׉?4ׁB!בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://Gm5RACKH4cQGhOK9SanTUwMTT4Mby21xQbOqxxOBijc9u`׉ 7cassandra://-GBAq8aQXfwqEhCyhIdIr93VTkQterPXVaiWVbXcx80n`s׉ 7cassandra://78Ue-T_o_FgRcSr_Yi2lvEgFnNhW9gY-_UaALh1_At0'%`er4h@ט(u׈Uנer4h@ށ 7D9׉H!https://www.molinahealthcare.com/Gׁ ׁ r׈Eer4h@׉EDecember 2023 THIS EDITION OF URBAN EXPERIENCE MAGAZINE IS BROUGHT YOU BY: Congratulations You Did It Iowa African American Hall of Fame HOW MISINFORMATION MAY THREATEN THE 2024 ELECTION 1 ׉ 7cassandra://78Ue-T_o_FgRcSr_Yi2lvEgFnNhW9gY-_UaALh1_At0'%`er4h@er4h@(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://rypuyAWIrmjTG1DDUYdRKtNTzCX9YoE2fggGFXxrTJI `iq׉ 7cassandra://YL1Url23davKh7x5SYuVc3wfNAMMzPX04q_7u2KQuZw`׉ 7cassandra://-e8Smg8qg1KtCOydMVnJDnPVptWh1YxAoqcrX2zs25kI`er4h@נer4h@؁T 9ׁHhttp://LosRos.comׁ ׁ Ј׉EWRITERS & STAFF CONTRIBUTORS Donnetta Austin Debra Carr Courageous Fire Celeste Lawson Gary Lawson Caleb Thomas Lenore Metrick-Chen Editor-In-Chief Dwana Bradley Creative Director Nikki Goldman LosRos Graphix LosRos.com Gianni Berry Bert Moody Lori Young MAGAZINE OUTLETS Ankeny Kirkendall Library 1250 SW District Drive Ankeny, Iowa 50023 Altoona Public Library 700 Eighth Street SW Altoona, Iowa 50009 Central Library 1000 Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA 50309 DMACC Urban Campus 1100 7th Street, Des Moines, IA 50314 Drake Diner 1111 25th Street, Des Moines, IA 50311 Eastside Library 2559 Hubbell Ave. Des Moines, Iowa 50317 Evelyn Davis Center 801 Suite #3, University Ave, Des Moines IA 50314 Forest Library 1326 Forest Ave, Des Moines, IA 50314 Franklin Library 5000 Franklin Ave. Des Moines, Iowa 50310 Johnston Library 6700 Merle Hay Rd. Johnston, Iowa 50131 Northside Library 3516 5th Ave. Des Moines, Iowa 50313 Neighborhood Finance 4908 Franklin Avenue Des Moines, Iowa 50310 Ruby B's Kitchen 4121 Fleur Drive, Des Moines, Iowa 50321 Senior Polk County 2008 Forest Ave, Des Moines IA 50314 Slow Down Coffee Co. 3613 6th Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa 50313 Southside Library 1111 Porter Ave. Des Moines, Iowa 50315 The Great Frame Up 5515 Mills Civic Parkway Suite #150, West Des Moines, IA 50266 The Playhouse 831 42nd Street, Des Moines, Iowa 50312 The Zone of Comfort - Life Balance Center 3829 71st Street B-1, Urbandale, Iowa 50322 Urbandale Public Library 3520 86th Street, Urbandale, IA 50322 Urbandale Chamber of Commerce 2830 100th Street, Suite 110, Urbandale, IA 50322 West Des Moines Library 4000 Mills Clive Pkwy, West Des Moines, Iowa 50365 Henderson's Highland Park Funeral Home 3500 6th Avenue Des Moines. Iowa 50313 ׉ 7cassandra://-e8Smg8qg1KtCOydMVnJDnPVptWh1YxAoqcrX2zs25kI`er4h@׉ESUMMARY 4 EDITORS MESSAGE 6 CONGRATULATIONS YOU DID IT 11 HOW MISINFORMATION MAY THREATEN THE 2024 ELECTION 6 14 28 *PHOTO CREDIT TO PEXELS AND FREEPIK 3 15 ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION OFFERS HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH DEMENTIA AND THEIR CAREGIVERS 26 THE GIFT RESIDES IN YOU 28 COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT 30 MORTGAGE SCAMS AND HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF 32 THE ART OF BEING BLACK IN WHITE SPACES 35 IOWA AFRICAN AMERICAN HALL OF FAME er4h@er4h@(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://k5UIHBPi216zKNBhe0A66CmSHdLQpb4mNxS3fe9EICs`iq׉ 7cassandra://EDu03t-Wus5PpU8WjCu4Su9i_Mm1tg5Z6wsTEYCZlxkͩ`׉ 7cassandra://FCo_ARUvRfZ8Jf7ja4FoVjimB7b0Oemw2EB6ByKGUz0>`er4h@׉EGET THE URBAN EXPERIENCE Happy Holidays from the Urban Experience Magazine team! May you enjoy time with friends and family as you embark on a new year. Take time to reflect on the highs and the lows of this year and make goals to make 2024 better than 2023. You are a survivor, and you can do anything you put your mind to. Love yourself and be there for others. Together we can do more and make this world a better place. Your best is yet to come. Here is my 2024 verse of the year. Blessings, Dwana Bradley Now all glory to God who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Ephesians 3:20 ׉ 7cassandra://FCo_ARUvRfZ8Jf7ja4FoVjimB7b0Oemw2EB6ByKGUz0>`er4h@׉E5 er4h@er4h@(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://vIMyhRgXpSTrvB3zCNyFN1Ms9rGZE9FFjmyNgZkDhKI`j`iq׉ 