Community Commitment Hits a High Note

 The Center proudly sponsored Brass in the Hills, a Detroit Chamber Winds & Strings (DCWS) concert performed at Kirk in the Hills Presbyterian Church.  As part of The Center’s 2020 Vision, we are committed to supporting events like this in and around our community. The January 14, 2014 concert featured composer Timothy Kramer’s world premier and included a mix of works for large and small brass ensemble.  The program was a large undertaking because of the extraordinary level of difficulty and obscure instrumentation.  Classical works from past composers shared the spotlight with contemporary pieces written in the last 100 years. 

Composer Timothy Kramer, was the winner of a composition competition sponsored by DCWS, The University of Michigan, and Oberlin College. 

The DCWS was founded in 1982 and has set the standard for chamber music in Detroit.  By bringing together top musicians from the metro area, most of whom are members of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and Michigan Opera Theatre, DCSW immerses audiences in a chamber music experience that is innovative, entertaining and unsurpassed anywhere in the region.  The Brass in the Hills concert did just that. 

Teaching kids to get fit

 Giving back to our community is a value we hold in high regard at The Center. Each member of our team is encouraged to take two days off from work each year to make a difference. Our own Angela Palacios did that at her daughter’s school where she helped spread her love of fitness.

As many of you may know, I have a strong passion for physical fitness in my life.  It isn’t always easy to stay motivated and to fit it in with the hustle and bustle of the daily schedule, but I make it a priority and always have since I was about 13 years old.  I like to think this has not only had a positive influence on my life, but also that of my family and friends when I encourage them to join me in one way or another.

I feel fitness is an important lesson that I want to pass along to by daughter who is 6.  From a very young age we have tried to make exercise a fun, daily occurrence.  It isn’t always easy to get her to exercise but it is easy to get her to go to ice skating, dancing, gymnastics, swimming and golf or even just riding her scooter when I take the dog for a walk.  As a result she is a very fit little girl with great coordination.  So when the opportunity came up to visit her school and try to help bring these habits into other kids’ lives, I felt like that was a natural fit for me.

Each year her school participates in the Presidential Physical Fitness Testing in the spring.  However, each fall they do a training session for the kids so they know where they are and what they need to focus on improving.  I think this is a great program that is unique to her school (or at least I had never heard of it before) and could not happen without parent volunteers.  

I have participated twice and both times the kids have energized me.  I have worked with kids from my daughter’s first grade class all the way up to the eighth graders.   We taught them the mechanics of stretching, endurance and strength training in a fun way.  Young children are inherently physically fit just from playing on the playground.   So parents, encourage your kids to go outside and play and most importantly just have fun, which is also a great lesson for us adults to remember.  If you love doing it you will stick with it and experience life-long benefits!

Opportunity to Participate in Research

 Do you have an interest in academic research?  Is participating in a research study on your bucket list?  If you answered “yes” to either of these questions, we have an opportunity for you.

The Center for Financial Planning is partnering with Dr. Peter Lichtenberg, a national expert on older adults and Director of the Wayne State University Institute of Gerontology. Dr. Lichtenberg has created a new rating scale for financial and other professionals to measure financial capacity in making financial decisions, and he is conducting a study to test his rating scale.  There are two parts to the study; a brief interview and a 60-90 minute session with Dr. Lichtenberg. Participants will receive $40 for their time.

To be eligible to participate, you must be:

• Age 60 or older
• Currently contemplating or have made a major financial decision in the last 6 months (i.e. a major purchase, large investment or change in estate plan or beneficiaries).      

Help us to understand financial decisions older adults make so we can help prevent financial exploitation in others!  Contact Sandy Adams at The Center if you have questions or are interested in participating in this unique research opportunity.

The Center has partnered with the IOG for many years to provide both financial and volunteer support, with Sandy Adams serving on the IOG’s Board of Visitor’s for the last two years.  For more information about the WSU Institute of Gerontology’s ongoing research, education and outreach efforts, go to www.iog.wayne.edu.

Raymond James is not affiliated with, and does not endorse, the services offered by Dr. Peter Lichtenberg or Wayne State University Institute of Gerontology.

