Today is Georgia Gives Day!

Today is Georgia Gives Day!

The Georgia Center for Nonprofits (GCN) announced today its inaugural statewide day of giving – Georgia Gives Day – on Dec. 6, 2012. The purpose of Georgia Gives Day is to bring the state together as one community, to raise as much money and awareness as possible for Georgia nonprofits within a 24-hour, flash mob of giving. One hundred percent of proceeds will go directly to participating nonprofits by donating through www.GAgivesday.org.

Georgians across the state are taking part in the awesome initiative designed to make giving easy and to encourage folks to take that leap. The fun part is that the push is for 24-hours!

Please take a moment to visit Senior Citizens, Inc's page on the Georgia Gives website - https://gagivesday.org/c/GGD/a/seniorcitizens-inc 

Of course we'd love for you to give to Senior Citizens, but if you’d like, just do a search for your favorite nonprofit… any amount will make a big difference!

Please share this information with all of your friends.  Let’s show the rest of America what Georgia can do!

Squirrels

‘Tunia, here.  It’s been a while since I blogged but we’ve been so busy here.  It’s all I can do to get my napping in!

Fall is definitely my favorite time of year.  I can nap on our big front porch (Yep, that's me in a flower pot) without getting too hot and when I’m awake, I scoff at those silly squirrels hiding nuts.  Even though I occasionally chase them, I do always take a moment to remember how lucky I am that I don’t have to worry about eating in the winter since I came to live here at Senior Citizens.  I hear people say that SCI helps me and about 1,800 other old cats eat everyday with their Meals On Wheels program.  Much better than trying to remember where the nuts are buried!

 

Besides looking down my nose at the squirrels, I have been very busy helping with our events.  We had a really fun activity last week as part of the Senior Safari called “Bikes and Brews”.  Some really cool guys with long hair brought their big motorcycles to the front yard and some of my friends gathered to listen to Terrie Mathews sing and drink beer.  There was a lot of fancy dancing going on.  One couple danced just for me as I lay on the porch.  Much more entertaining than the squirrels!

One of the best parts of this time of year is the start of a new Learning Center semester and I just love having all these kind, head patting folks around.  I sat in on a class about Ernest Heming way (a real nut) and one about the largest natural disasters in America.  My friend, Roger, said that a big hurricane hit Galveston and one even hit Savannah many years ago.    He told me not to worry though.  Senior Citizens has already distributed a box of food to our friends to use just in case we have to leave town.  He also said that we also keep a list of folks that don’t have families like I do to help them leave town.  This list is given to the police so they can help them move to safer ground.  Maybe I’ll tell the squirrels about the list….after my nap!

Catching Up with Summer

Petunia, here.  Yep, it's been a while since I've been able to blog.  Summer has been a busy time for this cat, but let me catch you up.  I have really been enjoying my time with our newest Summer Angels.  This is a camp for kids who spend their summer with me and helping older folks in the community.  They deliver Meals On Wheels, visit folks at our Centers in Thunderbolt and Port Wentworth and even do yard work.  Here is a picture of me with two of my new friends.  They were relaxing after a hard day of volunteering...me?  I was relaxing after a hard day of being petted by visitors.

Also this summer, I've been trying to get the word out about our annual Fan Drive.  Each year, my people here at Senior Citizens give away electric fans to my older friends who don't have air conditioning.  (Whew!  I just came in from an outdoor adventure and I can't imaging what it's like to not have a/c!)  They are good folks here at SCI...but we've already given away our stash!  If you'd like to help us, just bring me a new box fan or give me a donation.  Our friends at Target are letting us buy fans at cost so we can stretch your donation even further.  I hope you can help!

Well, that's about it for right now.  It's time for my nap..but stop by anytime and give me a head rub...ahh...nothing better!  Till next time...love, Petunia

 

I don't know if you've ever heard the joke about the mice that go to heaven.  Well, it seems that they were good mice and Saint Peter decided to grant them a wish.  They ended up asking for roller skates since they had spent their entire life on earth scurrying around trying to avoid getting caught.  Later on, a cat makes it to heaven (of course!) and after a few days he runs into Saint Peter who asks him how he likes heaven.  The cat replies that it's better than expected and he really loves the Meals On Wheels.  I know....that's the only kind of "good mice", but that's another joke.

Anyway, I heard two of my friends telling the joke in the lobby today and I started thinking about how lucky I am that I don't have to worry about food anymore since I moved in here.  (In fact, I have two food bowls in the building so I'm never far from a treat!)  Patti (one of my Mom's) told me that one out of four older folks in Georgia always have to worry about their next meal!  That's why we work so hard on our Meals On Wheels program.  Not only are we always trying to improve the taste of the meals (they are D-licious!), we're always trying to get money to feed more older friends.

To help with this, SCI is hosting it's 2nd annual Miles for Meals 5k Race.  The proceeds go directly to pay for meals for these hungry seniors.  I'm not sure what a 5k race is, but if it involves food...I'm there!  Won't you join me?  You can sign up on our website.

I know what you're thinking...what a cool cat I am! 

Yep, that me, Petunia, Biker Babe, posing with a b---n' motorcycle owned by my friend, Scott.  Scott even let me sit on it after I promised not to claw the custom-stiched leather seat with the skull on it.  Scott and some of his other friends are coming to Senior Citizens for

Bikes and Brews

Friday, April 27th at 4:00. 

It's going to be on our front lawn and folks can come drink some craft beer (is there a catnip beer?) and sit on, admire, talk biker talk with some other cool bike owners.  Just trying on the leather jackets makes it worth the trip!  To learn more, call me at 912-236-0363.