7cassandra://XrBZk6Z_PI0Il4Sb0_J6uNeBGbzzwNKjZNoUBuIIhjw`׉ 7cassandra://jw_1vzQOALsFF51IHD0LbRGr4uTbCfsH8XgqNUAW42EL`er4h@׉E eCONGRATULATIONS YOU DID IT! Mental Health: Written by: Caleb Thomas, M.A. LMHC Hello Urban Experience Readers, If you’re reading this article that means you made it, to the end of 2023. Praise Jesus! Did you have a perfect year probably not; however, you can look back at the year and be Thankful you made it to the last month of the year. Some people didn’t make it this far; however, you did, and you have a lot to be grateful for. You may not have accomplished all your goals, yet you can be grateful for the ones you did accomplish. Don’t be too hard on yourself, just keep working on the ones you have not completed. Take some time to reflect on your accomplishments this year, no matter how big or small and I want to say Congratulations! Congratulations for losing those 5 pounds. Congratulations on going back to school; for completing your High School diploma/G.E.D., starting college or other educational tracks. Congratulations for starting rehab and taking a step in the right direction to get off the drugs and alcohol, or pornography. Congratulations for reconnecting with your son (s) or daughter (s). Congratulations for getting out of that unhealthy and abusive relationship. Congratulations on getting married. Congratulations on your podcast and starting your YouTube channel. Congratulations on starting that new business. I’m looking forward to your business growing and remember God’s word tells us He can do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us. Remember there is more to come, and the best is yet to come. So, Congratulations on starting therapy and not giving up on yourself, Congratulations for fighting for your marriage and for your family. Congratulations for accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior and surrendering your life totally and completely to His will and His ways. Congratulations on starting a new job. Congratulations on your new promotion. If no one else has told you, I’m telling you Congratulations! Don’t give up on your hopes and dreams, all things are possible for those who believe. You only need faith the size of a mustard seed, and that is small, so don’t sweat it. God’s word tells us faith without works is dead and works without faith is dead, so just remember it takes both. Please take a moment to celebrate your win, the Bible tells us don’t despise the day of small beginnings and realize we all must start somewhere. Thomas & Associates is all about your success in every area of your life including your mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional well-being. We are excited to see you fulfill all the plans and purposes God has for you which including all your goals and dreams. We are not ignoring the facts of life, which can be very difficult for many people. Ending a year and starting a new year for many is not full of cheers and Happy New Year. This is a time many people ׉ 7cassandra://jw_1vzQOALsFF51IHD0LbRGr4uTbCfsH8XgqNUAW42EL`er4h@׉E7 CONGRATULATIONS er4h@er4h@(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://1E21C4bnxkfO2K-3K3HMpJ3HLrCJzhskOhfpVEI_C9s|`iq׉ 7cassandra://wuucWM_TP_OnjI0RV2oGfAXMtz9eesvArHEpLe-KOCw`׉ 7cassandra://JvceBQNzRUrVBhmJOQAizQQXZ3NYcXgcRzO5MNtr1QQ@:`er4h@נer4h@ ̑9׉Hhttps://www.thomasacc.com/Gׁ ׁ rנer4h@Do6'9ׁHmailto:iaurbanmedia18@gmail.comׁ ׁ Јנer4h@ ̄9ׁHhttp://thomasacc.comׁ ׁ Јנer4h@ 9ׁHmailto:caleb@thomasacc.comׁ ׁ Ј׉Edon’t feel they have anything worth celebrating, they may feel they haven’t accomplished anything all year, or they may have accomplished all of their goals and dreams and yet they just lost a loved one or received a personal or family health diagnosis and are now devastated, and they may feel like there is nothing to say Congratulations to them, but my prayers are with you and your family. Trust me I’ve been there in that season during the holiday season, so I want to say to you no matter what you may be going through whether it is sickness or disease of your body or a family member’s body or the loss of a loved one, I want! to say “Don’t give up, because