My Alzheimers Association Experience

 This summer, I had a wonderful opportunity to get an insider’s view of the Alzheimer’s Association.  I spent over 120 volunteer hours at the Greater Michigan Chapter of the Association as part of my master’s certificate program in Gerontology, and it was time well spent.

My goal during my volunteer time was to get a well-rounded view of the Alzheimer’s Association and the services and resources it provides to families facing an Alzheimer’s or dementia diagnosis.  I spent about half of my time answering calls on the Association’s Helpline, which provides support, education and referral services to callers.  I spent another large part of my time in the Sakwa Day Program, a respite program for individuals diagnosed with dementia or Alzheimer’s. It provides a safe, activity-oriented experience for people with dementia while their care providers work, run errands, or just get a break.  I was also able to participate in community education programs and observe support groups during my volunteer time. 

My experience at the Alzheimer’s Association gave me a greater base of knowledge with which to help Center clients, and others, going forward.  Even more valuable, I feel that I have a better understanding of what families are facing with a dementia diagnosis.  I know that we are very lucky to have an Association in our neighborhood that provides a wide range of services and resources, with a staff that has a passion for what they do – a passion that radiates to others, including me.

For more information on the local Alzheimer’s Association, services and programs, call 1-800-272-3900 or visit the website at www.alz.org/gmc.

Serving our community and profession

 At the Center we are dedicated to sharing and spreading financial literacy. Melissa Joy, CFP® and Julie Hall, CFP® recently took their professional expertise to the community by volunteering for the Financial Planning Association of Michigan. Each presented workshops for the Detroit Parent Network. 

Julie led a risk management workshop speaking to parents of school aged children that live in Detroit, Hamtramck and Highland Park. Her message included ways to incorporate life insurance, disability insurance and property and casualty insurance into an overall risk management plan.  Julie said, “It was great to be able share my financial planning knowledge with a group of parents in Detroit who have not had the opportunity to meet with someone to discuss financial planning concerns before."

Also reaching out to parents, Melissa visited the parent support center at Marcus Garvey in Detroit Public Schools where she shared what she calls a personal Financial Fire Drill. “I visited on field day so the whole school was full of excitement and energy and the parents had been volunteering their time with their kids throughout the day," Melissa said. "It was great to meet so many moms and dads and the program instructors at Marcus Garvey. The financial literacy discussion was wide-ranging and real-world, just as financial planning should be. I’ll look forward to volunteering with this program again in the future.”

Center Helps to Support Professional "Issues in Aging" Education

 

One of the Center’s core values is Continuous Learning and Personal Growth – a value that applies not only to our Center team, but also to other professionals that may serve our clients. That is why we were proud to support the Wayne State University Institute of Gerontology (IOG) as it educated over 250 healthcare professionals at its 24th annual “Issues in Aging” conference. 

“Issues in Aging,” one of the longest running and well-recognized events of its kind, aims to provide information on best practices and current research related to geriatrics and gerontology.  One day of each annual two-day conference is dedicated to Alzheimer’s and related dementias.  Our nation’s ongoing generational shift will demand healthcare professionals that are armed with knowledge and skills to help our older adults.  The IOG is certainly doing its part!

The Center has  partnered with the IOG for many years to provide both financial and volunteer support, with  Sandy Adams serving on the IOG’s Board of Visitor’s for the last two years.  For more information about the WSU Institute of Gerontology’s ongoing research, education and outreach efforts, go to www.iog.wayne.edu.

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Julie Hall Helps Spread Financial Literacy

 

Teaching middle school aged children about budgeting and the value of learning how to make financially aware decisions, even as teenagers, was top of mind for Julie Hall. That's why she got involved in the Junior Achievement Finance Park in Detroit as a volunteer through her membership in the Financial Planning Association (FPA) of Michigan.

During the workshop teens were given a different life scenario with different education levels, income levels, and unique circumstances emulating real life family dynamics.  With guidance from financial professionals, the participants got to make their own financial choices and build a budget.  After paying bills and reviewing results the next step was to explore and decide if they can and want to save money for upcoming financial goals or donate to charitable causes important to them.

Julie says “Teaching financial awareness can and should begin at an early age so that our children are better prepared to handle their finances effectively in the future.” The Junior Achievement Finance Park is a resource that Julie has been involved with in the past, and each time a member of the Center team volunteers, we walk away knowing we've given even more young people in our community tools they can use for a lifetime.

