Senior Center News, July 25, 2024

North Central Senior Center

July 29 to Aug. 2

Menu

Menu subject to change

Menu not state-approved

Monday, July 29, 2024 — Lemon chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, frosted cake

Tuesday, July 30, 2024 —  Sweet-and-sour turkey meat balls, rice, corn, pears

Wednesday, July 31, 2024 — Roast beef, mashed potatoes and gravy, peas and carrots, oranges, Jell-O

Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024 — Teriyaki chicken, pineapple ring, corn, oranges

Friday, Aug. 2, 2024 — Split pea soup, egg salad sandwich, peas and carrots, pears

Rudyard Center News: Until further notice, there will be no meals prepared at the Rudyard Senior Center. Jessie, our cook, has been called out to fight fires.

Important: We have hired a cook for the Rudyard Center and will now be training for a week or two. We will continue with Meals on Wheels. We are going to hire a driver for the MOW families and make sure everyone gets their meals. Addresses are a little more rural than we are used to, but we will be doing our best.

Hiring driver for Rudyard: We are still working on hiring a driver for our Home Delivered Meals program in Rudyard. If anyone is interested in this position, please get in touch with us here at the North Central Senior Center in Havre. The position is part time, from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Please call us at 406-265-5464 for more information regarding this position.

News from our gift shop: Summer has arrived. New items are added to our shelves often. New this week. 4 “NEW Men’s Watches”. “NEW” baby afghan and slippers, serving dishes ---adult games. Other items include picture frames, handmade fishing flies, knick knacks, decorative shelves, 12 X 12 pillow forms and more. Priced to sell are puzzles for 50 cents each, and all occasion cards for 25 cents each. Donations welcome. Gently used items and yarn are always appreciated. No clothes, please. Shopping hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Foot clinic: Call 406-265-4776 to set up an appointment for our foot clinic. Appointments are from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m..on Tuesdays. Next clinic will be in Aug. 6, 2024.

Do you like to color? Stop down to the North Central Senior Center and pick up a picture to color for a chance at a free meal ticket.

Health checklist: Think before you snack. Americans consume an average of 400 to 500 calories in snacks daily, shows a survey of nearly 20,000 folks. That’s more calories than many of them eat for breakfast. Plus, many non-mealtime nibbles have no nutritional value. Try this for better sleep. A relaxation technique called yoga nidra could improve your zzz’s and your memory. Practice lying down in bed, following just a few steps for deep relaxation. People who did it for 20 minutes a day for two weeks saw boosts in sleep quality and cognition. Breath in spring air. Getting outside feels good, and a new study adds this fun finding: Living near water or green spaces is associated with improved mental health. That lowering of psychological distress could help ward off dementia later. Check your ears. Having trouble hearing? Consult an ear, nose, and throat doctor. Not only is hearing connected to happiness, but also research shows that wearing a hearing aid could be a key to living longer. People with hearing loss who use hearing aids have a lower mortality risk than those who don’t.

New game week: Join us here at the North Central Senior Center for some new games on Thursday and Friday, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. We will be offering dominos, Yahtzee, cribbage, solitaire and Uno.

Bingo: Come join us for Bingo every Tuesday at 1 p.m. Everyone 18 and older is welcome, fun for all. All of the money is paid out.

Pinochle: Come join your friends in playing pinochle Thursdays at 12:30 p.m. This group welcomes new players all levels and abilities at the North Central Senior Center.

Would you like to be a volunteer at the senior center? Right now we are looking for a volunteer to answer phones at the front desk. We are very thankful for the many volunteers who help us daily and also during our special events. If you have a little extra time, we could sure use your help. We are finding ourselves a little short on volunteers now that we have opened our doors after closing due to the pandemic. If you would like to share your time and talents, please give us a call at 406-265-5464 to let us know. There are many different volunteer opportunities, maybe one just right for you, give us a call.

Transportation is now being handled by the North Central Montana Transit. This change seems to be going very well. If you need a ride call 406-265-4762. They would appreciate a 24-hour notice for local rides and a 48-hour notice for Great Falls trips.

Scams: Scam calls are still widespread. Text messages and emails are also becoming popular. Do not respond to any of them. Do not even open them, just delete them. Medicare isn’t issuing gold cards. Talk to someone in the community before you consider a reverse mortgage.

Commodities: If you are interested in receiving commodities, we still have a few select openings. For commodities there is an income restriction. You can sign up at the senior center, fill out an application and find out if your income falls within the guidelines. Bring income verification and picture ID. If you qualify, you can receive commodities once a month. You do have to come to senior center at 2 Second St. West in Havre to pick them up.

Important phone numbers

• Montana Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255) RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673 Tumbleweed Runaway and Family Crisis Program: 406-259-2558 (local) 1-888-816-4702 (toll free)

• Friendship Line by Institute on Aging ­— The Friendship Line is both a crisis intervention hotline and a warm-line for non-emergency emotional support calls. It is a 24-hour toll-free line and the only accredited crisis line in the country for people aged 60 years and older, and adults living with disabilities. Toll-Free Line: (800) 971-0016

• For those seniors getting frustrated with staying home and needing someone to talk to you can call 1-877-688-3377 for Montana’s Warm Line.