06/27/10

Welcome!  It has been over 2 years since we have had a support group.  In the past, the support group was run by the VIST Coordinator and several volunteers.  There has been a change.  The support group will now be run by the South Carolina Regional Group Blinded Veterans Association (SCRG BVA) with the assistance of the VIST Coordinator.   A support group will start in the Columbia area.  Attached is a survey to be returned and based on the need, will another support group develop in other areas.  The purpose of this newsletter is to keep you informed about updates, additions, and changes in the world of blindness.  My goal is to strive for a continuum of care program for all blinded veterans.

Cheryl Gajadhar

President, SCRG BVA

TOPICS

·                    SCRG BVA Website!

·                    Columbia has a BROS!

·                    Holiday Luncheon

·                    Humor – It’s Tough Getting Old

·                    Recipe of the Month

·                    Runaway Math Puzzle

·                    Need A Ride to A VA Medical Appointment

·                    Dial-A-Ride Transit (DART)

·                    Personal Safety Tips for Persons with Disabilities

·                    Here’s A Fact – Voting Day

·                    Computer News!

·                    Happy Holidays

       Veteran’s Day Parade

       Military Appreciation Monday

       Thanksgiving Blessings

       Holiday Greetings

·                   Notes from the Editor

SCRG BVA Website!

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      We are trying to keep up with technology and build a usable website holding lots of information, listing of events happening within the state of South Carolina and also to help get the veteran involved with some great people.  Log on to the website (www.scbva.com).  Enjoy!. Your questions and comments are greatly appreciated.    

Columbia has a BROS!

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Blind Rehabilitation Outpatient Specialist (BROS) provides training to blinded veterans in their homes and/or VA clinics as outpatients.   This instruction is part of the continuum of care based on individual needs.  

BROS intervention may include:

·                    Home safety assessment

·                    Follow-up training with prescribed low vision devices

·                    Daily Living Skills

·                    Kitchen Skills and appliance labeling 

·                    Writing Methods

·                    Keyboarding for computer access

·                    Cane travel training and neighborhood orientation

Scott Johnson will become the first BROS for the WJB DORN VA Medical Center (Columbia) starting December 8^th, 2008.  He has over thirty years experience working with visually impaired persons.  He holds a Masters in Orientation and Mobility and in Rehabilitation Teaching.  Previously, he was the full-time BROS at the Augusta VA for the past four years.  Before working for the VA, he was the Low Vision Coordinator for the South Carolina Commission for the Blind in Columbia.  Scott’s wife Edna, who is blind, is a retired social worker.  They have six daughters and eight grand children.

Holiday Luncheon

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11 December 2008

1100 hrs – 1200 hrs

Golden Corral, 5300 Forest Drive, Columbia, SC 29206

Price just under $9 (includes meal, drink, tax) senior citizen

     Hey, its been awhile since we’ve got together.  A section will be preserved for us.  There will not be a speaker but will be the first of many meetings to come.  SCRG BVA is paying for all veterans’ lunch.  Spouses or care givers must pay for their own meal.  Please tip the server before leaving.  Please come out and join us with a lunch and great conversation.  Any questions, please call Cheryl Gajadhar, 803-754-6764.

Humor – It’s Tough Getting Old

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Two elderly women were eating breakfast in a restaurant one morning. Ethel noticed something funny about Mabel’s ear and she said, ‘’Mabel, do you know you’ve got a suppository in your left ear?’ Mabel answered, ‘I have a suppository in my ear?’ She pulled it out and stared at it. Then she said, ‘Ethel, I’m glad you saw this thing. Now I think I know where to find my hearing aid.’ www.longhairdivas.com

RECIPE OF THE MONTH

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Chex Muddy Buddies

By: Chex Party Mix
Sep 22, 2008

This crunchy, chocolaty peanut-butter flavor is perfect for an after-school snack.

SERVES 18 , 9 cups (change servings and units)

Ingredients

·                     9 cups Corn Chex or Rice Chex or Wheat Chex or Chocolate Chex (or combination)

·                     1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

·                     ½ cup peanut butter

·                     ¼ cup butter or margarine

·                     1 teaspoon vanilla

·                     1 ½ cups powdered sugar

Directions

1.                Into large bowl, measure cereal; set aside.

2.                In 1-quart microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter uncovered on High 1 minute; stir. Microwave about 30 seconds longer or until mixture can be stirred smooth. Stir in vanilla. Pour mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated. Pour into 2-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag.

3.                Add powdered sugar. Seal bag; shake until well coated. Spread on waxed paper to cool. Store in airtight container in refrigerator. www.recipezaar.com

Runaway Math Puzzle

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 www.edhelper.com/puzzles

NEED A RIDE TO A VA MEDICAL APPOINTMENT?

