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Old Colony Elder Services Appoints Katie Bolinder Sandford as Congregate Housing Coordinator

Katie Bolinder Sandford, MACD, has recently joined Old Colony Elder Services (OCES), a non-profit Aging Services Access Point (ASAP), as Congregate Housing Coordinator.

In her new position, Ms. Sandford will be responsible for ensuring that residents in OCES congregate housing sites receive needed support services.  Congregate Housing is a housing option that allows individuals to age in a homelike setting while enjoying the security, companionship, and emotional support that living with others provides.  The goal of congregate living is to help seniors and the disabled remain as independent as possible while living in affordable housing and most importantly to prevent premature institutionalization.  OCES coordinates services for sites in Bridgewater, Marshfield and Stoughton.

Ms. Sandford received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Work from Gordon College in Wenham, MA and a Master of Arts degree in Community Development from North Park University in Chicago. Previous to OCES, Ms. Sandford spent four years working with homeless individuals at a drop-in center that she had founded known as the New Community Warming Center. The center is part of the New Community Covenant Church located in Logan Square, Chicago. Ms. Sandford relocated to Brockton, MA and is currently involved with the Brockton Interfaith Community and working on housing issues.

A native of Hanson, MA, Ms. Sandford resides in Brockton with her husband Greg and 10 month old son, Axel.

“It is vital to have the right people in the Congregate Housing Coordinator positions. Katie has the knowledge and experience that is needed. We are delighted to have her on our team,” noted Diana DiGiorgi, Executive Director of OCES.

For more information about Congregate Housing, please contact either Ms. Sandford at OCES (508) 584-1561 or the local housing authority for an application.

About OCES
Incorporated in 1974, Old Colony Elder Services (OCES) is one of 27 private, non-profit Aging Services Access Points (ASAPs) in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

OCES offers a number of programs to serve seniors, families and caregivers such as Family Caregiver; Caring Homes and Enhanced Adult Family Care; Supportive Housing; Nutrition; Money Management; Protective Services; Home Care and more.

OCES serves elders, their families and caregivers in the towns of Abington, Avon, Bridgewater, Brockton, Carver, Duxbury, East Bridgewater, Easton, Halifax, Hanover, Hanson, Kingston, Lakeville, Marshfield, Middleboro, Pembroke, Plymouth, Plympton, Rockland, Stoughton, Wareham, West Bridgewater and Whitman.

The organization’s mission is to provide services that support the dignity and independence of elders by helping them maximize their quality of life; live safely and in good health; and, prevent unnecessary or premature institutionalization.

The agency has 140 employees and operates more than 12 programs serving elders, their families and caregivers.  For more information call (508) 584-1561 or visit the website at www.oldcolonyelderservices.org.

Acing customer service…DirectBuy of Hoffman Estates earns an A+ grade from Better Business Bureau.

CHICAGO, GURNEE, HOFFMAN ESTATES, NAPERVILLE, TINLEY PARK, IL …

 When it comes to taking care of your customers, some businesses talk the talk while others walk the walk. As a recipient of an A+ grade from the Better Business Bureau, you can count DirectBuy of Hoffman Estates among the latter.

An accredited Better Business Bureau business since 1989, DirectBuy of Hoffman Estates earned their A+ grade based on 19 criteria, ranging from years in business to complaints received and resolved, to other service-oriented factors. Each criterion has a certain amount of points associated with it, with a perfect score being 90 out of a possible 90 points. DirectBuy of Hoffman Estates’ A+ grade represents 88 out of a possible 90 points.

“Along with offering great products to our members, we go to great lengths to make visiting our store a pleasant and enjoyable experience. If it’s not, we want to know about it. That’s part of the reason we’ve joined the Better Business Bureau and have been an accredited member for quite some time,” said Dave Kushner, owner of DirectBuy of Hoffman Estates. “So while we’re thrilled to receive an A+, it’s especially satisfying because it means we’re delivering the kind of superior customer service our members deserve.”

