If you're planning to order from Amazon this Christmas, please consider helping us a wee bit by clicking through the banner above...Leitrim & Cavan caregivers will thank you! “There is something you must always remember: You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we're apart... I'll always be with you.” ---Christopher Robin to Pooh (A.A.Milne) Click above to purchase "The Carers' Handbook" from Amazon.co.uk: Every Amazon purchase you make through our website provides our Carers Group with a donation, and every little helps! Books carefully selected for Carers -- especially our own Carers, whose specialties include breast cancer, Alzheimer's, autism, cerebral palsy, and stroke -- are highlighted in our Bookshop.

ANNUAL NEW YEAR'S DINNER 5 January 2008, 6:30pm Take a well-earned post-holiday break at our annual New Year's Dinner in Drumshanbo's Ramada Hotel: a five-course meal free transportation to and from the event friendly, supportive, EXCELLENT company a small gift to take home There's also a bar available, and friends and family are always welcome. Please book your place by phoning the office at Community Connections: 98 53321, or the Secretary's mobile (these numbers are in your print newsletter if you're on our mailing list), or you can e-mail your booking to carersgroup [type the @ symbol] eircom.net. You can also let us know at the last Coffee Break of the year, Friday 28th December, in the Granary Restaurant in Manorhamilton. We only need to know your name, e-mail address or telephone number, and how many people you'd like to bring. A €15 contribution is requested per person, payable on the night. Illustrated by Dover Electronic Clip Art: get your Dover clipart here Our AGM Garden Party Success! We had a fantastic day out, with nearly all our regulars and several new faces who added great fun and friendliness to the mix. Everyone enjoyed the day out, and the feedback was a great help in planning the new year. The major points we covered were: The coffee break attendance has outgrown a corner table at the Granary, with more than a dozen local caregivers coming together every month for chat and news. The lack of privacy for members in meeting in a public place was a concern, as was the change in the Rural Lift schedule, which no longer runs to Manorhamilton on our usual day of Friday. In addition, it was noted that several members simply couldn't attend during a work week. SO... We're searching for a new venue in Manorhamilton We're considering local transportation in planning a new day We're adding several weekend coffee breaks to 2008, probably with church services around our region We're expanding our publicity for this monthly event Founding members Cyril Hatfield and Ann McGowan were awarded certificates and a present of appreciation for their hard work over the years, that has brought us this far as a group. Thank you Ann and Cyril, and to everyone who has helped the Carers' Group over the years! A long list of people and organisations to whom we're grateful this year particularly is featured in this month's newsletter, which should be arriving in your letterbox during this last week of November. Finances are healthy and well in the black, thanks to a few key grants this year and the hard work of our fundraising members. However, in the face of budget cuts for 2008 and an increased membership, we're depending on our calendar sales and more grant-writing to provide all the resources and events we'd like. A complete accounting of the Group's financial transactions for the year will be on file in the Community Connections office from mid-December. Events, Breaks, and Days Out were mentioned as a priority for many members, and to that end we hope to increase our schedule of these. Elections: the various offices of the Group were explained and nominations called for; Susan Carleton has retained the post of Secretary, Cyril Hatfield is officially our Honorary President, Martin Carleton continues as Treasurer, and Rory Blanc has bravely signed up to help with our newsletter, which has been expanded and updated to serve the growing membership. Thank you to all our volunteers! In addition, we all received advice and tips for dealing with our daily grind, with the HSE, and shared our stories over chat and lunch and a garden walk. In addition, everyone received a goody bag with a caregiver's t-shirt, skin care samples, flower seeds, heart health information, a calendar, and a refrigerator magnet with important phone numbers for carers. After our lunch and tour, we held a prize draw for 100 euros cash, which was won by Maureen Power: Congratulations! Photos for the event should be with us soon, so watch this space... Do You Care? If... you look after an elderly parent.... or are raising a disabled child.... or help your partner daily due to illness or injury..... or care for your grown child with illness or disability..... or care for a disabled or terminally ill friend or relative ...you are a Carer. Irish Carers are entitled to many benefits and supports to make their daily job easier; look around our website to find out more, or stop by a coffee morning on the last Friday of each month at the Granary restaurant in Manorhamilton from 11am to noon and beyond. Membership and meetings are free. If you need a lift, our new TRANSPORT SCHEME may be able to help you, made possible by a grant from the Community Foundation of Ireland. Spread the Word! Many Carers in our region don't know about us yet... and many more people care for someone full-time without calling themselves carers at all. Of course all of us will care for our children, our parents, and anyone who needs us... but full-time caring needs full-time support. If you know of someone in North Leitrim or West Cavan who's looking after a disabled or ill or aging family member, please give them our website address or pass along our newsletter or contact information. For articles, links to helpful websites, recommended books, our contact information, and more, use the links at the top of the left-hand column to visit other pages on our website. Contributions and feedback are always very welcome. Thank you for your interest and support!

LINKS FOR IRISH CARERS: Citizens Information Carers Association Health Service Executive Community Connections Rural Lift RTÉ News Irish Health Rollercoaster for parents Enable Ireland eBay Age Action Ireland Google Aware Irish Cancer Society Special Olympics Ireland Autism Action Ireland SUGGEST A LINK