Tancredi says that on any given weekday, a team of Office for the Aging staff and volunteers prepares and delivers hot midday meals to about 330 homebound seniors, along with frozen and shelf-stable meals as needed.
“The Home Delivered Meals program serves two key purposes,” he said. “Not only do we help ensure that seniors are getting a nutritious meal, the delivery also serves as a daily wellness check for the seniors. If our drivers notice that a senior isn’t available to receive their meal, and there’s no explanation, they’re trained to take appropriate action depending on the situation.”
There is an OFA Senior Friendship Center in Pawling at 154 Charles Colman Blvd., which operates Tuesdays through Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., along with seven other Friendship Centers countywide.
For seniors who want to learn more about qualifying for Home Delivered Meals, as well as the Senior Friendship Centers and other services available to aging residents of Dutchess County, call (845) 486-2555 (866-486-2555 outside the 845 area code), go to www.dutchessny.gov/aging, or email ofa@dutchessny.gov.
NORTH EAST COMMUNITY CENTER FUNDRAISER (Sun 7/28)
Tickets are now available for the 9th annual Chef & Farmer Brunch, taking place on Sunday, July 28th from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Millbrook School (131 Millbrook School Rd., Millbrook), raising money for the Millerton-based North East Community Center, which provides transportation for seniors and others in need in northeastern Dutchess County to medical appointments as well as the Millerton Farmer’s Market, along with after-school programming for children in the Webutuck school district.
The brunch will feature a smorgasbord of local culinary delights created through a collaboration of area chefs, farmers and beverage artisans. This year the North East Community Center Community Service Award will be presented to Carol Sadlon to honor Carol and her late husband, Robert.
For more information, visit www.neccmillerton.org.
Other aging news online:
An excellent all-purpose scam prevention and education site, from the federal government: www.onguardonline.gov
There are loads of wrong ways to remove a tick, mainly involving “folk remedies” and other popular myths. Here’s a good roundup of the right way, along with prevention measures: https://www.popularmechanics.com/adventure/outdoors/a27185523/how-to-remove-a-tick/
Your perception of what counts as “old” changes as you age. Here’s why: https://khn.org/news/why-your-perception-of-old-changes-as-you-age/
Helpful news about the increase in human lifespan, especially if you have any elderly Swedes or Danes in your life: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/human-life-expectancy-increase-ageing-healthcare-sweden-denmark-medicine-a8944151.html
There have been quite a few recent developments in the field of blocking robocalls and calls from likely scammers. This article goes pretty deep into government jargon, but the upshot is that consumers are getting more options to protect themselves: https://www.natlawreview.com/article/tcpa-regulatory-update-fcc-allows-default-call-blocking-services-plans-shakenstir
Mel Brooks turns 93 this coming week and just completed a return to Broadway: http://www.playbill.com/article/mel-brooks-returns-to-broadway-as-part-of-in-residence-series-at-the-lunt-fontanne
This week in senior birthdays:
6/24: Guitarist/songwriter Jeff Beck (75)
6/25: TV/stage actress June Lockhart (94)
6/26: Singer Billy Davis, Jr. (81)
6/27: Businessman/politican H. Ross Perot (89)
6/28: Comedy legend Mel Brooks (93)
6/29: Actor Gary Busey (75)
6/30: Mets/Yankees outfielder Ron Swoboda (75)
Since school ends this week, this week’s Bad Joke is for all the teachers (and retired teachers):
I asked my teacher for advice when taking my math exam, and he said that you should always read through the paper first. That’s the last time I listen to him. I was halfway through my horoscope when I heard, “Okay, pencils down.”
Brian Jones
Outreach Coordinator
Dutchess County Office For the Aging
114 Delafield St.
Poughkeepsie NY 12601
Main office: (845) 486-2555
Direct line to my desk: (845) 486-2544
