January 2023

Providing care for a friend or family member can be a rewarding experience but it often provides challenges, too. Over 65 million family caregivers in America provide a vast array of emotional, financial, nursing, homemaking and other services on a daily or on an intermittent basis and often find themselves struggling to meet the needs of both their loved one and themselves.

If you think your dog has what it takes to help patients, UW Health Kids is encouraging dog owners to apply for the newly launched Caring Canines program.
The program is for volunteers and their dogs to make bedside visits and provide a calming influence, cuddle time and a feeling of normalcy for patients and families during their stay at American Family Children’s Hospital according to Katie Glass, Child Life Education Specialist, UW Health Kids.

Zwingli United Church of Christ in Monticello is bringing back their Welcome Table Community Meal for 2023.
The last Monday evening of each month, join your friends and neighbors for a free meal and camaraderie. There will be a donation basket for those who wish to donate. The Hands of Change Youth Service Group prepares most of the meal along with serving and cleaning up afterwards, while the entrée is donated or provided by individuals or a small group of people.

Dear Editor,
A note of thanks to the people of Belleville and surrounding communities who answered the crisis call from the Red Cross to give blood and platelets at the Belleville Kiwanis/Econo-misers recent drive. 53 pints were collected, just falling short of our goal for the drive.