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Neighborhood Place partners provide several opportunities to benefit your health including a Healthy Living Club, an educational baby shower, a Freedom from Smoking Class and much more. To learn more about these offerings, please refer to the list below.
Feb 4, 11 and 21, Passport Health Care Community Engagement at two locations
Passport members are invited to join representatives from Passport Health Care for one-on-one consultations to discuss plan benefits and options. This is a great opportunity as Passport aims to raise awareness and educate the community about the Passport Health Plan mission. Passport members will receive a $10 retail gift card for attending.
- Feb. 4 and 11, at First Neighborhood Place, 1503 Rangeland Rd (door #16) side of Thomas Jefferson Middle School, 1 – 3 p.m. Call (502) 212-6677 to leave a message telling us that you want to attend.
- Feb 21 at South Jefferson Neighborhood Place, 1000 Neighborhood Place, Fairdale, 2 -3 p.m. Call 1-800-578-0603, ext. 8428 to sign up.
Feb. 7, The Center for Women and Families Outreach at First Neighborhood Place, 1- 5 p.m.
Located at 1503 Rangeland Rd (door #24) side of Thomas Jefferson Middle School. For more information, contact Nayelyi Sanchez, Domestic Violence Advocate at (502) 581-7270. Staff with the Center for Women and Families will be on-hand to give an overview of their services which include trauma-informed advocacy and support for qualified families and individuals with supportive services; emergency shelter; sexual assault services; housing; children’s services and more.
Feb 7, Sodexo Hiring Opportunities at First Neighborhood Place, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Located at 1503 Rangeland Road (T.J. Middle School in the W.D. Bruce Building – door #24). Call 313-4700 for more information. Sodexo, a food-service agency, will provide on-the-spot interviews for positions with Jewish Hospital, Our Lady of Peace and University of Louisville Hospital. Bring your resume and be prepared for an interview. This is one of Sodexo’s busiest hiring seasons. Stop by if you are looking for employment that can lead to a full-time or part-time position.
Feb. 12, Free Energy Management Workshops at First Neighborhood Place, 1:30 – 2:30 p.m.
Located at 1503 Rangeland Rd. Call 313-4728 or 313-4700 for reservations. Project Warm’s free workshops help families take control of their energy usage and learn “do-it-yourself” energy-saving tips. Free supplies will be distributed at the end of the workshop such as clear plastic/tape for windows, caulk to seal openings around windows and sealing foam. Reservations needed to reserve materials
Feb. 12, 19 and 26, Healthy Living Club at South Jefferson Neighborhood Place, 1 – 2 p.m.
Located at 1000 Neighborhood Place. Call 363-1483 for more information. Classes are open to anyone interested in gaining more knowledge to live a better and more fulfilling life. This month’s workshops beginning Feb. 12th are focused on finances including these topics: “Banking”, “How to Use Credit”, “Scams You May Encounter”, and “Financial Abuse- Are You A Victim”. Guest Speakers are Joseph Cecil with Bank on Louisville and Sandra Pace with the U.S. Armed Forces.
Feb. 14 and 20, A Healthy Journey for Two Educational Baby Shower at two locations
For more information, contact Mendy Mason at 502-341-5400. A Healthy Journey for Two is an educational baby shower open to any expectant mothers. The class will include a range of information and resources, as well as free baby items, gift cards, prizes, and snacks. Hosted by Seven Counties and KIDSNow. Fathers are welcome but must be registered.
- Feb. 14 at First Neighborhood Place, 1503 Rangeland Rd. 1 – 3 p.m.
- Feb. 20 at Ujima Neighborhood Place, 3610 Bohne Ave., 1- 3 p.m.
Wednesdays, beginning Feb. 20, Freedom from Smoking Class at South Jefferson Neighborhood Place, 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Located at 1000 Neighborhood Place. Call 772-8588 for more information or to sign up for the class. This seven-week program features a step-by-step plan for quitting smoking and each session is designed to help smokers gain control over the behavior. Participants are eligible to receive some free nicotine patches for attending the classes.
With great sadness, the Louisville Zoo said goodbye to 22-year-old female lion Kariba on Wednesday, January 30.
Kariba had been on what the Zoo calls a quality-of-life watch due to her advanced age and declining health. The decision was made to humanely euthanize Kariba when she no longer responded to therapy.
