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Cass County Extension Now Accepting Registrations for Both Programs

Who Gets Grandma’s Yellow Pie Plate?, a free workshop about passing on personal possessions, will be held on Thursday, September 8 at the Cass County Community Center in Atlantic from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

“This workshop focuses on non-titled property, like family heirlooms, photos, collections, guns and dishes. Oftentimes, objects have meaning and carry history,” explains Sandra McKinnon, ISU Extension and Outreach human sciences specialist in family finance.

“Emotions and memories can make it difficult when deciding what to do with personal possessions. Also family members may not always see eye-to-eye,” says McKinnon.

Whether planning ahead, in the middle of downsizing, or making decisions when someone dies, the workshop helps families:

  • Understand sensitivity of issues
  • Decide what is fair for their family
  • Understand belongings have different meanings to different  individuals
  • Consider distribution options and consequences
  • Agree to manage conflicts if they arise

Passing on personal possessions is an issue for family members, personal representatives/estate executors, and professionals involved in estate planning and probate, estate sales and auctions, assisted living and nursing homes, faith-based communities, and funeral homes. There is NO COST to attend this workshop, but pre-registration is requested; call the Cass County Extension Office at 712-243-1132 to pre-register or visit www.extension.iastate.edu/cass for more information. (continued on next page)

The workshop is sponsored by the ISU Extension Council in Cass County as part of an effort to address healthy aging and improve the health of family caregivers and their family members in a holistic way. Upcoming programs on the topic include The Finances of Caregiving, Powerful Tools for Caregivers, Caregiving Relationships: Conversations on Aging, and Eat Smart, Live Strong: Nutrition for Older Adults.

Money Workshop Series for Women Offered

Starting in Mid-September, Cass County Extension will also offer MoneyTalk, a 5 week financial course for women.

“Women are often vulnerable when it comes to their financial future,” says McKinnon. “Women tend to live longer than men, have lower wages, are more conservative in their investments and are in and out of the workforce. This program is designed for women to improve their money management skills and level of financial knowledge. Participants develop confidence in decision making and gain control of their finances.”

The program is strictly educational and covers the topics of budgeting, recordkeeping, insurance, estate planning, credit, debt management, investing, and preparing for retirement. Instructors include McKinnon, and local professionals in financial matters.

The series will be offered on Thursday evenings, September 15 through October 13, at the Cass County Community Center in Atlantic. The cost for the 5 week program is $25 per person. This includes all 5 sessions, handout materials and a 192-page workbook that participants will use to track their goals and progress. This program registration fee is below the usual course fee of $75 per person due to support from the Cass County Extension Council and local sponsors Cullen & Associates; Wiges & Johnson, Ameriprise Financial; Megan Roberts, State Farm; and Otto, Lorence & Wiederstein, PLLC.

For more information, or to register, contact the Cass County Extension Office at 712-243-1132 or email Kate Olson at [email protected]. A registration form can also be found on the Cass County Extension website at www.extension.iastate.edu/cass. Registrations will not be accepted after September 8th deadline, to ensure materials will be available for first class.