Center Named Birmingham Bloomfield Chamber Legacy Sponsor

 As an honor and sign of our dedication to the community, The Center is proud to announce we are a 2013 Legacy Sponsor of the Birmingham Bloomfield Chamber of Commerce. Every year four companies are selected, each for having committed serious time and money to supporting the Chamber’s mission of connecting with the community. We see this not just as an honor, but a sign that we are achieving an important part of The Center Vision 2020*. The goals we set forth in that visioning process include Partnering with a Passion for the Community. Specifically, here’s what we have committed to do:

We have fostered a natural space to reinforce our firm’s intrapreneurial spirit. If a Center team member feels strongly that the firm might have an opportunity to make a difference for people, they will feel inspired to bring their inspiration to the table, leverage the talents of our team and commitments of our firm, and see the rewards of their vision.

We continue to demonstrate leadership by providing our time and talents to the organization. Center planner, Troy Wyman, CFP® was recently elected Secretary of the Chamber’s Executive Committee and has served on the board for the last six years. The Chamber has provided an excellent extension for reaching our professional, local, and personal communities. Our Legacy Sponsor designation is just one example of the many ways we remain committed to serving our communities. And we at the Center are proud of the results we help to create.  

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*Our 2020 vision, originated at an all team member retreat in April 2012, paints a picture of the healthy and vibrant organization that we nurture and sustain. Our collective 2020 vision inspires, rallies, and guides our deci­sions. Day in, day out, The Center is driven by Mission, Firm Values, and Firm Service Values.

Teaming up with Gleaners Food Bank

 On Saturday February 23^rd, Center team members and their families volunteered to support Gleaners Food Bank.  Jen Hackmann, Client Service Manager said we really pulled our weight.

Thank you, thank you for all the support for the 1^st Gleaners volunteering event - we had a total of 214 pounds of donations (I think Tim’s donation of multiple cans of fruit cocktail put us over the 200 pound mark),” Jen reported. “And according to the organizers at Gleaners, this food donation will provide 178 meals for our hungry neighbors in need.  Gleaners collects over 2.5 million pounds of food from food drives like ours and distributes the donations to more than 600 partnering groups in need each year.”

After an orientation and video introduction to Gleaners Food Bank, our volunteers got to work. We went from standing still, trying to figure out what we were going to be doing, to a full-on assembly line working at what felt like a 100 miles per hour.  Jen remembers saying to Troy Wyman, CFP ®and Gerri Harmer, Client Service Associate, “I have a new and GREAT respect for assembly line work!”  Apparently it is not as easy as it looks!  Some of us packed bags of fruit while others worked with packaged food, putting together large boxes of noon-perishable goods to be handed out to families in need. 

And despite the demanding morning of helping out at the food bank, we couldn’t get enough! We’ve already planned another Gleaners volunteer day on Saturday, September 21^st from 9am – noon.  Anyone who would like to join our group is more than welcome.  If you happen to get the volunteering itch on your own one Saturday morning, you can just show up at 9am on any Saturday at the Detroit Gleaners Distribution Center.  You do not need to be part of a group and the Detroit Distribution Center is the only site that takes “walk-in” volunteers.

The Center Celebrates at "Detroit Loves Cinema"

On Thursday February 14th, The Center joined Detroit Passport to the Arts (DP2A) for a special screening of Oscar Nominated Shorts at the Detroit Film Theater at the Detroit Institute of Arts.  We had a great time strolling down the red carpet, voting for our favorite short films and best dressed, and taking in the Detroit Historical Museum for an after-party.  Center for Financial Planning is a season sponsor for DP2A in conjuction with our 2020 vision which includes initiatives to support the community around us.

Founded in 2009 by Detroit Chamber Winds & Strings, Eisenhower Dance Ensemble and the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival, Detroit Passport to the Arts provides an introduction to the Detroit cultural scene for people 45 & under.  With an affordable passport, DP2A offers an opportunity to experience Detroit and its culture with like-minded people.  A passport provides access to six performances, including dance, opera, symphony, theatre, film and chamber music, followed by six social networking events.  For more information about DP2A visit dp2a.org or call 248-559-2095.

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Detroit Passport to the Arts is not affiliated with Raymond James