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Habitat orientation, Russel Allen Garden Day, LaVerne Landers, blood drive, soup buffet, writing club, Lawnmower Clinic, Community Action meeting, Polar Plunge

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[February 28, 2013]  Habitat for Humanity of Logan County applicant orientation program scheduled for Sunday

Do you think the idea of homeownership is just a dream for you or your family? If so, you should attend a Sunday afternoon orientation sponsored by Habitat for Humanity of Logan County to learn how you may qualify to participate in a program leading to homeownership. Eligibility is based upon one year of residency within the county, need, income and a willingness to partner with the organization.

Habitat for Humanity's goal is to provide decent and affordable housing to those unable to secure it through more traditional means. Nearly one-quarter of the world's population, including 10 million Americans, lack adequate housing.

Families and individuals chosen for Habitat for Humanity homes do not receive a handout, but a hand up. Habitat homes are financed with affordable no-interest loans. Mortgage payments are made locally to Habitat for Humanity of Logan County, which in turn uses these funds to build or rehabilitate other houses within the county.

Families must have the financial ability to make monthly mortgage payments. In addition to a monetary down payment, families must provide 350 hours and individuals must provide 250 hours of "sweat equity" into the completion of their home and the homes of others.

Interested families and individuals should attend the Habitat for Humanity orientation on Sunday from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the Logan County Housing Authority, 1028 N. College.

For more information on Habitat for Humanity of Logan County, call 217-732-6412 or visit www.habitatlogan.org. Habitat for Humanity is not only building homes and lives, but a sense of community as well.


Seating limited for Russel Allen Garden Day

Limited space is still available for attendance at Russel Allen Garden Day. The event will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 9 on the campus of Lincoln College. The program features keynote speaker Dianne Noland, host and moderator of "Mid-American Gardener" on PBS.

Preregistration is highly encouraged. The registration fee is $10 before March 2 and $12 at the door. To view a brochure and register online, visit the Logan-Menard-Sangamon Extension website, http://web.extension.illinois.edu/lms/. For additional information, call 217-732-8289.


LaVerne Landers, director of nursing, to retire from ALMH

LaVerne Landers of Lincoln will retire from Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital this month after providing 28 years of service to the hospital and its patients.

Landers began her career as a nurse technician in the obstetrics unit. From there, encouraged by her husband, Terry, and the obstetrics staff, she returned to school and earned her associate degree and diploma in nursing. Her continued desire for learning resulted in a bachelor's degree in leadership from Lincoln Christian University and most recently a bachelor's degree in nursing from Benedictine University in Springfield.

Landers moved from her position in obstetrics to serve as a hospice nurse before moving into the role of case management. She was then selected for the assistant director of nursing role and subsequently assumed the director of nursing position in November 2007.

According to Landers, nursing seemed a natural fit as she believes she was blessed with the gift of caring for others. Her career at ALMH allowed her to do purposeful work in a value-based organization working side by side with others who cared as much as she did. She is proud of the nursing team and believes they are the "best of the best of us."

"Many of our nurses drive by other hospitals and clinics to work at ALMH. They choose to practice in a culture that places the patient at the very center of all that we do," said Landers.

Landers is proud to leave a legacy of exceptional nursing leaders who are prepared to do whatever it takes to care for our community and for each other.

Former and current employees along with the public are invited to join Landers as her contributions to ALMH are celebrated with a cake and punch reception from 1 to 3 p.m. Friday in the Steinfort Rooms at ALMH, 200 Stahlhut Drive.


Blood drive Monday

To help ensure an adequate blood supply for the region, there will be a blood drive at the Lincoln Masonic Center, 2022 N. Kickapoo, on Monday, March 4, from noon to 6 p.m.

For your convenience, call Alexis to sign up toll-free at 1-866-GIVE-BLD (1-866-448-3253), ext. 5158, or schedule an appointment online using sponsor code 60057 at www.bloodcenterimpact.org. Walk-ins are also welcome and truly appreciated.

Central Illinois Community Blood Center, a not-for-profit organization, is the provider of lifesaving blood for 14 hospitals throughout central Illinois, including Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital in Lincoln and Memorial Medical Center and St. John’s Hospital in Springfield. CICBC is a division of the Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center, which collects over 180,000 units of blood annually and serves a total of 87 hospitals in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri and Wisconsin.


Middletown Presbyterian Church hosting a soup buffet

MIDDLETOWN -- Middletown Presbyterian Church will host a soup buffet on Sunday, March 3, from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. On the menu will be vegetable beef soup, chili, homemade chicken noodle soup, cheesy broccoli soup, relish tray, pie or cake, and drinks.

