Workshops of Interest

Posted on August 30, 2014 by bob in ThingsToDo

CHRONIC DISEASE MANAGEMENT WORKSHOP (Starts Sept. 18)

A free, Chronic Disease Self-Management workshop begins Thursday, September 18th, at the Crump Senior Center, 1750 Congressman Dickinson Dr. Montgomery. The Central Alabama Aging Consortium is sponsoring the Living Well Alabama workshop.

The Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP) is a six-week course designed to teach people with illnesses such as heart disease, hypertension, arthritis, COPD, fibromyalgia, diabetes, chronic pain and other chronic illnesses, to manage their diseases, feel better, and lead more productive lives.

The program is free and open to those with chronic health conditions as well as their families, friends, and caregivers.  Classes are two-and-a-half hours once a week and taught by trained CDSMP leaders.

The interactive workshop teaches skills and strategies for managing chronic disease symptoms such as pain and fatigue. Participants also learn about healthy eating, relaxation techniques, overcoming depression, managing daily tasks, and exercising safely.

The workshop starts September 18th and ends October 23rd. All classes are taught at the Crump Senior Center 12:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Registration is required and enrollment is limited. Funding may be available for respite care.

To register call Jane Mitchel at the Central Alabama Aging Consortium, 334-240-4666.

WOUNDS OF WAR WORKSHOP (Sept.9, 10)

— 20,500 service men and women are scheduled to return to Alabama from deployment in Afghanistan between now and the end of 2015.  Who will be there to support them?

— The current rate of suicide among our nation’s veterans is at an all-time high of 22 suicides each day.  When will we address this tragedy?

— Countless numbers of veterans and their families are suffering from invisible wounds of war that affect the mind and soul.  What can we do to help them?

— Clergy are often the first points of contact for veterans as they struggle with these wounds.  How can clergy be provided the specialized training necessary to meet the needs of those who fought for us?

Gateway To Hope:  Breaking the Stigma of Moral Injury seeks to educate clergy, mental health and health care professionals about the emotional and spiritual wounds of war and resources that can be used to support their recovery.  The two-day conference will help equip these “first responders” to provide needed pastoral and mental health care for veterans. Participants will also explore ways to create caring and accepting communities of support for veterans as they reintegrate into the civilian world, without leaving them to suffer invisibly and in silence.

Tuesday  & Wednesday, September 9-10, 2014

First United Methodist Church

2416 W Cloverdale Park, Montgomery, AL 36106

For more info call:  Dr. Susan Diamond, 334-270-1320, or visit http://www.gatewaytohope2014.wordpress.com.

HOLIDAY DECORATING WORKSHOP (Oct.4)

The holidays will be here before you know it. Learn how to make your home merry and bright by attending Deck the Halls, featuring former White House decorator Jane Karotkin, on Oct. 4, 11:30 a.m., at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Trinity Hall. Admission is $30 and includes a boxed lunch from Jennie Weller Catering for those who register in advance. Organized by the Friends of the Alabama Governor’s Mansion, proceeds will support restoration projects at themansion.

 Guest speaker Jane Karotkin is the administrator of the Friends of the Texas Governor’s Mansion, the most historic home in the Lone Star State, located in Austin near the state Capitol building. She has worked for the mansion since 1990 and during Georgia W. Bush’s eight-year presidential administration she was tapped to serve on the White House Christmas Decorating Committee.

 “Jane is a highly respected curator and archivist with alifelong interest in historic preservation,” said Tom McGehee, board member for the Friends of the Alabama Governor’s Mansion and director of Bellingrath Gardens and Home in Mobile. “We are excited she has agreed to come to Montgomery and share her decorative arts expertise with us at this special event.”

 The Friends of the Alabama Governor’s Mansion is a non-profit organization that works to ensure the preservation of the historic Alabama Governor’s Mansion Complex located on South Perry Street in downtown Montgomery’s Garden District. The property has served as the official residence of the Alabama governor since 1951. Learn more at www.facebook.com/foagm.

 To register for Deck the Halls, mail a check payable to the Friends of the Alabama Governor’s Mansion to PO Box 124, Montgomery, 36106. While last-minute guests will be admitted at the door, lunch will only be provided to those who register in advance. For more information, call 334-263-7914.