January 4, 2023 West Babylon South

Direct Support Program Award To Royal Paws In Babylon Village

On Monday, December 12th, Councilmen DuWayne Gregory and Terence McSweeney “pawsented” a Direct Support

Program award to Royal Paws in Babylon Village. Royal Paws provides dog boarding services and training while also having

dog treats and collars available for sale. Coowners Cindy and Taylor Chiacchere along with their other trainers Laura

and Dana are looking to give back to the community by training therapy service dogs that will assist veterans, firefighters, or police officers. Councilman McSweeney said, “As a 19-year member

of the FDNY you will see a lot of bad days. Normally we cope with our feelings by talking to each other, however knowing there is help through a place like Royal Paws is comforting. I look forward to seeing

more from them in the future.”

J-Squid, Vincenzo, Ranger, and Bruce are all training to become service dogs and soon will hopefully find people that they can help!

West Babylon Public Library

211 Route 109 West Babylon (631) 669-5445 Fax: (631) 669-6539 www.wbpl.us Nancy Evans, Director ***

Registration dates are for WBPL cardholders. Non-residents may register 14 days prior to program. Please note: These programs are offered virtually through Zoom. Registrants must have an email address to attend programs.

YOGA

December 12th, Councilmen DuWayne Gregory and Terence McSweeney “paw-sented” a

Support Program award to Royal Paws in Babylon Village. Co-owners Cindy and Taylor Chiacchere along with their other trainers Laura and Dana are looking to give back to the community by training therapy service dogs that will assist veterans, firefighters, or police officers.

Wednesdays: January 4-25 WBA402 6-7 pm IN PERSON

Join Evelyn Regan for this monthly yoga series. Nonrefundable/transferable fee for

the 4-week January session: $8.

ZUMBA Fridays: January 6-27 WBA432 10:15-11:15 am IN PERSON

Join Cindy Merkler for this monthly Zumba series. Nonrefundable/ transferable fee for the 4-week January sessions: $8.

THE HAMBONES

Saturday, January 7, 2-3:30 pm WBA718

VIRTUAL

Join us for the musical stylings of The Hambones.

MEDITERRANEAN COOKING Monday, January 9, 7-8 pm WBA606 - IN PERSON Join Middle Eastern Chef Naela Saman and learn to make

some delicious Mediterranean favorites.

PAINTED SOAP DISPENSER Tuesday, January 10, 7-8:30pm WBA103

IN PERSON

Join Betty Cole at the Library and design your own soap dispenser. Space is limited, program fee must be paid within 48 hours of registration to secure your spot. Nonrefundable materials fee: $5.

ENGLISH: BEGINNERS

Tuesday, January 10 & 24, 6:157:15 pm WBA200

IN PERSON

Join us for this monthly class to help enhance your English language skills.

Successful Donation Drive

On Monday, December 19, 2022, Noelle Lambert and The Bryn Elliott Team concluded their Holiday Donation Drive, which ran for four weeks and had drop-off locations throughout Long Island. The drive brought in countless donations, all of which were given to a local non-profit organization, the Long Island Coalition for the Homeless (LICH).

“It was such a great experience and people didn’t hold back,” said Noelle Lambert, Licensed Real Estate Salesperson with Douglas Elliman Real Estate. “I received calls, texts and emails from people who heard of the drive and wanted to donate, many of which ended up giving so much that they couldn’t bring it all into a drop-off location in one trip. Although it’s a very sad reality that many individuals are experiencing homelessness and other hardships right here on Long Island, it was really refreshing to see our community come together and do something about it.”

The Long Island Coalition for the Homeless strives to end homelessness on Long Island, and to alleviate the issues associated with homelessness and poverty for homeless and at risk persons in Nassau and Suffolk Counties. The organization’s distribution center where the donations were brought is located at 600 Albany Avenue in Amityville,

and is also known as their boutique. People in need can make an appointment to come to the boutique and leave with clothes and other items, such as non perishable food and personal care products for free. LICH is here to work directly with people in need, as well as with case managers, shelter staff members, school employees, church members and the like who are helping these individuals.

”This organization does so much good and it was a pleasure to contribute towards their important mission,” said Bryn Elliott, Licensed Associate Real Estate Broker with Douglas Elliman Real Estate. “So many people have clothing and miscellaneous items that they aren’t using, while others are in real need; it’s just a matter of coordinating a collection. However, it’s clear that the holiday spirit helped our drive quite a bit. I want to express how thankful we are to all who donated, as well as for the businesses that allowed us to use their locations for the drive, which includes USA Auto Body in East Patchogue, The Fish Store in Bayport, Long Island Media Group in

Farmingdale and Douglas Elliman Real Estate in Smithtown and Farmingville.”

“We are so very grateful for this drive that Noelle and The Bryn Elliott Team put together,” said Bailey Riekkinen, Community Engagement Specialist at LICH.

“The Long Island Coalition for the Homeless will continue to advocate and serve until we achieve our mission of ending homelessness on Long Island. In 2022, we referred over 700 households for permanent housing through Coordinated Entry, a system that ensures the most vulnerable Long Islanders are prioritized for permanent, affordable housing. Affordable housing is scarce on Long Island, and we are consistently working hard at connecting Long Island’s most vulnerable to the available resources. Additionally, we received and distributed over 10,000 pounds of food and toiletries along with countless clothing items to locals that are homeless and at-risk on the streets and in shelters through our boutique and pantry.”

