This month begins a time of important focus for small business owners and entrepreneurs.

With National Entrepreneurship Month, Global Women's Entrepreneurship Day and Small Business Saturday in November, all eyes are on you.  In our Business section, we've highlighted some ways to celebrate, as well as some resources designed to help you out.

Don't forget about National Diabetes Awareness Month - a great time to check your risk factors for diabetes or find new ways to manage the disease. The Health & Lifestyle section will give you some creative ways to plan holiday meals, while still staying conscious of sugar and carbohydrate intake.

This edition highlights My Secure Advantage, a financial coaching benefit found on many AWA membership plans. Designed to help provide financial planning resources for any stage of life, My Secure Advantage can help you feel confident about your future. New vision benefits are also now available through a fully insured vision membership plan, AWA ClearView.  Learn more in the AWA Benefits section.

Finally, we invite you to join us for the annual AWA Members Meeting, where we will highlight the accomplishments of 2019 and provide a sneak preview of what's to come in 2020.  Be sure to RSVP to get your call in details for the meeting.

Neil Peterson
AWA Board President

Stay current on small business news, health trends and AWA benefits by visiting our blog - AWA Pulse - and other social media pages.  Be sure to check us out on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter for the latest news!

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Membership Plan or Benefits Questions?

Be sure to check the Member Portal – members.affiliatedworkersassociation.org to review your membership materials.

For any questions- contact our benefits administrator Premier Health Solutions at (855) 351-7536 or email at info@affiliatedworkersassociation.org.

Financial Coaching Now Available

For AWA memberships that include My Secure Advantage, you have financial resources at your fingertips to help you feel confident about your financial goals in any stage of life - be it growing a family, buying a house, caring for aging parents or planning retirement.

Use two free telephonic consultations for money coaching and create a personalized financial checkup and action plan.  Use the MSA personalized website to schedule appointments, watch video courses, share documents and more. Members can even attend monthly webinars and quarterly live forums on a variety of finance topics and related life events.

Members with My Secure Advantage also receive significant discounts on self-help, online tax preparation software or tax specialists who can prepare your tax return at a significantly discounted rate.  And for an additional fee of $39.95 per month, members can retain an ongoing money coach for additional services with unlimited access.

Check out your member portal for more details on how to access My Secure Advantage services or call (855) 351-7536 to add an AWA membership that includes My Secure Advantage.

AWA Vision Benefits Now Available

The AWA ClearView fully insured vision membership plan provides benefits for an eye exam and lenses once every 12 months, and frames once every 24 months.  In addition, members receive benefits for contact lenses, as well as discounts on vision items not covered by the plan. Members receive higher benefits when they utilize the MESVision PPO network available nationwide.

MESVision Network includes real choices in network vision care providers - Ophthalmologists, Optometrists, Opticians and Optical Retail Chains like Lenscrafters, Walmart, Target, Pearle Vision, Eyemasters and more. Monthly rates start as low as $17 for members with the enrollment fee waived when added to an active AWA membership.

If you are interested in adding a membership plan featuring AWA ClearView, please call (855) 351-7536.

November is National Diabetes Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness of this disease that impacts nearly 30 million children and adults in the U.S. This number is expected to grow even more since it is estimated that 79 million people have pre-diabetes and are at risk for type 2 diabetes. For those living with diabetes, managing the disease is very important. The National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP) is promoting diabetes management through the Take Diabetes to Heart, a program designed to help diabetics understand they are at greater risk for heart disease and stroke. Learn More

In addition, the American Diabetes Association is promoting awareness for diabetes management, prevention and improvement of lives of those affected by the disease. Their program called Count Me In was created to help inspire people to take action in the fight against diabetes.  Learn More

SUPPORT THE CAUSE: You can donate by calling the American Diabetes Association at 1-800-DIABETES. Learn More

Eating for Diabetes

Heading into the holidays can create some challenging choices to stay on track with managing diabetes.  With some simple ingredient swaps and fresh ideas, holiday mealtime can still be enjoyable and doesn't have to be boring.

Some of the keys to adjusting your favorite recipes and meal plans include adding more fruits and vegetables, choosing lean meats and plant-based sources of protein, as well as using less added sugar and less processed foods. The American Diabetes Association provides in-depth resources with information about different types of diets, meal planning, food and blood sugar, as well as a great recipe resource on the Diabetes Food Hub™.

Visit today for more ideas on how to stay balanced and enjoy your mealtimes.

Roasted Turkey and Vegetables – A holiday classic that acts as a great healthy main dish.  Click here for the recipe.

Better Mashed Potatoes – The ultimate comfort food side dish gets a smart makeover.  Check it out here.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts - Low in calories and in carbohydrates, this side dish can help control blood glucose and still tastes delicious.  Recipe found here.

Holiday Pumpkin Pie with Maple-Ginger Crust – Remake this classic into a lower-sugar option for the holidays.  Find out more here.