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We would like veterans to know that the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) will provide local transportation to the VA medical center here in Columbia 5 days a week. 

-                     Contact Tommy Goins at

776-4000 Ext - 7199

well in advance of scheduled  

appointments to make arrangements.

There are also DAV volunteers in other selected areas and can also provide transportation service to other VA Medical Centers on selected days.  Call and find out the details.  Below lists areas available for services.  Ask for DAV transportation services.

Greenville – 864-2991600 ext 2962

Chester -803-385-6157

Florence 843-669-6761

Dillon 843-774-1427

Lancaster 803-283-2469

Lexington 803-785-8400

Orangeburg 803-533-6156

Spartanburg 864-299-1600 ext 2962

Sumter 803-436-2302

Union 864-429-1605

York 803-684-8529

DIAL-A-RIDE  TRANSIT – (DART) (Columbia, SC)

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If you have a disability that prevents you from using the fixed route system, you may qualify for Dial-A-Ride Transit (DART) service.  CMRTA offers DART paratransit service in response to the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

DART is a curb-to-curb, advance reservation, shared-ride transportation service.  It is available to persons certified as unable to independently access and/or utilize the CMRTA fixed route and trolley systems.  There are no restrictions on the purpose or frequency of reservations. Riders going in the same general direction are grouped together to share rides. A fleet of small buses provides DART service. DART vehicles are all equipped with wheelchair lifts, and each vehicle an accommodate 4 wheelchairs.  

General Hours of Service

(803) 255-7124

Monday - Saturday

5:00AM -11:00PM

(Areas available for service vary by time of day)

 Sunday

7:00AM - 8:00PM

(Areas available for service vary by time of day)

 Reservations

(803) 255-7123

Monday- Sunday

9:00AM- 5:00PM

DART one-way trip fare: $3.00
Tokens can be purchased in advance by calling 255-7123. 
DART can accept only checks and cash.

To qualify for DART service, applicants must be unable to independently access and/or utilize the CMRTA fixed route systems.  All riders must be certified  as eligible to use the DART service through completion of a formal application and eligibility review process.

 To apply for DART eligibility certification, you may request an application by calling DART at (803) 255-7123 or by writing to: DART Application Request, P.O. Box 214, Columbia, SC 29202. 

You may also download a copy of the application by going on the internet to the main website: www.gocmrta.com.

PERSONAL SAFETY TIPS FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

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It is the beginning of the holiday season.  Let’s enjoy it with safety tips for you and your family. 

• Stay alert and tuned in to your surroundings.

• Send a message that you’re calm, confident, and know where you’re going.

• Be realistic about your limitations. Avoid places or situations that put you at risk.

• Know the neighborhood where you live and work. Know the locations of police, fire, hospitals.

• Avoid establishing predictable activity patterns.

At Home

• Put good locks on all your doors, such as double-cylinder, deadbolt locks, but make sure you can easily use the locks.

• Install peepholes on front and back doors at your eye level. This is especially important if you use a wheelchair.

• Get to know your neighbors.

• If you have difficulty speaking, have a friend record a message—giving your name, address, and

type of disability to use in emergencies.

• Keep the tape in a recorder next to your phone.

• Ask your police department to conduct a free home security survey to help identify your individual needs.

Out and About

• If possible, go with a friend.

• Stick to well-lighted, well-traveled streets. Avoid shortcuts through vacant lots, wooded areas, parking lots, or alleys.

• Let someone know where you are going and when you expect to return.

• Carry a purse close to your body, not dangling by the straps. Put a wallet in an inside coat or front pants pocket. If you use a wheelchair, keep your purse or wallet tucked snugly between you and the inside of the chair.

• If you use a knapsack, make sure it is securely shut.

• Always carry your medical information in case of an emergency.

• Consider keeping a cellular phone or installing a CB radio in your vehicle.

On Public Transportation

• Use well-lighted, busy stops. Stay near other passengers.

• Stay alert. Don’t doze or daydream.

• If someone harasses you, make a loud noise or say “Leave me alone.” If that doesn’t work, hit the emergency signal on the bus or train.  www.oepp.sc.gov

Computer News!

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How to Protect Your Computer

With AVG Anti-Virus Professional 7.5

Click on AVG Icon   

Perform these steps every time you go on the Internet or turn on your computer. 

1 – Check for Updates (Internet must be connected) (Shortcut F9)

2 – Scan the Computer or scan selected areas.  (Shortcut F4 or F5)

NOTES to remember:  A virus can not appear on your computer all by iself. You have to get it by sharing infected files or diskettes, or by downloading infected files from the Internet.

