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Our E-Update, Calendar of Events and E-Update ResourcesTM, along with many
supplemental updates of information during the week, now are available at
www.facebook.com/TransformationIni
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to access other than basic features.
Like our Page and then click on Get Notifications in the dropdown menu next
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New:
Activities Submission - Organizations are encouraged to submit information about ongoing services and activities, along with special events, as soon as possible after establishing a
date to maximize publicity and to help individuals and other organizations with planning
processes for their own events.
Formats for submission should be similar to and include all information as that shown on the
current, accompanying Calendar of Events. Further information about submissions appears
at the end of this E-Update and the Calendar. Information should be submitted to
bps461@msn.com. Don't let your important activity be left unknown.
NEW LAST WEEK: Free Local Income Tax Preparation Now Available, Along with Preparation
Software
Free income tax preparation sites are gearing up to start
providing services for individuals who generally make $54,000
or less annually, persons with disabilities, the elderly and
limited English speaking taxpayers who need assistance in
preparing their own tax returns.
In addition, the federal Internal Revenue Service (IRS) also is providing free tax preparation
software to aid individuals having less than $62,000 in 2015 income.
The free services take particular note of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) that provides
up to $6,269 to an individual or couple with three or more qualifying children and earning
less than $53,506, all based on a sliding scale.
The IRS estimates that one out of five individuals who have earned money during a year
and qualify for the benefit, which can be more than that paid in taxes, fail to file for it.
Further information on the ETIC is available at www.irs.gov/Credits-&Deductions/Individuals/Earned-Income-Tax-Credit/EITC-Income-Limits-Maximum-CreditAmounts-Next-Year.
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Information and searchable databases for Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax
Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) preparers are available at www.irs.gov/Individuals/FreeTax-Return-Preparation-for-You-by-Volunteers.
Information on Free File software is available at www.irs.gov/uac/Free-File:-Do-YourFederal-Taxes-for-Free.
NEW LAST WEEK: Pennsylvania Women Workers Losing Ground for Comparable Wages
Women workers in Pennsylvania didn't
fare well in 2014 when it came to
wages or their comparability to male
counterparts.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
(BLS) says that median usual weekly
earnings were 78.8 percent of those
for male counterparts in 2014, a
decrease of .9 percent from the
previous year, at the same time that
overall average female wages already
were the lowest in real numbers when
compared with surrounding states of
Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey.
Since 1997, BLS reports, median
usual weekly earnings for women, in
comparison to men, have fluctuated from 71.8 percent in 1997 to 81.7 percent in 2012
before starting the current decline. Nationally, the comparison rate is rising and was at 82.5
percent overall in 2014.
Further information is at
www.bls.gov/regions/midatlantic/newsrelease/womensearnings_pennsylvania.htm.
NEW LAST WEEK: State Attorney General Issues Tips on Health Club Memberships
Pennsylvania Attorney General Bureau of Consumer Protection is cautioning individuals to
know their rights before signing a contract with any health fitness facility.
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With the start of the New Year and increased health resolutions, the department says there
are specific protections under the state's Health Club Act, including a requirement that clubs
and gyms register with the Attorney General's office if they sell long-term contracts, along
with financial protection for consumers if clubs suddenly close, consumer rights to cancel
contracts or obtaining refunds in event of relocation, injury or other special circumstances,
and more.
The Bureau of Consumer Protection says it receives hundreds of complaints from consumers
regarding health clubs and gyms, most involving struggles over contract cancellations or
consumers seeking refunds when clubs suddenly close.
Further information is available at www.bctv.org/special_reports/health/attorney-generalsoffice-offers-tips-for-commonwealth-residents-considering/article_7346afa4-b622-11e587e3-63dad804829e.html#.VpjeWkwhMTI.facebook or (800) 441-2555.
NEW LAST WEEK: Free Pottstown Fatherhood Initiative Moves to Ongoing Status
Dare to Be the Best, a fatherhood initiative from the Pottstown Family Center, has gone to an
ongoing schedule from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Thursdays at the Montgomery County Health
Department Conference Room, 364 King Street, Pottstown.
The six-session series, which men can attend more than once, provides fathers with
resources, parenting techniques, and networking opportunities related to issues particular to
each individual. Childcare and snacks are provided.
Further information and registration are available at (610) 326-1610 x339.
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Although some 500 PennDOT plow trucks and more than 200 contracted rental trucks will
be able to be tracked on the departments website, officials said that trucks from
lowertraffic roads that are moved onto interstates wont be shown on 511. In addition, due
to differing staff schedules, storms or equipment usage, locations of all of the trucks will not
be visible at all times.
