A Trip to Joe Huber's Orchard and Winery

It was a peaceful autumn day filled with colorful leaves, the smell of apple cider, and smiling faces.

Como se dice pumpkin en Espanol? I asked a Cuban client named Francisco. Calabazo he answered, glancing out the window on the bus ride to Joe Huber’s Orchard and Winery in Borden, IN.

When we arrived at the farm, our tour guide Cindy, introduced herself and gave us a brief history of Huber’s. She informed us that Joe Huber’s has been family run for 6 generations. What started as a small family farm has now become one of Indiana’s largest tourist attractions.

As we passed the market, the elders became fascinated with the pumpkins and gourds, pulling out their cameras in amazement. 

Our journey continued with Cindy leading us to the facility where the apples were harvested and through the refrigeration facility where they were kept at icy temperatures. Finally, it was time to go to the apple orchard. All the elders seemed to enjoy apple picking. Some were even eating them right off the trees. Each elder was allowed up to four free apples on behalf of the KRM Elder Program, which they took full advantage of.

Throughout the day several seniors asked the staff to take pictures of them and their friends, which we gladly agreed to. At the end of the trip Huber's provided free pumpkins for the elders and staff; a perfect ending to a perfect day.   

Crime Against Seniors

Tuesday morning at the Elder Program proved to be an eventful session. It featured not one, but three community guest speakers.

Detective Dixon from the Louisville Metro Police Department’s (LMPD) Crime Against Seniors Unit spoke with determination. He emphasized how to detect a scam, how to choose a caregiver and power of attorney, and general safety precautions to take to prevent yourself from being taken advantage of. This entry will highlight some of these tips that are especially important for seniors and everyone to be aware of so they don’t fall victim to these crimes.

Detective Dixon from the LMPD

“90% of crimes investigated by the Crimes Against Seniors unit are financial, while only 10% are abuse and neglect cases.” Here are some of the most commonly seen financial scams:

  Ø  Home Improvement scams occur when someone agrees to do work on a house that they have no intention of doing. To prevent yourself from falling victim to this scam, the detective recommends a number of tips.

·         Do a background check on the business by searching for it in the Better Business Bureau and reading customer reviews.

·         Take pictures of the house before work has started and after it has concluded.

·         Always request a contract from the company that lays out exactly what work will be done, how it will be done, and when it will be completed.

·         Never pay more than 10% of the whole amount of over $1000 up front.

Ø  To avoid being scammed by fraudulent charities, research the charity before donating to it.

Ø  If you’ve ever received a phone call from a number you didn’t recognize, chances are you have had an encounter with a Telemarketing scammer. To avoid these, never give out personal information including social security numbers, banking information, information about family members or even your birthday if you do not recognize the organization the person is calling from.

Ø  Sweepstakes scams happen when you are told you have won a prize or a sum of money but you must pay taxes on it before you can collect. 

Ø  Lastly, the grandma scam is when someone receives a call that one’s grandchild has been in an accident or is in jail and needs money. The scammer may have gotten the information online and is able to know specific information about family members. Do not give out money on the phone. Instead, call relatives to find out if they have received similar news.

The second topic the detective discussed was how to find a good caregiver:

• Hire through an agency and ask about what showed up on the person’s background check.
• Put expensive jewelry and items of value in a safe. Jewelry is the most common item stolen from seniors.

• Before hiring a caregiver, take pictures of your valuables, have them appraised and take insurance out on the most expensive items.
• Get a free yearly credit report
• Check your monthly bank statements for accuracy
• Never be afraid to report a crime that has happened to you.

Kristen Abell from KIPDA answering questions for the Cuban elder group

Kristen Abell from the Kentuckiana Regional Planning and Development Agency (KIPDA) educated us on how to change a Medicaid MCO provider and answered several audience questions about health insurance.

Finally, came a speaker from the Survivors of Torture Recovery Center. The STRC offers free mental health counseling, psychiatric services and case management and art therapy for survivors. Located 4803 Southside Drive in Americana World Community Center it provides clients with a safe place to drink coffee and socialize with people in their community. Almost immediately after he began presenting, several elders expressed interest in coming in for a consultation.

Overall, it was another informative day at the KRM Elder Program.

