The Michigan Department of Health and Humans Services (MDHHS) plans to issue Food Assistance Program benefits early for February.  For food assistance clients, Michigan began issuing February benefits on Saturday, Jan. 19. Clients who didn’t receive their benefits on that date should receive the funds the following week. That means the 1.2 million Michigan residents who receive food assistance will have benefits to feed their families in February even if the partial federal government shutdown continues.  The early food assistance benefits are not additional benefits and there will be no food assistance payments in February. MDHHS strongly encourages families to budget the funds they receive in January so they can meet their food needs through the entire month of February.  “MDHHS is pleased that the department is able to work with its federal partners to make sure Michigan families have food on the table in February,” said Terrence Beurer, MDHHS deputy director of Field Operations Administration.  The USDA Food and Nutrition Service has directed states to issue February food assistance benefits early. In Michigan, food assistance benefits are usually issued to clients according to a numeric schedule over a 21-day period throughout the month. USDA officials identified this one-time early benefit distribution of food assistance as a chance to provide the benefits during the shutdown.  At this point, MDHHS believes that Women, Infants and Children (WIC) benefits will be available for states to issue in February without interruption. In Michigan more than 200,000 mothers, pregnant women and children from birth to age 5 receive nutritional food through WIC. MDHHS will provide more information as details are known.  January food assistance and WIC benefits are being distributed according to the normal schedule. Learn more on the USDA Food and Nutrition Service website.

Now that the dust has settled on another hectic holiday season, many of us have turned our attention to setting New Year’s resolutions and making positive changes in our lives.  It’s a familiar cycle: each January we promise ourselves that this is the year we will really follow through on those resolutions to improve areas of our life, from our health to our career to our personal relationships. But without clear goals and steps in place to attain them, it can be difficult to successfully achieve meaningful, lasting changes in our busy and demanding lives.  Dr. Vince Guglielmetti, a physician with MedExpress Urgent Care, offers tips on how to set resolutions that stick so you can have a happier, healthier 2019.  Guglielmetti says oftentimes,  resolutions do not work because they’re focused on negativity – focusing on the benefits or enjoyment of an end result can be a more effective way to achieve positive and lasting change.  He says set reasonable goals and make a plan to stay accountable and find ways to stay inspired.   Set reachable goals and don’t be too hard on yourself if you slip up.   If you slip up, reset, and keep your goals at the top of your mind.  Dr. Gulielmetti also says it is important to consult with a healthcare professional before beginning a new regiment.  Happy New Year!

This FREE forum, held on January 31st, is open to anyone interested in the future of Marine City and the surrounding region too. Business owners, elected officials, organizations, educators and residents are happily encouraged to attend.    FIT helps communities learn about their strengths and weaknesses through the eyes of first-time visitors. In early 2018, Marine City was successful in applying for FIT. As a result, five visitors unfamiliar with the area visited Marine City unannounced. The results of their visit will be shared during this evening forum. Community leaders and residents will be present to hear results, listen to suggestions, and guide next steps.  The forum will be held at the Washington Life Center, 403 N. Mary Street, Marine City on January 31, 2019, from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m.  Due to location capacity, please register for the forum online at https:// events.anr.msu.edu/ FITCRFMarineCity/  or by calling  Marine City at (810) 765-0513  There is no cost to attend.

Due to the weather and road conditions, Cross Current Church has cancelled the 9:30 a.m.and 11:15 services for Sunday, January 20, 2019.

Katelyn Schott has been named the Employee of the Month for December. Schott has worked at McLaren Port Huron for six years and is a sonographer in the ultrasound department.   Schott was nominated by her peers because she embodies the values of McLaren Port Huron. She is a reliable, hard worker who is always willing to help. She is kind, conscientious and calm with patients, even in hectic situations. She always does the right thing, even when it’s not the easy choice. Schott also goes above and beyond in helping her coworkers, whether it’s with scheduling needs or assisting with difficult studies.  This employee recognition is given to individuals who consistently live the values, mission and performance standards of McLaren Port Huron. Honorees are nominated by a co-worker, physician, volunteer, and/or customer.  To learn more about McLaren Port Huron, visit www.mclaren.org/porthuron.

Every month St. Clair County Community Mental Health (CMH) recognizes individuals and / or teams for their extraordinary contributions to the Rights Protection System, which protects the human rights of individuals with a mental illness. Individuals and teams are recognized for demonstrating dignity and respect to individuals with mental illness, for innovation and creativity that resulted in improved service outcomes, for enriching or enhancing a recipient’s recovery/discovery journey, and for taking actions to strengthen communication and cooperation throughout the Rights Protection System.   Award recipients receive a letter of congratulations, certificate of recognition, “Rights Champion” tumbler, and gift certificate to the Sail-In Café & Convenience Store. In addition, “Rights Champions” are highlighted on the CMH Facebook page and are eligible for the 2018 individual/team of the year awards.    The October Team of the Month is the Wells Group Home, which is operated by IMPACT. Members of this team include:

• Melissa Cope
• Amber DeWulf
• Michael Fetterly
• BreAnna Lee
• Chelsea Lee
• Kimberly Moore
• Megan Smith
• Dustin Smith
• James Talbot
• Pam Zimmerman

The November Team of the Month is Residential Services staff of both CMH and Blue Water Developmental Housing (BWDH). Members of this team include:

• Kathy Baker (BWDH)
• Ellen Drowns (CMH)
• Kathleen Gallagher (CMH)
• Karen Recker (CMH)
• Sara Storm (CMH)
• Katie Volpe (CMH)

Congratulations to these Rights Champions!