December 31, 2019 • Page 10 shop online at www.missourivalleyshopper.com Looking for a Healthy New Year’s Resolution? Don’t Overlook Your Eyes (StatePoint) The most ambitious time of year is upon us: the time to set New Year’s resolutions. All the parties have been hosted, the marshmallows have been toasted and you’ve binged on your new favorite TV show the entire month of December. Now you’re asking yourself, “What do I want to accomplish this year?” A New Year’s resolution is, for all intents and purposes, a good thing. Now consider this twist on the standard resolution format: opt for a few, small, lifestyle wins rather than mounting an all-out assault on your current habits – more resolution-lite, if you will. Choose resolutions that have clear start and end points, and that are attainable for you. Most of all, resolutions should make you feel good – that’s the whole point, right? “A resolution that checks all the boxes is to get an eye exam,” says VSP network doctor, Jennifer Chinn. If you have loved ones in mind, bring them. Their eyes will thank you. Here’s why: • It’s Easy: With a comprehensive eye exam, there’s no uncomfortable warm-up, pep talk or preparation period. Making an appointment is easy: you simply show up and your eye doctor tests different aspects of your vision and eye health. Save the maximum effort for a goal further down your list, knowing an eye exam is a small investment of energy that reaps huge health rewards. • It Doesn’t Take All Year: You can be certain that unlike most resolutions where some level of delayed gratification is the motivator, a comprehensive eye exam provides immediate results. “All within your visit, you’ll learn the shape your vision is in, and, if you wear glasses or contact lenses, whether your prescription has changed,” Dr. Chinn says. • It’s Really Healthy: Beyond ensuring great vision, an eye exam offers an incredible look into your overall health. In fact, an eye exam is often the first line of defense when it comes to protecting your health. During your visit, the eye doctor will examine your eyes to check their visual acuity (or how clearly you see), and for any signs of eye conditions like dry eyes, digital eye strain, glaucoma, cataracts and macular degeneration. “More significantly, a comprehensive eye exam gives eye doctors an unobstructed view of the eyes’ blood vessels and optic nerves, both of which can give away signs of chronic diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure and even some cancers years before a person shows symptoms,” notes Dr. Chinn. outward signals of diseases and conditions don’t appear until some damage has occurred, making eye exams powerful, preventative tools to keep tabs on what’s quietly happening in your body. To find an eye doctor near you, visit www.vsp. com/eye-doctor. You don’t need 20/20 vision to see that the case for a 2020 eye exam is clear. Make this the year you commit to an annual trip to the eye doctor. Unfortunately, many Gi ing Back champions for our community Pathways Shelter for the Homeless Mission: To serve the immediate needs of individuals and families experiencing homelessness within the Yankton area, while engaging partners in developing long-term solutions. The shelter was founded on the belief that everyone deserves a home. We are one of the many United Way of Greater Yankton affiliates that benefit from the wonderful support United Way offers. What we do: Pathways aims to break the cycle of homelessness in individuals and families within a 60-mile radius of Yankton. We stay within this geographical boundary because we are the only secular emergency shelter in this area. The closest shelters are in Sioux City, IA, Sioux Falls, SD and Norfolk, NE. If someone is seeking shelter and is from outside of this boundary, we do our best to connect them with resources in their location. Pathways provides four major services, the first of which is temporary emergency shelter. We operate with hopes that all clients can successfully move out of shelter within 30 days. Every client receives 30 free days in a 12-month period. In 2019, the average stay has been 35 days. There are times when a stay needs to be extended. We will allow stays up to 60 days, but charge $5 per day after day 30. We implemented this rule (as of August 1, 2018) for three reasons: First, to give a greater incentive for our clients to reach their goals more quickly; Second, to give our clients a sense of ownership while staying with us; Lastly, to help pay for daily use items (food, cleaning products, etc.). We can provide shelter for up to 50 individuals, depending on family size. For those who are without income and are able to work, we assist them in finding gainful employment. Typically, it takes about a week to find employment. Once income is established, the search for housing begins. Everyone receives food, clothing, and all other necessities free of charge. They are also connected with community partners to work on basic skills, such as budgeting and financial management, cooking and nutrition, and job procurement. When individuals find housing, we assist with the moving process, as well as provide furniture and housing essentials at no cost. Pathways receives these items through donations from our generous community. The remaining three services we offer are financial assistance programs. These are offered through two separate grants from the South Dakota Housing Development Authority. The first is called the Emergency Solutions Grant, through which we provide two programs: Homeless Prevention and Rapid Rehousing. Homeless Prevention enables us to pay rental and utility arrears to prevent homelessness from occurring. Through Rapid Rehousing we can assist with first month’s rent, rental deposit and utility deposit. This allows the renter to be financially stable, rather than fall behind right away. The second grant provides us the opportunity to run the Security Deposit Assistance Program. These funds are allocated specifically for security deposits. All three of these programs have guidelines that have to be met in order to qualify for assistance. What’s new in 2019? 