Rotary File for March 1, 2016

 

Pete Wallace-- IC Noon

Judy Joyce-- Coralville NC

Vicki Strazynski-Olson-- Coralville NC

 

 

Deb Dunkhase filled in for Myrene Hoover who is away attending to family business.

 

Judy Joyce and Vicki Strazynski-Olson from Coralville-North Corridor Rotary Club discussed the ambitious project this club is spearheading with the City of Coralville to build a shelter with a fireplace in the former Rotary Camp on Camp Cardinal Road.  They will be doing fundraising and also hope that other area Rotary clubs will support the project. Total cost will be about $140,000 and the City of Coralville is contributing $25,000 of this.

 

Jim Peterson and Phil Peterson, among others, are headed to Xicotepec this month for the annual projects District 6000 participates in with the Xicotepec Rotary Club members.

 

Copies of a survey on breakfast likes/improvement needs were distributed for completion.  Board members will tally the results and report back.

 

Roger reminded members to sign up for club duties for the month of March.  Liz Nichols asked for a scribe for next week particularly, since she will be absent.

 

John Ockenfels has agreed to be co-president of the Ponseti/Clubfoot RAG.

 

John commented that half the attendees at Saturday's Rotary Leadership Institute in Iowa City were members of our club.  Everyone seemed to get a lot out of the session.

 

Pete Wallace thanked Deb Dunkhase for stepping in to direct the IA MOST team.  Last month's trip to Honduras included 42 people and was very successful.

 

Elaine Shalla thanked Rotarians who are involved in Meals on Wheels for helping to deliver meals to her husband.

 

 

Kris Ockenfels shared her professional expertise on the topic of how financial fraud affects older Americans. 

 

Today 1 in 5 Americans over 65 are victims of fraud.  Sometimes they are not even aware it has happened, and even when they are aware only 1 in 44 reports an incident of fraud.  The impacts can be severe: loss of independence, worsened health conditions, much less savings to use in retirement, loss of a home, sense of deep shame, etc. 

 

The most common fraudster is a relative who is having financial problems or some type of addictive situation that leads them to prey upon an elderly relative.  Also common are those who pretend to develop a romantic or friendship connection with the elderly person, those who take advantage of acquaintances through church or a social situation, and, of course, fraud committed by strangers over the phone, mail or internet. 

 

Kris gave several tips to avoiding fraud:

Never accept a check and then send repayment of some kind via Western Union.

Check your credit reports at least quarterly.

Check Charity Navigator before donating money to a charitable cause.

A responsible and trusted relative or advisor should check over an elderly relative's financial records on a regular basis and discuss/resolve irregularities.

Have the bank stop transactions that seem suspicious until you can approve them.

If it seems too good to be true it probably is!