God will see you through, He has no respect of persons, He saw me as well as my children through a very traumatic loss of their mother, He’ll see you through as well because you are more than a conqueror. Does getting past devastations happen overnight, no it doesn’t it will take time, patience, prayer, support and even therapy. There may be times when it even seems as though God is not there but trust me, He's there and He’s holding you up. Finally, as this is the holiday season, out with the old in with the new, I would be remiss to not address this is a time when depression increases which may lead to having suicidal thoughts, this can happen to anyone. If you are having suicidal thoughts, please know you can call 988 (suicide hotline) ASAP. As always, we are here to support you through the Holiday season, heading into the New Year which can be very difficult for many people. My prayer for you and your family in 2024, is to have a very blessed New Year. Have a safe and Very Merry Christmas! And again, Congratulations for all your achievements. Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays! Sincerely, Caleb Thomas M.A. LMHC 319 206-0651 caleb@thomasacc.com thomasacc.com Thomas & Associates Counseling & ConsultingCounseling with a God given purpose! CONTACT US TODAY TO ADVERTISE HERE: iaurbanmedia18@gmail.com ׉ 7cassandra://JvceBQNzRUrVBhmJOQAizQQXZ3NYcXgcRzO5MNtr1QQ@:`er4h@׉E9 YOU DID IT! er4h@er4h@(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://U6VA0VXfdxdLoU9og8ZUsMqtZ7lnD0zUF9EEd53ZkT0+B`iq׉ 7cassandra://Ds_dRdr9INzthqwyQhLwKyNukzHmvUJpRpgtzBOhQw4Ͱ`׉ 7cassandra://j-aA9XSO_BXV4wBv-Xc57KgOy61_IBL9bHo0f10r2zQ;`er4h@׉EEMS CONTRIBUTOR How Misinformation May Threaten the 2024 Election Written By: Selen Ozturk As the 2024 U.S. presidential election nears, misinformation threatens to make the race more of a battleground than a civic activity. ׉ 7cassandra://j-aA9XSO_BXV4wBv-Xc57KgOy61_IBL9bHo0f10r2zQ;`er4h@׉EMisinformation As the 2024 U.S. presidential election nears, misinformation threatens to make the race more of a battleground than a civic activity. At a Fri., November 17 Ethnic Media Services briefing, experts in fair elections, civil rights, and digital justice discussed how misinformation, as an urgent threat to the 2024 elections, is spread by obstacles to voting access, social media misinformation, high turnover of election officials and artificial intelligence “deepfakes.” THREATS TO VOTER ACCESS Gowri Ramachandran, deputy director of the Elections & Government Program at the Brennan Center for Justice, said that key to fair elections is undisrupted voter access. Accordingly, election officials should be resilient “in the event of touchscreen voting machines breaking down, or electronic poll books becoming unusable, or a breach of the voter registration database.” Gowri Ramachandran, deputy director of the Elections & Government Program at the Brennan Center, explains why the movement to count ballots by hand does not support election integrity. “We recommend practices like backing off the voter database well before the election, having plenty of emergency and provisional paper ballot supplies, and doing capacity testing for electronic systems,” she continued. “Small disruptions like these can be fodder for a lot of misinformation about how voters can vote, or even about the whole election being unfair.” Another security threat to the upcoming election involves poll worker shortages — which occurred in 2020 due to the pandemic, particularly given that many poll volunteers tend to be elderly — but “you also get shortages when election workers feel unsafe due to threats and harassment,” Ramachandran said. “To help poll workers feel safe, we recommend that election officials implement security upgrades like bulletproof glass and keycard access … and make it clear that threats like doxxing and disinformation will not be tolerated,” she added. OFFLINE CONSEQUENCES OF ONLINE POLITICS Social media companies play a major role in perpetuating misinformation, said Nora Benavidez, senior counsel and director of Digital Justice and Civil rights at Free Press. “Particularly since the January 6 insurrection, the biggest companies — Meta, Tik Tok, Google, YouTube, Twitter — finally seem to accept that their failure to moderate content played a role in undermining public safety and democracy.” Nora Benavidez, senior counsel and director of Digital Justice and Civil rights at Free Press (FP), explains the how social media companies have enabled disinformation and compromise news reporting. The tens of thousands of layoffs from these companies over the past year, deprioritizing accountability of accurate content, “point to where their values lie,” she added. “There’s a downstream effect where mainstream media outlets, like CNN and the LA Times, often digest unverified misinformation and disinformation originating on social media … and that will have grave implications towards the next 12 months.” To promote accurate content around the elections, Benavidez said these tech companies should reinvest in staffing teams to “moderate information and safeguard election integrity,” more efficiently moderate political ads across languages, develop increased transparency practices like data analytics reports shared with researchers, journalists and policymakers, and bolster political ad policies to prohibit content promoting misinformation about polling locations, practices or candidates. 11 er4h@er4h@(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://PsLf18UXzAs8RpRwLXrqjt5krIXR6sqZFCxpeMkvSvA`iq׉ 7cassandra://5on5uYji19ce-WlVvMx52145Y3AihWZWckN-8CE8Its`׉ 7cassandra://zED-g9V9da0hW-QXtpfgvGqSucKK9-mvCi9vS-RDUeo=`er4h@נer4h@.h9ׁHhttp://Witness.orgׁ ׁ Јנer4h@̰h9ׁHhttp://Witness.orgׁ ׁ Ј׉E ELECTION OFFICIAL TURNOVER AND MISINFORMATION ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE “DEEPFAKES” On the polling side, too, misinformation threats to a fair 2024 election are worsened by a high turnover of election workers, said William Adler, associate director of the Elections Project at the Bipartisan Policy Center. Administering elections has always been a “relatively thankless, low-paid government job, which has gotten increasingly complex over the past 20 years,” he said. “As we’ve incorporated more technology into polling, they’ve become IT managers in the public spotlight, facing public threats … New responsibilities in how they communicate about their work are a key part of their job as wasn’t the case before 2020 or 2016.” William T. Adler discusses the pressures that are driving many election officials to quit their jobs, which, Adler says, will compromise election safety and integrity. These factors, alongside safety concerns, translate to a high turnover, Adler continued, citing a November 2023 Reed College survey of approximately 1,000 local election officials. In it, “31% of those surveyed said they knew other “local election officials who left their jobs because of personal safety issues and threats. 11% surveyed had considered leaving because of safety concerns, and over a third of them will be eligible for retirement before 2026.” This constitutes a dangerous cycle of misinformation, Adler explained: “Election officials face threats, they may be more inclined to leave their jobs that results in less institutional knowledge on how to run an election, which might result in more mistakes, which may in turn undermine voter confidence, which brings more threats … Delays or errors in processing ballots creates a hunger for information which misinformation peddlers are all too eager to fill.” An increasing amount of this misinformation takes the form of AI-generated “deepfake” images and audio, said Sam Gregory, executive director of Witness.org. This process has gotten particularly easier over the last year, as a wide range of technology has emerged whereby anyone can generate images from a text prompt, or mimic voices from audio samples, “to target and push people out of the public sphere. In conversations I’ve had with people working in electoral processes, this is something they’ve seen and worry about.” Sam Gregory, executive director, Witness.org, shares examples of how the misuse of AI is compromising elections. In electoral contexts, patterns of deceptive image and audio use are already on the rise; he mentioned recent examples of an audio deepfake of Slovakian