Holidays: Near West Side Style

The holidays are upon us and the cold weather is setting in - but don't hibernate! There are tons of fun things to do around our neighborhoods this month and throughout the winter. See our current list below in the Upcoming Events section, or visit our website's Upcoming Events page for more details on each.

If you began to think over the Thanksgiving Holiday, "how can I give back to my fellow citizen?" We have a few ideas that came across our desk....

Saturday, December 5: “Boxes of Love” Gift Wrapping Party
Help wrap gifts for families with children in long-term hospital stays. St. Paul’s Community Church 2-5pm. Help for a bit or stay the whole time! Email Beth Mancuso if you plan to come. (albethfam@sbcglobal.net) (more info on our calendar)
Through December 15: St. Augustine Food Drive:
Drop off non-perishable items at the Tremont West Development Corporation Offices to support this local food drive. (2406 Professor Ave.)
Starting in January: EITC Tax Preparation - Tax Sites Will Open, Volunteers Needed

Starting this January: Cuyahoga EITC Tax sites Open Again,
At the Gordon Square Arcade (6516 Detroit Avenue) and at the Lin-Omni Center (3167 Fulton Rd, Cleveland, OH 44109).
The Cuyahoga EITC Coalition provides these free tax preparation services to over 10,000 community members each year. The Coalition is looking for volunteers to help greet clients and prepare taxes at over 25 Cuyahoga County locations, including the Gordon Square and Lin Omni sites. Anyone can sign up to become a volunteer. There is no experience necessary, just attend a Coalition led training to become an IRS-certified volunteer tax preparer. Sign up for training sessions today!
For information on free tax preparation services, contact Austin Boxler at 216-961-4242 ex 243. To volunteer, sign up today by visiting www.refundohio.org or contact Keely Andrews for more information kandrews@enterprisecommunity.org.

if you have Give Back ideas - be sure to Tweet them at us, share your ideas on Facebook, or email information@nearwestfamilynetwork.org.

Near West Recreation is offering Basketball this Winter and Registration is OPEN NOW!

The Near West Recreation Basketball League is open to youth ages 7 to 12.
Participants must be 7 prior to April 1, 2016 and must be no older than 12 on April 1, 2016.
There will be three different coed age groups:
U8 (ages 7-8), U10 (ages 9-10), U12 (ages 11-12)
Like our baseball and soccer leagues, basketball teams will practice once a week and play games on Saturday. Season starts the week of January 18th and will end on Saturday, March 12th.
You can sign your child up online here or by calling Keri Palma at 216-781-3222 x 108. The registration deadline is Thursday, December 17th.

Tentative schedule is as follow:

Coaches are still needed for all age groups.
If you are interested, please fill out the coach's form here . I want emphasize how important volunteer coaches are to Near West Recreation. This league would NOT exist without dedicated volunteer coaches. If you know of any other individual that would be a great coach, please encourage them to sign up.

What do you want to know about schools?

Visit the Upcoming Events page on our Website
to read our full list of events including details and links.

There is plenty to do in December!

Festivities aplenty! More details on each of these event are on our website calendar!

We also have a few education-oriented events to let you know about:

Watch for announcements via Facebook page and Twitter throughout the month!
If you have an upcoming event you'd like us to include, please email all the pertinent infomraiton (title, date, time, location, description) to information@nearwestfamilynetwork.org

AS A REMINDER

Neighborhood Family Practice can provide to our community in answering questions about health insurance and accessing and obtaining coverage. As a community health center serving Cleveland’s near west side neighborhoods for over 35 years, We want to ensure quality health care access and coverage for all.

NFP has Certified Application Counselors that are available to answer questions and help individuals and families choose an affordable health insurance plan that’s right for them, including: Medicaid, Marketplace, Medicare and our Financial Assistance program. We can even assist in enrolling individuals and families in many of these services and programs. All of these services are free and confidential.

The attached document is a comprehensive list of programs and services available. Appointments for assistance are available at many of NFP’s neighborhood health center locations.

Please feel free to contact myself or our Patient Benefits team at (216) 281-0872 ext. 2020 for questions or more information or to schedule an appointment.