Women’s Independent Press

www.water.org
Selvi is 37 years old and lives in Karattai Village in Vannur block, in Tamil Nadu. She and her husband work as agricultural laborers and have two daughters in school.
In her village, she is also a member of the Saraswathi Self-Help group where she has a savings account, which provides a small loan back to her for household expenses. Selvi says, “I never miss my group meeting. I attended many training programs conducted by Hand in Hand.” She further adds, “I came to know that there is a WatSan loan product for the construction of individual water connections. I enrolled myself for the loan.”
Selvi is happy that she could learn about health and hygiene and understand the importance of safe drinking water, water borne diseases, the importance of toilet construction and the need to have water and toilet connection in her own house.
Water.org’s partner, Hand in Hand, gave a water loan to Selvi to help her install a water connection for her household. Selvi recalls the days when she had to get up early in the morning and go to the street for water collection. She says, “Sometimes due to a heavy rush, I was not able to get water on time and my daughters were not able to get to school.” Now, after getting the individual water connection, Selvi is able to save time. She says, “This is a great help for poor villagers like us.”
Join us for World water Day www.water.org
and celebrate the progress being made for families like Selvi’s.

By: Mary Grace Musuneggi
www.MFGplanners.com

Once upon a time Jeff divorced Susan. Jeff married Karen. While reviewing their estate planning and beneficiaries, their social security options and pension options, Susan’s name was showing up everywhere.

When we brought this to Jeff’s attention, he was amazed that this would make any difference. “After all,” said Jeff, “Karen is my wife, wouldn’t she get everything anyway?”

The answer is NO.

If you are in a “new” marriage or if you have an extended family, please call us to review your estate planning.

Once upon a time, Eileen, single mother of Karena, had to choose a beneficiary for her 401k, group insurance, and personal assets. She chose Karena, but Karena is only 14.
Peggy, a grandmother of three left her IRA to Elizabeth, her granddaughter who is 8.

Are these beneficiary designations a good idea?

The answer is NO.

Although we recognize that these parents and grandparents have trusted their assets to their children and grandchildren out of love, the state of Pennsylvania does not allow these underage beneficiaries as potential owners of assets. These assets could be held up by the estate, be transferred to an ex-spouse (and their new spouse - UGH!) or directed to a trustee not of your choosing.
Beneficiaries who are under 18 or even 21 will present a serious issue for your estate.

If you are a single parent, a divorced spouse, or a child of any of these, please contact us so that we can be sure that inheritances go to the right person, in the right way, at the right time.
Once upon a time, Joan did all of her estate planning, updated her beneficiaries and titled her assets correctly. Does Joan sleep well at night?

The answer is YES.

www.womenforahealthyenvironment.org

Finally the weather and the date both say Spring! And that means one thing…time for Spring Cleaning! There are three simple things you can do right now to better protect you and your family.

1) Take one of your regular cleaners and switch it out for a homemade alternative. Made with good, old-fashioned ingredients like vinegar, baking soda and lemon, they’re not only safer, but more economical — and they smell great, too!

2) Download WHE’s Top 12 Ingredients to Avoid in Cleaning Products. Review this list to make certain your favorite products don’t contain the ingredients on the attached list! Choose cleaning products that are plant-based, rather than petroleum-based…healthier for you and the environment.

3) Contribute $10, $25, or $50 to WHE’s Spring Cleaning Appeal. You know the importance of a healthy environment - now, please help us spread our message across western PA! Thanks to you, we have provided workshops, programs, and speaking engagements to over 2,500 individuals over the last three years; educated students about safer personal care and consumer products; supported policy efforts that better protect our health; and worked on campaigns to convince major corporations like Johnson and Johnson to remove dangerous chemicals from personal care items. Your contribution will help us launch the 3rd Annual Food City Fellows Program, our Teens on the Eco Scene Program, and much more. www.womenforahealthyenvironment.org

You may also send your donation to us at Women for a Healthy Environment, 1405 Shady Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15217.
Thank you for all that you do to create a safer, healthier environment.
Sincerely,
Michelle Naccarati-Chapkis
Women for a Healthy Environment

Creamy Soft Scrub
2 c baking soda
1/2 c liquid castile soap
4 tsp vegetable glycerin
5 drops of essential oil (such as tea tree, lavender or rosemary)
Mix and store in sealed jar, such as a mason jar. This recipe has a two-year shelf life!

Laundry Detergent:
1 bar (or 4.5 ounces) of shaved bar soap
1 cup of washing soda
1 cup of borax
essential oil (optional)
Thoroughly stir together for 5 minutes. Use 1 Tbsp per load (or 2 Tbsp for heavily soiled loads). Suitable for HE and Non-HE machines.
Source: Alternative Household Cleaning Solutions, National Environmental Services Center

By Patricia Thibault
Social Security Manager in Pittsburgh, PA

Cinco de Mayo is May 5 — a time to celebrate Mexican heritage and pride.