“These decisions are never easy and are made after discussions between the veterinary staff and animal care staff,” said Zoo Veterinarian Dr. Zoli Gyimesi. “Kariba was geriatric and staff began to see a decline in her health in 2018. Examinations under anesthesia resulted in providing her with palliative care and close monitoring of her welfare.”
The median life expectancy of lions in a managed care system is 16.9 years. In the wild an adult female lion may live 10 – 15 years.
Kariba came to the Louisville Zoo in 2000 from the Wildlife Way Station in California. The Zoo currently has one 3-year-old male lion named Siyanda.
Members of the Metro Council’s Budget Committee will be updated on progress being made to create low barrier shelters and other programs for the homeless on Thursday, January 31st.
“This is the first meeting of the 2019 Budget Committee and the first time the full Committee will be updated on progress in delivering more services to our homeless neighbors,” says Councilman Bill Hollander (D-9), who chairs the committee.
There will be a special discussion with Eric Friedlander, Louisville Metro Resilience and Community Services and Natalie Harris, Coalition for the Homeless. The discussion will include updates on the use of the surplus funds allocated by the Metro Council for homeless services in December 2018. The creation of low barrier shelters and storage facilities are key parts of the effort to help the homeless this winter.
The Budget Committee will meet at 4:30pm in Council Chambers, Historic City Hall, 601 West Jefferson Street. The meeting is carried live on Metro TV, Spectrum Cable Channel 184 or on UVERSE at Channel 99.
All meetings of the Metro Council are streamed live. Go to the Metro Council Home page at www.Louisvilleky.gov/metrocouncil and click on the Metro Council Agendas link.
The walking bridge in the north section of Joe Creason Park that crosses Beargrass Creek near Bellarmine will be closed for a construction project beginning Feb. 1, 2019 for repairs.
Repairs are expected to take up to 2 months.
Mayor Greg Fischer and other leaders today announced the opening of free federal and state income tax preparation for eligible residents.
The Louisville Asset Building Coalition’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, or VITA, and AARP Tax Aide programs provide trained, IRS-certified volunteers to offer free tax services at 17 sites across the city. The service is available to individuals and families who earned less than $64,000 in 2018.
VITA and AARP volunteers will also help determine if residents are eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit, a refundable federal tax credit for low- and middle-income working individuals and families. Eligibility for the EITC is based on income, the number of family members and other criteria, such as the amount of a family’s credit. Working families who earn up to $54,800 may be eligible, with average credits last year nearly $2,500.
“For many working families, free help with taxes and guidance in qualifying for the EITC can be a game-changer,” the Mayor said. “That’s money that could be used to start a savings account, buy a car, get braces for a child, pay books and college tuition, or start a college fund for their children.”
Last year, the VITA campaign and Louisville AARP sites processed more than 14,000 returns, adding more than $19.5 million to the local economy, including nearly $6 million in Earned Income Tax Credits to residents.
Appointments are recommended for VITA free tax assistance service and can be made now by calling (502) 305-0005 or scheduling online at https://louisvillekyvita.cascheduler.com.
The VITA free tax preparation sites are located at:
- Americana Community Center, 4801 Southside Dr.
- Bates Community Development, 1228 Jackson St.
- Louisville Urban League, 1535 W. Broadway
- Portland Promise Center, 1831 Baird St.
- Salt and Light Community Development, 3025 Gerald Dr.
- Sun Valley Community Center, 6505 Bethany Lane
- United Crescent Hill Ministries, 150 State St.
- Wesley House Community Services, 5114 Preston Hwy.
For a complete list of VITA locations, including mobile sites, as well as hours of operation, visit http://labcservices.org or call Metro United Way’s 211 help referral service.
Also visit the website for information about a free service for those interested in filing their own taxes online. Starting Jan. 28, two software packages — MyFreeTaxes and Turbo Tax Freedom Edition — will be available for those who meet eligibility.
The other service, AARP Tax Aide, has a mission to serve any person who comes through the door, with special attention to those 60 and older.
AARP sites will open Feb. 1 at the following locations:
- Buechel Park Baptist Church, 2403 Hikes Lane
- Central Government Center, 7201 Outer Loop
- Clifton Christian Church, 131 Vernon Ave.
- East Government Center, 200 Juneau Dr.
- Iroquois Branch Library, 601 W Woodlawn Ave.
- Jeffersontown Senior Center, 10631 Watterson Trail
- Lyndon Baptist Church, 8025 New LaGrange Rd.