liberal politician Michal Šime ka and journalist Monika Tódová apparently discussing how to rig the upcoming elections; another audio deepfake targeting UK Labour leader Keir Starmer; and another audio deepfake of Chicago mayoral candidate Paul Vallas. Another form of misinformation involves “cases when someone claims something is a deepfake when it’s actually real,” explained Gregory. Witness. org “receives many cases of deep fakes, and a lot of them are people basically relying on others’ absence of knowledge to deny a piece of audio on the basis that it has been faked.” “Our information environment, by design, discourages engagement and conversation” across opposing political sides, he added. To combat electoral threats like these, we should “start from a baseline of what’s possible, of how misinformation is spread, so we know where to look for and stop it.” Misinformation ׉ 7cassandra://zED-g9V9da0hW-QXtpfgvGqSucKK9-mvCi9vS-RDUeo=`er4h@׉E13 Misinformation er4h@er4h@(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://RsOyhN4DPxlL8Ruo1fcHssqIigHzwsn_LALwBuOhKU4uH`iq׉ 7cassandra://AFyNej7Od1X3k8vcODtrSphSs1TToGyXzSKP79KTAoY`׉ 7cassandra://4dMFdViB7G1ZuuVHYR-yHeJfTqMvKODsa64UFfo2DrUNP`er4h@נer4h@ Y9ׁHhttp://4.Soׁ ׁ Ј׉EKALZHEIMER Holiday shopping and gift-giving can often be challenging, but even more so when shopping for a person living with dementia. There are more than 6 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease. Depending on the stage of disease, some well-intentioned gifts may no longer be appropriate or practical for the person. ׉ 7cassandra://4dMFdViB7G1ZuuVHYR-yHeJfTqMvKODsa64UFfo2DrUNP`er4h@׉E TALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION: IOWA CHAPTER Alzheimer’s Association Offers Holiday Gift Guide for People Living with Dementia and Their Caregivers By Lauren Livingston, Alzheimer’s Association For the holiday season, the Alzheimer's Association has released its 2023 Holiday Gift Guide, offering gift ideas for individuals living in the early, middle and latestages of Alzheimer’s disease. The guide also includes gift suggestions aimed at keeping those living with dementia engaged and involved in everyday tasks, as well as gift ideas for the 11 million family members and friends across the country serving as unpaid caregivers for these individuals. 5 GIFTS FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH ALZHEIMER'S – IN THE EARLY-STAGES 1. Post-it notes or an erasable white board to list reminders or the day’s activities. 2. Baskets or trays that can be labeled within cabinets or drawers. 3. Gift cards for ride-sharing services or a favorite activity (golf, movie, restaurant) allowing the person to remain active. 4. GPS trackers (bracelets, watches, small trackers) or enrollment in a safe return program to keep the person safe. 5. A “memory” calendar featuring family photos – write-in special family occasions such as birthdays and anniversaries. 5 GIFTS FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH ALZHEIMER'S – IN THE MIDDLE-TO-LATE STAGES 1. Music playlists that include the person’s favorite artists or songs. 2. Comfortable, loose-fitting clothing that is easy to 15 5 GIFTS TO HELP WITH EVERYDAY TASKS AND KEEP THE PERSON LIVING WITH ALZHEIMER’S ENGAGED: 1. A memory phone that can store pictures with the names and contact information of family and friends. 2. Nightlights that activate automatically when it gets dark. 3. A digital clock with large type to indicate date and time. 4. An outing to a movie, play or concert, sporting event, museum or possibly an organized holiday shopping trip with friends and family. 5. Engage your loved one in making homemade gifts for the family, painting ornaments, decorating stockings, table setting, scrapbooking or other activity gifts. put on, remove and wash, such as sweat suits, slip-on blouses/shirts, non-slip socks, Velcro shoes, wrinklefree nightgowns, nightshirts or a fluffy bathrobe. 3. Framed photographs or a photo collage created specifically for your loved one. Insert the names of the people in the photos to help with identification. 4.Soothing gifts that can help with anxiety like a handheld massage ball or a soft blanket. 