Accessibility Resource Center

July 18, 2014

Barnstable County Mass in Motion Program

"Maps" Cape's Hiking and Biking Opportunities

July 14, 2014 - Now that summer is in full swing, it is the perfect time for residents and visitors alike to take advantage of the warm breezes and long sunny days.  And the Barnstable County Mass in Motion program is eager to help everyone learn more about healthy outdoor activities in our region.

"Mass in Motion supports prevention-based approaches to improving health and wellness in our community by implementing policies and environmental strategies that increase access to healthy eating and active living," said Vaira Harik, Senior Project Manager for the Barnstable County Mass in Motion program. "Sometimes that means developing an entirely new solution, but other times it simply means drawing attention to the great number of resources our community has on hand for healthy living."

Whether it's biking, walking, kayaking, or golfing, Cape Cod residents and visitors can find more information about regional outdoor activities using the online resources in the attached press release.

Jazz Benefit for Habitat for Humanity!

Saturday, July 19th - "Spiritual Jazz" concert to benefit our local Habitat for Humanity projects. 7 pm at South Congregational Church, 565 Main Street, Centerville. Featuring jazz trio of John Dirac, Chip Anzola and Pamela Wannie with soloists and choir. $10 suggested donation.

For the past two years a group of shops on the Cape & Islands has donated over $20,000 to those supported by the Cape and Islands United Way.  Please stop by one of the locations nearest you on Sunday, July 20th to thank them for paying-it-forward and treat your self to an ice cream in celebration of National Ice Cream Day!

Sunday July 20, 2014:  Walkers start at 8:00 A.M. - Runners start at 8:30 A.M.  Registration at the Harbor Hotel in Provincetown

Don't miss your chance to be a part of this wonderful summer morning event.  Walk or run from the beginning of Commercial Street out onto McMillan Wharf and up to the Provincetown Inn.  Registration is $35.00 which includes a race T-shirt, official number and timing services and breakfast at the Provincetown Inn at the finish line.

Register on-line and start raising money or support someone who is doing the Walk/Run at our FirstGiving page.  Download the event brochure and registration form.

The Lower Cape LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) Seniors (55 years of age and over) is pleased to Host:

Massachusetts Commission on LGBT Aging: A Listening Session here on Cape Cod on Monday, July 21, 3 - 6:00 P.M. at the Orleans Council on Aging, 150 Rock Harbor Rd., Orleans.  The Commission is looking for a diverse group to speak out at these hearings.  If you wish to attend the 6"00 P.M. dinner please RSVP to Maryanne Ryan at 508/255-6333 or mryan@town.orleans.ma.us.  View flyer for more details.  View the list of dates and locations for other Lisening Sessions.

The Lower Cape LGBT Seniors will meet Friday July 25, 6-8:00 P.M. at the Orleans Council on Aging, 150 Rock Harbor Road, Orleans for a Cookout & Book Swapping.  Donations accepted.  Please RSVP to Maryanne Ryan at mryan@town.orleans.ma.us or call 508/255-6333 for more information.

Friday, July 25, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM: FREE Preventative Health Screenings:  Join the Barnstable County Public Health Nurses for FREE health screenings which will include cholesterol, skin analysis, HDL, glucose testing, bone density and blood pressure.  Screenings will be available at the Eastham Senior Center, 1405 Nauset Rd, in North Eastham.

Friday, August 8 at 11:00 AM:  Energy Saving Ideas:  Learn how to save money on your electric bill!  Mark Dudley from Cape Light Compact presents ways to save on electricity use and how to receive a FREE Energy Audit.  for more information or to RSVP call 508/255-6164.

For information on other programs and activities at the Eastham Senior Center visit the Senior Center website.

The Behavioral Health Department at the Mashpee Wampanoag Health Service Unit will be hosting two free trainings for the Wampanoag community: (1) mental Health First Aid (MHFA) - (learn signs and symptoms of psychological disorders and how to respond and help individuals in distress). (2) Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) - (learn how to recognize the warning signs of suicide crisis, and how to Question~Persuade~ and Refer someone to help, and ultimately 'save a life'.

Location: Mashpee Wampanoag Health Service Unit - 483 Great Neck Road South, Mashpee

• MHFA: Tuesday, August 12 from 8-12 noon
  & Wednesday, August 13 from 8-12 noon. (training is both days and members will be certified in Mental Health First Aid)
• QPR: Friday, August 15 from 9-12 noon (members will be certified as QPR Gatekeepers)


Training is available to Wampanoag Tribe members only.

