e-Newsletter, November 26, 2008

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL FOOD BANK

Now is a wonderful time to help those in our community who may be struggling to put food on the table. The Food Bank Council of Michigan (FBCM) gathers food and funds to help stock Michigan's member food banks which serve people in all 83 counties of the state. FBCM and its food bank members help ensure there is a unified system in place to serve the pantries, kitchens and shelters that are the front line in feeding and nourishing individuals on a daily basis.

To learn how you can support your local food bank this holiday season, visit: http://www.fbcmich.org.

 

PROTECT YOURSELF FROM IDENTITY THEFT THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

Chances are you’ll be doing some holiday shopping in the next few weeks or, if you’re brave, bearing the crowds on Black Friday to get special deals. Our stores and shopping malls may be filled with decorations and holiday joy, but that doesn’t mean that identity theft crimes come to a halt. The time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is the busiest shopping season of the year and with more shoppers frequenting stores and making online purchases, it’s important to take extra precaution to be sure your personal information is kept safe.

Here are a number of steps consumers can use to prevent identity theft during the holiday shopping season:

• Monitor the balances of your financial accounts. Look for unexplained charges or withdrawals.
• Report lost or stolen credit cards immediately. Maintain a list of the credit cards you possess with numbers and keep in a safe location with notification numbers in case they are lost.
• Closely monitor the expiration dates on your credit cards and contact the issuer if you don't receive a replacement prior to the expiration date.
• If you applied for a credit card and didn’t receive it when expected, call the financial institution.
• Sign new credit cards immediately – before someone else does.
• Don't disclose credit card or other financial account numbers on a Web site unless the site offers a secure transaction.
• Beware of internet, mail or telephone solicitations that offer prizes or awards--especially if the offer asks you for personal information or financial account numbers.
• Never leave transaction receipts at ATM machines, on counters at financial institutions, or at gasoline pumps.
• Track what mail you receive or don’t receive. Failing to receive bills or other mail may signal an address change by an identity thief, as does receiving credit cards for which you did not apply.
• Order credit reports from the three major credit reporting bureaus. The new federal law allows consumers to get one free credit report a year.
• Guard your Social Security number. When asked for it, ask why you need to provide it and how it will be used. Don’t give it out if you don’t have to.
• Invest in a confetti-cut or cross-cut paper shredder. Destroy credit card applications, expired credit cards, checks, receipts, and insurance documents you don’t need to keep. Shred any document that lists any identifying information about you.

For additional tips and information, visit the Federal Trade Commission’s website at: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/

 

SAFETY TIPS FOR WINTER DRIVING

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) has been working to promote safe driving as one of the key components to safer roadways. While winter maintenance will occur as usual during storm events on all state routes, road crews will be cutting back on overtime operations on less-traveled roadways. MDOT also points out that salt works effectively for treating roads and bridges, as long as the temperature stays above 20 degrees.

Below are some tips from MDOT that will help you stay safe on the roads this season:

• Always wear your safety belt and be sure children are properly buckled up
• Slow down when visibility is low or when road conditions are snowy or icy
• Keep at least a car length of distance between your vehicle and others
• Accelerate and brake slowly and avoid abrupt steering maneuvers, especially when merging or changing lanes
• If you begin to slide, ease of the accelerator and steer in the direction you are sliding to regain control of your car.
• Don't pump anti-lock brakes

Up-to-date road conditions can be found online at http://www.michigan.gov/roadconditions.

 

RIDES FOR MEDICAL & OTHER APPOINTMENTS

The volunteers of Fish Dial-a-Ride offer a valuable and important service to residents of Garden City, Livonia, and Westland. The organization offers free rides to medical and other appointments for seniors and disabled residents of these communities. To schedule a ride you may contact Fish at (888) 660-2007 and leave a message with your name, phone number, and your destination. Rides should be scheduled five to seven days prior to the date of your appointment.

Individuals wishing to volunteer their services to the program may also contact the group at the same number and leave a message.

