AARP Chapter 1100 celebrates veterans
More than 50 Black Forest AARP Chapter 1100 members and guests enjoyed a catered Thanksgiving-themed meal featuring turkey, ham, dressing, potatoes and gravy, salads and desserts at the chapter’s November meeting. The program also included recognition of and prizes for veterans and widows of veterans, senior injury prevention information, and Salvation Army stockings for needy children for the holiday season.
Jeremiah Mora, AARP Colorado’s associate director of communications outreach was the meeting’s honored guest, and also participated in the Chapter board meeting earlier that morning.
Shirley Karlstrum presented a program honoring veterans on the 100th anniversary of the end to World War I. Karlstrum ensured a separate honorary table was set for the many prisoners of war and those missing in action of past conflicts. She donated two quilted wall hangings she made herself, which were given to a veteran and a widow of a veteran, both drawn at random. The winner of the veteran’s prize was Stanley Beckner, joined by Lavonne Hidy as the winner of the widow’s prize.
Karlstrum also prepared a bag of special items for each veteran present, each bag designed to commemorate the branch of service each person had served.
Lori Morgan, trauma outreach and injury prevention specialist with UCHealth in Colorado Springs, presented an informative program on the prevention of falls in and around the home. Morgan stated falls are the most common cause of traumatic brain injuries. Alcohol and medicine often result in falls, but other culprits include vision problems as well as incorrect use of walkers, canes, loose rugs and various tripping hazards.
Morgan suggested that older or impaired individuals should always keep their cell phone on their person, even at home, in case of falls. She demonstrated how best to get up after a fall and several ways to strengthen muscles with simple exercises to help prevent falls.
Contact Morgan at 365-2872 to get more information or schedule attendance at one of the fall prevention workshops.
As a community service project, chapter members filled more than a dozen holiday gift stockings for the Salvation Army. Each stocking was filled with special items for children of specific ages and will be distributed by the Salvation Army to needy children in the Colorado Springs area during the holiday season.
Membership in the Black Forest AARP Chapter is open to all. There are no age restrictions. Those interested in visiting or joining should contact Ray at 495-6767. For more information on Chapter 1100, visit aarpchapter1100blackforest.weebly.com/index.html.
Some of the Chapter members and guests who attended the November Black Forest AARP Chapter meeting in Black Forest enjoy a catered Thanksgiving-themed meal.
Chapter members who donated filled stockings to the Salvation Army for local needy children are pictured, left to right: Herb Guild, Pat Guild, Rosemary O’Connell, Raji Verma, Ray Rozak, Chuck Karlstrum, Bev Schaab, Lori Belk, Sharon Fulton, Patricia Dix, Lavonne Hidy, and Waldo Pendleton.
Veterans present at the Black Forest AARP Chapter luncheon were: (back row, left to right) Jim Belk, Lou Schwarzman, Denny Wilson, Ray Rozak and Carol Billiard; (front row, left to right) Waldo Pendleton, Herb Guild, Chuck Karlstrum, Electa Beckner, and Stan Beckner. Stan Beckner’s name was drawn to receive the quilted wall hanging designed and made by Shirley Karlstrum for a veteran.
Widows of veterans present included (back row, left to right) Rosemary O’Connell, Gwen Burk, and Rita Fitzpatrick; (front row, left to right) Lavonne Hidy, Patricia Dix, Bev Schaab, Anna Skinner, and Carol Billiard. Hidy was the lucky recipient in a drawing for the quilted wall hanging, which was made by Shirley Karlstrum especially for a widow of a veteran.