2019 has been an exciting year for Pathways. In April, we COX AUTO SUPPLY • Farm Filters • Hydraulic Hoses • Bearings & Seals 1007 Broadway, Yankton 605-665-4494 were the recipients of 100 Women of Yankton’s monetary award. This enabled us to once again hire a Case Manager, whose main role is to ensure clients complete their goals as quickly as possible. Having this position back in place has been crucial in ensuring the success of our clients. Through the help of MANY volunteers, we gave our building a new coat of paint! Ace Hardware donated the paint, and we received help from volunteers from a wide variety of entities in town, including our very own clients at Pathways. This has created a much warmer and welcoming atmosphere for our clients. One of our largest expenses hanging over our head has been the mortgage on our facility. In August this year, we had about $80,000 left to pay on our mortgage. We embarked on a “Torch the Mortgage” campaign to help pay off the loan. In August alone, we raised close to $60,000, thanks to our extremely generous community. I am proud to report that as of January 1, 2020, Pathways will be debt free! Lifting the weight of our mortgage will allow us to focus on our need for expansion. As I write this, we have 72 people on our waiting list to enter shelter. Our long-term goal in 2020 is to develop a plan to add space to our current facility, which will hopefully eradicate the need for a waiting list. An expansion like this will take time and careful planning, and most likely another campaign to raise the funds to pay for the expansion. Short-term, we are looking into options for a temporary way to provide shelter for those on our waiting list. For those we cannot bring into shelter immediately, they have to find somewhere else to stay temporarily until they reach the top of our waiting list. While some individuals can stay with friends or family, others have literally nowhere to go. Perhaps someone has a vehicle they can stay in, but at this time of year that isn’t safe. In order to find shelter out of the cold, individuals have to call local churches or religious groups and ask for assistance with motel payment for a night or two. This is simply not a sustainable way to fight homelessness. We have started the discussion with vested entities in our community. The goal is to have something set up and operating in early 2020. Community Support We often receive questions of what type of support we need from the community. As a 501c3 nonprofit organization, Pathways operates solely on grants and donations. Grants and donations are not guaranteed, and we having increasing budgetary needs each year. We appreciate the following types of donations. • Goods: Toiletries, food, towels, bedding, pillows, paper products, and laundry detergent are all items that we use Dakota arcHErY & OutdOOr SpOrtS Open every night ‘till 9:00 p.m. Year-to-date unduplicated statistics through December 18, 2019: Shelter: 210 clients | 8,109 nights Homeless Prevention: 96 clients in 28 households |$29,653 in support Rapid Rehousing: 66 clients in 28 households | $34,361 in support Security Deposit Assistance Program: 121 clients in 59 households | $27,112 in support Any questions should be directed to Jesse Bailey, Executive Director. He can be reached at 605-665-8994, or via e-mail at jbailey@yanktonpathways.org. “We’ve Got You Covered” 605-665-8340 2305 E. Hwy. 50 • Yankton on a daily basis. There is an updated list on our website at www.yanktonpathways.org/give • Furniture and Household Items: We accept any gently used furniture and household items. These include (but are not limited to) couches, beds, chairs, kitchen tables, coffee tables, end tables, small kitchen appliances (toasters, microwaves, coffee pots), kitchen supplies (cutlery, dishes, drinking glasses). • Monetary: We accept any cash donations or monthly direct deposits from individuals, businesses and organizations. People often inquire about what it costs to operate our facility. The following list will provide a glimpse into our monthly operating expenses, showing a few of the larger monthly expenses: • Utilities: $1,962 • Mortgage: Was $1,400, now it’s $0! • Shelter Supplies (food, basic needs): $258 • Administrative Costs: $10,411 • Client Support: $5,716 • Insurance: $979 • Maintenance/Repair: $692 On average, it costs approximately $21,584 per month to provide these programs to those in need. Gifts towards our operating expenses are accepted at any time, and we can accommodate any payment method. Electronic donations are completed through our website at www. yanktonpathways.org. Cash or checks can be sent to 412 E 4th St, Yankton, SD 57078. As of November, we are now able to accept donations of stocks and bonds, thanks to our friends at Edward Jones! Yankton and surrounding communities were very generous with donations in 2019. We hope that support continues in 2020. 2507 Fox Run Parkway Yankton, SD 57078 • (605) 665-8073 www.firstchiropracticcenter.com 1600 Whiting Dr., Yankton, SD • (605)857-1472 • NO OBLIGATION Inspection & Estimate • Insurance Preferred Contrator • Licensed / Bonded / Insured 1000 c o m Drive Ya n k t SD We l Cattle e t o• Yankton, o n ! 1-800-759-5275 1000 Cattle Dr., Yankton, SD Fax: 605-665-8908 665-1665 2100 BROADWAY • YANKTON, SD 605-665-3412 PHARMACY: 665-8261 • FLORAL: 665-0662 2200 E. 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