Senior Fraud Awareness Summit
sponsored by My Glacier Village, Glacier Bank, Merrill Lynch and Flathead Electric
My Glacier Village, Glacier Bank, Merrill Lynch and Flathead Electric are hosting a community event to to raise awareness of fraud and scams targeting seniors. The event will be held at the Arts & Technology Building at Flathead Valley Community College (FVCC) on Saturday, March 19 from 10am-1pm
According to the FBI, seniors account for more than $3m of financial loss annually due to elder fraud. Additionally, seniors may be less likely to report they’ve fallen victim, mostly because they don’t know who to call, and often because they are ashamed at having been scammed. Many may fear their relatives will lose confidence in their abilities to manage their own financial affairs.
Speakers and Panelists will discuss the types of scams targeting seniors, provide tips on how to avoid them, and what people should do should they become a victim. Lunch and door prizes are also planned.
My Glacier Village is a local nonprofit organization built for seniors, BY seniors. They are combating senior isolation by providing the connections, education and support seniors in our community need to age confidently in their own homes. They are bringing about social change, redefining what it means to grow older.
At Flathead Electric Cooperative, Teresa Miller, Member Services Manager, has worked with several elderly members who have been scammed. “It is so heartbreaking to hear their stories,” Miller reflected. “It’s an unfortunate combination, but both the elderly and utilities are frequent targets of scams, so we supported My Glacier Village’s idea for this summit from the beginning. Protecting our members is who we are as a cooperative.
Katie Pfennigs, Communications and Marketing Supervisor at the Co-op, added, “Concern for the community is one of the seven principles of cooperatives, and the backbone of the communications department. We fully support My Glacier Village’s fantastic efforts to raise awareness about elder fraud and offer real-world solutions and support in our service area.”
Jenn Prunty, Founder and Executive Director of My Glacier Village is passionate about changing conversations and attitudes around aging. “Education is a huge part of our promise to connect, inspire, and support our members. If we can help seniors know why they’re targeted, learn what to watch for, and understand what to do if they get caught in a scam, we will raise confidence and empower independence’”
“Fraud cases are becoming a daily occurrence so it is important that our community is aware of today’s challenges. Glacier Bank is proud to join Merrill Lynch and Flathead Electric Coop in sponsoring the Senior Fraud Summit.” Mike Smith, President, Glacier Bank
Pre-registration is required and space is limited.
To register, visit: myglacier.helpfulvillage.com/events or call 406-250-8784
Submitted by Jennifer Prunty, Founder/Executive Director,
My Glacier Village
Fun Facts on Montana Magpies
Courtesy of Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks
Montanans are pretty used to magpies, so we barely notice them. Unless they’ve built a nest outside a bedroom window, then their incessant squawking is quite literally impossible to ignore.
But magpies are truly incredible critters if you can see them outside of their everywhere-ness. They’ve colonized an astounding variety of habitats, can take advantage of almost any food source, and are, for lack of a more fun way to say it, wicked smart. Magpies belong to a group of birds called corvids along with their companions the ravens, crows, jays, and nutcrackers. These are some of the most wicked smart animals on earth, known for they’re remarkable problem solving and pattern recognizing abilities. Corvids like magpies can remember individual human faces, form intricate languages, use teamwork to harass away predators and competitors, and work through complex situations to acquire food, like the crows that learned to use stoplights to crack open nuts.
And even beyond all that cooliness, magpies and their buddies play a critical role as cleaning agents on the landscape. They are often the first to arrive at an animal carcass and will work diligently to pick it clean. That helps keep diseases from spreading around and prevents that squirrel that got squished on the street outside your window from becoming an unbearable rotten mess.
They are basically the parrots of the west. Big bold colors, long flowing tails, an endearing squawk, and a level of intelligence rivaled only by the easily-annoyed humans they sometimes annoy.
Trail work begins to prepare for Spring–Summer Season
The Yaak Valley Forest Council completed another year of trail work. Maintaining trail tread and corridor along Blacktail Creek and up to Dodge Summit pass.
Weed abatement is done along sections of trail that need it the most. We look forward to leading guided Wilderness Walks in these areas this year to see and discuss the great work done to make these areas what they are today.
Photo by Anthony South of Yaak Valley Forest Council.