#29 –
New resource guide 8/01/09

Remember the dry pack cannery opportunity. Please get a copy of the order sheet from the library and decide what you want. Please let me know if you plan to go and approximately how many cans you plan to use. (don’t need to know what.) Date: Tuesday, August 11 at 4 to 6 PM, Heads up for a new emergency preparedness guide coming in the mail this week. It is written for our specific area by the Southwest Utah Public Health Department and has information specific to emergencies in our area. It looks like the picture at the left. Government agencies have learned from recent disasters that communities that have prepared citizens can respond much faster than well prepared government agencies. Duh! This pamphlet focuses on Family Preparedness. Please take time to read it with your family and check it against what you have already done. After you have read it, use it as a workbook to guide you to family readiness. If you want an extra copy you can pick one up or you can download the guide at:

http://www.swuhealth.org/Forms/cdep/family_preparedness_guide_SWUPHD.pdf

I have reviewed the booklet and it has a great list of items for a 72 hour kit, a car emergency kit, a work sheet for family plan and phone numbers as well as government agency numbers and web sites. It also discusses the most likely emergencies for our area and what can be done to prepare and what to do during the emergency. Good stuff all in one place! Update on the flu: The Center for Disease Control issued this statement yesterday and contains the following quote: “CDC is concerned that the new H1N1 flu virus could result in a particularly severe flu season this year. Vaccines are the best tool we have to prevent influenza. CDC hopes that people will start to go out and get vaccinated against seasonal influenza as soon as vaccines become available at their doctor’s offices and in their communities (this may be as early as August for some). The seasonal flu vaccine is unlikely to provide protection against novel H1N1 influenza. However a novel H1N1 vaccine is currently in production and may be ready for the public in the fall. The novel H1N1 vaccine is not intended to replace the seasonal flu vaccine – it is intended to be used along-side seasonal flu vaccine. Here is a switch; the age group last specified for priority in getting the immunizations is the 65 and older group. Seems that these folk are the least likely to get the ‘Swine Flu!’ You can look at the current CDC report by going to this link:
http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination/acip.htm

It occurred to me as I prepared this material that our families are aware of our beliefs as much or more by what we do than by what we say or teach. If we are making a concerted effort to be prepared and share the experiences with our family, they will be taught obedience in a general way and in a specific way by observing us. Many of us belong to families that are struggling because of the economy and are having a hard time putting things into storage. Many of us have become accustomed to purchasing items for storage when many times we could figure out a way to ‘make’ what we need. Some times we discard the same items that we need to use for our emergency supply. One example is a tin can stove that uses the same cans that we will be filling in our next dry pack canning assignment. All you need In addition to the gallon can, is some cardboard, a tuna can, wax and a little aluminum foil. When we are obedient and clever, we teach more than obedience, we teach resourcefulness and self reliance just for starters. You can see the article with complete instructions for the stove and, a tin can breakfast.

http://www.meridianmagazine.com/enjoying/090723tincan.html

If you have preparedness ideas or solutions that are creative and fun and can be a part of a family night activity please let me know so I can pass them along. One last thing: A few years ago I contributed to a book that was published by the ‘Tightwad Gazette.’ They had a weekly newsletter with ideas on how to save money and not be tempted by every ‘wind’ of advertisement in the media. I found that it is still on the Internet as are many others like them. If you want some fun ideas for saving money and making do with what you have, there are some good ideas in these web sites. The Tightwad Gazette can be found at:

http://www.tightwad.com/index.htm

They also have a list of links to other similar sites. gv3grant@gmail.com 435 628-2739 http://rupreparedgv3.blogspot.com