THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, April 15, 2022 Page 15 THE SOUNDS | FROM PAGE 11 State Law requires all dog owners to license their dogs Food pantry seeking driver volunteers The Saugus United Parish Food Pantry seeks volunteers to make food and bread pickups on Thursdays and Fridays from 7 :30 to 9 a. m. Anyone who has the time and interest to help out should contact Jeff Hirtle at 781-922-0661. The food pantry operates out of the basement at Cliftondale Congregational Church at 50 Essex St. in Saugus. Friday morning Legion Hall breakfasts are back ! Here’s some great news for people who enjoy their Friday morning breakfasts at the Saugus American Legion Cpl Scott J. Procopio Post 210. Legion Hall, which is located at 44 Taylor St., resumed its Friday breakfasts and will continue through the last Friday in May of 2022. The buffet breakfast is served at 8 :00 a. m. for a donation of $ 7. Bon appétit ! And good luck to the Kitchen Crew. Looking for book donations The New Friends of the Saugus Public Library are asking for donations of gently used adult hardcover and softcover fiction for the ongoing book sale in the Community Room. They would also appreciate donations of gently used children’s books. Please limit donations at this time to only fiction and children’s books ; they do not have storage space for other genres or media. Please....clean and newer books only. No tattered pages, bad odors, stains, or dirty covers ! —Cont est— SKETCH OF THE WEEK Books may be dropped off at the Main Circulation Desk during business hours. Please do not place donations in the outdoor book drops. Jumpstart your Financial Future Just starting out ? Join the final segment of this virtual four-part program to acquire the skills for long-term financial prosperity and independence. Explore real-world financial situations to build lifelong strategies for budgeting, building credit, saving for retirement, and more. This is a free program for ages 17–30, presented in cooperation with The Babson Financial Literacy Project ( BFLP ), the Saugus Public Library and several local libraries. See sauguspubliclibrary.org to register for the remaining session. Protecting You and Your Assets : Tuesday, April 19, 7–8 p. m. — Jennifer Bethel ( presenter ). This workshop will help you prepare for the financial challenges ahead. For more information, contact the Saugus Public Library at 295 Central St., Saugus, MA 01906. Or call 781-231-4168 or check out sauguspubliclibrary.org. Want to be a Knight ? The Knights of Columbus is looking for new members to join. If you are interested in becoming a member of this local organization, please call 781-233-9858. Healthy StudentsHealthy Saugus ( EDITOR’S NOTE : The following info is from an announcement submitted by Julie Cicolini, a member of the Board of Directors for Healthy Students-Healthy Saugus.) Who we are : Healthy Stu - dents-Healthy Saugus ( HS2 ) is a nonprofit group of volunteers who are helping to offset food insecurity in households. HS2 provides students/families who enroll in the program a supply of nutritious food for when school lunches and breakfasts are unavailable to them on weekends. How HS2 can help you : HS2 bags GUESS WHO GOT SKETCHED ! If you know the right answer, you might win the contest. In this week’s edition, we continue our weekly feature where a local artist sketches people, places and things in Saugus. Got an idea who was sketched this week ? If you do, please email me at mvoge@comcast.net or leave a phone message at 978-683-7773. Anyone who between now and Tuesday at noon identifies the Saugonian sketched in this week’s paper qualifies to have their name put in a green Boston Red Sox hat with a chance to be selected as the winner of a $ 10 gift certificate, compliments of Dunkin’ in the Food Court at the Saugus Square One Mall. But you have to enter to win ! Look for the winner and identification in next week’s “ The Sounds of Saugus. ” Please leave your mailing address in case you are a winner. ( Courtesy illustration to The Saugus Advocate by a Saugonian who goes by the name of “ The Sketch Artist ”) are distributed at school on Fridays to take home. Bags include such items as peanut butter, jelly, a loaf of bread, canned meals/soups/tuna/vegetables, pasta/sauce, fruit cups, cereal, oatmeal, goldfish, pretzels and granola bars. To sign up go here to complete online form : https ://forms. gle/ gmMGguycSHBdziuE9. Want to partner with us : HS2 relies on donations to create take-home bags for a weekend full of meals. All food is provided to children free of charge. It is our hope these resources will support the health, behavior and achievement of every student who participates. We would love to partner with organizations, youth groups, PTO’s, businesses and individuals to assist in feeding students of Saugus. To learn more about how you can partner with us, visit the Healthy Students-Healthy Saugus Facebook page or email us at HS2Saugus@gmail.com. Checks can also be sent directly to : Salem Five c/o Healthy Students-Healthy Saugus, 855–5 Broadway, Saugus, MA 01906. Online donations can also be made at https ://givebutter.com/ HealthySaugus. Food Pantry still open The Saugus United Parish Food Pantry continues to remain open