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Local ‘Daily Money Manager’ Helps Older People with Finances

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Daily Money Managers

Navigating finances can get increasingly complicated over time as situations such as retirement, care of parents and other major life changes come into play.

Peachtree Corners resident Laura Schwab helps people maneuver money mazes as a certified Daily Money Manager (DMM).

DMMs help people with daily financial tasks, providing services from paying bills and budgeting to record-keeping, negotiating with creditors and healthcare advocacy.

“As people get older, it can become a burden to keep financially organized,” Schwab said. “A daily money manager can help people stay independent longer.”

Schwab holds a bachelor’s degree in finance and worked for two Fortune 500 companies. Her DMM business grew out of her love of educating and helping friends and neighbors with their financial affairs.

She is a member of the American Association of Daily Money Managers, whose members go through a background check, live by a code of ethics and have standards of practice.

Her typical clients include seniors, recently widowed or divorced individuals handling finances for the first time, busy professionals and frequent travelers. “If taking care of the finances becomes overwhelming for you or a loved one, help is available,” Schwab said.

She said she helped one client get a long-term care policy reinstated after cancellation due to non-payment. The client was then able to receive benefits amounting to more than $470,000 over the next eight years, Schwab said.

Another of her clients was placed in an inpatient care facility for rehab services after a hospital stay but was told by the facility that he didn’t meet requirements for Medicare coverage.

“I don’t claim to be a Medicare expert but knew enough that this didn’t sound right,” Schwab said. “I appealed to Medicare, and he received back over $26,000 in benefits.”

Learn more
• DMM Laura Schwab: dailymoneymatters.org or 678-471-6867.
• American Association of Daily Money Managers: aadmm.com.
(Atlanta chapter: aadmmatlanta.com.) ■

Donna Williams Lewis is a freelance journalist who covered metro Atlanta for decades as a writer and editor at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

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Olympian Jasmine Jones Visits Her Local Alma Mater

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Olympic athlete standing with a school mascot

Olympian Jasmine Jones, a standout alumna of Greater Atlanta Christian School (Class of 2020), returned to her alma mater on September 12 to speak to and inspire the next generation of students there.

GAC staff interviewed Jones and also took questions from the students during a Q&A session that included every grade level.

Female Olympic athlete being interviewed onstage
photo courtesy of Greater Atlanta Christian School

As a member of the U.S. Olympic team and a 12-time Georgia state individual champion during her time at GAC, Jasmine’s visit was a homecoming filled with motivation and reflection. She spoke passionately to the students about the importance of perseverance, goal-setting, and embracing challenges, drawing from her journey from GAC to the University of Southern California and the global stage of the Olympics.

Jones qualified for the Paris Olympics on June 30 and made the U.S. team in women’s 400m hurdles after placing third. She went on to place fourth in the women’s 400m hurdles final at the Paris games.

Female Olympian meeting members of the audience in a school auditorium
photo courtesy of Greater Atlanta Christian School

Students and staff at GAC cheered Jones on during the Olympics. And they cheered her again as she took to the school’s stage to address the audience. Before and after the event, Jones posed for photos, gave high-fives and took time connect with some of GAC’s enthusiastic students and faculty.

Female Olympian meeting students at her alma mater
photo courtesy of Greater Atlanta Christian School

Her words — and her accomplishments — left a powerful impression on the crowd, reminding everyone of the heights that can be achieved with dedication and faith.

For more about GACS, visit greateratlantachristian.org.

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Miyabiya Japan Brings Kabuki ‘Lion Dance’ to Life for Students at ICAGeorgia

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kabuki performers in front of an audience of K-6 students

The renowned performers wowed the audience with a thrilling presentation of dance, drama and fun.

Staff, students and board members of the International Charter Academy of Georgia were given a short-but-thrilling taste of Kabuki when dancers from Miyabiya Japan stopped by the school on September 16 for a special performance.

Offering a preview of the full show they’d prepared for center stage at JapanFest 2024, the troop presented a special short section of a dance titled “Renjishi: The Two Lions.”

Miyabiya Japan Kabuki performers
photo credit: Shawne Taylor

Considered one of the most famous pieces in Kabuki, Renjishi is known for its powerful choreography and dramatic expression. It tells the story of the relationship between a father lion and his young son. The powerful movements, dramatic expressions and percussive sound effects symbolize the passing of strength and legacy from one generation to the next.

How the show came about

Miyabiya Japan last appeared at JapanFest in 2016 to great acclaim. This year, with the excitement of their return, the performers made plans to offer a few shorter performances at other places around town in the week leading up to the festival.

School faculty and board members with performers from Miyabiya Japan Kabuki troop
from left: Takahiko Fujima, Miki Ito, Junko Jones, Aki Nozawa Felecia Tucker-Jones, Carol Freeman, Daniela Britton, Yuriko Evett, Annie Varghese, Robert Johnson and Yukimasa Futamura

Robert Johnson, an advisory board member of ICAGeorgia and a long-time friend of JapanFest and the Miyabiya troop, knew the dual-language, Japanese immersion school would be a great place for one of the shows. He helped organize the day’s demonstration and was on-hand to talk to the crowd and introduce the performers.

The performance

It was the first time having a Kabuki performance at ICAGeorgia. And, as students filed into the school’s gym, the excitement was palpable. The room was humming with happy voices before the show even began.

Johnson greeted the kids with a smile before introducing the award-winning Kabuki troop in both English and Japanese.

Kabuki dancers in motion during performance
photo credit: Shawne Taylor

“This special group from Japan will be performing at JapanFest, but today they’re performing here for you,” he told the excited crowd.

