The Wapsi River Environmental Education Center will be closed for a controlled deer hunt from Saturday, December 4 thru Wednesday, December 8.  As a result, the Eagle View Eco Center and its displays will be closed on Saturday, December 4.

Figge tour focuses on works that are popular with children.

Take a break from the hectic holiday season at the Figge Art Museum, where you can enjoy a special family-oriented tour. "Celebrating Family" is offered the first three Sundays in December at 1:30 pm (Dec. 5, 12, 19).  The tour begins in the Family Gallery with Doris Lee's print Thanksgiving, which depicts women preparing Thanksgiving dinner during the Great Depression. Families will then be introduced to colorful and whimsical works in the College Invitational exhibition, and several paintings and sculptures by famous artists Alexander Calder, Marc Chagall, Joan Miró, and Deborah Butterfield. The works were selected for the "Celebrating Family" tour because they are popular with both children and adults.  After the tour, participants can enjoy free hot chocolate.

Thanksgiving is now up in the Family Gallery, so if you can't wait for the tour, bring your family into the Figge today or anytime through the holiday season and enjoy art activities in the gallery with your loved ones!

Tour is free with price of admission.  Admission is $7 for adults, $6 for seniors, and $4 for children. Open Sundays : Noon-5pm.

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Peer support is powerful, especially when it comes to your health.   For example, a recent study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found people with diabetes who managed their symptoms together had better outcomes than doing so on their own.  And for the increasing number of people living with hypertension, diabetes, arthritis and cancer, the combination of skills development and peer support can make a difference in how they cope with their condition and the pain, anxiety and fatigue that often comes with it

Based on the work of Stanford University researcher Kate Lorig, DrPH, Better Choices, Better Health™, (available at selfmanage.org) is an online workshop that teaches self-management management skills in the context of a virtual group.  Rigorous studies have demonstrated that this program helps individuals decrease their fatigue, exercise more, expand their self-confidence and improve their health.

The National Council on Aging is currently piloting Better Choices, Better Health in Iowa. While the program is valued at approximately $200 per person, it is now provided free of charge to participants, thanks to pilot funding from The Atlantic Philanthropies.

Better Choices, Better Health:  How It Works

Throughout the six-week workshop, individuals interact with peers and trained facilitators - many of whom have a chronic condition themselves. They come together and set their own goals and build action plans to achieve them.  Participants discuss ways to reduce stress, find and use community resources, and learn better ways to talk to their doctor and families about their health.

Available Online and In the Community

Better Choices, Better Health is the online version of Stanford University's internationally recognized Chronic Disease Self Management Program (CDSMP), which takes place in-person in community-based settings.

Iowa also offers the community-based program, called Iowa Healthy Links available at www.iowahealthylinks.org or (617) 624-5440, which is provided through the state Department of Public Health.  Both Iowa Healthy Links and Better Choices, Better Health programs are effective in addressing a wide range of chronic health conditions.

You can view a video of the community-based version of the program here: http://www.ncoa.org/improving-health/chronic-disease/healthier-lives.html

I'd like to put you in touch with Jay Greenberg, SVP of Social Enterprise at NCOA, Kate Lorig, founder of CDSMP and director of the Stanford Patient Education Research Center, or a program instructor or participant to further discuss how Better Choices, Better Health and Iowa Healthy Links are impacting the local community.

Hersong, the Quad Cities Women's Chorus, strives to promote and develop women's music as a significant expression of the strength, dignity, and sisterhood of all women, as well as social justice, world peace, cultural diversity, the healing of the environment and community outreach. St. John's Lutheran Church is a place for All people. They are very involved with their community and open their doors to all who walk in. Visit their calendar of events at www.stjohnsri.org.

Theplace2b, provides a safe haven for our community's youth, The numbers of homeless, displaced and near homeless youth have been steadily increasing in the Quad-Cities. Theplace2b offers a variety of support services to these youth, ranging from house options to counseling services to academic support. They have an ongoing need please check their website www.theplace2b.org.

For more information or to donate, please contact Brooke Wilson Clemons by email Hersong@earthlink.net or 309-737-9898.

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