Further information is available at www.governor.pa.gov/gov-wolf-announces-plowtrucktracking-now-publicly-viewable-511pa.
UPDATED THIS WEEK: Health Insurance Marketplace Enrollment Continues Next Deadline is
Sunday, January 31
The final open enrollment deadline is January 31 for Individuals wanting to enroll or change
plans in the Health Insurance Marketplace, with coverage to start March 1.
Over 85 percent of insured are receiving federal subsidies to help pay the cost of their
health insurance under the Affordable Care Act, officials say.
All existing policy holders are encouraged to check coverages and rates due to possible
changes that could lessen coverage or increase premiums which have been approved to rise
between 1.4 to 26.2 percent in this area, depending on the plan.
Further information and enrollment are available at www.healthcare.gov. Local
organizations providing free assistance in helping to compare plans and costs are available
through the searchable database at https://localhelp.healthcare.gov. Telephone assistance
is available at (800) 318-2596, TTY (855) 889-4325.
NEW LAST WEEK: Free Mobile Job Lab to be Debuted Monday, February 1
A new monthly Mobile Job Lab will start from 1 p.m.
to 4 p.m. February 1, in Room 114 at the University
Center, 95 South Hanover Street, Pottstown.
Montgomery County Community Colleges University
Center, its Career Services and TriCounty
Community Network (TCN) will host the activity the
first Monday of each month, with attendees being able to search for jobs and obtain resume
writing and other job-seeker and career support services. Representatives of the University
Centers college and university partners also will be available to discuss admission
processes.
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Further information on LIHEAP and other assistance programs and application methods are
available at www.dhs.state.pa.us/foradults/heatingassistanceliheap or County Human
Services offices.
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West Chester CTC meets from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., on the second Thursday of each
month of the school year at the West Chester Area School District Spellman
Administrative Building, 829 Paoli Pike, West Chester. Lunch is provided by reserving at
rsvp@wcctc.org or (610) 359-5817.
Downingtown Area CTC meets from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. the third Tuesday of the
month from September through May. On January 19, Chiropractor Russ Cooperstein will
discuss Drug-Free Solutions to Sleep Deprivation at a meeting at the Downingtown Area
School District Administration Building, 540 Trestle Place, Downingtown. Further
information and registration available at dtownctc@umly.org or (610) 458-9090 x2827.
Coatesville CTC Community Prevention Board, a body coterminous with the Coatesville
Youth Initiative Steering Committee, meets periodically in the fourth floor Community
Room, Brandywine Health Foundation, 744 East Lincoln Highway, Coatesville. Further
information and requested lunch reservations are available from Jarvis Berry, CTC
community mobilizer, at Jarvis@coatesvilleyouthinitiative.org or (610) 380-0200.
UPDATED THIS WEEK: Support Groups for Unemployed and Underemployed Ongoing
Several networking/support groups (open to everyone) are available at area churches for
persons who are unemployed or unemployed, with each providing its own variety of specific
services in support of those who attend:
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with prodigal children and other family members; and various offerings focused on
assistance in healing and coping. Further information on Job-Seeker Group activities
is available at barnabasgroup@cfdownington.com or (610) 363-7171
Malvern Penn State Great Valleys Alumni Association and My Career Transitions
(MCT), an all-volunteer job counseling group, meets from 9:45 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.
the second Saturday of the month, except August and December, in 130 Main
Building, Penn State Great Valley, 30 East Swedesford Road, Malvern, preceded by a
new member orientation at 8:30 a.m. On February 13, Michael Goldberg of Knock
Out Networking will discuss that subject. Further information and required
registration are available at http://mycareertransitions.com/new/?q=upcomingmeetings. Further information and required registration are available at
http://mycareertransitions.com/new/?q=upcoming-meetings.
West Chester Unemployment support group meets bi-weekly from 5:45 p.m. to
7:30 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, 130 West Miner Street, West Chester, to
learn tips and techniques related to job searches. Further information is available
from Elisabeth Hartwell at ehartwell@firstpreswc.com, at (610) 696-0554.
West Chester BarnabasWC group meets from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. Mondays,
except holidays, in the Community Room, Providence Church, 430 Hannum Avenue,
West Chester. Further information is available at www.barnabaswc.org or
info@barnabaswc.org.
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its free annual retreat workshop, including childcare, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., followed
by dinner and optional Mass at McShain-Horstmann Family Life Center, Malvern
Retreat House, 315 South Warren Avenue, Malvern. Further information and
required registration for limited seating are available at
www.josephspeople.org/retreat.
