Empty Stocking Fund helps elderly woman pay her water bill

Loretta didn’t know where to turn when a major plumbing problem caused her home to flood. Her home suffered substantial water damage and her water bill skyrocketed.
The Athens-Clarke County Water Department was able to adjust her increased bill slightly, but due to Loretta’s fixed income, she could only afford to pay a portion of the bill.
The Empty Stocking Fund gave Loretta $100 to help pay the remaining balance, preventing the loss of utility services.
The Empty Stocking Fund is an annual holiday fundraising campaign. Its mission is rooted in relieving the plight of poverty-stricken Athens residents, who have been turned down or have been unable to secure adequate finical aid through other organizations.
Last year, donors contributed nearly $60,000 to the Athens Banner-Herald Empty Stocking Fund.
Unlike some holiday fundraisers, proceeds are not used to buy toys or other holiday gifts.
Money raised through the Empty Stocking campaign are used to help families at risk of eviction pay rent and many other necessary expenses, including medical, power and water bills.
All recipients helped through the Empty Stocking Fund are referred to the charity by an area agency.
All checks mailed out through the Empty Stocking Fund are written directly to vendors, not individuals.
To donate, make checks payable to the Athens Banner-Herald Empty Stocking Fund and mail to Athens Banner-Herald, P.O. Box 912, Athens, GA 30603. Credit card donations can be made by calling (706) 559-7135. A list of this year’s contributors will appear in the Banner-Herald each Sunday.
All referrals for assistance must be submitted by an area agency at emptystocking@onlineathens.com.

Helping Your Elderly Parents Plan Their Estate

As the Baby Boomer generation continues to age, millions of Americans are finding themselves in an awkward, critical position: their elderly parents  need assistance with their estate planning, but they are hesitant to ask for help from their adult children or don’t think they need to plan their estate at all.
This can be a very delicate situation, both on a personal and legal level. Children only want the best for their parents – and they will end up having to handle any issues with the estate that surface after their parents are gone. On the other hand, parents may continue to be private about their financial lives or simply stubborn that the time has come to plan.
How can you help your elderly parents plan their estate?

• Put their health and care first. The most important aspects of your elderly parents’ estate plan don’t have to do with their property or their wealth. Instead, your primary focus should be to ensure that they have the funds to live comfortably and pay for their end-of-life care. In addition, you need to make sure that they have a power of attorney for health care so that someone they trust will be in charge of their health care decisions in case they become incapacitated.

• Set up a durable power of attorney. Sadly, as your parents age, the chances increase that they won’t be able to make their own financial decisions. Setting up a durable power of attorney can give everyone in the family peace knowing that they will be cared for by someone loving and able. It also ensures that they will have complete control until they can no longer care for themselves.

• Understand their wishes. Do you really know what your parents want from their estate plan, or are you just making assumptions? If your parents are able, sit them down and have a serious talk about what they want: from their end-of-life care to their will to their charitable causes. Once you know exactly what their goals are, it will be easier to take the first step toward creating an estate plan with a professional.

• Look for financial abuse. Especially if your parents are in an assisted living home, or especially they will be passing on significant wealth, you should familiarize yourself with the red flags of financial abuse. Are your parents withdrawing unusual sums of money, missing key payments, or becoming confused about their finances? The elderly are also often targets of scams, and you may be the only person who can alert them to the danger.

• Respect their personal boundaries. Even if you believe you are doing what is best for your parents, at some point you have to respect their wishes. If they are mentally competent and understand their actions, and if they are sure they do not need assistance, you may not be able to help them.

• Bring in help. Your parents may not feel comfortable having you help them with their financial planning and end-of-life plan. Or they may not trust that you have all of the answers. They may be more amenable to having an outside professional help, including a tax accountant, a financial planner, and an estate planner.

Estate planning for the elderly is vital – and if your parents need help, we can provide that assistance with patience and understanding.

Get Carpet Cleaning In Professional Way

Nowadays, people spend most of their time in the office and it is for this reason that the management of the company must ensure that the external environment of the company is kept clean at all times. In hiring a professional carpet cleaner to handle carpet cleaning Northampton, a business or home owner can seek the referrals of friends, family members and colleagues who have already hired a carpet cleaner. Cleaning services utilize a high-pressure steam and a chemical that will completely restore your aged tile and grout to their original colors. If you have stains that you cannot remove yourself, call in the professionals.