 

MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR GARDEN CITY’S SANTALAND PARADE

Join local residents Saturday, November 29, 2008 at 10:00 a.m. for Garden City’s 47th annual Santaland Parade. The theme of the parade is “Allstars/All Sports Christmas” and there will be 1st, 2nd and 3rd place cash awards for the best float, most original entry and most participants in the parade. The parade route will start at Moeller Field (behind Gordon Chevrolet) and proceed east on Ford Road to Middlebelt, then north to the Garden City High School parking lot.

 

HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY THANKSGIVING

This Thursday our country will unite to celebrate Thanksgiving, an American tradition since the early 1600s. While turkey roasts in the oven, this special day will be enjoyed in a variety of ways, from watching football games or an annual holiday parade, to spending time helping others who are less fortunate and may have fallen on hard times. Many churches and other charitable organizations throughout the state and across the nation sponsor dinners and open their doors to the homeless and the needy and no one will turn away a set of helping hands.

However you choose to spend the holiday, please take a moment to reflect and to give thanks for what you do have and for this wonderful country we live in.

 

HELP THOSE LESS FORTUNATE

There are a number of great community organizations who provide assistance to those who are experiencing difficulty at this time. Many of these organizations are in need of volunteers as well as food and monetary donations to provide for those in need. Below is a list of the local Goodfellow organizations. You can also contact your local city hall to ask for contact information for other organizations.

Garden City Goodfellows: (734) 679-7838 http://gardencitygoodfellows.org/ Livonia Goodfellows: (313) 438-0862 http://www.livoniagoodfellows.org/ Westland Goodfellows: (734) 480-4999 http://www.westlandgoodfellows.org/ Redford Goodfellows: (313) 387-2599

 

DTE ENERGY AND CONSUMER’S ENERGY OFFER UTILITY BILL ASSISTANCE

With winter upon us, it’s important we begin preparing ourselves and our houses for the colder weather. DTE Energy and Consumer’s Energy offer a number of programs to help customers with their energy bills.

Payment assistance programs offered to customers include:

• Medical emergencies program to postpone shutoffs in the event of a medical issue;
• Shutoff protection plan to spread future bills out over the year and to include equal monthly payments on an unpaid balance in order to avoid a shutoff.

Some consumers and all senior citizens regardless of their income also qualify for DTE Energy’s Winter Protection Plan. This program protects seniors and low-income customers from shutoff between November 1 and March 31. During this period, customers must pay a portion of their estimated annual bill plus regular payments on any past-due bills. After March 31, the required bill payments will increase to cover winter bills.

Many assistance programs are available by calling 211 at United Way. Programs that are available include:

• Low-income weatherization that includes caulking, weather stripping, and insulation;
• THAW, the Heat and Warmth Fund, which helps people facing a shut-off and who have exhausted all federal and state funding programs. Link: http://www.thawfund.org/

You may also wish to take steps this season to reduce the amount of energy that your household uses in order to offset the usual increase in utility bills that comes with colder weather. The U.S. Department of Energy has developed a useful guide with suggestions on how to reduce your energy consumption that they have made available on line at: http://www.energysavers.gov/.

There is also the State Emergency Relief Program to help with paying energy bills. This program can be accessed through your local Department of Human Services office or the Energy Assistance Hotline at 800-292-5650. Additional information about this program can be found at: http://www.michigan.gov/heatingassistance/0,1607,7-215-33211-105989--,00.html.

 

NO COFFEE HOURS FOR DECEMBER

Due to the holiday season there will be no scheduled coffee hours during the month of December. However, should you have any questions or concerns during this time please do not hesitate to contact me at my office. You may reach me by e-mail at: SenatorAnderson@senate.mi.gov or phone: (866) 262-7306. Please have a safe and happy holiday season and coffee hours will resume in January.

PLEASE NOTE: The Westland coffee hours will continue being held on the second Monday each month from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., but beginning January 2009, the location will change to the Westland Public Library.