Gray Street Farmer's Market

September 28, 2017

Photo from: @kytaco Instagram profile

On a cool September afternoon, a small group of elders along with two interns, Misty and I, boarded the bus headed for downtown Louisville. Our destination was the Gray Street Farmer’s Market. This field trip was not simply a chance to pick up a few groceries, but an opportunity to teach a lesson in finance and support a community business. The market consisted of various small booths with items including organic fruits and vegetables, eggs, baked breads and desserts, and tacos from The Kentucky Taco Company food truck parked nearby.

The seniors each had about seven $4 Senior Farmer's Market Nutrition Program vouchers. These vouchers were provided through the Louisville Metro Department of Resilience and Community Services. Being that most items at the market were under $8, the seniors were able to buy a decent amount of groceries. Paying for groceries proved to be a challenge since most of the elders spoke little English and did not understand the pricing. Using gestures and body language, Misty and I managed to communicate to the elders when they needed more or less items to make their totals divisible by $4. This process basically consisted of pointing to a fruit or vegetable and waiting for them to give us a nod signaling “yes I like want this” or “no I don’t want that”. This method combined with the patience of the vendors made it an overall successful experience.

Our lovely Elder Program Coordinator Eva (far right) stopped by with a client after his doctor's appointment at a hospital nearby.

   

Photo from: @kytaco Instagram profile

After about an hour and a half, everyone had finished shopping and decided to relax on the sidewalk. I stopped by the taco truck for a quick snack where I was serenaded by the sounds of a Marvin Gaye album flowing from the speakers. As I started eating, David, an elder from Burma, asked, “what is that?” I replied, “it’s a taco. It’s Mexican food. You know, from Mexico.” “I want a taco,” he announced. He then proceeded to purchase his own and exclaim how delicious it was. After that flavorful exchange, we rounded up the group and headed back on the bus concluding our little adventure.

- Alexis

Summer at the Elder Program

Hi! My name is Katie and I’m the new intern for the Elder Program this summer. I’ve only been here for about a month and I’ve already gotten to experience so much! My first week here, I got to go with the elders on a field trip to the Refugee Agriculture Partnership Project where we learned how they can get involved with growing their own fruits, vegetables, and flowers here in Louisville. They were all very excited to teach me about the plants that they recognized since I don’t know very much about gardening.

                                     

I was also able to listen to several speakers that came and talked to the group about important topics such as what it’s like to be a senior citizen in the United States and how to be informed about applying for citizenship. I think I learned just as much as they did! I also got to see the elders participate in a drumming exercise. They had a lot of fun showing off their musical talents and had a lot of great questions for the speakers. 

 I think my favorite part about this internship so far has just been getting to interact with the elders and help them in class. I’m majoring in Spanish at Western Kentucky University, and I’ve been able to learn a lot about Spanish while helping the Cuban elders with their English! I’ve already learned more than I ever could at school in this short amount of time. Dioenis and Orestes are always excited to teach me new words. All of the elders work so hard when practicing their English. I can’t imagine what it’s like being surrounded by a completely new language and trying to communicate. It’s so exciting to see them learn a new word or fact. I have gotten to sit in on several different levels of English classes and it’s awesome to see the progress that the elders make!

I always look forward to coming to the Elder Program on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I love seeing how excited the elders are to learn something new. I’ve already gotten to experience so much, and I can’t wait to see how the rest of the summer goes!

The Intern Adventures: Experiences

Intern Morgan here. I have less than a month left of being an Intern with the Elder Program and Healthcare Access Department in Louisville's Kentucky Refugee Ministries. HOW TIME HAS FLOWN BY! I really can not say enough about how thankful I am for this experience and as time ticks down I am missing everything more and more. Now I know what you are thinking; yes I do have a month left, but have you ever thought about how many places you have already visited for the last time? That is how I am taking every day right now.

Going into this internship,  I thought it would be a fun volunteer opportunity that gave me some college credit. I sort of knew I wanted to work with other cultures but I didn't know how. I didn't think it would help me decide on my future career path or give me so many laughs and smiles. I am truly going to miss this a lot. But enough mushy stuff-- I will talk about some of my favorite times here at the Louisville Elder Refugee Program.

From Left: Bal and Amber (Bhutan), Emma and Isabel (Cuba),
Ambar (Bhutan) and David (Karen State) playing Bingo.