Professional carpet cleaning Northampton includes steam cleaning, simple rotational brush cleaning, absorbent method, dry foam extraction, dry extraction and vacuum extraction. If you are unsure about their effectiveness, they will come out and offer you a consultation. When expert knowledge is accompanied with the best technology applied to different types of fabrics and on expensive carpets, it is sure to yield the desired results. There are companies that offer affordable quotes for monthly cleaning. It is therefore important to research on the cost of services of different companies before making a decision. Your home will be fresh again for breathing! Cleaned and fresh carpets are central to all the feelings mentioned above.

Bills' staff member responds to radio report, helps dig out elderly woman during snowstorm

Allen Park, Mich. — Football wasn't a priority in Buffalo this week.

With more than six feet of snow falling in the towns south of Buffalo throughout the week, the Bills had a hectic week relocating their operation to Detroit to prepare to play a home game at a neutral site. But some members of the Buffalo Bills' staff also did what they could to help in the community.
bill connellBill Connell

During the snowstorm, a nurse called into radio station WBEN and said she couldn't get to an elderly couple's home to care for them. Bill Connell, a member of the Bills' operations staff, was sitting in his office when he heard the call and realized the couple was located close to One Bills Drive. That's when he decided to help.

Connell grabbed another member of the Bills' staff and brought two Skid-Steer loaders because a plow truck wasn't going to be enough. They had to move seven feet of snow from in front of the couple's home to dig them out.

While he was there, Connell went next door to assist someone with a heart condition and arthritis. Both families were very appreciative.

Spain club Rayo vows to help elderly evicted woman

MADRID (AP) — Spanish club Rayo Vallecano says it will help an elderly woman who was evicted from her apartment located near its stadium.

Rayo coach Paco Jemez says "we are going to help this woman, not just me, but the coaching staff, the players, the club."

Jemez says the 85-year-old woman was evicted after her son used her apartment as collateral on a loan that he later couldn't repay.

He says the club will explain exactly what measures it will take to help the woman later this week.

A banner saying "Rayo against evictions" was seen at Vallecas Stadium during Sunday's match.

Rayo has one of the smallest budgets in la Liga. Last season it ran a budget of seven million euros ($8.6 million), compared to city rival Real Madrid's €580 million ($718 million).

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Efficient manner domestic cleaning in Worcester

When you are looking for someone to come and clean your carpets, take the time to do the research and best of the best service provider. There are companies that offer affordable quotes for monthly cleaning.

It is therefore important to research on the cost of services of different companies before making a decision. Professional carpet cleaning includes steam cleaning, simple rotational brush cleaning, absorbent method, dry foam extraction, dry extraction and vacuum extraction. If you are unsure about their effectiveness, they will come out and offer you a consultation. In hiring a professional carpet cleaner to handle carpet cleaning Worcester, a home or business owner can seek the referrals of friends, family members and colleagues who have already hired a carpet cleaner. Professional carpet cleaning companies can do this job with proper equipment and using cleaning chemicals, shampoos and alkaline. Your home will be fresh again for breathing! Cleaned and fresh carpets are central to all the feelings mentioned above. They can provide you with the desired level of cleanliness and your carpet will look cleaner and fresher. Regular cleaning of carpets will eliminate all these possible health issues. The institute of inspection, cleaning Worcester provides guidance and has standardized carpet cleaning in a professional way.

Operation Santa helps disabled, elderly residents

SALEM — Rockingham Community Action is looking to help low-income, elderly, and disabled people through its Operation Santa program. Last year, RCA helped 33 elderly and disabled people without families. This year, RCA Administrator Patte Ardizzoni said the organization is looking to surpass that number.
RCA is looking for monetary donations to buy postage, stationery, coffee mugs, sweatshirts, pants, and books for recipients referred by local agencies that have clients without family support. The gifts are wrapped and delivered by RCA staff and include a note from Santa.

Checks should be made out to Rockingham Community Action with Operation Santa in the memo. The checks can be mailed to or dropped off at 4 Cutts St., Portsmouth, NH 03801.