Today more people are living alone. It is most noticeable among older persons, especially women.

A large percentage of these people are widowed, but there are a growing number of older women who are divorced. For those who have lived as a couple for a number of years and suddenly find themselves single, it can be a difficult time to make the adjustment. This program will discuss overcoming loneliness, making new friends, and learning to enjoy life as a single person.

It is set for Wednesday, April 29, at 10:00 a.m. in the Extension Building. Milly Kaiser, Extension family life educator, will present the program. Any interested person is welcome to attend.

Don't Wait, Prepare Your Family for Possible Disaster

Whether it's a tornado or a fire, too often we are not prepared when disaster strikes. Yet, preparation is the one thing we can do to make recovering from a disaster somewhat easier. You may think you don't have the time for any more "to do" lists, but doing something in preparation for a disaster is better than nothing. If your time is limited, choose one thing to do this month, another next month, another the following month and so on until you feel your family is equipped to deal with a disaster.

"One pro-active step is to get a weather radio," says Lois Smith with University of Illinois Extension."This radio gives you alerts from the National Weather Service about approaching storms. These radios are not expensive and are available at many retail outlets. When you get the radio, make sure you program it to receive local alerts."

Smith says an emergency plan is also vital. A plan helps family members know what to do if they are separated during an emergency. For example, the neighbor's house might be your meeting place if the emergency only affects your home. If the emergency affects your entire neighborhood or town, the meeting place could be your church or school. Or, you might designate a friend or relative in another town as your family's "call center" -- all family members call that person to check in.

Also, put together an emergency kit. Local emergency management officials say that we should be prepared to take care of ourselves for at least 72 hours if a disaster is widespread. The kit should include water, food, medicines, etc. for all family members as well as pets.

"Create a household inventory and put it in a safe place with other family records," advises Smith. "Most of us could not remember all of the contents in our home if we were trying to file an insurance claim. Replacing important documents can be time-consuming. Keep these important papers in a waterproof, fireproof safe or in a safe deposit box."

For more ways to get prepared, contact your the Extension office for the free publication, Disaster Preparedness and Recovery. Call 618-439-3178 or make your request via email at franklin_co@extension.uiuc.edu.