CARTMELL COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

Spring 2014

In This Issue

Connect. Walk MS. April 6th North Plymouth HS

The South Shore Community Action Community: Helping People Help Themselves

Hope and Healing Seminars Continue April 10th and June 5th

Mayflower RSVP - A Win-Win for All

FAQ: "What can you tell me about Social Security benefits for surviving spouses and children?"

Connect. Walk MS.

April 6th at 10 am

Plymouth North High School

The annual Walk MS connects people living with MS and those who care about them. It is an experience unlike any other - a day to come together, to celebrate the progress made and to show the power of our connections.

The funds raised at the New England Chapter's Walk MS give hope to the nearly 18,000 individuals and their families affected by multiple sclerosis in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont and will support life-changing programs and cutting-edge research.

The primary goal of the New England Chapter of Walk MS is to help people who have MS, and their families, through MS education, support, advocacy, services, and research. All walkers 12 years of age and older are asked to raise a minimum of $25.

The walk begins at Plymouth North High School, 41 Obery Street. Check-in time is 9 am and the 6-mile walk begins at 10 am. The route is accessible, and there are two rest stops along the way, supplied with snacks, beverages, and restrooms.

If you'd like to walk, join a team or donate, please email the New England Chapter at or call 1-800-344-4867, opt 2.

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The South Shore Community Action Council: Helping People
Help Themselves

The South Shore Community Action Council, located at 265 South Meadow Road in Plymouth, is a multi-service agency that provides local area residents with a variety of programs designed to assist those in need and provides assistance to families in 70 South Shore communities.

Funded through federal, state, private and local sources, the SSCAC offers many programs in the areas of Youth and Family Development, Income Maintenance, Nutrition, Emergency Assistance, Self-Sufficiency, Energy Assistance, Employment, and Transportation Assistance.

Last year the SSCAC broke ground for their new building to be located at 71 Obery Street in Plymouth. The building, a 15,000 sq.ft. facility, will become their new headquarters and will include a new adult education and workforce development center, along with their food distribution, fuel assistance, transportation programs and administration offices. According to Patricia Daly, Executive Director, the new SSCAC headquarters will be ready by September, 2014. She said, "A lot of time and effort goes in quietly from the town, including attorneys, architects, and planning board and staff - we appreciate everybody's expertise and assistance."

Visit the South Shore Community Action Council website for more information on specific services or call the numbers listed below.

HomeCorps Borrower Recovery Initiative 617-573-5333.	Family Activities & Education 508-747-7575, x 6247
Commercial Driver's License (CDL) 508-747-7575, x 6245	Financial Stability Program 508-747-7575, x 6247
Fuel Assistance 508-746-7607	Consumer Aid 508-747-7575, x 6226
Energy Conservation/Weatherization 508-747-7575, x 6237	Greater Plymouth Food Warehouse and Healthy Harvests 508-747-7575, x 6251
Transportation Assistance 508-747-7575 x 6229	Career Center sscac.org
Emergency Services - Emergency Food & Shelter Program 508-747-7575, x 6239	The Patriot Ledger Lend-A-Hand Program 508-747-7575, x 6239

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Hope and Healing Seminars Continue

April 10th and June 5th

The very successful Hope and Healing seminars co-sponsored by Cartmell Funeral Home in conjunction with Cranberry Hospice and Hope Floats Healing and Wellness Center, continue with the next in the series to be held on April 10th. The seminars addressThe Grief Journey for those who have lost loved ones.

Each session is presented by Kathleen McAleer, MSW, LICSW, Hospice Bereavement Coordinator at Cranberry Hospice. The Hope and Healing seminars are a perfect opportunity to learn about the grieving process and to obtain some guidance of how to cope with certain situations.

To be held at the Hope Floats Healing and Wellness Center, 4 Elm Street in Kingston, the seminars are from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm. On Thursday, April 10th the presentation is titled, "Grief 101" and the Thursday, June 5th program is

"Adults Coping with the Death of a Parent."

All are welcomed to attend one or both of these seminars. There is no fee, but please call Kathy Cartmell-Sirrico at 508-746-2162 to register.

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Mayflower RSVP -

A Win-Win for All

Mayflower RSVP is a volunteer program in Southeastern Massachusetts unlike any other. It recruits and trains volunteers to work with a network of community service organizations, providing opportunities for older Americans to make a difference in their local communities. It connects them with organizations that engage their interests and utilize their skills to best advantage.

It is a win-win situation that brings improvement in people's lives
through organized volunteer services.

