Send announcements to The Loudoun Connection, 7913 Westpark Drive, McLean, VA 22102, e-mail to loudoun@connectionnewspapers.com or fax to 703-917-0991. Deadline is two weeks before the event. Photos/artwork encouraged. For more information, call Jennifer Lesinski at 703-917-6454.
This free listing is reserved for activities and events that are open to the public at no or minimal cost.
The Epilepsy Foundation of the Chesapeake Region is sponsoring the following support groups for adults diagnosed with seizure disorders and caregivers.
Free of charge. Call 703-425-6660.
* Reston Epilepsy Group meets the second and fourth Friday of each month, from 7-8:30 p.m., at Herndon High School, Entrance 5, Room 123, 700 Bennett St., Herndon. The next meetings are June 10 and 24.
* Northern Virginia Epilepsy Group meets every Wednesday, from 7-8 p.m., at Falls Church High School, Room 100, 7521 Jaguar Trail, Falls Church. The next meetings are June 8, 15, 22 and 29, at the regular time.
In May 2005, the Social Security Administration will begin mailing applications to older adults and people with disabilities who may qualify for extra help paying for the new Medicare drug benefit.
The extra help will pay some or all of the monthly drug plan premiums and deductibles, and most of the coinsurance for prescription drugs covered by the new Medicare drug benefit. It is expected to provide an average of $2,100 per year in assistance.
Call the Medicare Hot line, 703-737-8036, at the Loudoun County Agency on Aging to request an application, to get help in filling out the application and for income requirements.
People with Medicare can apply for the subsidy by mail or in person at a local Social Security office, beginning in May. The application will also be available online at www.ssa.gov in July.
The Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit begins Jan. 1, 2006. The average premium is expected to be about $37 per month for people who do not have the low-income subsidy.
Stroller Strides classes Ñ a fitness program for new mothers and other caregivers, incorporating the stroller and baby in an outdoor setting Ñ are now available in Leesburg. The 50-minute workouts include power walking and calisthenics. The classes are offered Mondays and Fridays at 9:30 a.m., and Wednesdays and Saturdays at 10 a.m., at Potomac Station Multi-Purpose Court, at the corner of Rivercreek Parkway and Potomac Station Drive. For more information, call Lisa Atkinson at 800-445-8748 or 703-771-7801 or e-mail latkinson@strollerstrides.net.
Tours of Birthing Inn. The Loudoun Hospital center is offering tours of the Birthing Inn on weekends and evenings. There is no charge for the tour, however registration is required. Registration may be done online at www.thebirthinginn.org or call 703-858-6360.
Asthma Auto Program. Program offered by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, Maryland-Greater Washington, D.C., Chapter, is accepting donations of unwanted vehicles to raise money to fund educational programs, asthma care training, scholarships, research, and patient assistance for area residents. Call 800-727-9333.
Birth Mother's Support Group. Meets weekly in northern Virginia for any woman who has ever placed a child in adoption and would like to meet with others who have done the same. For more information call Pat Cunningham or Stephanie Hayden at Catholic Charities at 703-425-0100.
Foster Parents. To participate in the foster parent program, call Children's Services of Virginia at 703-331-0075 or visit www.childrensservicesofva.com for more information.
American Lung Association of Virginia. Organization offers an e-mail service to residents in areas affected by smog-unhealthy levels of ozone pollution, which includes the Northern Virginia-Metropolitan D.C. area. Subscribers will receive smog alerts the day before ozone pollution levels are predicted to be unhealthy. For more information on ozone pollution and to sign up for the Smog Alert, visit www.lungusa.org/virginia.
American Red Cross Classes. Classes include adult, child and infant CPR, first aid, baby-sitter training and more. Advance registration required and there is a fee. Call 703-777-7171. Visit www.redcross.org/va/loudounco.
Reach to Recovery Program. The American Cancer Society offers free services to women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer and had to undergo recent surgery. A trained volunteer who has survived breast cancer is available to talk with patients confidentially, provide helpful information and offer emotional support. A Reach "kit" is given to each patient, which includes a leisure bra, a soft prosthesis for mastectomy patients, exercise items and literature. Call 703-938-5550.
