Barter Board at University Village

For anyone considering University Village as a place to live, I wanted to draw attention to our new Barter Board. It is a place for residents to buy/sell/trade goods and services. Furniture, household goods, and baby items are listed. Email me if you would like to be included. When I verify that you have applied for housing, I can add you to the board.

http://groups.google.com/group/university-village-barter-board

Increased Funding of Graduate School Health Insurance

New and returning graduate students (not including law or business students) have an excellent opportunity to get affordable healthcare coverage through the University's plan for the '09-'10 school year. The coverage for spouses and families is still rather expensive, but the plan a great deal for the graduate student. Eligible spouses and children would still find Hoosier Healthwise and Healthy Indiana Plan to be far more affordable.

Here's text from the email that came from Dr. Greg Sterling, dean of the Graduate School:

"I am writing to inform you of the new premium rates for health insurance. As you know, the University has made a concerted effort over a period of several years to improve our support of graduate student health insurance premiums. We are going to be able to make a significant step forward this year thanks to the work and support of a number of people.

We are changing vendors to Aetna Student Health. This is the result of the hard work of a University-wide committee over a two-year span. We will now have a more competitive rate. The annual rates are below.

Student $1,239
Spouse $3,098
Each Child $1,859
All Children $2,416
Spouse and All Children $5,514

You will note that the rates for next year will be lower in every category than the current rates. We owe the committee a hearty thank you for their dedicated work. The committee members were Jill Bodensteiner (General Counsel), Kara Finch (Procurement Services), Trent Grocock (Finance), Ann Kleva (Health Services), Connie Morrow (Health Services), David Moss (Student Affairs), Denise Murphy (Human Resources), and Sue Vissage (the Graduate School).

The other piece of good news is that we are going to raise our subvention percentage from 50% to 70% for fully funded students. This means that the University will pay $867 of the $1239 premium for a fully funded student. This only leaves $372 for the student portion.
During the current year, students have to pay $734. This is a savings of $362 per year or a little more than $30 per month. We are indebted to Tom Burish and Chris Maziar for their commitment to and support of graduate students.

We will continue to work on our rates and subvention. In the meantime, I am especially pleased that we are able to offer such good news in the current economic climate."

I am really happy to see this increased subsidy of the student's health insurance coverage, and I can't imagine that you could find anything comparable that is more affordable. As always, let me know if you have questions about private policies for spouses & dependents, Hoosier Healthwise, or HIP by emailing me at ndmomma@gmail.com . I'm due to have baby #3 any day now, so it might take me longer than usual to get back to questions.

Healthcare Options in a Nutshell

The time to keep grad student health insurance or to waive out of it is Monday, Sept. 15. I was on a panel of people presenting information about the health care options available in the area, and here's the link to the handout that I prepared for couples and families.

Holistic Moms Network

A local mom who recently found this blog contacted me regarding the Holistic Moms Network. She is a St. Mary's faculty spouse and would like to see more Notre Dame community members involved in the local chapter.

She would like families to know that "we have a thriving local chapter of the Holisitic Mom's Network, which includes playgroups, hikes, a book group, moms' night out, monthly meetings, local and national email loops, and more. It's a great way to meet other families in the area, and get advice on all kinds of family and child-raising issues." Thanks, Claire!

http://sbendin.holisticmoms.org is the web address for the South Bend chapter.

University Resources for Graduate Students

This link leads to a chart on Notre Dame's website that directs grad students to specific contact people who work for Student Affairs and who serve graduate students as departmental liasons.

These are names that I hear often in my job for the university, so this list is a great resource for graduate school families. Departments on this list include ResLife, ISSA, Student Activities (shout out to Peggy who reads this and who also looks out for the Village, thank you!), Campus Ministry, and University Health and Counseling Centers.

http://osa.nd.edu/special-for-graduate-students/contact-list

Television in the South Bend area

With the upcoming switch to digital television signals, you might be unsure what equipment is needed to get a television signal in the South Bend area. By calling 1-888-DTV-2009 or visiting https://www.dtv2009.gov, you can get a $40 voucher toward a digital converter box. Best Buy has its Insignia brand in stock (right near the door), and the net cost is $20 after the voucher.

In South Bend, you will likely need an antenna to attach to the converter box. The set-up and programming take a few minutes. This equipment was tested in a University Village basement apartment (a hard place to get a good signal), and 12 local channels came in nearly perfectly, and any problems were fixed by adjusting the antenna. Those who have missed the local PBS analog signal will be pleased to hear that the converter box and antenna will receive 2 PBS channels.