Mayflower RSVP (Retired and Senior Volunteer Program) operates with financial support from the Corporation for National & Community Service, the United Way of Greater Plymouth County, and generous donations from businesses and individuals from throughout the area.

     Darcy Lee, Executive Director of Mayflower RSVP, said, "We engage volunteers, 55 and older, in meaningful activities and a variety of different assignments that suit their needs and also help enrich our community."

     For the past 30 years, Mayflower RSVP volunteers have:
*   visited elderly homebound people, providing them with meals and friendship
*   supported the research staff and acted as greeters at local libraries and museums
*   been reading partners and served as mentors, role models and coaches for children to help instill a love of reading
*   acted as members of the USA Freedom Corps helping with emergency needs in Plymouth County

National Volunteer Week is April 6 - 12 and Mayflower RSVP is preparing to launch their Letter Writing to the Troops Campaign. School children have been writing letters and coloring pictures to send to our troops. Volunteers are organizing the Campaign and screening letters. Anyone interested in participating can pick up packets of materials at the Mayflower RSVP office on Monday, April 7th and Wednesday, April 9th from 10 am until 2 pm. Adult volunteers will meet Thursday, April 10th and Friday, April 11th from 10 am until 2 pm. For more information about the Letter Writing to the Troops Campaign, call 508-746-7787.

Here are some of the organizations Mayflower RSVP has made connections with for senior volunteers. You can visit the websites noted or call the contact numbers to get more information about the organization and its mission.

Habitat for Humanity for Greater Plymouth www.hfhplymouth.org 508-866-4188	Boys & Girls Club of Plymouth www.bgcplymouth.org 508-746-6070
Wildlands Trust www.wildlandstrust.org 781-934-9018	Friends of the Plymouth Council on Aging www.fpcoa.org, 508-830-4230
Friends of Ellisville Marsh www.ellisvillemarsh.org	Friends of Myles Standish State Forest www.friendsmssf.com, 508-866-2526
Plymouth Cultural Council www.plymouthguild.org, 508-746-7222	St. Vincent DePaul/Fr. Sweeney Food Pantry 508-746-4851
SSCAC/Emergency Services - Food and Shelter 508-747-7575 x 6239	Salvation Army/Plymouth Food Pantry 508-746-1559
Christ Church Outreach Food Pantry 508-746-4959	St. Vincent DePaul Blessed Kateri Food Pantry 508-746-4926

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Frequently Asked Questions

"What can you tell me about Social Security benefits

for surviving spouses and children?"

     When a family member dies, Social Security should be notified as soon as possible. Your funeral director will report the person's death so that the deceased's family members receive the Social Security benefits to which they are entitled.

     There are qualifying rules regarding how long the deceased had to have worked before benefits can be made to survivors. Other stipulations may be confusing but your funeral director will be able to guide you and make certain applications on your behalf.

     For example, a one-time payment of $255 can be paid to the surviving spouse if he or she was living with the deceased, or if living apart, was receiving certain social Security benefits on the deceased's record. If there is no surviving spouse, the payment is made to a child who is eligible for benefits on the deceased's benefits in the month of death.

Certain family members may be eligible for monthly benefits, including a widow or widower, age 60 or older (age 50 or older if disabled); or a spouse at any age who is caring for the deceased's child age 16 or disabled ... or an unmarried child of the deceased who is younger than 18 (or up to age 19 if a full-time student in an elementary or secondary school)... or step-children, or parents age 62 or .... The ins and outs go on and on.

At Cartmell Funeral Home, we know that Social Security benefit rules can be daunting at best and completely intimidating during the stressful aftermath of losing a loved one. We do all we can to make the process easier and to help surviving spouses and families apply for the benefits to which they are entitled. Our Social Security Benefits handout is a checklist for what documents you will need for the application process. We'll send you a copy, if you'd like.

If you want to know more, the government has informational material available on its website or you can call 800-772-1213 for details.

If you or a loved one has any questions about Social Security benefits to survivors, please call us at 508-746-2162. We'll be pleased to walk you through the process every step of the way.

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About Cartmell Funeral Home

Now in its third generation, Cartmell Funeral Service is an independent family-owned and operated funeral home. The legacy of care and compassion continues through personal experience and understanding, serving the people of the greater Plymouth area and surrounding communities.

150 Court Street | Plymouth, MA 02360 | 508-746-2162 | Fax: 508-747-3929 | info@cartmellfuneralhome.com

Cartmell Funeral Service, Inc.

Entrusted to the Community for Three Generations