Welcome to Protected Tomorrows TODAY™
This Week at Protected Tomorrows®
Note from the Founder of Protected Tomorrows, Mary Anne Ehlert:
Where has this year gone? How can it be June already? Time seems to pass faster and faster every year, doesn’t it? With summer upon us, we find ourselves spending more time with family at picnics, vacations, and family retreats. Some of us find ourselves driving our children to camp, others our welcoming our college students home for the summer break, and others are spending time caring for our parents. And some of us are even doing all three!
It is important to take time to reflect on how much we have that is good and promising in our lives, as we rush around to keep up with our obligations. It is so easy to get caught up in what we have to do, we forget that today is truly is gift.
You will find in this issue some important information about the Stimulus Money being received and its impact on government benefits. Also read about the release of our new book, some upcoming new online tools, and some new movies you will want to make sure you see!
Mary Anne Ehlert
President, Protected Tomorrows, Inc.
Stimulus Money – How does it impact government benefits?
What did you do with your extra $250? Did you buy some new clothes? Pay some bills? Take a loved one out to dinner? People who receive government benefits are faced with that decision as we speak. If you receive monthly benefits from the Social Security Administration, Veterans Administration or Railroad Retirement Bureau, you are the latest beneficiary of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, also known as the Stimulus Act. If you or a family member receives benefits from one of these agencies, you have or will receive an additional $250 payment.
You will have received this extra payment in the same method as your monthly award. This money is not counted as income for the purpose of other benefits, such as food assistance or SSI, and is not counted as an asset or resource for nine months. If this payment causes your bank balance to exceed $2000, you have nine months in which to use it.
These one-time payments began arriving in the first week of May. If you have not received yours, you can call the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213 for additional information. Alternately, you can contact your Protected Tomorrows® Advocate or Benefits Processing Center at (847) 522-8086 for additional information.
The Gift I Was Given: The Journey of a Caregiver Through the Stages of What Now?, Why Me?, & Ah Ha! (Paperback) by Mary Anne Ehlert (Author)
Families of individuals with special needs often feel lost, confused and alone. If the person who is the caregiver is a parent of a young child newly diagnosed, the parent of a young person returning from college with mental illness, the parent of an adult with a disability who is trying to find their way in the world, or the child of a parent who now needs care due to the aging process, all have the same common fears. They don't know where to start, how to be a good caregiver, and don't know where to begin to look for help. The feeling of helplessness can be staggering. Knowing you are not alone and that there are many to reach out to is a huge help. "The Gift I Was Given" provides hope to those who have been in my shoes. The book also has a companion website to help families with a step-by-step process through the many areas addressed in the book. Get your copy of "The Gift I was Given" at www.protectedtomorrows.com/ptstorefam
New and Exciting!!! Protected Tomorrows at the Movies…
Protected Tomorrows is participating on the Imperative Issues Group for Imperative Pictures.
There are so many issues that need to be addressed in our world today, and there is no better way to reach larger audiences than through mass media. Using the power of film, television and multimedia, Imperative Pictures aims to deliver informative and inspirational content about people challenged by the imperative issues of our times. Ultimately, they strive to create compelling and competitive content that might not typically be considered by executives in Hollywood. Unlike the bottom line, commercially driven mentality, we see the value of content that has the potential to offer a deeper sense of compassion and understanding for a healthier, more diverse, and more tolerant society.
The Imperative Issues Group is a diverse panel of people assembled on behalf of Imperative Pictures. This prestigious panel helps to identify the most timely and imperative topics that face our world today. These topics then become the inspiration to which content is developed for Imperative Pictures. In addition, the panel offers fresh perspectives and new ideas for marketing, public relations and strategic partnerships created during the course of the projects, which potentially channel opportunity, generate helpful information and provide positive messages that will better our society as a whole. Protected Tomorrows has been invited to participate on this panel.
Learn more about the upcoming films, Return to Autism and Normal Folk on the group’s website at www.imperativepictures.com
COMING SOON!!!
New Online Access to Planning for Families We will be releasing our Process for Protected Tomorrows™ in online format, so that all families will have access to cost effective planning. This new tool can be used by all families individually or jointly when working with their local Protected Tomorrows Advocate.
New Online My Special Life Book The online version of My Special Life® will be available to families nationwide. Families will be able to store the history of their family member online, so that it is accessible to care providers, teachers, camp counselors, medical professionals, and future guardians.
Let Us Know about What YOU Think
If you have any questions or comments on how Protected Tomorrows might help families, feel free to send us an email at the Contact Us section of www.protectedtomorrows.com. We are looking to be the premier resource for families so that everyone gets the help they need. Your feedback is valuable to our ability to share the information and make the site the best it can be.
Our goal at Protected Tomorrows is for families with special needs to live safe and fulfilling lives. Let us hear from you.
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