For more than 38 years, DirectBuy clubs have offered members the opportunity to enjoy enormous savings on home furnishings, home improvement items, entertainment and outdoor products, flooring and accessories by purchasing from over 700 brand name manufacturers and their authorized suppliers. In addition to DirectBuy of Hoffman Estates, located at 2200 Stonington Avenue in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, DirectBuy has several convenient locations in greater Chicago (Chicago, Gurnee, Naperville, and Tinley Park). At DirectBuy, consumers can enjoy a comfortable, country-club setting, where they finally have the financial control of buying direct.

For more information on a DirectBuy membership, you can visit http://www.directbuycares.com.

About DirectBuy

Since 1971, DirectBuy has helped hundreds of thousands of families enjoy a better quality of life, enabling them to buy directly from more than 700 manufacturers and their authorized suppliers. Buying direct makes members’ hard-earned money go much further, while having the selection and choice not available at any retail store. Access to confidential prices, local suppliers, and unparalleled selection helps make members’ dream projects a reality. The DirectBuy clubs serving the greater Chicago area are part of more than 160 locations throughout North America.

Consumers interested in becoming members may obtain a Visitor’s Pass to attend an Open House by visiting http://www.directbuycares.com. 

Locations of the DirectBuy clubs serving greater Chicago area: DirectBuy of Hoffman Estates, 2200 Stonington Ave Ste. 150, Hoffman Estates, IL; DirectBuy of Chicago North, 6325 North Avondale Ste. 110, Chicago, IL; DirectBuy of DuPage County, 1864 High Grove Lane Ste. 124, Naperville, IL; DirectBuy of Lake County, 3900 Washington Street, Gurnee, IL; and DirectBuy of Tinley Park, 18400 S. 76th Avenue Ste. B, Tinley Park, IL.

To learn more about the superior value and benefits of a DirectBuy membership, visit www.directbuycares.com.  

How going ‘coach’ can upgrade your business class…Why business coaching delivers for small businesses, too.

FREDERICK, MD; BATON ROUGE, LA; WILMINGTON, DE; RICHMOND, VA; AND MIAMI, FL … 

Business coach? The emergence of business coaching is helping many small, local businesses in this challenging economy.  Yet, the concept of coaching, outside the athletic arena, is still a fairly new one, particularly in the business world.

Once a luxury as a resource affordable only to Fortune 5000 companies, business coaching is now accessible to even solo practitioners. But what is business coaching anyway?

Is it a financial advisor/tax consultant who can show business owners how to be more profitable? Are they sales coaches who teach business owners, many who do not have sales as a background, how to sell? Or are they management consultants who teach business owners how to run their operations more efficiently?

The answer is that a business coach can be one, some or all of the above. And for the small business owner seeking out the guidance of a business coach, it’s important to know exactly what it is you are getting.

“The three areas most critical to a small business owner are time, team and money. In other words, how you budget your time, how you manage your staff and/or operation and how you manage/make your money,” said Karen Boyd, an ActionCOACH business coach. “When hiring a business coach, the small business owner needs to determine the areas where they need assistance and hire somebody who can address those areas.”

So what should business owners look for in a business coach? What should business owners hope to get out of working with a business coach? Here are some guidelines for business owners interested in hiring a business or executive coach:

 

·         Working smarter – One of the more important things a business owner can get from working with a coach is to optimize his or her time; working smarter. A time management evaluation and plan should be part of the package with definitive steps for improvement put in place.

·         Increasing sales – The most obvious reason for working with a coach is to increase profits. Working with a business coach should not only include a plan of how to increase sales, but a clear timetable of by how much and by when and within the structure of your organization.

·         The bottom line – Increasing sales is great, but it doesn’t automatically translate to profitability.  You want to work with a business coach who can look at the entire financial picture—sales, operations, etc.

·         Inspiration or exasperation? A business coach should be a mentor and motivator for   business owner. When looking for a coach, be sure it’s somebody you can work with. Find out about their background. A certain level of trust and respect is needed to successfully work with a coach and the business owner should at the very least have references from the coach so they can make an informed decision.

·         Accountability – Only work with a coach who will hold you, the business owner, accountable. A business coach should work with you to create goals and objectives. Those require actions and deliverables on the part of the business owner. As a business owner, that’s what you want.

