GILBERT NEWS: Shiloh United Methodist plans Lunch & Learn for Oct. 1

Shiloh United Methodist Church invites the community to its October Lunch & Learn program. “Beyond Loss: Seeing Dementia Through the Lens of Grace” will be the topic on Thursday, Oct. 1.

The guest speaker will be Bishop Ken Carder. Bishop Carder will share his personal experience as a caregiver of someone with dementia and his insight into the spiritual aspect. Cost for the catered luncheon is $15. To RSVP, call Donna at 803-206-3400. SUMC is located at 1000 Spring Hill Road in Gilbert.

Members from the seven Lexington County Recreation & Aging  Commission senior centers recently attended a special presentation on elder fraud. This presentation was held at the Gilbert-Summit Senior Center gymnasium. The speaker was an FBI special agent for elder fraud in South Carolina. A representative from the FBI Columbia Citizens Alumni Association had information available for the attendees. This is a nonprofit organization of volunteer graduates from the FBI Columbia Field Office Citizens Academy program.

The presentation lasted for an hour. During this time, seniors learned about elder fraud, defined as an intentional act by any person that causes harm or a serious risk of harm to a senior citizen. This can include financial exploitation. The seminar included a PowerPoint presentation with statistics and information on elder fraud in South Carolina. After the presentation, the speaker held a Q&A time with the seniors. Several asked how they could prevent themselves from becoming victims of elder fraud. After the presentation ended, mseniors enjoyed playing bingo for prizes and a delicious lunch.

The Gilbert Ruritans held their September meeting recently. Prior to hearing from a guest speaker, Ruritan members enjoyed a delicious dinner hosted by the club’s Community Engagement Committee. The guest speaker for the evening was Mark Garner, assistant principal of Gilbert Elementary School.

Garner provided information about the school population (840 students), boundary lines, poverty percentage, projects and more. He said GES has garden projects such as the Green Step Program for planting gardens, building birdhouses and more to involve students. Garner said GES also has a Spanish immersion program. At the close of Garner’s program, he was gifted with several Rudy Bears to give to students in need.

Ruritan members brought items to help stock the various blessing boxes in the Gilbert area. They invite new members to attend meetings, join their club and work with them in the Gilbert community. They meet at 7 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month at 713 Juniper Springs Road in Gilbert.