Comcast's basic cable package gets a digital signal, so it will work after the switch in February. If you opt to live in University Village, you will receive Comcast programming for free (part of rent)as of July 25.

Spouse ID Cards

http://www.gsu.nd.edu/?q=node/35

The above link will lead you to information about obtaining a spouse ID that will allow student spouses access to:

Student Activity events such as Pep Rallies
Student-only events at Legends
Rec Sports facility entry
Libraries
Domer Dollars & meal plans

This is a very positive change because student spouses formerly had to get different cards for each of these types of venues, or they would have to carry a government-issued ID and a copy of their marriage license to get access to these privileges. The above link provides further information and a printable form to submit in order to be approved for a spouse ID. The ID will be distributed in South Dining Hall, where students also get their ID cards.

International Student Services & Activities of Notre Dame

Here's a link to a website that is especially helpful for international students. Their handbook may benefit many US student families as well as international families.

http://issa.nd.edu/

Home
Programs and Services
Immigration
Arrival and Orientation
Departure
Immigration Related Links
News and Events

Free Tax Preparation

Here is the link to the IRS free-file site. Later this month they will post a list of the various tax software makers whose products you can use for free if you make less than $54,000 per year. You must get to the software through the IRS website in order to use the free-file option. If you wish to have all of your information duplicated for your state taxes, you will have to pay a small fee. I have used this free-file program for the last 4 years and have found both the Turbo-Tax and H&R Block options very helpful.
http://www.irs.gov/efile/article/0,,id=118986,00.html

Notre Dame's College of Business also offers tax preparation assistance to US citizens and greencard holders and to international students, faculty, researchers, and scholars. http://www.nd.edu/~taptax/indexD.shtml

Healthy Indiana Plan

Good news for grad school families: Indiana is offering low-cost health insurance for low-income adults (under $40,000 for families of four). The only catch is that the adult must be uninsured for 6 months prior to signing up and can not have insurance available to them by their employer. Any premiums that families pay for Hoosier Healthwise for children are deducted from the parents' premiums. Hoosier Healthwise for children and pregnant women remain the same.

Applications became available in December 2007, and they can be printed off at http://www.in.gov/fssa/hip/

Have Some Knowledge to Share?

Here's my invitation to others who know a lot about family life in the Notre Dame area. If you're interested in blogging here about arts events, food co-ops (for free-range chicken eggs, raw milk, and organic produce, etc.), restaurants, religious congregations, fitness centers, and anything else that ND families would find helpful, e-mail me at ndmomma@gmail.com. You'll need a Blogger or Gmail account to sign in, and I reserve the right to editorial discretion.

Great Family & Kids Activities Site!

http://kidsaroundthebend.com/ has a great new site by a parent who wanted to see a central listing for kid-friendly activities in the area. It is full of great listings in the following categories:

Animals & Nature
Announcements
Arts & Crafts
Camps
Celebrations
Educational
Entertainment
Faith Based
Festivals & Fairs
Holiday & Seasonal
Music
Sports, Fitness & Health
Storytimes

Definitely check it out!

Fun in the Park

The City of South Bend's Parks & Recreation Dept. maintains a very helpful website at http://www.sbpark.org/. The site has a link to their Activity Guide in PDF form. The guide provides information about park locations, features, facilities, and program costs. South Bend parks provide free lunches to children 18 & under for most of the summer. A list of parks is at http://sbpark.org/parks/parks.htm, and a list of parks that provide lunch is on page 12 of the activity guide http://sbpark.org/info/documents/summer2007update.pdf. The same list also shows which parks have special children's events. South Bend's parks also include an ice rink at Howard Park, the Potowatomi Zoo (which offers season passes for about $55 for a family), several pools and sprinkler pads, and a skate park.

Mishawaka's Parks and Recreation Department's website is at http://www.mishawakacity.com/parksandrecreations.asp. Mishawaka Parks offer swimming (at resident and non-resident rates), snow tubing, golf, and frisbee golf.

St. Joseph County Parks website is at http://www.sjcparks.org/. St. Patrick's County Park is closest to campus. It is the location of many music and cultural events. In the winter it offers tubing and cross-country skiing. It has nice playground areas, canoe rentals, and great hiking trails.