It's an all-you-can-eat meal. The cost is $6 for adults, $3 for children ages 4-12, and youngsters 3 and under eat free. 


Lincoln Writer's Club will meet March 12

Lincoln Writer's Club will meet Tuesday, March 12, at 6:30 p.m. in the Alumni Room of the Lincoln College student center.

Suggested writing topics: story about Easter; nicknames; to be 13 again; or springtime.

All are welcome. For more information, call 732-2723.


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Lincoln Jaycees Lawnmower Clinic

Have the Lincoln Jaycees get your mower ready for the upcoming season. Bring in your push mower (no riding mowers) and the Jaycees will change the oil, change the spark plug, sharpen the blade, clean the mower deck and check the air filter.

Mowers may be dropped off from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, March 9, at the Lincoln Jaycees Center, 325 S. Chicago St. Mowers may be picked up the same day from 3 to 5 p.m.

The cost is $30 at drop-off. (Save $5 if you prepay online at lincolnjaycees.com.) All profits help fund upcoming Lincoln Jaycees community projects.

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The Lincoln Jaycees are a not-for-profit organization serving Lincoln and the surrounding communities. The organization gives young people ages 18-40 the tools they need to build the bridges of success for themselves in the areas of business development, management skills, individual training, community service and international connections. Membership meetings are the third Friday of each month, 7:30 p.m., at the Lincoln Jaycees Center, 325 S. Chicago St., and are open to everyone.


Community Action board meeting notice

The next regularly scheduled corporate board meeting of the Community Action Partnership is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 28, at 7 p.m. The meeting will be at Community Action's corporate offices, 1800 Fifth St. in Lincoln.

For transportation to the meeting, contact the resource specialist at your county office:

  • DeWitt County:
    Anita Russell, 217-935-2455

  • Logan County:
    Cyndi Campbell, 217-732-2159

  • Mason/Fulton County:
    Anna Richardson, 309-543-6988

  • Piatt County:
    Wendy Dotson, 217-762-2421


Polar Plungers across Illinois will be freezin' for a reason Feb. 22-March 17

NORMAL -- It's not every day that people are willing to "go jump in a lake" -- particularly in the winter -- let alone do so with thousands of other people, including members of the law enforcement community. But that's exactly what will happen on various weekends in February and March as part of the annual Law Enforcement Torch Run Polar Plunge to benefit Special Olympics Illinois presented by GEICO.

Any adventurous soul is invited to join law enforcement officers, as well as media and business and civic leaders from their community, by donning bathing suits, costumes or any clothing of choice (just no wetsuits!) to jump in a lake. Each plunger must collect a minimum of $75 in donations that will be used to support Special Olympics programs in Illinois.

The event has grown from one location in 1999 to 20 locations across the state this year. The Polar Plunge series will kick off with a Super Plunge -- where participants raise a minimum of $2,500 and plunge into Lake Michigan once every hour for 24 hours -- on Feb. 22-23 at Northwestern University's North Beach in Evanston.

The Logan County plunge will take place on Sunday, March 17, at 2 p.m. at Lincoln Lakes. Please note this is a change in both day of the week and time. Anyone wishing to know more about the local plunge can click on the "Polar Plunge" button on the Top Stories page of LDN or contact Joanie Keyes of Special Olympics Illinois at 217-428-9255.

Individuals and teams can register for the plunge on the Special Olympics Illinois website at http://www.plungeillinois.com/ or by contacting Keyes at the number above.

Plungers are encouraged to form teams to spread the fun. Each team member must raise the minimum of $75 in donations, and all team members' individual fundraising totals will be merged to form a combined team total. Teams are placed into divisions based on size and are awarded prizes for the most money raised.

All plungers will receive gifts, compete for prizes, and enjoy food and camaraderie with other chilly participants. The more money a plunger raises, the more chances he or she will have to win a four-night trip for two adults to Cancun, Mexico, with accommodations at Riu Peninsula, courtesy of Apple Vacations. For every $500 a plunger raises, he or she will get an entry into the drawing for this grand prize.

The Illinois Law Enforcement Torch Run is the single largest year-round fundraising vehicle benefiting Special Olympics Illinois. The annual intrastate relay and its various fundraising projects have two goals: to raise money and increase public awareness for the athletes of Special Olympics Illinois. Each year, more than 3,000 officers in Illinois run more than 1,500 miles carrying the "Flame of Hope" through the streets of their hometowns and deliver it to the State Summer Games in Normal in June.


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