SVL Celebrates Oktoberfest

Non-Service Connected Disability Pension Workshop

Sun Valley Lodge invites you to attend a workshop on Wednesday, October 27^th at 3:30 PM to find out if you qualify for this crucial benefit and how much you can expect.

Call (623) 933-0137 to reserve a seat.

Lodge Welcomes New Chef

We recently introduced a new chef to the Lodge kitchen. Daniel Kusik is a graduate of the Scottsdale Culinary Institute and hails from a restaurant family. Daniel has joined our staff as a sous chef where he will help continue our tradition of serving tasty and nutritious meals and offering a wide variety of choices.


Lodge Dietary Director Jamie Avalla explains Daniel’s role as highly interactive with residents and the meals themselves. “Daniel is not just planning menus. He will be very familiar with every meal served and will communicate with residents in order to ensure quality and consistency.” One of his first tasks will be to establish a monthly “Chef’s Table” where he will dine with a group of residents and critique the meal. The next time you join us for a meal, be sure to say hello to Daniel.

Non-Service Connected Disability Pension

Did You Know?

• Access to your benefit through this system provides you with access to care. With a pension in hand, you are able to afford the care you need.

• You may choose the services and providers you need under this benefit.

• This pension is paid directly to you by the US Treasury Department.

2010 Maximum Benefit Amounts

Two Veterans/Spouses ... $2,440 per month ... $29,280 annually


Married Veteran ... $1,949 per month ... $23,388 annually


Single Veteran ... $1,644 per month ...  $19,728 annually


Surviving Spouse ...  $1,056 per month ... $12,672 annually

Veterans’ Benefits Workshop

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:


Contact:Michael Kloberdanz
Sun Valley Lodge
Phone (623) 933-0137
Fax (623) 933-5846
mike@sunvalleylodge.org
http://www.sunvalleylodge.org/

Veterans’ Benefits Workshop

Sun City, Arizona – Friday, October 15, 2010 – Sun Valley Lodge will host a workshop designed to help veterans and their spouses understand the benefits they may be entitled to receive under the Veterans Administration Non-Service Connected Disability Pension program. The workshops will be held on October 27th at 3:30 PM.

 Marketing Director Mike Kloberdanz says the workshops are “very important to residents in our community. There seems to be a great deal of confusion regarding the qualifications needed to access these pensions and the steps needed to submit an application. We are very excited to be able to help veterans and their spouses negotiate their way through the process.”

The Veterans Administration (VA) Non-Service Connected Disability Pension is designed to provide qualified veterans and their surviving spouses with a tax free pension benefit. This pension benefit which was established in 1952 under Title 38USC, provides a direct tax-free monthly pension to help defray the cost of Long-term care in assisted living or home care.

The workshops are free and open to the public. Sun Valley Lodge is located at 12415 N. 103rd Avenue in Sun City. Seating is limited. Please call (623) 933-0137 to reserve a seat.

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Sun Valley Lodge is a nonprofit organization and has been providing independent living, assisted living, and skilled nursing care in Sun City, Arizona for over 40 years.

The Benefits of Volunteering a Two Way Street

Caring volunteers have been a Lodge strength for many years. They escort residents to medical appointments, play games and music, serve coffee at functions, deliver mail, and visit with those in need of companionship. While it is obvious that our volunteers bring cheer to the Lodge and help us fulfill our mission, they tell us that they too benefit immensely from lending a hand.

A perfect case in point is our recently formed relationship with the Austin Centers for Exceptional Students (ACES) in Peoria. The ACES is a state-certified, private, year round, special education school for kindergarten through twelfth grade special needs students. This year the school instituted a Career Express program for their seniors who will soon be entering the job market.

During the course of this program, students prepare resumes, write cover letters, and role play interviews. They also volunteer with local businesses in order to get work experience and improve their social skills.

Seven students from the ACES, along with a rotating group of teachers, have been operating the Lodge’s snack cart and helping with various activities since the beginning of the school year. Two months into their experience at the Lodge, ACES teacher Kim MacBoyle considers the partnership a huge success. “Our teachers are reporting that the kids volunteering at the Lodge are really responding well to their work. One of our quieter kids has really opened up in the classroom because she knows she is helping others. We are also hearing from parents that the kids in the program are showing great improvement in their behavior at home and really enjoy talking about their experiences.”

Of course, our residents love spending time with kids and the opportunity to visit with new friends is even more important than the help being provided by our volunteers. If you would like to brighten the lives of our residents and lend a hand, please give us a call ... (623) 933-0137.