Author: norwichadmin

Farmer’s Market Coupon Distribution Plan

Posted on July 2, 2020 by Norwich

Farmer’s Market coupons are available to low income seniors who meet certain eligibility requirements.

Eligibility Requirements in order to receive a coupon booklet:

¨ You must be 60 years or older.

¨ Yearly income not to exceed $23,606 for single or $31,894 for couple.

¨ Must be participating in another need based program that verifies income eligibility such as Renter’s Rebate, Congregate Meal Program, Medicaid, SNAP, etc.

¨ You must be a resident of the town you receive the coupon booklet from.

¨ If you are under 60 and disabled you must meet all other eligibility requirements and live in subsidized housing to be eligible.

HOW TO RECEIVE A COUPON BOOKLET:

If you live in any Norwich Area Senior Housing:

If you live in Senior or Congregate Housing you MUST obtain your coupons at that housing.

ALL Norwich Senior Housings will receive booklets, hopefully in mid to late July, to distribute to their residents.  You must contact either the Resident Service Coordinator or his/her designee.

You will be required to verbally state that you meet the income limits and criteria for receiving.  You will be asked to give a small amount of information such as Name and Address.  You do not need to sign for the coupons.  If you will be accepting the coupons and someone else will be shopping for you, you will be required to fill out a Proxy form, which your Resident Service Coordinator will have.

Limit of one coupon booklet per eligible senior.  You CANNOT get booklets from multiple sites.

If you live in the Norwich/Taftville Community (non-senior housing):

On or after July 20th you must call the Senior Center at (860) 889-5960 to register yourself for a booklet.  Once you have registered, you will be given a date and a time frame for which you can come to the Senior Center and pick up your coupons.

You will be required to verbally state that you meet the income limits and criteria for receiving when you call to register. You will be asked to give a small amount of information such as Name and Address.  You do not need to sign for the coupons.  If you will be accepting the coupons and someone else will be shopping for you, please indicate that so we can include the Proxy form with your coupons when you come for pickup.

Limit of one coupon booklet per eligible senior.  You CANNOT get booklets from multiple sites.

You may ONLY receive a booklet if you live in the City of Norwich or Taftville.

The Rose City Senior Center is currently closed to the public.  Please DO NOT show up unless you have called to register for a booklet and have been given a date and time to pick it up.

 

2020 Census- If you have not yet completed the 2020 Census, please do so today.

Posted on July 2, 2020 by Norwich

Every household has been mailed the 2020 Census form and your response is required by law.  You can complete the Census online following the instructions that were included in the mailing or you can complete and return the paper questionnaire that was mailed to you.

For those who do not complete the form online or by filling out and returning the paper form, a Census worker will be sent to your home starting sometime in August.

Filling out and returning your responses to the 2020 Census is important for our local community.  For every person Norwich does not count we lose $2900 in taxes…taxes that could go towards fixing roads and bridges, housing assistance, education or even supporting programs like Medicare part B.

If you need help completing the 2020 Census, please call the Senior Center.  Everyone Counts!

 

Email Address

Posted on July 2, 2020 by Norwich

Send me your email address and stay up-to-date with any changes. 

During this time it is difficult to contact all Senior Center Members using one form of communication.  If you would like to be contacted by email about updates and information

about the Senior Center during our closure, please send me your email address.  Although we are uncertain at this point of when we will be reopening and the changes that will be in place once we do, we will email you as soon as we have definite information in place.

Please send Hilary a quick email to be included on our email list.

hsandberg@cityofnorwich.org  

 

A Note from Mike:

Posted on July 2, 2020 by Norwich

With all the unrest in the country, we felt it was appropriate to make a statement about our beliefs here at the Rose City Senior Center:

We want people to walk through our doors and instantly feel welcomed, to know they have a place where they can freely be themselves without any sort of negativity or judgement.

Inclusive is defined as “containing as part of a whole”.  The Rose City Senior Center is exactly that.

We welcome everyone (over the age of 55, of course) no matter your race, religion, socio-economic status, sex, sexual orientation or disability.  Non-discrimination, which seeks to guarantee that human rights are exercised without any sort of discrimination is what the Rose City Senior Center is all about.

We will continue to uphold this belief and practice to the very best of our ability.

 

Need Help? We are Here for YOU!

Posted on July 2, 2020 by Norwich

Even though the Senior Center is currently closed to the public, we are still offering limited services.  If you need any assistance or have a question, please do not hesitate to call us.  (860) 889-5960

Grocery Shopping – One of our Senior Center drivers will shop for you and deliver your groceries to your house.  Call the Senior Center with your grocery order then sit back and relax while we shop for you.  Payment can be made in various ways.  Call for information.

Transportation to Doctor Appointments – Call the Senior Center to arraign transportation to a needed doctor appointment.  We just ask that you call your doctor to double check they are currently open and to check if your doctor recommends rescheduling a routine or non-emergency appointment.

Outreach Administrator – Carolyn is currently working from home but is still available for help with State Benefit renewals, health insurance and prescription drug plans, Renters Rebate, housing, Medicare plus other needs.  Please leave a message on her voicemail and she will call you back.

Program Administrator – Hilary is currently working from home but is still available to answer questions about cancelled programs or trips, general Senior Center and Newsletter questions, and information about current online classes offered by our instructors or help with other online classes.  Please leave a message on her voicemail or email hsandberg@cityofnorwich.org.