Upper Uwchlan Township 7 p.m. on the first and third Mondays at the School
Education Center, St. Elizabeths Catholic Church, 100 Fellowship Road, Chester
Springs. Further information is available at (610) 321-1200 or at
david.bolz@verizon.net.
Reading 7 p.m. to 8:30 pm. on the first and third Wednesdays at St Catharine's of
Siena Parish Center. 2427 Perkiomen Avenue, Reading. Further information is
available from John Senick, facilitator, at (610) 779-4005.
West Grove 6:45 p.m. on the fourth Wednesday of the month in the new Parish
Life Center, Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church, 300 State Road, West
Grove. On January 27, Jeff Hanna, church deacon, will discuss Interview
Preparation and the Interview. Further information is available from John Colgan at
johnfcolgan@gmail.com.
Additional information on all St. Josephs People chapters is available at
www.josephspeople.org.
Free Job Assistance Workshops, Job Fairs and Job Openings Report January
Unemployed and underemployed persons seeking education and training in career planning,
along with employment assistance for veterans, ex-offenders and persons with disabilities,
can take advantage of a broad series of services and monthly workshops offered by the
Pennsylvania Department of Labor CareerLink at its Exton offices in Suite 500, 479 Thomas
Jones Way in the Oaklands Corporate Center.
These trainings include an orientation presentation as to services PA CareerLink has to offer.
A calendar of PA CareerLink-Chester County workshops for the current month is available at
http://chesco.org/159/Workforce-Development-Board.
The November 2015 job openings list that provides several pages for the Chester County
area is available at
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?ChesterCountyDepartm/80b0df4900/432f3381ef/8a41433e69.
Daily position openings updates are available through www.cwds.state.pa.us.
Websites for additional county PA CareerLink offices in the area, at which many services are
available to out-of-county residents, include:
Berks: www.co.berks.pa.us/Dept/CareerLink/Pages/default.aspx
Delaware: www.delcoworks.org
Lancaster: www.jobs4lancaster.com
Montgomery: www.montcopa.org/index.aspx?NID=1024
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Free Online Training Available for Health Care Professionals Aiding Veterans
Health care professionals now have a free online course developed by the federal
Departments of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Defense (DoD) to help serve veterans and service
members.
The eight-hour Military Culture: Core Competencies for Health Care Professionals training
covers a variety of topics through interactive features, video vignettes, case examples and
treatment planning scenarios.
Each of the four modules within the course was developed using research, surveys and
extensive interviews with service members and veterans.
Information and registration for the training, along with other military culture-related
materials, are available at www.deploymentpsych.org/Military-Culture.
The nation as a whole, according to the report, only maintains "a solid C" in combined
ratings.
The interactive report is available at www.edweek.org/ew/qc/2016/2016-state-reportcardsmap.html.
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The guidelines, updated every five years by the U.S. Agriculture and Health and Human Services
Departments, urges Americans to drastically cut back on sugar and, for the first time, focus
on teenage boys and men eating too much meat, chicken and eggs.
However, the New York Times reports that some provisions in the draft, including
recommendations about meat and eggs, were omitted from the final version, resulting in
controversy.
The news report is available at www.well.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/01/07/newdietguidelines-urge-less-sugar-for-all-and-less-meat-for-boys-and-men/?_r=2, with the
guidelines at www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines.
Oracle Agrees to FTC Settlement That It Deceived Consumers About Java Platorm
Security
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) says that Oracle has
agreed to settle agency charges that the company
deceived consumers about the security provided by
updates to its Java Platform, Standard Edition software
(Java SE), which is installed on more than 850 million
personal computers.
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Under terms of a proposed consent order, the company will be required to give consumers
the ability to easily uninstall insecure, older versions of Java SE.
When a companys software is on hundreds of millions of computers, it is vital that its
statements are true and its security updates actually provide security for the software, said
Jessica Rich, director of FTCs Bureau of Consumer Protection. The FTCs settlement
requires Oracle to give Java users the tools and information they need to protect their
computers.
Oracles Java SE provides support for a vast array of features consumers use when browsing
the web, including browser-based calculators, online gaming, chatrooms, and 3D image
viewing.
According to FTCs complaint, Oracle was aware of significant security issues since
acquiring Java in 2010 which allowed hackers to craft malware that could access consumer
usernames and passwords to financial accounts, and other sensitive personal information
through phishing attacks.
