It’s hard to believe that we’ve already reached the 11th month of the year.
It seems I was penning the editor’s note for the January edition just a few weeks ago...
But here we are... getting ready to move into the holiday season and all the end-of-the-year frenzy that entails.
If you need a little stress management to help you get through the season- check out the self-care seminar being offered this November by Jewish Family Services. It’s hosted on Zoom every Wednesday from 11 to 11:45 a.m. beginning Nov. 6. Though designed for caregivers (yes, I’m one of several for my mom), it has plenty that’s insightful for anyone feeling stressed. I know, I took it the last time it was offered.
You can find more information about the seminar in this month’s Six Things column here.
November also brings to mind the season of philanthropy - with drives for local food banks - including the annual Mayflower Marathon - the yearly Toy for Joy collection and myriad other seasonal outreach efforts.
But for some people, philanthropy is a year ‘round goal.
It was just that kind of thinking that prompted Jeff Greim of Longmeadow to found Jeff’s Granola - a locally- based granola production company that has as its goal giving 10% of its profits to local charities of its customer’s choice.
Greim told Prime he was inspired to create a company with philanthropy at its heart after writing a paper on the Newman’s Own company while graduate director of nonproft studied at BayPath University.
Greim said he wanted to see if the giving back concept could work for a company where the owner wasn’t a celebrity.
Read about his journey from idea to business to retiring CEO of Jeff’s Granola in this month’s feature story, beginning on page 8.
It’s Medicare Open Enrollment time
November is the middle of Open Enrollment - the period every year where people on Medicare can choose to change their health insurance coverage from their current plan to something that better fits their health needs now. And this year there’s lots of cf changes in that consideration.
To help readers make sure they tick off the important things to consider, Prime reached out to the SHINE (Serving Health Insurance Needs of the Elderly) counselor at the East Longmeadow Senior Center, Karen Fisk, for help. You’ll find her advice on what to look for, what to avoid, and were to turn for help if you have questions in our Three Big Questions feature on page 13.
Do texts from the grandkids look like alphabet soup?
Acronyms rule when it comes to texting, and the kids come up with new ones faster than anyone can keep them straight. If you’ve developed text FOMO ( Fear of Missing Out), Prime has your back this holiday season. We’ve got a guide to some of the most common text abbreviations - including some of the new Gen Z faves - in our Technology column this month. Check it out on page 12.
As we remember our veterans on Nov. 11, I want to thank all the military personnel who read Prime each month for their service to our country.
You are not forgotten here.
And as we gather with our families for Thanksgiving at the end of this month, may I wish you all health and peace and happiness.
As always, thanks for reading,
Debbie Gardner