Why not join the celebration by visiting Social Security’s Spanish website, where you’ll find a number of useful services and a wealth of information in Spanish. Just visit www.segurosocial.gov

Perhaps the most impressive thing you can accomplish on our website — in Spanish — is to apply for Social Security retirement benefits! You can apply quickly and easily on your personal computer. The online application takes as little as 15 minutes. Once you complete the online application and “sign” it with the click of a mouse, your application is complete. In most cases, there are no documents to submit or additional paperwork to fill out. Online is the easiest way to apply, and you can do it in English or Spanish.

In addition to applying for Social Security retirement benefits, you also can apply for Medicare in Spanish — in as little as 10 minutes, from start to finish.

If you are not ready to apply for benefits now, there are still a number of reasons to visit the Social Security website. You can find a lot of information and a number of online services that allow you to complete your Social Security business online, in English or Spanish. One of the most popular is our Retirement Estimator, which provides an instant, personalized estimate of your future Social Security benefits. Using the actual wages posted in your Social Security record, the Estimator will give you a good picture of what benefits you may receive. It protects your personal information by providing only retirement benefit estimates — it does not show the earnings information used to calculate the benefit estimate, nor does it reveal other identifying information. You can plug in different retirement scenarios and future wage amounts to get estimates for different situations. Try it out at www.socialsecurity.gov/espanol/calculador

If you already are entitled to Medicare and are having trouble with the cost of prescription drugs, you might qualify for Extra Help from Social Security. The Extra Help can save you as much as $4,000 each year on your prescription drug costs. You can learn all about it and apply online at www.socialsecurity.gov/prescriptionhelp/index_sp.htm

On the right side of the website, under the Frequently Asked Questions, you’ll find a red envelope. Select it to receive email updates on the latest Social Security news and information. You can get your updates in English at www.socialsecurity.gov or in Spanish at www.segurosocial.gov
Whether you prefer to do business online in Spanish or English, our website is the place for you. Visit www.segurosocial.gov or www.socialsecurity.gov during Cinco de Mayo, or anytime.

Dottie Coll
dottiecoll@msn.com
412-881-1111

Spring is the season of new beginnings. But it can be hard to appreciate if you’re stuck in the house trying to sift through the accumulation of winter clutter.

Fortunately there are some easy techniques to help get a jumpstart on spring cleaning. The following steps will help get the house organized and allow you to enjoy the new season, clutter-free.

“Before you start, make sure you have proper supplies handy,” suggests Dottie Coll, President of the Pittsburgh TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® location. “Get sturdy cardboard boxes or plastic bins before sorting your belongings and avoid using produce boxes from the grocery store — they may contain bugs. For extra convenience, shop online to get packing supplies delivered to your door or stop by one of our locations.

The moving experts at TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® recommend the following tips to get organized this spring:
• Start by sorting and organizing closets. If there is limited closet space, consider storing winter clothing in the attic, basement or garage. Wardrobe boxes offer excellent space for hanging coats, sweaters and snow pants.
• Sort out items no longer used or worn. If it hasn’t been worn in more than a year, then it probably won’t be again. Set aside a couple empty boxes for donations or items to sell.
• Use sturdy boxes with dividers for packing breakables. Make sure cardboard boxes are structurally sound. Dish-pack boxes with adjustable inserts that form individual cells are a great option for fragile items.
• Once closets are organized, do the same in other storage areas like the attic or garage.
• Think green. Survey local recycling options to find the most convenient solution for recyclables. Many cities offer curbside pick-up or “sort and drop” depots. Visit Earth911.com for a list of local venues where all types of recyclable materials can be disposed of. Organize recyclables by category: plastic, glass, aluminum, paper, cardboard, etc.
• Care for hazardous materials. Be conscientious about the materials being disposed. Toxic items such as paint, batteries, house cleaning products, automobile oils, pesticides, and fertilizers are dangerous to transport and should not be thrown away with nontoxic garbage. These items should be taken to specialized depots.
• Concentrate on disinfecting spaces. Change air filters, rotate mattresses and vacuum under furniture.

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® is the largest franchised moving company in North America. It includes more than 200 locations and more than 1,400 trucks on the road. Each location is independently owned and operated, and sells boxes and packing supplies. Locations complete both home and business moves, as well as packing and unpacking services.

For more information, call) TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® at 412.881.1111 or 412.259.8777 or visit www.twomenandatruck.com.