Potato Creek State Park in North Liberty, IN
http://www.in.gov/dnr/parklake/properties/park_potatocreek.html

Here is a list of park features from the website:
Picnicking/Shelters
Bicycle Trail and bike rental
Bridle Trails
Cabins
Cross-country Skiing / No Ski Rental
Fishing / Ice Fishing / Fishing Pier
Fish Cleaning Station
Hiking Trails
Playground Equipment
Canoe, Paddleboat, Rowboat Rental
Recreation Building
Swimming / Beach
Tubing Hill
Wildlife Observation Area

Logan Center - Programs for the Disabled

"LOGAN is committed to supporting people with disabilities in achieving their desired quality of life. Through our commitment to this mission, we help individuals and our community come together to Discover the Potential in each and every one of us."

My experience with Logan Center was completely positive. One of my children needed occupational therapy, and Logan Center's Building Blocks program sent a case manager, a nutritionist, and an occupational therapist to our apartment. We really became attached to these people who did so much for our child. Hoosier Healthwise covered all of the services as long as our pediatrician signed off on them, and Logan Center maintained good communication with our him about our child's progress.

Logan Center's Regional Autism Center seeks to:

Reach out to families with resources and information
Assist families with individualized plan for their loved one
Promote public awareness and increase understanding
Keep abreast of current research
Link families to those who can help
Provide training and facilitate networking for professionals, students, and families

www.logancenter.org

Clothing for Children

Clothing can be obtained at the following locations for free, cheap, or with vouchers:
B.A.B.E. 239-2223
Christ Child Society 288-6028 (requires a referral from WIC or other agency, call for details
St. Margaret’s House 234-7795
St. Vincent DePaul Society 234-6211
Women’s Care Center 234-0363

Consignment stores offer gently used clothing, gear, and toys for babies and children. The South Bend area has several.

Once Upon a Child- Grape Rd. Indian Ridge Plaza (574) 247-1099
This is a chain of consignment stores that are clean, well-stocked, and well-lit. The selection is nice. This store is probably a little pricier than the other consignment stores, but I always find what I'm looking for.

Kids Consignment- Town & Country Shopping Center, Hickory & McKinley
This store's inventory varies dramatically. The prices are high for the quality, in my opinion. The staff is not particularly helpful, and the store smells like smoke. Some Maternity clothes are available.

Regular retail stores in the Grape rd. area have good sales. The Children's Place and Target have great clearance sales on a regular basis, and both sell good quality clothing.

Pregnancy Testing

Women's Care Center offers free pregnancy testing and proof of pregnancy at several locations. www.womenscarecenter.org

WIC offices now also provide free pregnancy testing and proof of pregnancy.

Women seeking to have pregnancy coverage with Hoosier Healthwise will need a form that verifies pregnancy.

The South Bend Tribune

The award-winning local paper provides sales ads, coupons, and fun ideas for families along with the news. WIC clients can get 7-day delivery for $1 per week by picking up a form in the WIC office.

Grocery Shopping

Sorry, no Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, or Costco. I know, it's sad. However, we do manage to eat.

Here's a link to a great .pdf that was put together by some recent grads of Notre Dame. It includes the locations of many international markets and "Local, Thrifty, and Fair Trade Places to Shop for Food and Clothing". Thanks, Walsh's!

Kroger, a national chain, has a few stores in the area. Not much to write home about. They do post their ads online, so I check in when I can't find milk on sale. They have great milk sales.

Martin's, a local chain where I had my first job as a teenager, has nice gourmet selections and great bakery, produce, and meat departments. I find it cost-prohibitive to do all my shopping there, but I do like to shop there for a few quick items since it's near campus.

Meijer, a regional chain, has a wide selection of items including some good international items. Their produce section offers a wide variety, and the quality is generally good. The fresh meat is not particularly good. The chain is offering a wider selection of organic products.

With 3 Supercenters within 10 minutes of campus, Walmart is ubiquitous. The produce is second rate at best. Same for meat and bakery.

Aldi stocks some good staple items under their own label, but many of their products are highly processed. Come prepared with a quarter to get a cart (you'll get it back) and with bags to carry your groceries.

Harmony Market and Garden Patch provide a nice selection of supplements and organic and natural foods. Both are in the Grape Road area. Bamber's Superette near the Farmer's Market stocks many hard-to-find items.

Sam's Club, part of the Walmart corporation, sells bulk quantities of many common items. I'm there almost every week to buy diapers, baking items, frozen fruit, and canned veggies. Yearly membership is about $35.

Indiana Health Center

Indiana Health Center at 1901 Western Ave. in South Bend provides health and dental care on a sliding fee scale. Patients do not need to be US citizens. They do ask for income documentation, and those who are not employed will need to bring proof from the WorkOne office.

Natural Family Planning

Support and education for NFP are available at this address near St. Joseph Hospital:

410 N Notre Dame Ave
South Bend, IN 46617
(574) 237-7401