Join the Ann Arbor Commission on Disability Issues

Wed, 02/17/2016 - 3:45pm by iralax

If you are an advocate for equal opportunity for people with physical, mental, and/or emotional disabilities you may want to serve as a commissioner on the Ann Arbor Commission on Disability Issues. Public meetings are held at City Hall on the third Wednesday of every month starting at 3:15pm. Meetings are open to the public and can also be viewed on Community Television Network (CTN)-Comcast Cable Channel 16. You can also view CTN videos On Demand by going to a2gov.org.

If you would like an application to apply for a seat on the Commission contact the Mayor’s Office 734-794-6161 or visit our Resource Page. If you desire more information about being a commissioner e-mail us at a2disabilityissues@gmail.com

Healthcare Marketplace Enrollment Assistance

Wed, 01/27/2016 - 2:58pm by monkk

Thanks to the Washtenaw Health Initiative and the United Way of Wasthenaw County you can get help applying for 2016 health insurance on Saturday, January 30th from 9am to 3pm at the United Way of Washtenaw County office. No appointment is necessary and walk-ins are welcome. If you want to enroll in health insurance, you must bring the following with you:

* Social Security numbers (and immigration documents for legal immigrants) for everyone applying for coverage

* Employer and income information for every member of your household (for example, pay stubs or W2 forms)

* Policy information on health insurance if you or someone in your household have it from a job or another source

* Your best estimate of what your 2016 household income will be in 2016

Failure to get coverage may result in a 2016 tax penalty of $695 per person or 2.5% of your yearly income, whichever is higher. For additional information contact Krista Nordberg at 734-544-6778.

Qigong Therapeutic Movement & Tai chi

Wednesday May 11, 2016: 7:00pm to 8:30pm
Pittsfield Branch: Program Room
Grade 6 - Adult

Encuesta Buenos Vecinos Latino Health Survey

Thu, 01/14/2016 - 10:00am by iralax

The Encuesta Buenos Vecinos (EBV) Community Leadership Team is pleased to share the results of Washtenaw County's first, comprehensive Latino health survey. The report is available in English and Spanish. The EBV report is the result of an innovative, multiyear collaboration with the Latino community. Over 500 Latinos in Washtenaw County participated. The report describes the process, results and future goals. For more information about the EBV collaboration, please contact Adreanne Waller at wallera@ewashtenaw.org or 734-544-3057.

Nerd Nite Ann Arbor presented by AADL at LIVE 102 S First St.

Thursday June 16, 2016: 7:00pm to 9:30pm
LIVE (102 S 1st Street)
Adults

New Year, New Resolutions, New Books

Thu, 12/31/2015 - 11:24am by eapearce

The new year often brings new year’s resolutions with it. Whatever your specific goals and aspirations may be for 2016, some of the newest non-fiction at the AADL offers tips and tricks for sticking to new habits, channeling creativity and keeping your life clutter-free, resolutions that I know many of us share!:

In Better Than Before, Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project, explores our habits and presents readers with an analytical and scientific framework for understanding them and, if desired, changing them for good. Rubin offers up dozens of strategies that she herself employs over the course of the book, and tests out on others. The emphasis of the book is on knowing ourselves and our habit tendencies so that we can pursue new habits in ways that truly work for us and build a foundation of good habits that can last a lifetime.

Elizabeth Gilbert’s new book Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear explores the nature of inspiration. Many readers drew personal inspiration and empowerment from Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love, and this new book asks readers to embrace natural curiosity and offers tools for facing down fears and insecurities. Gilbert discusses the attitudes and approaches that allowed her to live the creative life she had long dreamed of, and encourages readers in a pleasant and pragmatic manner to do the same to pursue the lives that they also dream of, whether one wants to write a book, address new challenges at work, move to a new city or simply lead each day with a greater sense of mindfulness.

The popularity of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, by Marie Kondo, has swept across the entire world (the book was first written in Japanese and the first English publication was in Great Britain). The simple, slim book presents readers with the Japanese art of decluttering and organizing your space, also known as the KonMari Method. Kondo walks readers through the method step-by-step, which not only offers solutions for organizing, but also for getting rid of possessions one no longer needs and for better storing the possessions that one has. Although some aspects of the KonMari method may seem unusual, particularly to American readers, Kondo explains the rationale for each. For those whose goal in 2016 is to become better organized, this book is a must read.

Browse our catalog for these and other great books to help you stick to your new year’s resolutions this year!

Strategies for Coping and Healing from Loss through Art and Writing

Saturday February 20, 2016: 1:00pm to 3:00pm
Downtown Library: Secret Lab

Warming Centers and Stations Up and Running for Winter

Mon, 12/28/2015 - 2:18pm by iralax

Washtenaw County is again expanding its daytime and overnight warming to provide safe, warm spaces for individuals experiencing homelessness during severe winter weather.

To address these very real needs, the Winter Emergency Shelter/Warming Center Response work group has worked with local agency partners to provide additional beds this winter. In addition to the 50 beds at the Delonis Shelter, an Overnight Warming Center will be hosted by three congregations on a rotating basis thru March 30th of 2015 from 7pm-7am, and operated by Shelter Association of Washtenaw County (SAWC).

Overnight Warming Center participants are required to check in between 7 pm and 8 pm at Delonis Center, 312 West Huron Street. Individuals will be screened for access to housing resources, then will be bused to the offsite location. At 7:00 am each morning, participants will be transported to the Saint Andrew’s breakfast program.

The Daytime Warming Centers will be open 9 am-4 pm each day and participants will be required to give their name every day they attend to keep track of the community need. Monday-Friday daytime warming center will be at the churches on a rotation basis, with the Delonis Center operating Saturday and Sunday from 7:45 am to 7 pm.

In cases of extreme cold, when public schools are closed (20 below, with or without wind chill), additional temporary warming stations will also be available to any Washtenaw County resident. Individuals in Washtenaw County who are at risk of or experiencing homelessness can call 734-961-1999. For more information about the warming center, please contact Andrea Plevek at pleveka@ewashtenaw.org or 734-544-3039.

Permaculture from the Roots Up: Land Care

Tuesday March 8, 2016: 7:00pm to 8:30pm
Malletts Creek Branch: Program Room

Permaculture from the Roots Up: Community Care

Tuesday February 9, 2016: 7:00pm to 8:30pm
Pittsfield Branch: Program Room