 

Grannys and Grandkids – Content by Judy

Posted on June 4, 2020 by Norwich

Of the many stages of life there are wins and losses. There are gifts and disasters. There are blessings and tragedies. We can all compare notes of what each of these has been for us, but I will declare loudly my biggest blessing has been being a Granny.

Nothing holds a candle to the moment you hold your first grandchild and realize that new baby is a part of you. In that moment, your life changes forever as you hope to help grow that baby into adulthood. And with each new grandchild that realization continues to grow.

You hold them. You watch that baby grow. You watch them and their parents grow into a family…….. Remembering to be supportive of the parents. Remembering you wanted to raise your kids your way. They do too. So, help the parents by following their schedules and rules.

Build a closeness with those babies because ties between Grandparents and Grandchildren can be so valuable for both groups.

And today’s ways of staying in touch help so much. We have Smart phones, Alexa, text, messenger, Zoom, Facetime, WebEx and so much more. Options seem limitless and sure help Grandparents watch those babies grow even when families live far apart. Plus we can still write a letter. Send a card.

Studies show these relationships have benefits for both. There is less depression in both groups and fewer behavior and emotional problems for the Grandchildren. Even fewer difficulties with peers. Grandparents can help by telling how they handled similar situations when they were growing up. Offer solutions and different ways of looking at things.

And grandkids keep the Grandparents in touch and up to date with what’s happening in today’s world. Expose Grandparents to different ideas and the new meanings of age-old problems.

Grandparents often have the time to spend with the kids. They can often do the things with the grandkids they did not have the time or money to do as they raised their own children.

Grandparents can help teach values. Right from wrong. Reinforce manners and other lessons parents encourage the Grandparents to share. Sometimes Grandparents become the confidant for the kids. The one who they can turn to. The adult who it is safe to share worries or problems with.

And remember it is not all easy!! Like the rest of life there are bumps in the road. Mistakes are made. Things are misunderstood.

Plus keep in mind sometimes a child’s grandparent might really be Great Aunt or Uncle. Or they might not even be related at all. It could a neighbor, a family friend, the babysitter, or someone else who is close to the family. So whoever you are, remember you are important and can truly make a difference in that child’s life. And your life will be much richer for it too.

So, help the parents. Offer date nights.  Babysit. Have a sleepover.

Get out there and take a kid to a museum, a park, for a walk, play a game and you will both have a great, meaningful time.

Online Classes and Other Things To Do Online!- Contact Hilary with any questions! hsandberg@cityofnorwich.org

Posted on June 3, 2020 by Norwich

Exercise Classes (Youtube, Videos and Zoom)

  • https://ymcasv.org/virtual-resource-center/virtual-workouts

The YMCA of Silicon Valley is offering free Youtube fitness videos and is also currently offering free live Zoom fitness classes.  (Zoom class times are PST)

  • https://ymcamv.org/fitness-schedule

The YMCA of Martha’s Vineyard is offering free live Zoom fitness classes.

  • https://ymca360.org/on-demand

YMCA 360 is offering free fitness videos, including videos for Active Older Adults.

  • https://silversneakers.com

SilverSneakers offers over 200 free nutrition and workout videos available to adults 65+ on participating Medicare plans.  Check eligibility and sign up on their website.

Other Things To Do Online

  • https://stories.mysticseaport.org

Mystic Seaport Digital Museum is offering videos, articles and stories related to their museum.

  • https://Livestream.com/watch

Livestream offers free videos, live events, webcams and music.

  • https://greatbigstory.com

Great Big Story offers videos on travel, food, culture and more through short films, series,  and micro-documentaries.

  • https://metopera.org

The Metropolitan Opera is offering a nightly free full length opera starting at 7:30pm each night and available to view until 6:30pm the following evening.

  • https://ctvisit.org

The Connecticut Office of Tourism website is offering a selection of links to virtual activities across Connecticut, along with webcams and restaurants offering take-out and delivery.

 

Renter’s Rebate Program

Posted on June 3, 2020 by Norwich

Assistance is available over the phone to apply. 

No in-person appointments at this time.

Please contact the appropriate person (below) for more information.

A program for low income elderly (65+) or disabled individuals who have rented in CT in 2019 and have not applied for the homeowners Circuit Breaker Program.  Program open through October 1, 2020.

Income Limits:

Single: $37,000 yearly or less   

Couple: $45,100 yearly or less

 

For assistance, please call:

Norwich residents, 55 and older call the Rose City Senior Center at (860) 889-5960.

Ask for Carolyn’s voicemail and leave a message.  Carolyn will call you back.

If you are under 55 and a Norwich resident, call Norwich Human Services at (860) 823-3778.

► If you reside in Senior Housing, please call your

 Resident Services Coordinator at your housing complex for information.

 

Voice Connect ~ Senior Center Robocall

Posted on June 3, 2020 by Norwich

We have recently starting using a new feature through MySeniorCenter called Voice Connect. 

Voice Connect is a robocall which will send out a recorded message to Senior Center Members.  This message can be sent to a select group or to all Senior Center Members who have scanned in over a period of time.  This is just another tool we will be utilizing to get information out to people.

Please be aware that the Senior Center’s phone number, (860) 889-5960, will come up on your caller ID and it will indicate the call is from “City of Norwich”.  This is a legitimate robocall coming from the Senior Center.  The recorded message will be from Mike or Hilary and will be our actual voice not a computerized voice.

You do NOT have to call us back or respond to these robocalls unless otherwise asked to do so in the message or if you have a question.  Our phone number is (860) 889-5960.  Always remember, if you ever receive a suspicious phone call indicating it is from the Senior Center, please let us know!  Be safe!