WATCH OUT FOR CON ARTISTS

1. Senior citizens are victims of economic crimes more often than physical, violent crimes.
2. Don't be taken in by investment schemes, funeral scams, home improvement scams, fake cures for cancer and arthritis, sweepstakes, free vacation offers, and other promotions that sound "to good to be true." Be wary of phone solicitors asking for personal information -- credit cards or checking account numbers -- even if they claim you won something. Ask them to mail you the information.
3. Con artists use speed and secrecy. Take your time and discuss options with friends or relatives. Don't let anyone rush you into signing anything -- a contract, sales agreement, insurance policy. Read it carefully and have someone you trust check it over.

GET INVOLVED

1. Report any crime to law enforcement. Ask about victim services.
2. Work to improve your community's well-being. Volunteer as a tutor for young children, Neighborhood Watch organizer, mentor for teens, citizen patroller, victim advocate, block grandparent, office aid as a Sentinel in the Police Department, newsletter writer, escort for people with disabilities.

IF YOU'RE BEING ABUSED BY A SPOUSE, BOYFRIEND OR GIRLFRIEND, TELL SOMEONE WHAT'S GOING ON AND PLAN NOW FOR YOUR ESCAPE...

1. Choose a place to go - a friend or relative who will offer support no matter what, a motel or hotel, a shelter for battered women.
2. Pack a survival kit with money for cab fare, a change of clothes, extra hose and car keys, birth certificates, passports, medications and copies of prescriptions, insurance information, checkbooks, credit cards, legal documents such as separation agreements and protection orders, address book, any valuable jewelry, and papers that show jointly owned assets. Conceal it at home or leave it with a trusted neighbor or friend.
3. Try to start an individual savings account. Have statements sent to a trusted relative or friend.
4. Know the telephone number of the domestic violence hotline is 357-2500. Contact it for information on resources and legal rights.
5. Think about all possible escape routes: doors, first floor windows, basement exits, elevators, stairwells.
6. Review your safety plan monthly.
7. Avoid arguments with the abuser in areas with potential weapons, like the kitchen or garage, and in small spaces without access to an outside door.
8. If you are threatened and fear for your life, call 911 immediately.

PEOPLE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

BE A VOLUNTEER!

WHAT'S THE PAYOFF?

1. Helping others.
2. Learning new skills.
3. Exploring a new career.
4. Meeting interesting people who ar different from you.
5. Discovering new interest and aspirations.
6. Living in a safer community.

WANT TO VOLUNTEER? CHECK OUT...

1. Schools near your home or workplace and their parent associations.
2. Churches and other religious groups.
3. Volunteer clearinghouses operated by local governments.
4. Announcements in newspapers and newsletters.
5. Police and sheriff's departments, victim assistance agencies, and Neighborhood Watch groups.
6. Organizations known for their volunteer work like local chapters of service clubs and other national groups such as the American Association of Retired Persons, General Federation of Women's Clubs, and The Association of Junior Leagues International, Inc.
7. Public and private sector organizations that serve children and young people.
8. Shelters for battered women and their children.
9. Crisis (rape, suicide, etc.) hotlines.
10. Services for recent immigrants or refugees.

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