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Summer 1996
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"'Inside ERS
The Employees' Retirement System
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Please note three announcements
ERS "800" number
Our correct toll-free number is
1-800-805-4609
ERS Hours Change During Olympics
Along with many other state agencies,ERS will change working hours during the Olympic games. Between July 17 and August 5, the office will be staffed from 6 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. We want to assure you that the office will be open "for business as usual," and checks wiD be mailed or directly deposited on schedule.
COLA Benefits
A 1.5% cost-of-living-adjustment, approved by the Board of Trustees, will be reflected in the check due for the month of July. These are the checks mailed or directly deposited at the end ofJuly.
We have some news to report concerning one of
our long-term employees, John Boland. Many of
you know John from having attended our
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seminars on pre-retirement planning. He has
been with the system since J971 and developed
this program into the success it currently enjoys.
His program has been used as a prototype for
retirement systems in other states.
John has been diagnosed with a brain tumor.
He is, of course, on leave at home. As you know,
treatment for this kind of illness is arduous and
exhausting. However, John and his wife, Norma,
are optimistic despite the difficulty of the
situation.
We are reporting this, because so many of you
are John's personal friends, and we thought you
may want to send cards or letters. Please do not
call, but if you want to send greetings (as well,as
keeping him in your thoughts and prayers), write
to: John Boland
332 Ellison Rd.
Tyrone, GA 30290
page 2
Inside EftS
INSIDE ERS
The following information is sent to us by the Social Security Administration, Office of Communications and is intended for general distribution. For any further clarification conceming the information on this page, contact the Social Security Administration.
GOVERNMENT AGENCIES JOIN FORCES TO HELP SENIORS MAXIMIZE OPPORTUNITIES
The Social Security Administration (SSA) and the Administration on Aging (AoA) recently signed a memorandum of understanding designed to improve the delivery of services to older Americans through improved coordination of each agency's respective programs
The SSA/AoA goal is "to provide maximum opportunity for all older persons" to live independent, meaningful and dignified lives in their own homes and communities for as long as possible.
Today there are about 33 million Americans over the age of 65. Ninety-five percent of people aged 65 or over are currently receiving Social Security benefits, or will do so when - they .. OI!.. their .. SpOU8eS retire.
The number of older Americans is increasing dramatically, and the fastest growing age cohort is the 85-and-over segment of the population. The increasing number of older Americans means that government agencies have had to become more innovative and work more closely together to provide needed services. And SSA and the AoA are among the federal agencies most responsive to senior citizen needs.
Through a network of State- and Area Agencies on Aging, the AoA provides a wide array of elderly services, including transportation, day care, senior centers, homemaker services, home repair and rehabilitation, health promotion and fitness programs, nutrition services, legal assistance and advocacy.
Under the new Memorandum of Understanding, SSA will educate its employees, especially those in its network of approximately 1,300 field offices nationwide, about the comprehensive community services for older persons available through Area Agencies on Aging, as well as those currently under development. SSA also will help promote the visibility ot- State- and Area Agencies on Aging, and assure that all inquiries received which go beyond the scope of SSA programs are referred to the appropriate Area Agency on Aging.
AoA is developing the informational materials for this effort. In addition, AoA will inform its network of offices about the agreement and encourage these agencies to work closely with SSA staff to further the purposes of the agreement.
Change in circumstances may affect eligibility for SSI benefits,
Have you ever applied for Supplemental
Security Income (SSI) and been turned
.down because you had too much in
resources? If time has passed and your
situation has changed, it may be time for
you to apply again.
Recently an elderly widow went into
the local Social Security office to sign up
lox. dir.ect. d~PQsi,t.... Th~ representative
, helping make the change noticed that
. her monthly benefit amount was $430.
He asked if she realized she might be
eligible for SSI. She said she had been
turned down three years earlier, because
she had too much in resources II specifically, ~he had more than $2,000 in
a bank account. Since that time, she had
spent some of the $2,000. The
representative told her that she was now
eligible for SSI.
This is not an isolated incident. Many
individuals previously turned down or
who believe they are ineligible may have
had a change in their circumstances that
would now establish eligibility. Some of
the most common changes in an
individual's life that could affect
eligibility for SSI include:
a decrease in income or resources;
the death ofa spouse;
a spouse enters a nursing home; or a-move to a Clifferent state.