on Fridays between 9 :30 a. m. and 11 :00 a. m. despite concerns over the Coronavirus. They have made adjustments to protect their core of volunteers and the needy people who receive the food. For the protection of volunteers & clients, and to limit personal contact and crowding/gathering, the food pantry has been distributing pre-bagged groceries. Even though clients may receive items they don’t want or need, food pantry organizers feel this is the best course of action to mitigate the potential spread of COVID-19. Those in need, even for short-term or one-time assistance, are encouraged to come. The food pantry is located in the basement of Cliftondale Congregational Church at 50 Essex St. in Saugus. Clarifying some veterans’ issues Jay Pinette, the Veterans Service Officer for the Town of Saugus, wanted to pass along a few words to promote a better understanding of how his office works. “ Veterans Service Officers ( VSOs ) are not VA employees and do not have direct access to VA systems or information, ” Jay wrote in an email to us. “ Local VSOs are employees of their respective cities and towns. VSOs are generally able to assist veterans and eligible dependents with VA-related claims and benefits activities. “ One of the primary duties of the VSOs is to administer a program for veterans and eligible dependents that is referred to as ‘Chapter 115’. Under Chapter 115 of Massachusetts General Laws ( M. G. L. CH. 115 ), the Commonwealth provides a uniform program of financial assistance for low income veterans and their dependents. Qualified veterans and their dependents who meet the income and asset eligibility criteria may receive monthly financial benefits that are intended to assist the veteran with housing and living expenses. “ If local Veterans wish to enroll in VA healthcare and/or obtain a VA ID card, representatives from the VA Bedford will be on-site at the Lynn VA Clinic twice a month. The on-site enrollment will be held on the 1 st and 3 rd Tuesday of each month from 9 :00 am to 3 :00 pm. Appointments are advised and the dates and times are subject to change. The Lynn VA Clinic is located at 225 Boston Street, Suite 107. For more information or to schedule an appointment for enrollment, call 781-687-3348 or e-mail vabedoutreach@va.gov. “ The Veterans Services Offices of Saugus and other surrounding communities have partnered with the Greater Boston Food Bank to hold monthly mobile food markets for veterans. With the closure of the Saugus Senior Center during the pandemic, the food market was moved to Melrose. We have now moved the food market back to the Saugus Senior Center. The veterans mobile food market is held on the third Wednesday of each month. Veterans and eligible dependents must sign up with the Saugus Veterans Service Office to determine eligibility. VSO Jay Pinette can be reached at 781-231-4010 or at jpinette@saugus-ma.gov. Or on the first floor of Saugus Town Hall at 298 Central Street, Saugus MA 01906. ” Attention Veterans and Surviving Spouses Q : What is Chapter 115 ? A : Under Chapter 115 of Massachusetts General Laws ( M. G. L. Ch. 115 ), the Commonwealth provides a uniform program of financial and medical assistance for veterans and their dependents. Qualifying veterans and their dependents receive necessary financial assistance in accordance with a formula that considers the number of dependents and income from all sources. Q : How do I find out if I’m eligible ? A : By contacting the Veterans Services Officer in the town you live in. Here in Saugus, the Veterans’ Services Office is located at the Saugus Town Hall and may be reached at 781-231-4010. Eligible veterans and/ or their family members must meet certain income criteria and their military experience must meet the Commonwealth’s requirements. The Current Income Limit for single people is $ 2,147.00 — and $ 2,904.00 for married people. The Current Asset Limit for single people is $ 8400.00 — and $ 16,600.00 for married people. Assets do not include your home or vehicle. Q : Are these benefits taxable ? A : Chapter 115 benefits are not taxable income. You must report this income when applying for or renewing subsidized housing applications, Section 8 applications and SNAP applications. Let’s hear it ! Got an idea, passing thought or gripe you would like to share with The Saugus Advocate ? I’m always interested in your feedback. It’s been six years since I began work at The Saugus Advocate. I’m always interested in hearing readers’ suggestions for possible stories or good candidates for “ The Advocate Asks ” interview of the week. Feel free to email me at mvoge@comcast.net. Do you have some interesting views on an issue that you want to express to the community ? Submit your idea. If I like it, we can meet for a 15- to 20-minute interview over a hot drink at a local coffee shop. And I’ll buy the coffee or tea. Or, if you prefer to continue practicing social distancing and be interviewed from the safety of your home on the phone or via email, I will provide that option to you as the nation recovers from the Coronavirus crisis. If it’s a nice day and the temperature is 50 degrees or better, my preferred site for a coffee and interview would be the picnic area of the Saugus Iron Works.
16 Publizr Home