Page 26 - Senior Times South Central Michigan - July 2016 - 23-07

Page 26
Senior Times - July 2016
Top Five US
BARRY COUNTY COMMISSION ON AGING
The following services are available through
the Barry County Commission on Aging for persons 60 years and older. Services are fund- ed through the Federal Older Americans Act, the Barry County Board of Commissioner’s, Region IIIB Area Agency on Aging, the Older Michiganians’ Act, Barry County Senior Millage, Barry County United Way, memorials and donations. The Commission on Aging is a non-profit agency eligible to receive tax-deduct- ible financial gifts, memorials and endowments.
• Home Delivered Meals: If you or some- one you know is homebound and unable
to prepare meals, we can deliver delicious meals to the home. Call 948-4856 for more information. Special Diets and Liquid Meal Supplements are available.
• Senior Center Activities including line dancing, card making, beading, cards, bingo, and many others. Call for details.
• Senior Meal Choice Dining. Phone to see if you qualify for our restaurant-based senior dining program.
• Chore Service provides minor home repair for seniors. Call us to fix your broken railing or to trim your bushes!
There are many more activities and opportuni- ties to volunteer your time and talents! Just Call Barry County Commission on Aging for more information.
FRIENDSHIP CENTER LOCATIONS:
• Hastings COA Building
(269) 948-4856 • Open Mon. thru Fri. – 10am-2pm
• Nashville Masonic Temple
(517) 852-9182 • Open Mon. thru Fri. – 10:30am-1pm
• Delton Faith United Methodist Church
(269) 623-5400 • Open Mon, Wed, Th: 10:30am-1pm
• Woodland Eagles Club
(269) 367-4041 • Open Mon, Wed & Fri – 10:30am-1pm
Barry County Commission on Aging
320 West Woodlawn Avenue
Hastings, Michigan 49058
Phone: (269) 948-4856
Fax: (269) 948-3336
E-Mail: bccoa@barrycounty.org
Visit our website link from: www.barrycounty.org
Telephone Scams Revealed
Just hang up! Some of us wouldn't dream of hanging up on an IRS agent who calls to say you owe back taxes, but that's the advice the Internal Revenue Service is passing on as it relates to the number one scam tar- geting seniors.
According to the Association of Mature American Citizens the agency says, "The IRS will never call a taxpay- er to demand immediate payment, nor will the agency call about taxes owed without first having mailed a bill to the taxpayer. The IRS will never demand that a taxpayer pay taxes without giving him or her the opportunity to question or appeal the amount claimed to be owed."
The IRS impersonation scam targets a huge segment of the population based on the fact that the agency receives as many as 13,000 complaints each week. Up to 50 people a week fall for the deception with some 5,000 having lost more than $26 million.
Almost nine out of ten Americans (89%) receive unwanted calls each month according to a recent survey, which has also revealed the top five types of scams people have fallen vic- tim to.
Victims have been scammed most by*:
• IRS scams (33%)
• Credit/Loan scams (31%)
• Lottery/Sweepstake scams (27%)
• Banking scams (22%)
• Automated message scams (16%)
The YouGov survey, commissioned by call blocking specialists CPR Call Blocker, also showed that 11% of US
adults have been a victim of a tele- phone scam. Of those who have been scammed, 20% said they had lost between $500 and $10,000 as a result.
Not all unwanted phone calls are scams, but the shocking statistics show that many US consumers are regularly bombarded by unrequested calls from people and organizations for commer- cial purposes. From long distance call providers through to Robocalls, con- sumers are continually being targeted over the phone with 14% of people receiving over 30 unwanted calls each month.
The study also suggests that orga- nizations making these unwanted calls are avoiding consumers’ requests to be removed from call lists as 60% claim
to receive repeated calls from the same organization despite telling them to stop calling.
Kris Hicks of CPR Call Blocker comments, “With 89% of people claim- ing to receive unwanted calls each month, the scale of the problem is out of control. Not only are consumers con- tending with regular Robocalls, there
is also a risk that they could be tricked into giving away personal details and financial information.
We hope that by highlighting the most common types of scams out there, people will be more savvy when it comes to saying ‘no’ to unwanted callers.”
CPR Call Blocker commissioned the YouGov research to highlight the scale of unwanted calls across the US. Find out more at www.callblockerusa.com.
*Options for scams were provided by a list for responders to choose from.
Veterans Treatment Court
Seeking Veteran Mentors
There is no bond that is as strong as the one that exists among those who have fought for and served their coun- try. Volunteer Veteran mentors come
to the aid of their fellow Veterans who are going through the Calhoun County Veterans Treatment Court (VTC) with mentoring and peer support. Veteran mentors volunteer their time (approxi- mately eight hours a month) and ener- gy to assist their fellow Veterans with peer support and assist with resources available to Veterans.
The duties, responsibilities and cri- teria of a volunteer mentor are:
• Honorably Discharged Veteran of the U.S. military.
• Meet with the Veteran once a week and attend court sessions twice per month.
• Serve as an advocate, confident, and role model for the Veteran in the VTC.
• Assist the Veteran with navigating through community resources.
For more information on volunteer- ing to become a mentor, please contact the Mentor Coordinator, Coleen Jewell at (269) 753-9330 or Calhoun County District Court Probation Officer Rick Denney at (269) 969-6657.
Senior Transportation
County-wide for medical, work, nutritional and recreational trips: M-F 8am-4:30pm,
24-hour notice preferred.
Senior Transportation Dispatch
269-565-4144 or 800-994-9876
Transportation services are provided by Community Action.
315 West Green Street, Marshall, MI 49068 Office: 269-781-0846
Toll free: 877-645-5243
Fax: 269-781-0770 www.calhouncountymi.gov/seniorservices