The Y-Me National Breast Cancer Organization. Group provides free services including educational programs and lectures, brown-bag seminars, quarterly newsletters, and a 24-hour HOPEline. The HOPEline (703-461-9616 or 1-800-970-4411) is staffed by trained breast-cancer survivors who provide information and emotional support to callers. Call 703-461-9595 or visit www.y-menca.org for more information.
Safe Sitter Classes. Loudoun County Fire and Rescue Services and Reston Hospital Center for girls and boys ages 11-13 who are interested in babysitting. Call Broadlands Regional Medical Center at 703-858-3465 to register.
Senior Newsletter. The Loudoun Cooperative Extension is offering a newsletter for seniors, "As You Age." The research-based newsletter was created by professors at Virginia Tech in the fields of human development and nutrition, foods and exercise. For a free copy, contact Kalinda Santos or Beverly Samuel at 703-777-0373.
The Loudoun County Eastern Loudoun Mental Health Center has moved to 21641 Ridgetop Circle, Suite 105, in Sterling. The Eastern Loudoun Mental Health Center, operated by the Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services, provides
mental health and substance abuse outpatient services to youth, families and individuals. Center hours are Monday through Thursday, from 8:30 a.m.-8 p.m.; and Fridays, from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. The new phone number is 571-258-3026. For emergency services, call 703-777-0320.
The Ridgetop office includes meeting space for group therapy and private offices for individual therapy appointments. The other County Mental Health Center remains in Leesburg at 102 Heritage Way, N.E.
A new FAMIS (Family Access to Medical Insurance Security Plan) online application is available, allowing parents and
other caregivers to apply for health insurance coverage for uninsured children through any computer with an Internet connection. The process has been simplified by removing barriers to enrollment, simplifying forms, making application sites more widely available and promoting the program aggressively statewide. FAMIS provides health insurance to uninsured children and includes comprehensive medical benefits, including doctor's visits, hospital care; drugs, dental care and eye care. Families may apply for FAMIS, Virginia's state and federally funded health insurance program for moderate to low-income children, by calling toll-free 1-866-87FAMIS (1-866-873-2647), filling out an e-application at the FAMIS Web site www.famis.org or by visiting a local Department of Social Services office. For more information visit www.famis.org.
Loudoun Healthcare Inc.'s behavioral medicine program has changed its name to Loudoun Adult Medical Psychiatric Services (LAMPS) and has added 10 beds and two physicians. The 20-year-old program provides specialized evaluation and treatment for adults experiencing symptoms of psychiatric, emotional and/or neurological disorders. Visit www.loudounhealthcare.org.
Loudoun Community Free Clinic. Clinic needs volunteers for Wednesday and Thursday nights from 5:30-9 p.m. Needed are administrative, Spanish interpreters, physicians, nurses, lab tech and pharmacist volunteers. The nonprofit clinic provides acute, non-emergency quality health-care services to uninsured Loudoun County residents. Call Lyle Werner at 703-779-5412. E-mail info@loudounfreeclinic.org or visit www.loudounfreeclinic.org.
Inova Loudoun Hospital offers a variety of classes. A free Òdrop-inÓ breastfeeding class is offered every Wednesday, from 12-1 p.m., at the Inova Loudoun Hospital Birthing Inn at 44045 Riverside Parkway in Leesburg. Registration is not required and classes are facilitated by a lactation consultant. Other classes offered, include New Moms Group for mothers with newborns to 4-month-old babies Wednesdays, from 9:30-11:30 a.m.; Older Babies Group for newborns to 4- to 8-month-old babies Thursdays, 10-11:30 a.m. Register for other childbirth and family education classes online at www.thebirthinginn.org.
Domestic Violence Group for Women. A 10-week group for women previously or currently emotionally, verbally or physically abused is being offered by LAWS (Loudoun Abused Women's Shelter). Issues addressed will be the impact abuse has on children, why some people are abusive, evaluating healthy relationships and legal concerns. A children's group runs concurrently with the women's group. Call for more information at 703-777-6552.