Bring your camera...heck, I'll even pose with you as your biker babe if you want!

Titanic

I have gotten a lot of questions regarding whether or not I am really the blogger.  Well, as you can see from this photo, I am hard at work!

It's hard to believe it that St. Patti's Day is over (One of my Mom's, Patti, told me it was spelled this way...I'm just indulging her!) Anyway, we are all hard at work here on the big Titanic event.  Did you know that April 14th is the actual 100th anniversary of that great ship sinking?  That evening, The Learning Center is having a dinner to commemorate it.  My Pal, Roger, said it will be at the Chatham Club and will be very educational and yummy...the menu is based on what was actually served on that fateful night.  Roger said I would like the food (I hear there will be quail!), but I'm not allowed to attend.  I'm not sure if it's because they didn't have cats on board or not. 

If you want to know more about the dinner, give Roger a call at 912-236-0363.  I won't be there but I promise to keep working hard on my blog.

I love Wednesday's here in the Lobby of Senior Citizens!  That's because it's our biggest day at The Learning Center.  For those of you who haven't been to the Center, let me fill you in.  There are classes and interesting stuff happening everyday!  I often wonder in on the Italian, French and German Coversation Groups and and even been a model for one of the various art groups.  I watch the movies on Friday mornings (several people let me sit on their laps so I can see the screen!) but my favorite day is Wednesdays.  There are so many people here and almost everyone stops by my chair to give me a quick pat on their way to class.  This semester I've heard people talking about Venice, Steinbeck and architecture.  Nothing really interesting to this cat but everyone seems so excited and they talk about what they've learned a lot during lunch. Did I mention that on Wednesdays, folks buy lunch from us.  They are really good (some of the nicest people give me a taste everyone once in while.)

My pal, Roger, told me that we also have a Learning Center on Mondays on Skidaway Island (wherever that is).  They don't do lunch there, but they have wine and snacks.  Maybe one day I'll get to go.

Better go...someone just sat on the couch next to me and they look like they want to give me a head rub.  Stop by any day and see what's going on at The Learning Center...and don't forget to find me...I'd be happy to walk you to class!

Helping Animals

Obviously, my folks here at Senior Citizens, Inc. like animals.  They are always telling me how much they enjoy it when I come into their office to visit them and I know that Mama Patti thinks I have a gift for showing up just at the time she needs a stress break.  They know what any of us pets could have told them a long time ago...pets are an important part of a happy, healthy life!

We are especially important to older folks so to help keep their pets healthy, SCI has two ways they can help.  The first is that they are now delivering dog and cat food to our Meals On Wheels clients that are struggling to not only feed themselves but their beloved pets.  You can help them with this!  We need donations of dry dog and cat food, volunteers to bag the food for delivery and volunteers to deliver both the owner's and pet's lunch.  I promise that it will make you feel great, too!  You can make a donation of food at our offices (where you can visit with me and give me a quick therapeutic rub) or at Tail Spin or Case Veterinary.

The other thing my folks do is provide transportation for seniors and their pets to the veterinary office.  While I don't enjoy riding in a car like those unsophisticated dogs do, these trips are really important.  I never really thought about the fact that pets can't ride on the city buses or in taxis (barbaric!), so if a senior can't drive, they need our Sterling Ride volunteers to help them with these trips.  It's really easy to volunteer...just call me or Lauren C., our Volunteer Coordinator, for more information about how you can help.

Aren't my people great?  Stop by our lobby and meet them...and, of course, me.  I promise to let you de-stress by giving me a rub!

Greetings from the lobby chair at Senior Citizens, Inc.  Everyone just got to the office and I've made my rounds.  I always get excited to see my best buds, Cecelya and Eddie, each morning.  They are the Family Advocates for SCI and I actually sleep in their offices.

They really have interesting jobs!  They are the folks that visit seniors in the homes and help them get services that will help them stay there.  I really like it when people come to our offices since I usually can convince them to give me a head rub.  Anyway, some of the things Eddie and Cecelya do is sign seniors up for utility discounts, help them find needed financial assistance, make sure they get Meals On Wheels if they want it. (The food is really good...but don't tell Mom that I sometimes get folks to let me taste their lunch!)

Right now we are collecting and distributing new blankets to seniors who might need a little extra warmth in our cold, damp winter.  I keep trying to try out the blankets at nap time, but Eddie and Cecelya won't let me.  We did get a really funny blanket the other day...it had "100 Bottles of Beer" on it!  It was selected quickly!

If you'd like to donate a blanket (and, of course, give me a head rub), just stop by our building at Bull Street and Washington Ave.  Hopefully, I'll see you soon!

Hi! My name is Petunia and I live at the offices of Senior Citizens, Inc.  I was a street girl and decided that I really liked these folks.  So each time someone opened the door (which is a lot at this busy place), I ran inside.  Finally, they decided to let me stay...I am awfully cute as you can see!

I guess you are wondering what a cat, even one as cute as me, has to say.  Well, a lot!  So many things happen here and my life is really exciting.  For example, did you know that Senior Citizens, Inc. is sponsoring a lecture on Juliette Gordon Low?  One of my Mom's is a First Class Scout and she was telling me that the Girl Scouts were born right here in Savannah!  One of our friends, Dr. Stacy Cordery, has written a book on Juliette and it is being launched nationally here on Wednesday, February 22nd. I sure wish I could go...I really like Stacy..she always has a good ear rub for me when she came to town.

So, I hope you keep checking my Blog  or, even better, come visit me at our beautiful building and give me an ear rub!