United We Serve

Press Release

The Corporation for National and Community Service in coordination with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and other federal agencies has been preparing for the launch of an exciting new summer service initiative in partnership with the White House. Today, in avideo message, President Obama will officially announce the initiative, United We Serve,encouraging Americans to create meaningful change in their communities by engaging in service.

United We Serve will kick off on June 22 at the National Conference on Volunteering and Service and will run through the new National Day of Service and Remembrance on September 11. All the tools for participating in this initiative can be found on the Corporation’s website, Serve.gov. Please go there today, if you haven’t already, to post your own volunteer projects.

In addition, we encourage you to spread the word about United We Serve by:

• Sending a message about United We Serve, including a link to the President’s video, to your distribution lists.
• Putting a link on your homepage to Serve.gov – banners and logos are available athttp://www.serve.gov/link.asp.
• Issuing a press release about your participation in United We Serve – a sample release is available here: http://www.serve.gov/assets/documents/09_0616_sample
• Sharing stories about how your volunteers are making a difference athttp://www.serve.gov/share.asp. We will highlight examples of exemplary service throughout this summer.
  
  Capacity is strained in community organizations across the country, so today we are also calling on Americans to take a leadership role in recruiting and organizing their friends, family, and neighbors to develop their own service projects that address pressing community needs in partnership with local organizations. To assist you, Serve.gov features toolkits for developing projects in education, health, energy and the environment, and community renewal.
  
  This will be a very exciting 81 days. But, of course, the call to service will not end on September 11. We hope that Americans who serve this summer will stay engaged in the ongoing work of strengthening our communities. America’s new foundation will be built through an ethic of service and the personal commitment of individuals willing to give of themselves to create a better future.
  
  In Service,
  
  Secretary Shaun Donovan

Phone Company Complaints

If you're having a problem that a phone company is not resolving to your satisfaction, you have the right to file a complaint. If you're having problems with your cell phone or home phone, it's possible that other people are as well. The more complaints received, the greater the likelihood that the company will address these concerns.

On May 6, 2009, The director of the Low-Income program at Universal Service Administrative Company, or USAC (see www.usac.org), said, in an email:

"The best advice for consumers who have complaints about their telephone company is to contact their state public utilities commission. USAC maintains a list of contact information for each PUC at http://www.usac.org/li/low-income/contact-commission/default.aspx."

"Consumers can also file a complaint with the FCC at 1-888-CALL-FCC or electronically at http://esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm.

For more information, please visit the CVM National Blob at http://communityvoicemail.blogspot.com/2009/05/how-to-file-complaints-about-phone.html.

Pfizer provides 70 prescriptions for FREE

Pfizer Inc. is unveiling a new program Thursday that will let people who have lost their jobs and health insurance keep taking some widely prescribed Pfizer medications - including Lipitor and Viagra - for free for up to a year.

The world's biggest drugmaker will provide more than 70 of its prescription drugs at no cost to unemployed, uninsured Americans, regardless of their prior income, who lost jobs since Jan. 1 and have been on the Pfizer drug for three months or more.

Applicants will have to sign a statement that they are suffering financial hardship and provide a "pink slip" or similar employer notice. Applications will be accepted through Dec. 31, with medication provided for up to 12 months after approval - or until the person becomes insured again.

Starting Thursday, patients can call a toll-free number, 866-706-2400, to sign up, and those whose drugs are not included in the program will be referred to other company aid programs. Starting July 1, patients can also apply through the Web site, http://www.PfizerHelpfulAnswers.com , which has information about the other Pfizer aid programs.

Free Galsses to Kids at Target

In case you have a child or know of someone who does (ages 12 and under), they can get a FREE pair of eyeglasses from Target.Target is doing a special promotion for their optical service. It could end any time but will definitely end no later than April 29th. Children 12 and under can get a free pair of glasses.

They need to bring in a valid prescription for glasses from their doctor and Target will let the child pick from about 40 different frames. They will place their best lenses in the frames which are non-glare and scratch resistant and normally sell for $200.00. There are no income guidelines. Any child 12 or under is eligible.

You can find stores with optical departments at www.target.com to confirm they are participating before making a trip to their store.

Free Resume printing and faxing from Office Depot through May 30!!!

Office Depot to Help Customers Take Care of Business with Free Resume Copies and Faxing at Its Retail Stores

BOCA RATON, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr. 20, 2009-- Office Depot (NYSE: ODP), a leading global provider of office products and services, is helping customers take care of business by offering customers free copies of resumes and free faxing from April 19 to May 30, 2009. Customers will be able to participate in this special offer by visiting the Design, Print, & Ship Depot center in any one of the more than 1,100 Office Depot retail store locations nationwide. Office Depot is providing free copies of resumes, up to 25 single-sided pages, as well as free faxing to five different domestic numbers, up to 25 pages in total. “Times are tough, and whether you are looking to make a career move or seeking your first job out of school, Office Depot is helping our customers take care of business by providing a valuable service free of charge,” said George Hill, Senior Vice President of Office Depot’s Design, Print, and Ship Depot. “From paper and portfolios to custom printing and shipping, Office Depot is truly a one-stop-shop for resume products and services.” Customers can choose to upgrade their resume paper selection to a color or premium paper from Southworth for a nominal fee. For more information, please visit your local Office Depot retail store location or www.officedepot.com. About Office Depot

2008 Pinellas CVM Stats

Pinellas CVM has posted a report outlining clients served for the calendar year of 2008. You can download a copy of the results by click the link below: 

2008 Pinellas CVM Snapshot

Pinellas CVM helped 1020 people in 2008 through 49 agencies in Pinellas County and the surrounding area.