5. Adaptive dining equipment such as no-spill cups, plate guards and silverware with specifically designed handles that enables greater independence during meals. er4h@er4h@(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://6i0CoICECi2wRFKzbpZ3J9BYOrtQ4CdKG0sWFVfPrlsY`iq׉ 7cassandra://2_xkSmgvr5gY_1G03PVxeK6CXH77WOEaYlVXk35H9wk`׉ 7cassandra://7CbQr5o13ESdN-agIbeSBtB48cp_SFUPE-4Rf5VLuyMQ$`er4h@נer4h@Y:9׉Hhttps://www.alz.org/Gׁ ׁ rנer4h@[ c9׉Hb9׉Hhttps://www.greenstate.org/Gׁ ׁ rנer4h@1j̴9׉Hhttps://www.greenstate.org/Gׁ ׁ rנer4h@;m̭9ׁHhttp://greenstate.orgׁ ׁ Ј׉E831 42nd St | Des Moines | 515.277.6261 | dmplayhouse.com | 2 holiday shows Dec 1-17 Do you want to be on the cover or centerfold? Sponsor an edition of Urban Experience MaGazine! Contact us today: iaurbanmedia18@gmail.com ׉ 7cassandra://pecSDj9ys_ZmG6jH6VWS_xfhFJCqSvIUqw69NIE7_kYR`er4h@׉EESavings Account If you put $100 in your GreenState checking account... Checking $98 Option #2: Debit Card Round-up Every time you use your debit card, the transaction is rounded up to the nearest dollar and transferred to your Rainy Day Savings. Example: If you use your debit card for a purchase of $20.27, it would round-up to $21 and transfer $0.73 from checking to your Rainy Day Savings account. One of the best ways to build financial security is to have enough in savings to handle emergencies that may come your way. Our Rainy Day Savings account makes building an emergency savings fund easy. Choose one or both options to grow your savings automatically. Option #1: Automatic transfer from Checking 2% of every deposit* into your GreenState Checking account will automatically transfer to your Rainy Day Savings. Rainy Day Savings $2 Option #3: Choose both and save more! Stop by a branch, call 844-300-5810 or visit greenstate.org to learn more. *Qualifying deposits include: direct deposit, ATM, Remote Deposit Capture check deposits, deposits made at a branch. Insured by NCUA 39 er4h@Ӂer4h@ҁ(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://JOKm8P7oDBiUV2FMnHYGtqeAgJdK73CL8xNOrz4nDecV`iq׉ 7cassandra://UpgjmUXCBpH7vH1vuWkNQY382VF0iEhW3kYmL3hvlM0L`׉ 7cassandra://kbsTkSCme3tyVVyBvkEAAfKtjnwvM6_QXpeOYjyRnfoSM`er4h@<נer4h@8{V9׉H$https://www.unitedwaydm.org/united55Gׁ ׁ rנer4h@G~G9ׁHhttp://unitedwaydm.org/united55ׁ ׁ Јנer4h@FsׁG9ׁH$mailto:lynne.melssen@unitedwaydm.orgׁ ׁ Јנer4h@EN[9ׁH'https://volunteer.unitedwaydm.org/need/ׁ ׁ Јנer4h@DNn9ׁH https://www.unitedwaydm.org/hopeׁ ׁ Ј׉EBE INFORMED BE AN ADVOCATE SURVIVE Everyone has a heart: Take Care of Yours & Live Your Best Life! Why is Cardiovascular Genetic Screening Important? ! ! More than 1 in every 200 people have an inherited heart disease. Inherited heart diseases are the leading causes of sudden death in young people. Benefits of Genetic & Clinical Screening Detect heart disease that did not show up in routine health exams. Early detection may prevent heart complications. Make informed decisions about heart health, including treament options. Help identify the cause of a heart condition or other health issues. Educate family members who may be at risk of heart disease. Learn about the chance that a pregnancy will lead to genetic condition. ! Inherited gene abnormality does not automatically result in heart disease. Knowing your risk can help you understand and manage your health. Learn your risk for heart disease If any family member experienced heart disease or any of the below health issues, consider genetic and clinical screening. Heart failure (younger than 60 years old) Implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) or pacemaker implant (younger than 50 years old) Heart transplant (younger than 60 years old) Unexplained seizures or seizures with normal neurological evaluation Unexplained cardiac arrest(s) or sudden death Exercise intolerance Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) Untreated LDL (low-density lipoprotein) known as bad cholesterol ≥ 190 Multiple family members with congenital heart defects West African Ancestry in your family Diagnosed with carpel tunnel syndrome The average cost of genetic testing is $250 This work was supported through the MIHF HealthConnect Fellowship. The average out-of-pocket cost is $100 ׉ 7cassandra://kbsTkSCme3tyVVyBvkEAAfKtjnwvM6_QXpeOYjyRnfoSM`er4h@׉E8JOIN UNITED 55+ Many believe that a meaningful life is not complete without the fulfillment that comes from helping others. If you're ready to take your commitment to the community to the next level, while meeting new people and gaining new experiences, UNITED 55+ is for you! Current & Upcoming Volunteer Opportunities Book Buddy A reading program that pairs volunteers with preschoolers for regular reading. The caring adult reads in person to the student at a local childcare center. You may pair up with a friend to share this weekly volunteer opportunity. Orientation & training provided. Power Read Volunteer reading mentors are matched one-to-one with a student for about an hour each week and together they read and engage in conversation. Programs take place during the student’s lunch period at various Des Moines elementary schools. Orientation & training provided. Not New Shop Charity shop volunteers needed to Sort, size, and mark donated items according to suggested price list, using good judgment regarding discards. Assist customers with purchases, ring up sales, keep shop in order. Training provided. HOPE for the Holidays Donation Drive The holidays are upon us! We are collecting cleaning products and gift cards for HOPE for Stable Families. This program works with families to set goals, remove barriers, and use available community resources to create long-term financial stability for them and their children. For information about the program or how to donate, visit https://www.unitedwaydm.org/hope-for-the-holidays Holiday Helping Hand Looking for ways to give back this holiday season? Check out United Way of Central Iowa’s Volunteer hub. Head to the Holiday Helping Hand Guide tab to see opportunities around Central Iowa. Check back often as opportunities will continually be added through the end of the year. Visit https://volunteer.unitedwaydm.org/need/ for more information. Contact, Lynne Melssen AmeriCorps Seniors Program Director at lynne.melssen@unitedwaydm.org or 515-246-6544 To register, scan the QR code or visit: unitedwaydm.org/united55 41 LIVE UNITED er4h@ցer4h@Ձ(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://9aAzYi4YSdm_JbXUHiAlDDTAbFevxmWOmaSELP_gKhk`iq׉ 7cassandra://gx22ieofIuFHK8yJeeANtm_AHNqmfQLlubIJukZED18ߙ`׉ 7cassandra://aQGvLfhrpCMSQ8y1gLu1VIVPRmaXsGI2o44k5E5IKG8UP`er4h@@נer4h@>}Z79׉Hhttp://losros.com/Gׁ ׁ rנer4h@?Xz9׉H$https://desmoinesperformingarts.org/Gׁ ׁ rנer4h@C[o9ׁHhttp://DMPA.orgׁ ׁ Ј׉EUPCOMING SHOWS December 12 – 17 DES MOINES CIVIC CENTER Willis Broadway Series GET YOUR TICKETS TODAY! December 21 DES MOINES CIVIC CENTER December 22 – 23 DES MOINES CIVIC CENTER DMPA.org · (515) 246-2300 · Civic Center Ticket Office ׉ 7cassandra://aQGvLfhrpCMSQ8y1gLu1VIVPRmaXsGI2o44k5E5IKG8UP`er4h@׉Egr aphix g LosRos INF O@LOSROS. C OM • LOSROS. C OM Servic es Pho t o E diting Appar el Design M emorial Pho t os L og o & Br anding Mag azine Design C ust om Design er4h@ځer4h@ف(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://J_JMAOX-DGSsuKtQ3haOq1ajoTfxur-32BvquZXO9v4Vi`׉ 7cassandra://MZii3TFOpTzAtYKgY984KzKqlWWMJNjeVc_s7CgnJQM͋`s׉ 7cassandra://qBUMpehJtOtmKL5tJhletWwYZ8wPB5n7wdb-fG69lKY-`er4h@Hנer4h@BqÁK+9׉Hhttps://www.hendersonshp.com/Gׁ ׁ rנer4h@JwɁ@9ׁHhttp://HENDERSONSHP.COMׁ ׁ Ј׉EIt's important to take the time to acknowledge the uniqueness of the deceased: the individuality of their personality, and the uniqueness of their life's path. Not just for them, but for you; it affirms the relationship, and leads to healing after loss. Honoring their life is truly an act of love – for the both of you. “WE’RE FAMILY” PHONE: (515) 309-6550 3500 SIXTH AVENUE DES MOINES, IA 50313 HENDERSONSHP.COM ׉ 7cassandra://qBUMpehJtOtmKL5tJhletWwYZ8wPB5n7wdb-fG69lKY-`er4h@׈Eer4h@݁er4h@܁(,December UEM 2023kHappy Holidays from Urban Experience Magazine. This edition is brought to you by Molina Healthcare. Congratulations to Brandi Miller, Assistant Director of New Student Programs at Drake University who earned the FAAC designation from the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators accredited Certified Financial Aid Administrator (CFAA) Program.er4ٜUZ