·                     If parts of your computer stops working properly, you may have a virus. 

·                     The VA will pay for this problem ONCE.  Call your VIST Coordinator, Terry Thorne for additional help

(803) 776-4000 ext 7195. 

Here’s A Fact – Voting Day

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(Explained from Dr. Knowledge, copyright 2 Nov 2006)
Did you ever wonder why the U.S. national Election Day is the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November?  Why on a Tuesday? Why November?
    When Congress originally set the day for elections back in the early years of the nation, the country was mostly a rural, farming nation.  The majority of people lived on farms or rural areas.  (Urban population didn't
surpass rural population all the way until the 1920s).
    November was originally picked as the month for Election Day because it was advantageous for farmers.  By November, the harvest was in and the many dirt roads in the North were not yet impassable because of winter
weather.  December, January and February were ruled out because of possible bad weather in the North.  March through October was ruled out because in the spring, farmers were busy planting, in the summer they were busy tending their crops, and in September-October, they were bringing in the harvest. November was the one, logical
month.
    As for the day of the week for Election Day, in most countries of the world, it's Sunday.  That's a logical day because most people are off work Sundays and
theoretically have more time and opportunity to vote. But there was a strong religious lobby in the United States that was against having Sunday voting.  (Even in
later, more recent years when there's been some movement
in Congress to move Election Day to Sundays, now that so many do worldly things on Sundays, the religious lobby-- and others, like the sports establishment, have been strong enough to deter Congress from taking any action to make that change.)
    So Sunday was ruled out--then and now.  Mondays were also ruled out in the old days because the trip into town to the voting places was sometimes a long, arduous journey over bad roads for early citizens far out in the
country, and the round-trip might take most of the day. Farmers wanted Mondays as a full work day after the Sabbath, so the feeling was that Tuesday would be better, after catching up on work on Mondays.  Tuesday was considered ideal because then the farmer could get back for an uninterrupted work schedule the rest of the week.
    But, why the first Tuesday after the first Monday of
November instead of simply the first Tuesday in November?
In some years, the first Monday in November could also be the first day of the month, and on that day--the first-- many merchants and farmers closed their books and paid their bills for the month.  So, by making it the first Tuesday after the first Monday, it assured that Election Day would never fall on November 1st.
    All that, in a nutshell, is why America uniquely has Election Day on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Veterans Day Parade

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Veterans Day is largely intended to thank living veterans for their service, to acknowledge that their contributions to United States national security are appreciated, and to underscore the fact that all those who served - not only those who died - have sacrificed and done their duty. PLEASE BE SURE TO THANK A VETERAN FOR THEIR SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY!

     Columbia, South Carolina has one of the largest Veterans Day parades in the United States!

Date: November 11th
Time: Starts 10:50 a.m.
Place: Downtown Columbia
The parade route starts at the Laurel & Sumter Street intersection and runs south on Sumter Street to Gervais Street.

Columbia's Veterans Day Parade honors all veterans with a procession of high school marching bands, floats, military vehicles and equipment, military marching installations and a fly-over. www.columbiasouthcarolina.com

Military Appreciation Monday

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The 2008 Military Appreciation Monday dinner will be held on Monday, November 17, 2008 from 5 pm to 9 pm in all Golden Corral Restaurants.

The free “thank you” dinner is available to any person who has ever served in the United States Military. If you are a veteran, retired, currently serving, in the National Guard or Reserves, you are invited to participate in Golden Corral’s Military Appreciation Monday dinner.
To date, Golden Corral restaurants have provided over 1.8 million free meals and contributed over $2.53 million to the Disabled American Veterans organization.

www.goldencorral.com

Thanksgiving Blessings

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If you are having a big Thanksgiving Dinner, this year, invite a neighbor, family member or friend to help you celebrate all your blessings.  Have a great Thanksgiving…  

Holiday Greetings!

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May the glow of Christmas Enlighten your home and warm your heart.

Merry Christmas and Have A Happy New Year

NOTES FROM THE EDITOR….

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Hi everyone!  I really enjoyed creating this newsletter for you.  I’ve tried not to forget anything.  I am on a lot of committees for the veterans – so I feel it is my job to inform you.  If you have any suggestions, comments or questions on any of the information contained within this newsletter – please don’t hesitate to write/call or email me.  I am

an advocate for blinded veterans everywhere.  Keep it real…  Happy trails….. ….. ……. ……

Cheryl Gajadhar

SCRG BVA, President

3830 Davies Drive

Columbia, SC  29223

(803) 754-6764 (Office/Home)