Together we can make a true difference in our community.

If you would like more information about starting a donation drive with the Long Island Coalition for the Homeless, please contact Bailey at 631.464.4314 x125. For more information about LICH and all they offer, visit www. addressthehomeless.org or call 631.464.4314.

Helping You Help Others

The Charity of the Month for January is Pal-O-Mine Equestrian

Pal-O-Mine Equestrian is a local non-profit organization that began in 1995 as a therapeutic horseback riding program for individuals with disabilities and other vulnerable populations. They grew from having two programs, eight horses and 80 students per week to 11 programs, 25 horses and 400 students per week - and they continue to grow today! “Our mission has been, and continues to be, to provide a comprehensive therapeutic equine program using horses to facilitate growth, learning and healing,” said Lisa Gatti, Founder and CEO of Pal-O-Mine Equestrian. “We proudly serve individuals with disabilities, those who have been abused or neglected, the military and the impoverished.”

Their location in Islandia offers an unequaled setting for equestrian activities, with a 20-stall barn on 13 acres, handicapped accessible bathrooms, a 100’ x 120’ indoor arena with state-of-the-art-footing and a rider hoisting system, 3 outdoor riding arenas, classrooms, accessible playground, a greenhouse and a wellness center. They offer the following programs:

Lessons: This program provides quality adaptive riding and unmounted lessons that benefit individuals with cognitive, physical, emotional and mental disabilities. Each one of their riding instructors excels in their field and continues with training and certification throughout their careers.

Equine Assisted Learning: This program incorporates horses experientially for educational and emotional growth and learning. Using unique approaches to create positive and constructive learning experiences for children and adolescents who are at risk of failing in the traditional academic setting, this program has changed the lives of countless individuals.

Equine Assisted Psychotherapy: This follows a model designed by EAGALA,

Inc., the leading international EAP training and certifying organization. Currently, Pal-OMine Equestrian has 7 Licensed Mental Health Professionals and 11 Equine Specialists who are certified in this model. Groups that are participating focus on the following issues: grief, trauma and abuse, eating disorders, substance abuse, addiction and codependency.

Speech & Occupational Therapy: Clients respond well to therapy incorporating activities with animals, and a variety of therapy goals can be addressed using this treatment strategy. Occupational Therapists and Speech Language Pathologists run this program to provide therapy services with the assistance of wonderful animals.

Military: For more than four thousand years, horses have been an integral part of warfare. Today, horses are still playing an important role in war, this time in the recovery of military veterans who have suffered emotional and/or physical injuries. This program is an EAGALA designated Military Program and offers individual, group and family sessions to help people heal.

Corporate Leadership: The way individuals interact and react with horses is very similar to the way they interact with their clients, customers, peers and work groups. People interpret horse behavior/emotions through the lens of their personal perception. How they interpret horses can often be a metaphor for their work, attitudes and relationships. Pal-O-Mine Equestrian is proud to offer a Corporate Leadership program.

For more information about this organization and all they offer, please call 631-348-1389 or visit www.pal-omine.org. Don’t miss next week’s article to learn about how you can get involved and help others in your community.

Medicare Lowers Premiums And Deductibles

For those of us who are enrolled in the Medicare program, there is good news on the horizon. Medicare has made significant changes to its premiums and deductibles, lowering the cost to the beneficiary.

While the cost of just about everything has gone up, the monthly Medicare Part B premium has been reduced for the first time this century, from $170.10 to $164.90, for a yearly saving of $62.40. What’s more, the Medicare Part B deductible has gone down from $233 per year to $226. These two reductions have broken a string of yearly increases.

Medicare Part B generally covers medically necessary services, that is, services or supplies that are needed to diagnose

or treat your medical condition and that meet accepted standards of medical practice. Part B also covers a wide range of preventive services from shots to screenings to prevent illness (like the flu) or detect it at an early stage, when treatment is most likely to work best.

In addition, due to the

passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, Medicare will finally be able to negotiate prescription drug costs directly with pharmaceutical manufacturers. While this section of the law doesn’t go into effect until 2025, in the interim, beneficiaries who are insulin dependent can have their insulin costs capped at $35.00 per month. This can save hundreds of dollars a month. Also, the Inflation Reduction Act calls for out of pocket prescription expenses to be capped at $2,000 annually.

In order to determine which type of plan works best for you, you should call the Nassau County Health Insurance Information Counseling and Assistance Program, HIICAP hotline. This

is a free service that will guide you to the best plan for you. We have no affiliation with insurance companies, agents or brokers. Our number is 516-485-3754. While we are quite busy during Medicare Open Enrollment Season, we strive to return every call on our voice mail within two working days, and usually call sooner.

FCA can help. Answers to your Medicare questions are just a phone call away.

Barry Klitsberg is an Assistant Health Insurance Information Counseling and Assistance (HIICAP) Coordinator at FCA in Garden City and an Aging Services Program Specialist at US Department of Health and Human Services.