- Portland Branch Library, 3305 Northwestern Parkway
- Southwest Government Center, 7219 Dixie Hwy.
For a full AARP schedule and listing, including mobile sites, visit http://www.aarp-tax-aide-lou.org or call (502) 394-3443.
To help preparers accurately determine EITC eligibility and prepare returns, individuals should bring:
- Picture ID and Social Security cards for everyone listed on the return
- Copy of 2017 tax return with all attachments and schedules
- W-2s and 1099s from your employers
- Other 1099s for interest, dividends, state tax refund or other income
- 1095 for health insurance
- 1098 for education credit, plus detailed financial statement from the school
- Bank account number and routing number for direct deposit as well as savings account number (if applicable)
- Child care information, including Provider ID and actual amounts paid
- Summarized list of other income/expenses for those who itemize or are self-employed
- Additional tax information that may be required
Visit http://labcservices.org or http://www.aarp-tax-aide-lou.org for more information about the required documentation.
Volunteers are vital to the VITA and AARP programs’ success. Last year, nearly 250 volunteers dedicated more than 10,000 hours to offer free tax preparation services. Volunteers come from all walks of life and include students, professionals and adults who take care of others at home.
The work of the Louisville Asset Building Coalition and the AARP Tax Assistance Program is made possible by Metro United Way, Louisville Metro Government, the IRS, the AARP Tax-Aide Foundation and dozens of other partners.
The Louisville Zoo invites students in preschool and grades pre-K – 12 to get involved with the seventh annual Trashformation: A Trash-to-Treasure Art Contest for Students. The annual contest is part of the Zoo’s Party for the Planet: A Month-Long Celebration of the Earth powered by the LG&E and KU Foundation. The event takes place in April.
Students are encouraged to communicate the importance of recycling and sustainability through art. Using only recyclable items, students’ art submissions should express or interpret “Reuse, Reduce and Recycle.”
Back by popular demand, the Zoo is partnering with the Louisville Orchestra’s MakingMUSIC Landfill Orchestra program and has a category encouraging students to create a playable musical instrument from recycled materials. Students submitting a musical instrument will be invited to participate in a jam session with their instruments led by Louisville Orchestra Music Director Teddy Abrams at the awards presentation press conference on March 23 at 11 a.m.
Trashformation is open to all public, private, parochial and homeschool students in preschool and grades K–12.
One winner from each category will be chosen by a panel of judges and announced at a press conference during the Earth Month kickoff celebration at the Zoo on March 23. Winners will receive a one-of-a-kind painting by one of the Zoo’s animals.
Nonmusical instrument submissions must be no larger than 12”x12”x12” if three-dimensional and weigh no more than 8 pounds with a rigid base or can be 18” x 18” if flat. All entries must be made from recyclable materials. Registration is appreciated for the contest by Feb. 11. Each student or group may enter only one project.
Visit www.louisvillezoo.org/trashformation for registration material and a full list of rules and categories.
Continue readingThe Louisville Zoo kicks off the new year with two very special animal birthdays on Saturday, Jan. 12. Zoo guests will be invited to sing “Happy Birthday” as both gorilla Helen and polar bear Qannik receive special birthday enrichment items. Helen is celebrating her 61st birthday in Gorilla Forest at 10:30 a.m. and Qannik will celebrate her 8th birthday in Glacier Run at 11:30 a.m. The birthdays are free with Zoo admission.
ABOUT HELEN| Helen is the third oldest known gorilla in the world and the second oldest in the North American population.
She is wild born, so her birth date is estimated. The median age for gorillas in managed systems is 38.3. Helen is in a gorilla group with 48-year-old Demba. Helen is also Kindi’s great-great-grandmother.
Western lowland gorillas are considered critically endangered with an estimated 100,000 left in the remnant wild.
ABOUT QANNIK Qannik made national headlines when she was found on Alaska’s North Slope in 2011 separated from her mother and sibling. After several days of monitoring her in hopes that she would reunite with the other bears, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) began a rescue operation.
Qannik was under weight and likely hadn’t learned vital skills to survive on her own. She has been at the Louisville Zoo’s award-winning Glacier Run exhibit since June 28, 2011. Because Qannik was born in the wild her exact birthdate is unknown. Officials from the USFWS assigned January 10 as her birthday.
Qannik is still in rotation with the three other bears at Glacier Run — a grizzly family including Inga and her cubs Otis and Rita (though Inga is exhibited separately).