“To get results out of a coaching relationship requires accountability on the part of the coach and the business owner,” said Everardo Recendiz, an ActionCOACH out of Shreveport, Louisiana. “It’s the job of the coach to work with the business owner to come up with goals and deadlines for actions and deliverables. It’s the business owner’s job to meet those deadlines. Success or failure of the coaching relationship really comes down to the commitment of the business owner.”

ActionCOACH is the world’s #1 business coaching firm and executive coaching firm. Operating in 26 countries, the franchise has more than 1,000 offices around the world. That includes locations in the six states (and Washington DC) that make up the Gulf Atlantic region: Alabama (Pelham); Delaware; Florida (Coral Gables, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Miami, North Miama, Palm Harbor, Pensacola Beach and Tallahassee); Louisiana (Baton Route, Loranger, Mandeville, New Orleans and Shreveport); Maryland (Baltimore, Freeland, Fallston, Manchester, Rockland, Silver Spring); and Mississippi (Madison).

Founded in 1993, the ActionCOACH has received numerous awards including Fastest Growing Franchise, Franchisee Satisfaction, Best Overall Company and has been named the number one business coaching franchise for more than five years running.

To learn more about ActionCOACH, contact Karen Boyd, www.karenboyd.actioncoach.comwww.karenboyd.actioncoach.com, (410) 374-3536.

Plymouth North turns into ‘toyland’ …Plymouth North students win Tracy Chevrolet Cadillac for toy drive effort.

PLYMOUTH, MA…

One would think high school students might be a bit old for toys at Christmas time. But for a select group of Plymouth North High School, toys have been one of their primary focuses with the recent launching of a toy drive for underprivileged children in November. This effort earned this group of students the Tracy Chevrolet Cadillac Driven Student of the Month award.

The group of students, comprised of members of a student advisory group, initiated the campaign on November 10. Placing boxes strategically throughout the school, the group encouraged fellow students and teachers to donate new toys. After December 11, the toys will then be donated to Salvation Army, the Plymouth Fire Department and some local churches for distribution.

“In this season of giving, there are so many heartwarming stories of people sharing with those less fortunate. This is definitely one of them,” said Margaret Foley, one of the advisory group teachers. “What makes me most proud of this group of students is that they came up with this idea on their own and sought out the Salvation Army, the Fire Department and other groups that could use this kind of donation.”

For their good deeds, the students were treated to a pizza party, courtesy of Tracy Chevrolet Cadillac. Tracy Chevrolet Cadillac President Jeff Tracy and Sales Manager David Gavin delivered the pizzas and drink koozies as a gift for those attending.

Students taking part in the toy drive include: Haylie Beitel, Katrina Borofski, Adam Chapman, Taylor Cloran, Karmyn DeAngelo, Cody Farragher, Brittany Freeman-Hayden, Kevin Goe, Jessica Gordon, Richard Guevremont, Erik Hansen, Kara Harper, Devin Hood, Patrick Horgan, Bryan Hughes, Rachel McCormack, Jennifer Noviello, Chucky Phachansiri, Michael Pratt, Sarah Schoeneberg, Kim Wallant and Jamie William.

“Part of why Tracy does the Driven Student award is we feel young people do not get enough credit for the positive contributions they make. This group, with their toy drive, is an excellent example. The Driven Student award is just our way to recognizing this accomplishment,” said Jeff Tracy, president of Tracy Chevrolet Cadillac.

Tracy Chevrolet Cadillac’s Driven Student program recognizes Plymouth high school students for their performance and achievements in and out of the classroom. Awarded on a monthly basis, recipients are selected by faculty and advisors at the student’s given school.

So easy at Tracy Chevrolet Cadillac

For more than 80 years and three generations of dealers, the Tracy family has made it so easy for customers on the South Shore and greater Plymouth area to purchase new and used automobiles. Since its beginnings in 1992, Tracy Chevrolet Cadillac has emphasized first-rate customer service and straightforward, bottom-line pricing with fair trade-ins every time–without the games or gimmicks you find at other dealerships. For more information on new and used trucks and automobiles, you can go to www.tracymotors.com or stop by the dealership, conveniently located at 137 Samoset Street, just off exit 6 on Route 3. For more information, or to make a service appointment, you can also call (800) 640-2884.