From Local Reports

The public is invited to an organizational meeting June 2 for a proposed Spokane County Hoarding Task Force.

Similar hoarding task forces exist across the country to provide a directed and managed response to hoarding cases. Organizers think forming a local hoarding task force, with collaborative efforts form community and human service professionals, is essential to ensure the health and safety of individuals suffering from and affected by hoarding.

The purpose of the organizational meeting is to learn more about hoarding disorder, structure of the proposed task force, its role in the community and how to establish a task force in the area.

Organizers include Barbara Folden of A Brief Counseling Center, Ceci Garrett of Lightening the Load, Debra Meredith, a local counselor and social worker, and DeAnne Wilfong of Smooth Transitions of the Inland Northwest.

For information, call Garrett at (509) 844-8104 or email info@lighteningtheload .org. The 7 p.m. meeting will be at the West Central Community Center’s Newton Lounge, 1603 N. Belt.

VALU schedules summit

Vulnerable Adult Links United is having its Summer Summit June 18 at the Gonzaga University Law School, where area doctors, attorneys and service providers discuss strategies for successful aging. The registration deadline is June 17 and the summit is limited to 200 attendees. The cost is $30 and includes lunch and parking.

The keynote presenter is neurologist David Greeley of Northwest Neurological, who will talk about dementia as seen through the eyes of a geriatric neurologist. Other topics during the daylong session are vulnerable adult abuse investigations in the state, trends of vulnerable adult abuse as seen through the local prosecutor’s office, resources for caregivers and information about guardianship services and programs. Assistant Attorney General Lynn Mounsey will moderate the event.

For more information, contact Ana Kemmerer at (509) 477-4405. To register and pay online at https://commerce.cashnet.com /gulawcle.

To view a list of speakers and schedule, go to www.altcew.org/files/ 2013/03/VALU-Summer-Summit- Registration.pdf.

YMCA lands Komen grant

The YMCA of the Inland Northwest recently received a $30,000 grant from the Susan G. Komen Foundation Eastern Washington Affiliate to support the LIVESTRONG program that’s tailored to fit the specific needs of cancer survivors who want to improve their quality of life after completing cancer treatment.

The grant, in collaboration with Cancer Care Northwest, will go toward creating weekly support meetings and ongoing exercise classes for breast cancer survivors.

The grant also will sponsor the second annual survivors’ community conference: “surviveSTRONG and uniteSTRONG,” on May 16 at the Central Spokane YMCA. The conference offers workshops, classes and presentations on topics to strengthen and nurture participants in spirit, mind and body.

For more information on the free LIVESTRONG program or the annual survivors’ community conference call, (509) 777-9622 or go to www.ymcaspokane.org.