By Jamey Helgeson
LIFE Mower County

The annual Chicken Dumpling Soup and Chili Supper will be held 4-7 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 28, at the Mower County Senior Center in Austin

Tickets in advance are $7 for adults and $5 for children (ages 4-10). At the door tickets are $9 for adults and $7 for children (ages 4-10). Children ages three and under are free.  Tickets are available now at the LIFE Mower County office. Tickets will also be available at the door.

Meal includes your choice of chicken dumpling soup and/or chili, beverage and dessert.  Take-out available.

Volunteers are needed. Contact our office.

Every donation, large or small, will help cut expenses and increase profits. We need boneless chicken, hamburger, carrots, celery and financial donations to purchase other items. Call the LIFE Mower County office at 507-433-8994 today and let us know how you can help.

People First Aktion Club members will also be selling fudge through Jan. 23 with delivery on Feb. 12-13. A half pound of fudge is $6 and one pound of fudge is $10. Flavors include chocolate, chocolate walnut, rocky road, chocolate peanut butter, chocolate mint swirl, chocolate amaretto swirl, raspberry swirl, chewy praline and maple nut.

All fundraising done by the People First Aktion Club is for self-advocacy training and community service projects decided on by the group.  Support these self-advocates that give back to those that have supported them.

We need your help for the 25th annual Rose Sale

LIFE is looking for volunteers to take part in their 25th annual Rose Sale,  Feb. 18 to March 24, with the ​pick-up and delivery day on Tuesday, April 7.

Roses can be picked-up between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. and roses will be delivered between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Let someone know that you care and support the work of LIFE Mower County by supporting our Rose Sale.

All proceeds from LIFE Mower County’s Rose Sale benefits children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including down syndrome, cerebral palsy, autism and epilepsy. One in 10 families has a member with a disability. Your participation in LIFE’s Rose Sale provides critical funding for programs and services.

Any level of support is appreciated. Here are a few suggestions:

•At your work: Coordinate a rose sale where you work. Email your co-workers and encourage them to order. Call the LIFE office with a group rose order and the roses can be delivered to your office!

•In your school: School groups can sell individual roses to support their peers that attend activities at LIFE.

•In your neighborhood: Ask your neighbors, friends and family to order roses.

•Brighten someone’s day: Order roses to give to your customers or employees to show how much you appreciate them.

•Volunteer: Rose Sale coordinators are needed throughout Austin and the surrounding communities to coordinate rose sales at local churches, businesses, etc.

You can stop into the LIFE Mower County office, Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., or we can deliver the posters and order forms to you anytime. If you have any questions or are interested in volunteering to help sell roses, please call 507-433-8994 or email info@lifemowercounty.org.

Hang up posters with order forms at your work, church, schools, gas stations, restaurants, local businesses, etc.

You can sell roses by emailing your co-workers and encouraging them to order. Call the LIFE office with a group rose order and the roses can be delivered to your office!

Ask your friends, neighbors and family to order roses.

Turn in your orders and money by Tuesday, March 24.

Volunteers are needed to help with pick-up and delivery day on ​Tuesday, April 7.

We want you as a chef, donor or a sponsor for the 10th annual Taste of Mower County

Mark your calendars for the 10th annual Taste of Mower County on Sunday, April 26. You can enjoy unlimited tastings of signature items from the finest homeand ​restaurant chefs in Mower County and the surrounding area. We are looking for sponsors, chefs and auction items for this event. You can find all of the information on our website at www.lifemowercounty.org/tomc2020 or call 507-433-8994.

Census 2020 — you count! Be counted

The 2020 Census is quickly approaching, and it is important that people with disabilities and their families are ready to be counted! Every 10 years, everyone in the United States is counted through the census. It is important that everyone is counted because the census data impacts many key things. For example, the census data is used to figure out how much money state and local governments get for Medicaid, housing vouchers, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and education programs.

When there isn’t enough money, services and programs for people with disabilities can be cut. Census data is also used to determine how many representatives each state gets in the House of Representatives.  Learn more at https://bit.ly/2QU8UAS.

Upcoming Events

• Tuesday: People First Aktion Club Meeting
• Wednesday: Special Olympics Bowling
• Thursday: Adaptive Yoga
• Friday: Movie and Munchies
• Jan. 27: Board of Directors Meeting and Taste of Mower County Planning Committee Meeting
• Jan. 28: Chicken Dumpling Soup and Chili Supper
• Jan. 29: Newsletter Assembly and Special Olympics Bowling
• Jan. 30: Creative Arts
• Jan. 31: Friday Night Live/Open Center