Wednesday, June 16 at 12pm
In honor of Westford fathers throughout our Cameron community, our COA will offer a tailgate lunch at the Cameron. You must register by calling the Cameron at 978-692-5523. Lunch will be prepared by Brian Ryder and it will include pulled pork sandwiches, coleslaw, chips, and ice cream. Vegetarian meal option available
but please state when you RSVP. Cost is FREE for fathers and $5.00 for other attendees. Don’t forget to bring your lawn chairs! Gift Bags will be donated to the fathers by Eastern Bank.
June 22: Sign up for Free Legal Advice! Appointments available!
The ASK THE LAWYER program is Free legal service provided by the office of Attorneys Madge & Johnson. This program is is available to all Westford seniors age 60 and over, by a virtual web meeting.
Virtual one on one appointments Tuesday June 22 beginning at 9:30 AM. Please call 978-692-5523 ahead to reserve a timeslot.
June 14: Learn about Medicare: SHINE Appointments
NEED ASSISTANCE WITH UNDERSTANDING MEDICARE? SHINE (Serving Health Insurance Needs of Everyone) CAN HELP! Monday June 14 by appointment
Certified SHINE counselors offer free, unbiased, confidential counseling on all aspects of health insurance to anyone on or eligible for Medicare. You may benefit from cost-savings programs that a SHINE counselor will explain to you. Your health insurance costs are an important part of your budget, and SHINE is available all year to help you review your plans and costs. Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, SHINE counselors are meeting by phone. To schedule a SHINE appointment or for more information call the Cameron at 978-692-5523.
Need Technology Access? Tools available!
Reduced Comcast Internet Rate
If you are eligible for Mass Health, SNAP, SSI or Housing Assistance, you may qualify for high speed internet at the affordable rate of $9.95/month through Comcast’s program Internet Essentials at www.internetessentials.com. You can not be a current customer of Xfinity or Comcast in the last 90 days. Any questions you may call Annette or Alison at 978-692-552
IPADS & LAPTOPS
With the pandemic isolating everyone for the last year and so much happening virtually on line we want to be sure you all have access to technology so you don’t miss out. If you are in need of an Ipad or laptop and don’t have the funds to purchase one, let the Cameron Sr Center staff know! We have obtained used ones from generous community members and would be happy to set you up. Call 978-692-5523 and ask for Annette or Bob.
Free WIFI Option
Libraries across Massachusetts are addressing the digital divide by helping older adults and those in the community in need of an internet connection. The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) developed a map of local libraries offering internet access via wi-fi signals outside of their buildings. While some libraries require an access code or library card to gain access, many of the local libraries offer free guest wi-fi. The map notes which libraries offer this service, and, in some cases, where to get the best signal
on the property.
https://libraries.state.ma.us/wifi# The closest libraries to Westford are Boxborough, Carlisle, Acton and Chelmsford.
Golf at Quail Ridge Golf Club on Tuesdays!
TUESDAY GOLF AT QUAIL RIDGE GOLF CLUB, 354 GREAT RD, ACTON MA—Tuesdays beginning at 7:30am May —October
Cost: $20 walking, $30 with cart.
Call Quail Ridge at (978) 264-0399 for your tee time and for information about cart use under COVID-19 guidelines. Make sure you say you’re with the Westford Group to get this special price.
Help with Home Repairs and Maintenance! Sign up by June 4
HAVE HOME REPAIRS & MAINTENANCE NEEDS? – SIGN UP FOR HELP BY Friday June 4.
The United Methodist Church of Westford and West Chelmsford have a mission group of youth, young adults and their adult mentors who will be offering help the week of July 11. The volunteers will be working together to complete home repair and maintenance jobs for those unable to pay for or to physically do the work themselves. Jobs are selected and completed based on greatest need. Examples of the work that can be done include:
- Home repairs: i.e. installing railings, fixing steps, removing wood rot
- Painting
- Yard work.
You will be required to sign a release that volunteers can be on your property. If you have a project that you would like assessed, please contact Annette by June 4 at 978-399-2326.
Starting June 3: Organic Vegetable Distribution on Thursdays!
We are excited to continue our relationship with Gaining Grounds of Concord, as they once again offer their organic produce weekly.
Who: All Westford residents who meet income guidelines (fuel assistance criteria). To participate, sign an income attestation on the day of produce pick up. Please bring your own pen for sanitary purposes.
Where: Westford Housing Authority, 65 Tadmuck Rd, Westford in the community center parking lot.
When: Thursdays starting Jun 3. Disposable numbers will be passed out starting at 1:00. The freshly picked and packaged vegetables will be pre-bagged and distributed at 1:30.