He went on to explain, “Kabuki is a special form of very dramatic and traditional Japanese dance. Two dancers today will do the Lion Dance.” The youngest children in the crowd shrieked with delight when they heard the name.

“The Lion Dance is like the story of the Lion King,” he continued, “with an otousan (father) lion with a long white mane and his son with a bright red mane.”

Kabuki performer with an audience of K-6 students
photo courtesy of ICAGeorgia

After the short explanation of what to expect, Johnson instructed the students (and the adults in the audience) to call for the performers to come out. To the sounds of “Miyabi-ya, miyabi-ya,” from the crowd, the dancers bounded out into the room, onto the space set up for their performance. They greeted Mr. Johnson and the students before getting into the story.

An interactive experience

The show started with a brief instruction of Kabuki movements that got the audience on its feet, following the red lion’s lead. It ended with a bang of confetti that thrilled (and surprised) everyone there.

Kabuki performer at a school
photo courtesy of ICAGeorgia

In between, the story of the two lions was beautifully expressed through the performers’ detailed costumes, traditional kumadori makeup, exaggerated expressions and dramatic movements. At times, the dancers even made their way into the audience. Students and adults alike were riveted from start to finish.

“I’m happy to have the performers come to our school,” said Junko Jones, a founding board member and CFO of ICAGeorgia. “Not all of the students will be able to go to JapanFest. So, it’s nice that they can experience Japan here.”

Kabuki performers in front of a K-6 audience
photo courtesy of ICAGeorgia

About ICAGeorgia

The International Charter School of Georgia is a K-6 Japanese immersion school located in Peachtree Corners. They currently have 250 students, with plans to expand the school to offer Grades 7–8 in the future.

Eighty-one of the students will sing onstage at JapanFest September 21 at 1pm. This will be school’s sixth time performing at the festival, having been there every year since the school opened. The students also performed at the state capital in January for Japan Day.

For more information about ICAGeorgia, visit internationalcharteracademy.org.

For more about JapanFest and Miyabiya Japan, visit japanfest.org

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JapanFest Weekend 2024 Celebrates Ties Between Georgia and Japan

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crowd of people walking through a large red arch at JapanFest

Live performances, shopping, food and fun are the highlights of this annual event celebrating Japanese culture

Georgia’s close ties to Japan span decades. The State of Georgia opened its first international office in Tokyo in 1973 to promote trade and tourism. A year later, the Consulate General of Japan in Atlanta was established. 

Now, Georgia and Japan share a sister state-prefecture relationship and 10 sister city connections. Georgia is also regarded as the center of Japanese business activities in the southeastern United States as over 600 Japanese-affiliated companies have invested over $10.4 billion. 

Two girls in kimonos standing under a Japanfest balloon banner
photo from JapanFest 2023

To celebrate this connection, JapanFest Weekend 2024 will be held on September 21 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and September 22 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Gas South Convention Center

Organized by the Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Georgia and The Japan-America Society of Georgia, the festival is designed to promote friendship and cultural exchange between the Japanese and American communities in the Southeast.

Live performances

JapanFest 2024 will feature a lineup of performers coming from Japan. Miyabiya Japan is set to showcase the mesmerizing blend of traditional and modernized Kabuki theatre, a performing art proclaimed as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. 

kabuki theatre
Miyabiya Japan Kabuki, photo courtesy of JapanFest

Broadway performer and Rakugo master storyteller, hailed as the “King of Kimono Comedy,” Katsura Sunshine, will bring the laughs, as well as a captivating rendition of classic Japanese tales.

There will also be performances by the Matsuriza Taiko Japanese Drum Troupe and Samurai Sword Soul, as well as sumo, karate, kendo and kyudo martial arts demonstrations. 

Food, fun and arts & crafts

On top of that, local Japanese restaurants will offer a tantalizing menu of bento boxes, rice bowls, ramen noodles, sushi, yakisoba, shaved ice and more at the Japanese Food Court and Beer Garden. Cultural exhibits and workshops include calligraphy, Bonsai, Ikebana flower arranging, Kimono fitting, origami, a tea ceremony and more.  

hands folding origami
photo credit: Pat Fahey

Kids will have a fantastic time experiencing Japanese culture firsthand. At the festival’s Children’s Area, they can make their own Japanese crafts and toys. They can even take part in carrying a traditional Japanese portable shrine at the o-mikoshi parade. 

Visitors can also purchase an amazing array of Japanese goods, including kimono, Japanese tea, dolls, hand-made crafts, anime and manga goods and much from over 100 vendor booths. 

Japanese paper umbrella
photo credit: Joy Rogers, JapanFest

Many of the over 600 Japanese-affiliated companies based in Georgia will display their products at the Japanese Businesses in Georgia (JBiG) exhibition. Interactive exhibits also include the latest in Japanese technology, including automobiles, tractors, electronics, video games and virtual reality.

The details

Join over 20,000 visitors at this year’s JapanFest.

  • Advanced Tickets: $16 (available until September 20th)
  • Tickets at the Door: $20
  • Family & Friends Package: $70 for 4 tickets or $90 for 5 tickets (available at the door)
  • Children aged 6 and under: FREE

Military personnel and seniors can purchase tickets at a discounted rate of $16 at the door. 

Group tickets and sponsorship opportunities are available for organizations looking to support the festival and gain a larger presence in the Japanese American community.   

JapanFest would not be possible without the help of over 150 volunteers. To fill out a volunteer application, please visit japanfest.org/participate and click on “Volunteer.”
For more information, call 404-522-6938 or email: lendon@japanfest.org.

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