Once upon a time (about 2 weeks ago) there was a little situation at the Elder Program. On the day of the Wall Together reception and exhibit, Emma and Ambar came 3 hours early and no one was there to open the door (uh-oh). Well I went down to the church, where we meet for class, and let the two in. It was funny just sitting there in an empty church with two refugees and nothing to do but wait. However we eventually got a letter bingo game going.  The prize for winning the unorganized game-- a cookie or galleta as it is called in Spanish. But then there was also crackers on the table as a snack, which are also called galletas in Spanish. So this led to a impromptu class on the word "cracker" and how crackers make cracking noises. It was really amusing sitting there with with about 4 refugees cracking crackers in half to hear the cracking noise. The refugees also found it interesting how I went from crack to crack around the room explaining that, yes splits in the wall and floor were also called cracks.

As more early birds came a long we had about 9 people playing bingo before the school bus arrived for the trip to the Speed Art Museum. It was a good memory for sure.

Fellow Intern Jon substituting in Julie's class.

I have also really enjoyed assisting the teachers during ESL class on Tuesdays and Thursdays. My supervisors were really great in trying to get me to see every level of English class. Beth's class with the newest English speakers, was truly the most heartfelt. So many of those in her class have a hard time even writing in their native language, I can only imagine how difficult it is to learn a new writing system and language on top of it. 

Nothing makes me happier than seeing the expression of a refugee who has come to understand a concept. Kameela from Iraq, learning the color "pink" and pointing to everything pink as far as the eye can see is just an example of that happiness I felt. Sometimes teaching English is frustrating and difficult too, especially when you don't know that refugee's language. There were so many times in Beth's class I truly felt frustrated for Lan from Vietnam, She was trying so hard and had so much to say but she just did't know how to put it into words for me to understand. That sad look that would come over her face as she just gave up, She couldn't tell me what she wanted to say. She didn't know the words in English. I have faith in Lan. She is smart and I'm sure one day she will learn enough English to be able to tell the stories she has been wanting to tell.

Ler Htoo & David (Karen State) learning to use a computer.
I kept telling them we had no internet connection but....

I really could type more, but I feel that this post is already long enough. In the end, this experience has helped me to decide to get a TEFL (Teaching English as Foreign Language) certification. With it I plan on going overseas to teach English for a year or two. I hope to come back to Louisville one day and look for employment in a field where I can continue to work with diverse people and help make a difference in someone's life. I plan on visiting the Louisville Elder Refugee Program and volunteering a little throughout this Summer 2016, but it won't be the same as interning for sure.

Thank you Elders, Staff and other volunteers so much.

A selfie with the Elders during the YMCA field trip in January.

March 2016

March went by really fast. It was probably because there were so many events that the elder program got to attend. The weather was quite nice this month and the days we had field trips were made more enjoyable by the pleasant weather.

The first event of the month was having a couple of speakers come in and talk about housing and also the  interfaith community of Louisville. The Louisville Elder Program is really thankful to our Intern, Jon who put together a wonderful presentation on housing. Many of the elders found it really informative to learn about their rights as renters and the do's and don'ts of being a renter. 

Jon presenting about Housing.

Also that day we had Haleh Karimi, the executive director of Interfaith Faith Paths to Peace in Louisville come and talk to the elders about the interfaith community in Louisville. Many of the elders found her message about support within different religions very comforting, considering some of the elders dealt with religious persecution in their native countries.

Haleh Karimi presenting.

Two days this month we got the program together on a Wednesday and went on important field trips. 

1) The Elder Program Attended Refugee Advocacy Day in Frankfort, Kentucky.

David & Ler Htoo (Karen State) as well as Zaki (Iraq) wait to meet with their state legislators..

2) The Elders went to the Speed Art Museum reception to look a the Wall Together exhibit, in which the elders helped create pieces for. Also featured was art by Presentation Academy.

Francisco with his art.

Cubans, Emma & Isabel

Ram (Bhutan)

There are many other things to talk about, like the eye glasses that many received from Dee Dee's Hurt Eyeglass Clinic and attending the first ever Global Health Fair at Kentucky Refugee Ministries.

Hari Maya (Bhutan) getting her blood pressure checked by a UofL med student.

Elder Art

Intern Morgan beautified the office with artwork by the Elders,

Everything is going alright at the Louisville Elder Program. We finally got around to hanging up 31 pieces of artwork that so many elders have made in the last year. The office looks a lot better now. We have surrounded ourselves in out client's artwork. 

Its like we have our own little art show happening...which by the way.... Everyone should attend the Wall Together, Making Our Way Home: Stories from Louisville and Beyond exposition at the Speed Art Museum from March 12-June 26. There is also a open reception on Wednesday, March 30, 2016 from 3-5PM. Several of the elder refugees artwork will be displayed in the museum.