The Harry White Wilmer American Legion Post 82 in La Plata, Maryland held their grand re-opening and ribbon cutting ceremony today.  This post is a landmark in La Plata and serves veterans and the community.  The original building was built in 1949 and this last remodel has been in the works for five years.

Ken Gould of the Charles County Chamber of Commerce presented the post with a plaque commemorating the re-opening.  It was nice to see the support that the veterans received from Sheriff Coffey, the Charles County Commissioners and numerous citizens.  The American Legion is very involved in our community and providing needed support; if you are looking for a venue for an event, please consider the post as it would help support the veterans and their works.

Tonight was the annual legislative dinner sponsored by the Charles County Department of Social Services.  I had a chance to meet the new Director, Karen Butler.  She gave a status report on the main initiatives of her department and the goals she has set for the coming year.  The need for help among county residents seems to have increased directly affected by the worsening economy.  Because of my interest in foster children, we had a good conversation about my concerns as she reported the number of foster children had increased in the county.

This dinner is well attended each year and I also had discussions concerning social service issues with Brenda Donald, Secretary of the Maryland Department of Human Resources, Delegate Sally Jameson, and Commissioner Sam Graves.

Today the General Assembly honored the 2010 Teachers of the Year from every County and Baltimore City as well as the State Teacher of the Year Jennifer Rankin from Garrett County.

The Charles County Delegation had a chance to meet our county Teacher of the Year Janet Jones from General Smallwood Middle School.  Janet teaches reading in Grades 6 through 8, quite an accomplishment.  I always look forward to meeting these teachers who are the best we can offer our children.

Peter and State Teacher of the Year Jennifer Rankin

Today I got to visit with some seniors at Lackey High School.  This is Senior Exit Portfolio Week and all 350 seniors are interviewed during the week.  They assemble a portfolio of their plans and accomplishments which showcases their goals, resume, mission statement, and examples of outstanding achievement.  This is a county requirement and the student presents the portfolio and answers questions about it.

What a pleasure it was to meet some of the seniors and get a chance to ask questions about their plans.  I am always glad to hear their interest in higher education as I believe that education is a tool to insure your future.  My very special thanks goes to Conchita Walls who is the College and Career Advisor at Lackey.  She works tirelessly with the seniors to make sure they understand their options for the future and gives out encouragement to all who have dreams.

My trip to Lackey reminds me of the dedication of the countless teachers, administrators, advisors, and school support personnel who labor with our children.  I am convinced that Charles County has some of the finest examples of this dedication and commitment.

When the United Seniors were in Annapolis on January 19^th, one man approached me about services that might be available to someone who takes care of a senior.  He is a member of the “sandwich” generation and has children and cares for a parent.

Section 152 of the Internal Revenue Code governs who would be considered a dependent for tax purposes.  In essence, they must be a family member and you must provide over one half of the support for this person, unless no one single person provides over one half of the support.  (You would probably need to talk to your tax professional with the specifics to see if you qualify on this issue.)

I also contacted the Department of Human Resources to see who administered programs for seniors.  I soon got a call from Felicia French at the Department of Aging about a program called the National Family Caregiver Support Program which is housed in the 19 local Area Agencies on Aging throughout the State of Maryland.  It also supports Grandparent caregivers who are taking care of their grandchildren.  For more information about this program or to request information or services, contact the local Area Agencies on Aging.  The number in Charles County is 301-934-9305.

The next week I noticed in the Maryland Independent that Chesapeake-Potomac Home Health offers an elder care provider referral service.  By calling 877-770-1847, seniors and caregivers can obtain resource and contact information for many elder care issues.

SeniorLink is a free service offered by CPHHA to tri-county residents and provides information on topics from health care to legal advice, from financial assistance to finding affordable meal solutions.

While I am going to post this on my blog a more detailed list of services will be in my News Update to those who get my newsletters.  This is important information for us all.