Swine Flu Resource Information

The following links have great on-line checklists about communicating with and educating staff members and persons in the communities that you serve rteagrding the H1N1 Virus.

You can download the short versions of the checklists on the top of the weblink pages but if you scroll down you can complete the more in-depth versions of the checklists.

Here are the links:

http://www.pandemicflu.gov/plan/workplaceplanning/businesschecklist.html
http://www.pandemicflu.gov/plan/community/faithcomchecklist.html

If we find out other verified resources, we will post them here. 

Letter Carriers Food Drive

Every second Saturday in May letter carriers in more than 10,000 cities and towns across America deliver much more than mail when they walk and drive along their postal routes. They also collect the goodness and compassion of their postal customers who participate in the NALC Stamp Out Hunger National Food Drive – the largest one-day food drive in the nation and probably the world. 

In Pinellas, food will be unloaded from the back of the postal trucks in Clearwater/ Dunedin and placed in large postal boxes for transport to the Mallory Powell Center at 1521 E Druid Rd.

The food tends to come in all at once which is why we need we need folks to move the food as quickly as food banks can offer the trucks for transport to MPC.

The food comes in first to the post offices so peak times are generally noon-2pm and 3 pm to 5:30 pm.

Volunteers and donations are welcome and EVERYBODY can participate.

TO DONATE:

All citizens need do is to place a box or can of non-perishable food next to their mailbox before their letter carrier delivers mail on Saturday, May 9. The carrier will do all the rest. The food is taken back to a postal station, sorted, and then delivered to an area food bank or pantry. There it is available for needy families.

TO VOLUNTEER:

1) Dunedin Post Office from 12 noon to 5:30 pm. Dunedin Post Office is on CR1 just north of Main St in Dunedin – just show up.

2) Downtown Clearwater Post Office from 12 noon to 5:30 – just show up.

3) Salvation Army - Main Social Service Campus ( Mallory-Powell Center) at 1521 E Druid Rd, Clearwater from around 1 pm through 6 pm.   (Folks can volunteer for one hour, two, hours, or as long as they are able/willing). People interested in volunteering should contact either JoAnn Bruner, Volunteer Coordinator at 725-9777 or Kip Corriveau, Director of Social Services at 446-6507.

4) RCS Food Bank will need volunteers the same day.  They have three afternoon shifts available: 1:30-3:30 / 3:00-5:00 / 5:00-7:00. Those interested may contact Rachel Thurber, RCS Volunteer Coordinator at (727) 242-4606.

Swine Flu Update

The Pinellas County Health Department continues to be the lead agency for the county’s response.  Emergency Management is monitoring the situation in coordination with them as well as with the State Department of Emergency Management.

While the number of confirmed cases in the United States continues to rise, no cases have been reported in Florida. The only reported fatalities from the swine flu have been in Mexico.

While Swine Flu (aka H1N1 Influenza) can be a serious public health threat, but at this time there are no confirmed cases in Florida. The public should be advised to go about their normal daily activities, but exercise standard precautions such as hand washing and proper cough/sneeze technique(for example cough/sneeze in sleeve).

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has a set of standard precautions and other information available at: http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/

Citizens who are experiencing flu-like symptoms should avoid public gathering places, and contact their primary healthcare provider for further advice. There are no local school or government office closures planned at this time.

General public/community inquires should be routed to the Disease Control Division of the Pinellas County Health Department at 727-824-6932

Florida Department of Health is Ready to Respond to Swine Flu

While no cases have been identified in Florida at this time, swine flu has been confirmed in the U.S., according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

 

“This is a situation where we must all be on the alert,” said Dr. Ana Viamonte Ros, Florida’s State Surgeon General. “We have increased our surveillance and we’re telling doctors that with flu season waning, if they see patients with sudden onset of high fever and a cough or sore throat, they should collect a specimen for testing.”

 

Dr. Viamonte Ros said the Florida Department of Health (DOH) and county health department have response plans and have put them into play. “Our state laboratories have the equipment necessary and our personnel are trained in identifying influenza samples.  We have increased surveillance, alerted doctors and are working with our local county health departments,” she said.

 

Florida has prepared for influenza events: 

·        All state laboratories have the facilities to safely identify influenza samples. 

·        The state has almost 100 sentinel physicians who report any unusual influenza-like activity to DOH and the CDC. 

·        We have the ability to monitor the sale of over the counter drugs, as an early warning sign for increased influenza activity.

 

The State Surgeon General provided these recommendations:

·        As always, individuals with respiratory illness should stay home from work or school to avoid spreading infections, including influenza, to others in the community.

·        Avoid close contact with people who are coughing or otherwise appear ill.

·        Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.

·        Wash your hands frequently to lessen the spread of respiratory illness.

·        If you have cough, fever and fatigue, possibly with diarrhea and vomiting, you should contact your physician or health care provider.

 

Swine flu viruses are not transmitted through food and you cannot get swine flu from eating pork products.  The infections appear to spread from person to person.  Anti-viral drugs can reduce the consequences of the flu, if taken early. 

 

Dr. Viamonte Ros said Florida is receiving regular updates from the CDC, and is working with local county health departments to monitor the situation and immediately follow up on any suspected cases.  The CDC has created a web page with information at www.cdc.gov/swineflu .