Over the years, the SSI income
limits have increased. Again,
persons who were not eligible in the
past because they had too much
income may be eligibk under the
current rules.
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Becoming eligible for SSI means more
than monthly checks. In most states, it
also means eligibility for Medicaid and
sometimes for food stamps and other
social services.
If you or someone you know has been
denied SSI benefits, take another look at
the situation. If things have changed,
contact Social Security.
INSIDE ERS
page 3
At the Agrirama the farmhouse and its outbuildings were the scene of sunup-to-sundown activity in small Georgia communities of the late 18OOs, where sturdy self-sufficiency was a way of life for the state's farming pioneers. The homespun lifestyle of this period is recreated through the presentation of daily activities of a typical farming village. The aim of the Agrirama is to preserve a vital period of Georgia's agricultural history -- 1800-1899. The 7Q-acre site is situated at the intersection of Interstate 75 and 8th Street (exit 20) in Tifton.
AGIfriflMA Georgia's Living History Museum
some of the 1996 SPECIAL EVENTS
(look for more activities in the next newsletter)
OLD FASHIONED JULY 4TH CELEBRATION July 4-6 (9 am - 5 pm) - Thursday thru Saturday - the Agrirama celebrates its 20th Anniversity! Join in 19th century contests including watermelon eating and three-legged races, a special Centennial Olympic Celebration, a tribute to Tifton's heritage, and more.
LABOR DAY COUNTY FAIR OF 1896
September 2 (9 am - 5 pm) - Grand .exhibit of fresh fruits and vegetables from summer harvest and an exhibit of hand-made quilts. Enter 1890s contests including wagon driving, plowing, greased pole climbing, and more. Wiregrass Opry entertainment.
COTTON GINNING Most weekdays in October (9 am - 5 pm) - 500 pound bales of cotton are produced at the fully functioning gin
that has been constructed from original parts of several authentic - gins of the period. Powered by a 110 horsepower steam engine, this is one of the museum's most popular exhibits.
CANE GRINDING PARTIES
November 16, 23 (6 - 9 pm) - A two-time winner of a "Top Twenty Event" award by the Southeast Tourism Society, the parties include cane grinding, syrup cooking, music, dancing, wagon rides, story telling, candy pulling, and com popping - all lit by lanterns and bonfires within the historic site.
HOURS & ADMISSIONS
Open Tuesday - Saturday: 9 am - 5 pm Sunday: 12:30 - 5 pm
Closed Mondays, New Year's Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, three days prior to Christmas Adults: $8, Seniors: $6, Children (4-18): $4 Family Admission: $221day Group Discounts Available for more information, write or call:
Georgia Agrlrama PO BoxQ
TIfton, GA 31793
(912) 386-3344
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Two Northside 75, Suite 300 Atlanta, Georgia 30318-7778
INSIDE ERS
Especially for:
DFACS RETIREES
The Georgia County Welfare Association
(GCWA) is an organization with the stated
purpose of fostering understanding and
cooperation among those who work in the
welfare area. It further strives to bridge
that understanding to the community at
large and promotes and encourages training
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for employees. Retired DFACS employees are encouraged
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to join this organization. Your expertise and experience is valuable. For more information and/or an application, please contact:
GCWA Executive Office 805 Peachtree St. NE Suite 585
Atlanta, GA 30308
TEMPORARY JOB OPENINGS
Each year we announce temporary job
openings with the Federal-State Shipping
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Point Inspection Service. Retirees are
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valued for these positions because the Agriculture Department has had excellent
experience with retired workers in the past.
The positions include Farmers's Stock
Peanut" mspedOrs "";inar:ari available~ in
Pelham, 'Cairo, Blakely, Colquitt, Cord~e,....
Dawson, Fitzgerald, Ft. Valley, Ashburn,
Tifton, Statesboro, Moultrie, and Albany.
You must apply between July 5 and August
1. For more information, please contact:
Roger Davis
GA Federal-State Shipping Point
Inspection Service, Inc.
PO Box 3050
Albany, GA 31706
(912) 432-6201
BULK RATE U.s. POSTAGE PAID
ATlANTAGA PERMIT NO. 3336