July 13, 2020 by Angela

Your tax-free gift from an IRA helps people stay healthy and connected!

When planning your IRA withdrawal strategy, you may want to consider making charitable donations through a QCD. A qualified charitable distribution (QCD) is a distribution of funds from your IRA account directly to a qualifying charity, like Schurig Center. IRA owners 70½ years of age and older are eligible.

Because the gift goes directly to the charity without passing through your hands, the dollar amount of the gift may be excluded from your taxable income up to a maximum of $100,000 annually, with some exceptions. These distributions can satisfy all or a part of your required minimum distribution (RMD). To learn more about QCDs, please visit IRS.gov or consult with your financial advisor.

How do I make a qualified charitable distribution to Schurig Center?

Your QCD must be made directly from your IRA custodian to Schurig Center on your behalf. Each financial institution has its own process for initiating a QCD. The IRA owner may take a check from the IRA custodian made out to the charity and deliver it, but cannot, at any time, have access to the funds.

Use this information when requesting a QCD:
Legal Name: Marin Brain Injury Network
Tax ID #: 68-0105213
Address: 1132 Magnolia Avenue, Larkspur, CA 94939

Make your gift by December 31 for your gift to qualify in this current year.

Common Questions

I am turning age 70½ in a few months. May I make a QCD gift now?
No. Legislation requires you to reach age 70½ by the date you make a QCD gift.

I have two charities I’d like to support. May I give $100,000 from my IRA to each charity?
No. Per legislation, you may only give a maximum of $100,000 in total. In this example, you might consider giving each charity $50,000 or any other combination that totals $100,000 or less. Any amount above $100,000 in one year must be reported as taxable income.

I have several retirement accounts. Does it matter which type of retirement account I use?
Yes. Direct rollovers to a qualified charity may only be made from an IRA. If you have a pension, profit sharing, 401(k) or 403(b) plan, you must first roll over all or a portion of that plan to an IRA. You may then use the funds from the IRA to complete a QCD to a qualified charity. Speak with your plan administrator for guidance regarding your specific situation.

Can I use a QCD to pay for tickets, item purchases, or a sponsorship?
No. Donors cannot receive any benefit for making a qualified distribution to a charity. For example, a QCD cannot be used to purchase something in a charity auction or purchase tickets for a charity golf tournament.

We’re here to help!

For additional questions or assistance, please contact either Executive Director Patricia Gill or Development Manager Angela Abbey at (415) 461-6771.

This information is not intended as legal or tax advice. For such advice, please consult your financial advisor or tax advisor.

March 20, 2020 by Angela

Resources and Inspiration for this Challenging Time

“The single most important thing that can happen right now in this pandemic is that we feel our collectivity — that we’re here to help each other move through this.” -TARA BRACH

Schurig Center is pleased to share this list of resources and activities to help brighten our lives and help us all navigate these unprecedented times together with peace, resilience, and strength. Check back as more resources will continue to be added daily.

Creativity

Mandalas for Relaxation …
**Recommended by Midge, Schurig’s Art Director** Keep your creativity flowing in these difficult times! Research shows coloring mandalas has the power to reduce stress and anxiety by way of mindfulness and even lift negative moods. If you find that you really like your finished mandala you can hang it up and continue to enjoy it. It’s also a great way to connect with others socially in these times of isolation. Share your awesome mandalas with others online or through video chatting. Find blank mandalas for coloring here.

Color Your Stress Away … Coloring is a simple activity that can boost your mood and help you relax. It’s a fun and creative activity for people of all ages and abilities. Find free printable coloring pages here.

Classic Marin County Scenes Turned Into Coloring Pages … Marin Magazine’s art department is making free printable coloring pages based on classic Marin County scenes for your coloring pleasure. Tag @marinmagazine when you share your creations online for a chance to be featured on the magazine’s social platforms! Check out the first installment here.

Visit 17 Famous Art Museums from Your Home … Most major art museums around the world offer virtual tours and resources for free. Art from around the world has never been closer to home. Start your tour here.

Exercise Your Brain

Word Puzzles … Word puzzles, like word searches or crosswords, are enjoyable and can help keep your brain sharp. Find free printable large print puzzles here.

Practice Your Speech & Communication

One Aphasia Action a Day … Social distancing can be particularly difficult for people with aphasia. Isolation is not a friend of communication, and it can be frustrating to have your routine derailed. National Aphasia Association has compiled a month of small, actionable activities you can do from home each day that will help you retain speech progress. Get started here.

Meditation, Mindfulness & Yoga

Yoga for Your Brain & Mindfulness-based Yoga … Stress Management Center of Marin (SMC) is offering an online chair yoga class, Tuesday and Thursday at 11:00 am. Join in! Just download the Zoom app (it’s free) and click the link below. Class will be in chairs, so no extra props or space required. $10 donation to SMC suggested, but no one will be turned away. JOIN ZOOM MEETING: https://zoom.us/j/877193029 Or call in to listen only: +16699009128, 877193029# US

Six Daily Questions to Ask Yourself in Quarantine … The physical isolation and sudden departure from familiar routines of the coronavirus shelter-in-place can be jarring and disorienting for many of us. Here are few simple questions to help structure your days and check in with yourself. Ask the questions, but don’t stress the answers. They are just meant to support self-care and help cope with feelings of isolation, disconnection, and worry.

How to Keep the Greater Good in Mind During the Coronavirus Outbreak … In the midst of our panic around COVID-19, we must look to each other to help us get through it. Beyond good hygiene, follow these tips to help others with the way you think, feel, and communicate.