How: People are encouraged to wait in their cars or apartments and not in groups nor in the community center hallway.
Any questions call Annette at 978-399-2326
Massachusetts to end COVID vaccine pre-registration system at the end of May, expand services for homebound residents
The Baker administration on Friday announced it will end the Massachusetts COVID-19 vaccine pre-registration system by the end of the month.
State officials in March launched an online pre-registration system for eligible residents looking to book appointments to get the vaccine in an effort to facilitate what was then a high demand for the shots due to the number of people who were eligible. Officials say the COVID-19 vaccine finder website, vaxfinder.mass.gov, which lets users browse more than 900 vaccine locations across the state, will remain available.
Gov. Charlie Baker also on Friday announced that the state will expand its Homebound Vaccination Program to support at-home vaccinations for all eligible residents who are unable to travel to a vaccine site, which will be begin on May 24.
The pre-registration form, posted on vaccinesignup.mass.gov, will be closed to new submissions starting on May 25. Those who are awaiting appointments through this system will be contacted with an opportunity to schedule the shot before the system it completely phased out on May 31.
“All remaining people who preregistered will be given an opportunity to book before the system closes,” officials said.
The online system helped schedule hundreds of thousands of COVID shots in the early days of the rollout; but officials now have enough doses to meet demand, which has in part contributed to a slowdown in new vaccinations.
There have been a total of 7,344,364 COVID vaccine doses administered in Massachusetts to date, and 3,330,308 residents are now fully vaccinated. More than 56% of the state have received at least one dose, and roughly 46% of residents are fully vaccinated.
State expands in-home COVID vaccination program in Massachusetts – masslive.com
CRITICAL HOME REPAIR PROGRAM
The CRITICAL HOME REPAIR PROGRAM is coordinated by Habitat for Humanity to help low income homeowners maintain their homes. Repairs can include roof replacement, structural walls, handicap accessibility renovations, exterior finishes, repairs to satisfy town building codes, etc. The homeowner is responsible to pay only 25% of the project value.
Call Lisa Garvey at 978-692-0927 if interested in this assistance.
Join Annette and Alison for our Monthly Caregiver Movie Series starting May 26
CAREGIVER MOVIE SERIES AT CAMERON Join Annette and Alison the last Wednesday of the month from 1-4PM to watch a movie about the caregiver role in various circumstances and health conditions. After the movie, we will host a brief discussion of the movie’s themes and participant impressions and experiences. We plan to host this series for 6 months and we will try to choose a variety of situations to explore through cinematic art! Here are the first four movies in the series:
May 26-Still Alice (2014): Caring for a spouse/parent with early-onset Alzheimer’s. When renowned linguistics professor Alice Howland starts to forget her beloved words, her world quickly spins with the harsh reality: early-onset Alzheimer’s. The movie transparently chronicles Alice’s battle to hide her neurological disease and find coping strategies. It also demonstrates the cognitive decline Alzheimer’s patients experience and the challenges family caregivers must tackle daily.
June 30th-The Theory of Everything (2014): Caring for an adult with a physical disability. After Cambridge University astrophysics student Stephen Hawking (Eddie Redmayne) is diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, he turns reclusive. But literature student Jane Wilde (Felicity Jones) falls in love with him and decides to marry him when she finds out Stephen only has two years to live. Jane eventually delays her own goals to become a full-time caregiver for Stephen. Felicity Jones’ role shows the emotional side of caregiving. Managing caregiver guilt, stress and exhaustion can be difficult, but it’s important for caregivers to replenish before taking care of others.
July 28th-The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007): Caring for a patient who has had a stroke. The film drama is a real-life account of Jean-Dominique Bauby and his indomitable spirit after a massive stroke left him paralyzed with locked-in syndrome. Unable to speak, the former French “Elle” magazine editor-in-chief composes his “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” book with the painstaking aid of his speech and language therapist reading a list of letters and Bauby blinking his left eyelid to spell out words. The biographical movie illustrates how Bauby’s children, his girlfriend, and his former wife all come together to undergird him through his unthinkable hardship. It shows that caregiving does take a village.
August 25th-Life Itself (2014): Caring for a person with cancer. Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic Roger Ebert is one of history’s most commendable social commentators and an inspiring model of a life well-lived. Although his head and neck malignancy robbed Ebert of his commanding speech, the famed historian and author never lost his voice in influencing his diverse audience. Based on Ebert’s bestselling memoir “Life Itself,” the documentary portrays how to combat cancer with help from a network of family and friends.
