Nominations for Caregiver of the Year open
COLUMBUS — Thrive Alliance is accepting nominations from Brown, Decatur, Bartholomew, Jackson and Jennings counties for its first annual Family Caregiver of the Year Award. The award will honor adult family members or other informal caregivers 18 and older who provide care to people 60 and older.
Applications will be accepted until Friday, Oct. 26. To nominate a caregiver, visit surveymonkey.com/r/2N3NPL5.
With questions, email Thrive Alliance at [email protected] or call 866-644-6407.
Volunteer fire department receives DNR grant
STONE HEAD — Southern Brown Volunteer Fire Department, based in Van Buren Township, was awarded $5,000 by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources to purchase necessary firefighting equipment and gear to combat wildland fires.
DNR Forestry staff selected recipients on population density, acres of public wildlands protected and wildland fire reporting to DNR Fire Control Headquarters.
Fire departments interested in applying for Volunteer Fire Assistance grants should contact Mark Huter, acting program director, DNR Fire Control Headquarters, 6220 Forest Road, Martinsville, IN 46151 or call 765-342-4701.
Alcoholics Anonymous meetings scheduled
Alcoholics Anonymous has meetings most weekdays at several Brown County locations:
6:30 p.m. Tuesdays — Closed men’s discussion meetings, Brown County Presbyterian Fellowship, 602 North State Road 135
8 p.m. Tuesdays — Closed literature study, The Fieldhouse, 98 W. Washington St.
8 p.m. Wednesdays — Open discussion meetings, Sycamore Valley Community Center at the fairgrounds
9:30 a.m. Fridays — Open literature discussions, lower-level meeting room, Brown County Public Library, 205 N. Locust Lane
8 p.m. Mondays — Open discussion meetings, Sycamore Valley Community Center, 746 Memorial Drive at the fairgrounds
Open meetings are available to anyone interested in this program of recovery from alcoholism. Non-alcoholics can attend open meetings as observers.
Closed meetings are for AA members only, or for those who have a drinking problem and want to stop.
Women’s support group meets weekly
A women’s recovery group meets at 6:30 p.m. Mondays for about 90 minutes.
Child care is available. For more information, including the location, call Carrie at 812-320-1201.
Vaccines given at health department
The Brown County Health Department, on the second floor of the County Office Building, 201 Locust Lane, is offering immunizations free of charge for uninsured adults. Adults and children who are insured also can be immunized at the health department without paying a doctor’s office visit fee; bring your insurance card with you.
Vaccines include tetanus, Hepatitis A and B, dTap, MMR, PVC13, PPSV23, varicella and others.
For more information or to make an appointment, call the health department at 812-988-2255 weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Ministry provides cancer support program
GNAW BONE — Nondenominational group Heart of Christ Ministries, 5181 State Road 46 East, offers a program called Thriving Hope Cancer Care Ministry.
Sponsored by Our Journey of Hope from the cancer treatment centers of America, the ministry provides people touched by cancer with help and spiritual counsel specific to the needs of cancer patients, caregivers or loved ones. Leaders completed a Bible-based cancer care training program.
With questions, to get involved or to receive help, call 812-371-0247. For more information, visit Heart of Christ Ministries on Facebook.
Health department providing free sharps containers
The Brown County Health Department is giving out sharps collection containers that residents can use to safely dispose of needles, syringes and lancets.
Once the container is full, it can be returned to the Brown County Health Department for free disposal.
This is not a syringe exchange program. It is “an effort to keep sharps out of our daily trash and helping to maintain Brown County as a beautiful place to work and live,” the health department reported in a press release.
The health department will only collect and dispose of FDA-cleared sharps containers. Alternative sharps containers, such as laundry detergent bottles or coffee cans, will not be accepted. Sharps containers are for sharps only. No other waste is to be placed in the container.
Anyone can get another free sharps container upon return of a full one.
Containers may be picked up or dropped off at the Brown County Health Department, 201 Locust Lane, between 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. with the exception of holidays.
For more information, call the Brown County Health Department at 812-988-2255 and ask for the nursing division.
BETA program offering paid work for seniors
BETA (Brown County Enrichment for Teens Association is now qualified to receive employment placements through the National Able Network, a service program for seniors age 55 and older. The program is funded by the federal government. Seniors of low income can qualify to work with BETA from 18 to 40 hours per week for pay. For details, contact Jacque Denny at 812-657-2138 or [email protected].
To inquire about volunteering for BETA, contact Clara Stanley at 312-310-3617 or [email protected].
Addiction recovery support offered at church
From 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesdays, New Life Community Church, 1450 State Road 135 North, hosts weekly recovery support meetings, known as Battlefield For Freedom, for people struggling with addiction. For more information, call Melissa Tatman at 812-320-9838.
Addiction support group meets Sunday
Parents of Addicted Loved ones (PAL), a support group for parents and the community, meets at 4 p.m. Sundays in the fellowship hall at Parkview Church of the Nazarene, 1750 State Road 46 East. Enter by the side door.
Family members 18 years or older are welcome. The group will discuss the needs of parents and family supporting addicts, how best to support loved ones, how to educate the community and break the stigma.
For more information, contact Pamela McCoy at 812-606-4176 or [email protected].