“Our calm is contagious: How to use mindfulness in a pandemic” … Meditation teacher Tara Brach offers some tips for calming your coronavirus anxiety — so you can better care for others.

5-Minute Guided Meditation: Arriving in Mindful Presence

Arts & Entertainment

The Metropolitan Opera: Nightly Met Opera Streams … Each day, a different encore presentation from the company’s Live in HD series is being made available for free streaming on the Met website, with each performance available for a period of 23 hours, from 7:30 p.m. EDT until 6:30 p.m. the following day. The schedule will include outstanding complete performances from the past 14 years of cinema transmissions, starring all of opera’s greatest singers.

Hangout Groups

Put the SOCIAL in Social Distancing … The Mighty is offering a series of online events to put the SOCIAL in social distancing, from Tarot Reading, DistractMe Hangouts, journaling, art workshops, and more. Find the full schedule here.

Travel & Nature

UNESCO World Heritage Site Virtual Tours … Need an escape? Take a break and do some virtual world traveling with some virtual tours of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including Machu Picchu, Galapagos Islands, Torres del Paine, Venice, and Mont St. Michel. Start your tour here.

Monterey Bay Aquarium Live Cams … Relax, take a deep breath, and connect with the wonders of Monterey Bay. The Aquarium offers several online live cams with soothing music, including Kelp Forest, Sea Otter, Coral Reef, Aviary, Jellies, Sharks , Penguin, and Open Sea.

Learning from Home

Free Audiobooks on Audible … During the coronavirus pandemic, Amazon has made hundreds of its Audible audiobooks available for free. The collection, aimed primarily at children and families, also includes many famous literary classics. It is accessible from all devices, through a web browser, and does not require users to enter any credit card or personal details.

Yale’s “Happiness” Course … Audit Yale University’s wildly popular “The Science of Well Being” course for free online through Coursera.

Enjoy the Library From Home … Marin County Free Library has a vast collection of digital materials and online services that you can access from the comfort of your own home – from eBooks and audiobooks, to digital magazines and news, as well as streaming movies and TV, and online learning services – all free with your library card!

August 7, 2020 by Angela

Bid it to win it in Schurig Center’s Summer Auction

Schurig Center is pleased to offer an array of items for your bidding pleasure in our first ever online auction!

START
Saturday, August 15 @ 9:00 AM PST

END
Monday, August 24 @ 12:00 PM PST

BID ONLINE AT
BiddingForGood.com/SchurigCenter

Your bid provides essential connection and care services for your fellow community members living with a brain injury

The cancellation of Schurig Center’s Annual BAM Gala is your gain! Many of the items that would have been available for bidding at the gala will be offered online instead for your bidding fun. We hope you enjoy bidding on them!

And, the best part is… With your auction purchase or Fund-A-Need donation, you provide the only place in our area picking up where the healthcare system leaves off to help people thrive after a brain injury.

Although we do not know what the coming days may hold, we do know that your generosity is the reason we are able to still provide services. Our programs are being offered in a new way, remotely, but the cost to provide them has not changed. And, with 70% of clients living on low income, we rely on community support to be able to offer care to all who need us.

If you are in a position to help, please bid as generously as you can and bid it to win it!

Thank You!

July 3, 2020 by Angela

Thanks to you, people heal from the safety of home!

A Message from Executive Director, Patricia Gill

Three photos of participants Dear Friends,

I hope this finds you and your loved ones healthy and well. I write today filled with mixed emotions. I imagine you may be feeling the same way. These are challenging times for so many in our community. It’s hard to see and hear about the great difficulties people are facing in their lives right now. Yet, I find there is still much to be grateful for. I remain inspired by the resilience of the human spirit and the healing power of a caring community.

I am grateful for you! With your help, we are still providing essential connection and care for people living with a brain injury.

A crisis, like coronavirus, can cause stress and uncertainty for all of us. For people with a brain injury, it can exacerbate challenges they already face. Isolation, depression, anxiety, disabilities, and a decline in overall health are common side effects. Social distancing can also result in a backslide of abilities due to lack of stimulation; added stress in domestic relationships; and, an increased need for support.

By supporting Schurig Center, you provide the only place in our area picking up where the healthcare system leaves off to help people adjust to life changes and thrive after brain injury.

While our doors are closed and our clients are at home, our hearts and services remain open.

I’m pleased to share our team was able to adapt most services to be offered remotely within a week of shelter-in-place. Speech therapy, computerized cognitive classes, art therapy, communication classes, support groups, concussion education groups, and resource referrals continue to be offered online or by phone. We’ve also provided home deliveries, helped clients access community resources, and supported caregivers. This ‘virtual’ offering of life-enhancing services would not be possible without you.

Thanks to you, people continue to heal from the safety of their home!

Photos of participants on zoom call You help improve the health and well-being of your fellow community members like Brandon, who suffered a traumatic brain injury from a car accident. With you by his side, Brandon is able to continue to recover and feel hopeful while sheltering-in-place.

Although we do not know what the coming days may hold, we do know that your generosity is the reason we are able to still provide services. Our programs are being offered in a new way, but the cost to provide them has not changed. And, with 70% of clients living on low income, we rely on community support to be able to offer care to all who need us.

If you are in a position to help, please give as generously as you can today.

I’m confident that with your help Schurig Center will be standing strong for years to come, helping survivors and their families live full and meaningful lives after brain injury. Thank you!

Photo of Patricia giving the thumbs up With gratitude,
Patricia Gill, MS
Executive Director