The Senior Scene

Transportation options in Pierce County and regionally are what the Travel Ambassador program is all about.
Travel Ambassador, developed by Catholic Community Services, provides information on transportation options for elders, individuals with disabilities, students, and other community members who face barriers to transportation.
Presenters at a recent seminar in Lakewood included representatives of transportation agencies and services that coordinate transportation. Topics to be covered included:
• How to take a bus and get route-planning locally and regionally.
• The ORCA card –what it is and how to use it.
• Volunteer driver transportation services in Pierce County.
• How to get a “Bus Buddy” for one-to-one help with using the bus.
• Medicaid Paratransit service and Shuttle service, and who is eligible for them.
• Beyond the Borders, a free transportation service in rural areas of Pierce County.
• Puget Sound Educational Services District Work First transportation.
• United Way’s 2-1-1 travel information service.
CCS and other transportation-related agencies and businesses educate the public on transportation as members of the Pierce County Coordinated Transportation Coalition. An offshoot is the Travel Ambassador program, which was created to provide user-friendly information for customers, social service organizations and non-profit agencies about transportation that’s available to low-income workers, people with disabilities and seniors.
According to the coalition, a lack of transportation can diminish a person’s self-sufficiency. In particular, access to transportation is critical for senior citizens to maintain physical, social, economic and psychological well-being.

Starting Feb. 1, AARP Foundation will again provide free tax preparation and electronic filing at sites throughout the state. AARP Tax-Aide is totally free, and you don’t need to be a member of AARP or a retiree to use this free service.
2014 tax returns reflect a change as the result of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). And for those who did not have medical insurance coverage the entire year or who purchased insurance through the Washington State Health Plan Exchange, there will be some new tax forms to deal with when filing 2014 tax returns. AARP Tax-Aide will have tax counselors who are trained to help tackle your ACA tax return questions.
Whether you are a working or retired individual, AARP’s IRS tax-certified volunteer preparers can handle your tax returns. In addition to earned and retirement income reporting, we can help you with your investment income (interests, dividends, and capital gains for Schedule D), Schedule C for individuals with small businesses that have less than $10,000 in annual expenses, and various education, child and earned income credits.
Taxpayers utilizing the free service can receive their tax refunds rather quickly, as all AARP Tax-Aide sites will be using electronic filing.
AARP Foundation Tax-Aide, in its 46th year and offered in conjunction with the IRS, is the nation’s largest free tax-assistance and preparation service, giving special attention to those 60 and older. Since 1968, AARP Foundation’s volunteer-based Tax-Aide program has helped nearly 50 million low to moderate income taxpayers. The program has over 35,000 volunteers and 6,000 sites across the country. In Washington alone last year, more than 1,000 Tax-Aide volunteers helped about 78,000 taxpayers get more than $52 million in refunds.
For more information and to locate an AARP Foundation Tax-Aide site near you, visit www.aarp.org/findtaxhelp or call 1-888-AARPNOW (1-888-227-7669).

Janet Lam-Rogers wrote this article. She is an AARP Foundation Tax-Aide volunteer.

Resolve to save in 2015. That’s the word from the National Council on Aging, which urges people living on a fixed income to start the new year right with an online checkup.

On BenefitsCheckUp, find and apply for benefits to help pay for everyday expenses. On EconomicCheckUp, discover how to make and stick to a budget, keep scammers away, and get retrained for a new job. Both sites are free, confidential, and from NCOA.

For more, go online at benefitscheckup.org or ncoa.org.

Lutheran Community Services Northwest (LCSNW) is seeking sponsors, table hosts and volunteers for its South Puget Sound fund-raising brunch March 15 at Landmark Convention Center in Tacoma.
Called “Power of Partnership,” the annual brunch is LCSNW’s largest fund-raiser for the Tacoma area. Proceeds benefit the non-profit organization’s programs, including Home Care, Senior Companion, Senior Media Services, Meals on Wheels, www.seniorscene.org, Caregiver Services and the Refugee Reception and Placement Program.
Although there is not a ticket or upfront cost to attend the event, there is an opportunity to make a gift or pledge to support neighbors through the services of LCSNW.
The brunch will begin with a social hour at 12:30 pm., followed by a buffet and program at 1:30 at 47 St. Helens Ave.

To serve as a sponsor, host a table or volunteer, contact Julie Kissick Malloy, special-events coordinator, at 253-298-9170 and jmalloy@lcsnw.org.
The brunch program includes:
• Introduction of LCSNW president and CEO David Duea.
• Opening remarks and invocation by Bishop Richard Jaech,
SW Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
• Benediction by Rev. Chelsea Globe, Christ Lutheran Church.
• Master of ceremonies Trudy Sorensen, South Puget Sound area director for LCSNW.
• A of hope and healing from an LCSNW client.

In addition, the John Briehl Award will be presented to an individual or organization for contributions to furthering LCSNW’s mission of health, justice and hope.