Further information is available at www.ftc.gov/news-events/pressreleases/2015/12/oracle-agrees-settle-ftc-charges-it-deceived-consumers-aboutjava?utm_source=govdelivery, with a blog post of additional information at
www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/whats-worse-stale-coffee-stale-java.
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report "also shows how important it is that law enforcement intensify efforts to reduce the
availability of heroin, illegal fentanyl, and other illegal opioids.
Further information is available at www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/data/statedeaths.html.
The publication quotes NIDA director Nora Volkow as saying that while she is heartened by
declines in cigarettes and drinking, the growing acceptance of pot among teens concerns
her because preliminary studies show changes in the brain structure of young people who
smoke pot.
It notes that Volkow and other scientists worry that when teens, whose brains are not yet
fully formed, flood their systems with cannabinoids from marijuana, the wiring process
between neurons can be disrupted.
Further information is available at www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/12/marijuanaovertakes-cigarettes-among-teens/420708.
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www.pccd.pa.gov/AboutUs/Pages/Press%20Releases/Pennsylvania-Commission-on-Crimeand-Delinquency-Approves-$3-4-Million-in-Grants-from-the-NCAAPSU-Endowment-ActFund.aspx#.Vm6dRL_AD-u.
Disabilities Group Calls for Halt to New Sheltered Workshops and Subminimum
Wages
The Disability Rights Network of Pennsylvania is calling for elimination of subminimum
wages paid to workers with disabilities and for a ban on creating new sheltered workshops.
The group, in a Community Jobs and a Living Wage: Opportunities for People with
Disabilities in Pennsylvania report, includes the demands as part of a 10-point platform.
It says about one in six Pennsylvanians are people with disabilities, totaling about 1.8
million individuals, about one million of them being adults between 21 and 64-years of age.
A copy of the 20-page document is available at
www.drnpa.org/File/community_jobs_and_living_wage.pdf.
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Children in Foster Care and Persons with Disabilities Benefit from New
Pennsylvania Laws
Children in foster care will have greater ability to take part in extracurricular activities and
persons with disabilities will have broader opportunities to hunt from a
motorized wheelchair under legislation approved by Pennsylvania Gov.
Tom Wolf.
Sponsors of the foster care bill that children and youth in foster care
currently miss out on activities due to caregivers needing to obtain prior
approval for participation from a county child welfare or private placement
agencies or the court.
The Activities and Experiences for Children in Out-of-Home Placements Act, which takes
effect immediately, changes the authority to determine activities participation. Further
information available at
www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/billinfo.cfm?syear=2015&sind=0&body=H&type=B&bn
=477.
The hunting legislation, to take effect in 60 days, enables persons with disabilities to carry a
loaded gun from a motorized wheelchair.
Details about the legislation, which includes a permit requirement, is available at
www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/billinfo.cfm?syear=2015&sind=0&body=H&type=B&bn
=698.
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Pennsylvania and New Jersey Among Top 10 Worst State for Black Americans
Pennsylvania and New Jersey are among the top 10 worst states for black Americans,
according to a financial news and opinion company that delivers content over the Internet.
The ratings -- New Jersey at seventh worst and Pennsylvania at eighth -- is based on a
study by 24/7 Wall St., LLC, a Delaware state corporation that says it creates more than 30
different cross-sector reports daily.
For Pennsylvania, it says the "poverty rate among whites in Pennsylvania is lower than the
national white poverty rate, while the poverty rate among the black population is higher
than the national black poverty rate," with only four other states in the country have such
disproportionate poverty rates....
"High poverty and poor education in Pennsylvanias black communities likely contributes to
worst social outcomes," it suggests, also citing "the incarceration rate among the states
black population of 3,269 for every 100,000 black residents (being) significantly higher than
the national rate of about 2,306 incarcerations for every 100,000 black Americans."
The full report is at www.247wallst.com/special-report/2015/12/07/worst-states-for-blackamericans-2.
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Please Note: New and Updated tags refer only to the time of appearance of information
in these E-Updates. Some on-going activities may have been in existence for some time
and are being listed for awareness.
Blessings
Casey
Casey Jones
Transformation Initiative
Building Healthy Communities Through Healthy Families
(610) 707-1494 / bps461@msn.com
2009-2016 Casey Jones, Transformation Initiative for Building Healthy Communities Through Healthy Families.
Permission is granted to reproduce for personal or non-commercial uses only.
Information provided is designed to highlight activities within the broader community that can help
enhance Christian principles relative to development of healthy children, individual and family
relationships.
Recipients are encouraged to print and post this Calendar to employee and public bulletin boards
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