You are invited! Neighbors Helping Neighbors in Rice County will be holding an Open House and Volunteer Appreciation on Wednesday, April 6th from 1:30 – 3:00 pm in the Buckham West Commons Room. A short program will be held at 1:45 pm and refreshments will be provided.
Come and learn about the services offered and volunteer opportunities that support our older neighbors and persons with disabilities living at home.
Neighbors Helping Neighbors is a program under the Family Service of Rochester and funded in part by Southeast Minnesota Area Agency on Aging and Live Well at Home Grants.
If you would like more information, call Anne Pleskonko, Senior Service Coordinator at Buckham West at 507-332-7357.
Bucket of Thanks
As a way of saying thank you to our local healthcare workers and to provide them with a little boost, Buckham West’s members spent the month of February collecting personal care items and individually packaged snacks, to give to local healthcare staff.
Our goal was to collect enough items for the staff in all departments of our hospital, Allina Health Faribault Medical Center. But thanks to the generosity of our donors, we far exceeded our goal and we were able to also distribute gifts to two skilled nursing facilities and 7 assisted living facilities, plus Rice County Public Health. This is a total of over 600 local healthcare workers in our community!
Along with hundreds of donated treats, we also received an additional $500 in cash which we used to buy gift cards to Basilleo’s Pizza which we also gave to these healthcare workers.
Many thanks to everyone that donated in this fun project!
Intro to Mahjong
Mahjongg – is a game of strategy that originated in China. It uses small rectangular tiles stamped with symbols and characters. The object of the game is to be the first to assemble combinations of these tiles into specific patterns that make up a hand. These combinations are assembled by picking and discarding tiles. Once you learn the fundamentals of the game and begin to play, you will understand why so many people love it!
If you are interested in learning how to play, Buckham West will be offering a series of four learning sessions on Thursdays: April 21st and 28th, May 5th and 12th from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. Class instructors will be Jacki Johnson, JoEllen Schulz, & Sandy Nelson.
It is strongly recommended that participants plan to attend all 4 sessions in order to fully understand the game. This is a free class; Buckham West membership required. Limited to 12 participants. Pre-registration is required by calling 332-7357.
If serious about MahJongg, it is suggested to purchase the book: A Beginner’s Guide to American MahJongg: How to Play the Game and Win in paperback by Elaine Sandberg. It is a great reference book, available on Amazon.
Advance Care Planning
If you had a health crisis and were unable to communicate with your loved ones and medical care providers, who would make decisions for you? Does this person know your wishes and have you put your thoughts in writing? Advance care planning is a process of thinking about what’s important to you, talking with those who matter to you, and writing down your wishes for health care and treatment in a Health Care Directive.
Don’t know where to start? Attend this free Honoring Choices Advance Care Planning education series to learn more. This course will walk with you through the process of advance care planning and facilitate the completion of your health care directive. This class will be held on Tuesday, April 5, 2022 from 10 – noon in the Buckham West conference room.
Call 507-977-2330 or email honoringchoices@allina.com to register. Registration will not be handled through Buckham West.
New Trips
Buckham West is now partnering with the Owatonna Senior Center for all day trips. Interested Faribault attendees will sign up by calling 507-444-4321 and pay Owatonna directly. When calling to sign up, mention the discount coupon code buckham5 and receive $5 off the price. Pick up in Faribault will be in the public parking lot on the east side of the Buckham Library.
- Treasure Island with Bingo Option
Wednesday, May 11
Buckham West pick up 10:00am, return 4:50pm
Price: $35.00 with coupon code, includes a $3 food voucher and $15 of free slot play money. Register by May 6.
- MN Twins Baseball game
Wednesday, August 3
Buckham West: Pick up 10:05am, Return 5:30pm
Price: $65.00 with coupon code. Registration deadline is July 8th.
- “The Elvis Show” at the Ives Auditorium in Bloomington
Sunday, Sept. 11
Buckham West: Pick up 10:30am, Return 5:15pm
Price: $75.00 with coupon code, includes transportation and lunch. Register by Aug. 24.
- The Church Basement Ladies in “Plowin’ Thru”
Wednesday, Sept. 28
Buckham West: Pick up 10:35am, Return 3:50pm
Price: $85.00 with coupon code. Register by Sept. 6.
Reminders
- If you are a Rice County resident who is living independently and are looking for help with driving to appointments or other home chores, you are encouraged to call Neighbors Helping Neighbors. They can be reached by calling Buckham West at 332-7357 and ask for their local staff member, Anne Pleskonko. These services will be at a reduced cost and in some cases may even be free.
- All senior dining meals, whether they are in the dining room or curbside pickup, require a 24-hour advance registration and can be done by calling 332-7357.