Please contact the following individuals to register:  

Nadine @ 508-539-6965

PumukQien @ 508-477-6967

Harbor Community Health Center-Hyannis is now open at 735 Attucks Lane, Hyannis.  Board of Directors Chair Mary McCarthy and President and CEO Daniel J. Driscoll cordially invite you to a ribbon-cutting ceremony with the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, August 14 at 5:30 pm.  Light fare will be serve.  View flyer for details.

Upcoming Program Highlights - Registration now Underway!

PathMakers' Program interviews are currently underway for Mentors and PathMakers. Contact We Can  ASAP for more information.  Read more... 

Falmouth 1:1 Legal Consults

Fall Programs currently accepting registration:

Divorce Support Group

On August 7th, Essential Beauty and Atlantis Spa and Gym will host a day of beauty, including spa services to support the Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition's mission of breast cancer prevention.  The event will be held at the Hyannis Conference Center, 35 Scudder Ave, Hyannis.

This fun-filled day will include fitness classes, salon services i.e. express pedicure, blow-dry, make-up application and wet cuts, raffles and more.  Each service is $20.  Call 508/771-7002 in advance to make an appointment for services on August 7th.  Read more...

Join MNN on October 29th at the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network's Annual conference, one of the largest gatherings of nonprofit professionals in the state where you will gain the information, skills, and tools needed to bring new tactics and energy to your organization.

This year's conference features more workshops, more resources, and more opportunities to network than ever before.  Save on early bird rates available now.  Register Now!

"Money Follows the Person" (MFP) is a five year Demonstration grant from the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that helps states rebalance their long-term care systems and thereby transition people with Medicaid from long term care facilities to their own homes and apartments in the community.  MFP represents a new direction in supporting people with long-term care needs by providing an array of community-based support services, funding for rental security deposits and resources for other basis home furnishings.  These combined supports assist an individual to transition to the community and live with increased independence.

View the MFP Fact Sheet for more information, or contact the MFP project office at MFP@state.ma.us or 1-617-573-1647 or visit www.mass.gov/masshealth/MFP

The Cape & Islands Community Health Network Area 27 (CHNA 27) is seeking an Administrative Assistant to provide organizational and administrative support to the Chair, Steering Committee and general membership.  This is a contract position for approximately 15 hours per month, including two required monthly meetings; one in Barnstable on the second Thursday of the month (9:00-11:00 A.M.) and the other in Yarmouthport on the last Tuesday of the month (3:00-4:30 P.M.).

Must be detail oriented and Microsoft Office proficient.  Responsibilities include but are not limited to: meeting preparation, note taking, record keeping and retention. View job description.

The purpose of CHNA is to learn about agencies and services and other members of the continuum of care; to support and collaborate with members around issues and problems and to acquire new information and skills.

For more information or to apply, please contact Kelly Welch at chna27cape@gmail.com.

The Cape Cod & Islands Regional Coordinating Committee (RCC) is conducting an on-line consumer survey  to identify the unmet needs and barriers to transportation services for  seniors, people with disabilities, people with limited incomes, people with limited English proficiency,  youth, and visitors of our region.  The goal of the RCC is to improve the ease of travel within our region and beyond.  We ask that you share this survey with your clients, so that collectively we can make the best transportation decisions for those needing services on Cape Cod and Islands.  Thank you so much for taking the time to assist in this important survey.  The survey is also available in print form and can be obtained by calling or e-mailing Paula George at 508-775-8504, Ext 201, pgeorge@capecodrta.org.

The Healthy Food Access Portal is a a resource to the movement to improve access to affordable, healthy foods in underserved communities.  Since its launch last year by PolicyLink, tens of thousands of people across the country have benefit from the wealth of resources, tools and analysis featured on the website.

The movement to create a more equitable food system in the United States is taking off and now contains more accessible content, improved visuals and multimedia that helps make the case to improve healthy food access.  On the newly redesigned website you will find:

• A new searchable map to find policy efforts and resources in your state
• Available funding opportunities
• Learn from your peers via new profiles, webinars and stories
• Videos of healthy food leaders around the country. 

Check out http://HealthyFoodAccess.org

The Pavilion Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing Center in Hyannis has beds available on our Specialized Dementia Floor.  If you know of anyone in need of placement or even a short term stay we would be happy to discuss options and our special program with their loved one or family member.  I would welcome any one interested in for a tour and a discussion with our Program Director, Alison Stockman. 

