Our country used to run on volunteers and, in many ways, still does.

We live in a particularly friendly area of the country, and many of us go out of our way to help others. Because my husband, Jim, and I live in a rural area, we still have volunteer fire departments — such a needed service, and a huge thank you to all the men and women who serve when there is an emergency.

There are many ways to volunteer in our lovely town. For instance, our churches certainly need our help. From teaching Sunday school, working in the nursery and singing in the choir, to cleaning up the grounds and buildings, there is a task for anyone who would like to volunteer.

Your children's school can also use volunteers. Ask at the office what you can do to help — perhaps raise funds for needed equipment, or help with field trips.

One way to really make a difference is to visit the elderly in our nursing homes and rehabilitation centers. Many of these people are lonely and would love some company. Their families usually work and may even live quite a distance away, so they need friendly interaction. This is rewarding, as you gain new friends and they get to have social contact.

Our youths always need volunteers, from Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, to youth sports teams. Adults are needed to keep these activities viable. Many churches have youth club organizations that also need adult volunteers.

Perhaps you have older neighbors who could use some help. Offer to take them grocery shopping and then carry in and put away their groceries. Some may need transportation to doctor's appointments. Many need help with yard work — offer to mow their grass and hedge, paint their shutters, and take their trash barrel to the curb.

There are so many ways that we as neighbors can help each other.

While I was in the hospital, we had neighbors who kept our lawn mowed and took good care of our pets. What fabulous people they are! And they were very needed during my health crisis.

Don't wait for a crisis to offer your help. There are many areas in which to serve — just be aware that some volunteer positions will require a background check.

Find someplace to volunteer and make a difference!

Janice Lynn Crose, a former accountant, lives in Crestview with her husband, Jim; her two rescue collies, Shane and Jasmine; and two cats, Kathryn and Prince Valiant.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: CROSE: Volunteering opportunities abound in Crestview

Even if you’ve been out of school for a few years, you may still have a vivid reminder of college: your student loan debt. Since you’ve joined the workforce, you might be paying back your loans as best you can. But can you gradually reduce your debts while still putting money away for your long-term goals – such as retirement?

Of course, you might think it’s premature to even think about retiring, since you probably have decades to go before you say goodbye to the working world.

But the sooner you begin saving and investing for retirement, the more time you’ll have for your money to grow. Plus, your early start will help you avoid having to play “catch up” later.

Still, it can be challenging to juggle payments for student loans and contributions to a retirement account, especially if your loans are sizable. How can you meet these two separate demands on your income?

To begin with, you may have some flexibility in how you repay your student loan. Although you might have selected, or were assigned, a repayment plan when you first begin repaying your student loan, you can typically change this plan to accommodate your financial situation. You’ll need to contact your loan servicer for details on adjusting your repayments.

In any case, though, if you have a large student loan, it’s safe to say that you will be paying it back for quite some time. So, rather than wait for this debt to be cleared before you start saving for retirement, think about how you can take action now.

For one thing, take full advantage of your 401(k) or similar employer-sponsored retirement plan. This type of plan certainly offers some key benefits: Your earnings can grow on a tax-deferred basis, and you typically contribute on a pretax basis, which means the more you put in, the lower your taxable income. Plus, you can fund your plan with a variety of investment choices. But for you, perhaps the biggest benefit is that your employer simply takes the money from your paycheck before you get it and puts it into your account.

You don’t have to pay all your bills first and then hope you still have something left to invest — it’s already been done for you.

Ultimately, contributing to your 401(k) can  be a “painless” way of investing, and it may make it easier, psychologically at least, for you to pursue the two goals of paying your college debts and saving for the future.

If you don’t have a 401(k) or similar plan, you can still follow the same principle of essentially freeing yourself from initiating investment moves, simply by setting up a bank authorization to automatically transfer money from your checking or savings account into an IRA, which offers some of the same features as a 401(k). You can start with relatively small amounts – perhaps as little as $50 per month – and increase your contributions as your income rises.

As you well remember, college wasn’t  cheap. And you don’t want to make it even more costly by having your student loan payments interfere with progress you can make toward your retirement funding goals. So, think about “automating” the contributions to your retirement accounts.

The effort – or rather, the effortlessness – on your part can be well worth it.

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones financial adviser.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: SHANKLIN: While paying off student loans, remember retirement

Strawberries are deceiving. First, they are not really berries because they have about 200 seeds on the outside instead of inside. And they are actually part of the rose family.

Also, they taste too good to be good for you, but strawberries are low fat, low calorie, high fiber and high in antioxidants and vitamins. Including strawberries in your diet can actually decrease your risk of heart disease and certain cancers.

Here are more facts:

●Strawberries are grown all over America. California and Florida are the nation’s leading producers of strawberries.

●Strawberries in Okaloosa County are planted in the fall and harvested in March through May. The plants are traditionally hand-planted in raised, covered beds, and then watered extensively for 10-14 days.  

●Honeybees are important pollinators in the process of making big, tasty strawberries.

●Strawberries attract several pests like insects and diseases, so they require constant monitoring to produce tasty berries. 

●Farmers are constantly monitoring the nutrient and water needs of the plants and “spoon-feeding” the strawberry plants just what they need at the right time.

And, last but not least: Strawberries are currently available in our area, so stop by a u-pick farm, roadside stand or farmers’ market to get yours today!

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: BEARDEN: Strawberries require some care, but are worth the work

Our country used to run on volunteers and, in many ways, still does.

We live in a particularly friendly area of the country, and many of us go out of our way to help others. Because my husband, Jim, and I live in a rural area, we still have volunteer fire departments — such a needed service, and a huge thank you to all the men and women who serve when there is an emergency.

There are many ways to volunteer in our lovely town. For instance, our churches certainly need our help. From teaching Sunday school, working in the nursery and singing in the choir, to cleaning up the grounds and buildings, there is a task for anyone who would like to volunteer.

Your children's school can also use volunteers. Ask at the office what you can do to help — perhaps raise funds for needed equipment, or help with field trips.

One way to really make a difference is to visit the elderly in our nursing homes and rehabilitation centers. Many of these people are lonely and would love some company. Their families usually work and may even live quite a distance away, so they need friendly interaction. This is rewarding, as you gain new friends and they get to have social contact.

Our youths always need volunteers, from Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, to youth sports teams. Adults are needed to keep these activities viable. Many churches have youth club organizations that also need adult volunteers.

Perhaps you have older neighbors who could use some help. Offer to take them grocery shopping and then carry in and put away their groceries. Some may need transportation to doctor's appointments. Many need help with yard work — offer to mow their grass and hedge, paint their shutters, and take their trash barrel to the curb.

There are so many ways that we as neighbors can help each other.

While I was in the hospital, we had neighbors who kept our lawn mowed and took good care of our pets. What fabulous people they are! And they were very needed during my health crisis.

Don't wait for a crisis to offer your help. There are many areas in which to serve — just be aware that some volunteer positions will require a background check.

Find someplace to volunteer and make a difference!

Janice Lynn Crose, a former accountant, lives in Crestview with her husband, Jim; her two rescue collies, Shane and Jasmine; and two cats, Kathryn and Prince Valiant.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: CROSE: Volunteering opportunities abound in Crestview