Inside ERS [[Vol. 7, no. 1] Summer 1996]

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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

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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

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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