Please keep our availability in mind in the event that you come across someone in need of our care.  For more information read more...

The Cape Cod Foundation is a community foundation whose mission is to build permanent charitable resources for community betterment through informed grantmaking and civic leadership.  The Foundation has distributed more than $50 million in grants and scholarships since its founding in 1989.

Grant Proposals Accepted on a Rolling Basis:

• Community Impact General Grants:  Grants of less than $5,000 to address emerging opportunities, launch creative initiatives, and to cover costs of small, one-time projects.
• Thomas C. McGowan Fund for Animals: To support animal welfare and protection on Cape Cod & the Islands

For a listing of all available Cape Cod Foundation grant programs with deadlines and links to the online applications please click here.  Applications for programs with fall deadlines coming soon.

HUD has just completed its analysis of the 2007-2011 American Community Survey Census data and published information down to the town level of numbers of households (renters and owners) with housing problems- on the Cape it primarily is cost burden of paying more than 30% of income toward housing. That data is available for the County and all 15 towns on the CCC web site- www.capecodcommission.org - go to Departments, Planning and Community Development, Affordable Housing, Resources and Links, Data.

If you are interested in looking at the data on a sub-regional or multi-town basis, visit the HUD site.  

Attached from this data set is a chart of the numbers and % of households (not population) in the County and each community who is considered low income, i.e. income equal to or less than 80% of area median income, and thus who would generally be eligible for affordable housing purposes.

Please pass along to anyone whom you think would be interested.  

You Can Quit! Smoking remains the single largest cause of preventable disease and death in the United States. About 480,000 people die each year from smoking-related diseases and complications, and if current rates continue, 5.6 million Americans under 18 years old who are alive today will die prematurely from smoking-related disease.

A new report from the U.S. Surgeon General confirms the effectiveness of programs that help people quit smoking. Health insurance plans will often help pay for the cost of medicines, like the patches. Mass Health offers full coverage for medicines and support at co-pays less than $4. Physicians can make referrals to the Massachusetts QuitWorks program to help their patients quit smoking.

No one needs to do this alone. The MA Smokers' Helpline at 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) has tobacco treatment specialists that work with people over the phone. For more information on quitting smoking visit www.makesmokinghistory.org. 

Cape Mediation was awarded grants from the Massachusetts Attorney General's office and the Massachusetts Bar Association to enable them to continue to offer services in the next fiscal year.

The Mass State Legislature funded the Community Mediation Centers with money awarded through the Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration.  Thanks to Susan Jeghelian at MOPC and the continuing support and efforts of State Representative Sarah Peake.

Cape Mediation is beginning an 'Open Door Access' collaboration with the Barnstable Housing Authority.  They will have a weekly presence through their volunteers on site at one of the 4 housing sites.  They will be there to answer questions about services available.

Massachusetts Substance Abuse Helpline Connects People with Services:  For tens of thousands of Massachusetts resident struggling with alcohol and other drug related issues, 1-800-327-5050 is an important number.   Read more ... 

The Barnstable County Department of Human Services website find.bchumanservices.net features on-line directories of health and human service resources. The Directories are a compilation of local resources organized around areas of critical need such as food, housing,  energy/fuel assistance, and services for seniors and people with disabilities. Find.bchumanservices.net is a valuable resource now available to Barnstable County residents and human service organizations. This new on-line tool is an effective and efficient way to make local information available on a 'simple to search' website. For more information view press release in its entirety.

If you believe your organization should be included in any of the new Directories or have any other feedback on how to improve the on-line directories, call the Department of Human Services at 508/375-6628.

• Do you provide health or human services on Cape Cod or the Islands?
• Does the public know what services you provide?
• Do people know how to access your services?
• Do you need assistance in finding services for your clients?  

The Veterans Crisis Line (1-800-273-8255, Press 1) is available 24/7/365 to provide confidential counseling and referrals for Veterans and their families.  This is an integrated national outreach effort to increase awareness and use of the Veterans Crisis Line, support and promote broader VA suicide prevention efforts, and promote help-seeking behaviors among Veterans at risk of suicide and other mental health problems.  For more information about the Veterans Crisis Line please click here.

Over 800,000 people worldwide end their lives annually.  Seven to ten people -- parents, children, siblings, aunts, uncles, grandparents, grandchildren and close friends -- deeply feel the devastation of each loss.  That means that approximately 5 million "survivors" are left behind every year.  

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