EngAGE changes lives by transforming affordable senior and multigenerational apartment communities into vibrant centers of learning, wellness, and creativity.
Thanks to EngAGE Program Director Arnold for #MakingADifference at Piedmont Senior Apartments. A resident submitted this glowing written review which we received via Legacy Partners, the management company for that community:
“The 5 star review is for Arnold Schmidt, our Activities Director. He is an absolute gem. I have been living here at the Piedmont for over 22 years. Have seen several Activities directors come and go. None hold a candle to Arnold. He is kind, caring, and very insightful as to what activity is needed for the benefit of the residents. Frankly, Arnold deserves his budget to be increased…. Again, 5 stars for Arnold*” ~ Ilene
The EngAGE Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Joe Altepeter to the position of CEO for our organization, effective October 15, 2024.
Joe has nearly two decades of dedicated executive leadership experience in the nonprofit and social enterprise sectors in critical areas such as homelessness, affordable housing, social enterprises, and LGBTQIA+ advocacy.
He has a proven record in community development in which he fostered collaborations that led to beneficial changes both locally and nationally for underserved populations. His dedication has earned him notable recognition, including the Los Angeles Business Journal Social Enterprise of the Year Award for industry leadership.
Joe looks forward to furthering EngAGE’s mission of providing a creative, life-enhancing, and more equitable future for low-income families and older adults.
The Board and the entire EngAGE community express our immense gratitude to our founder, Tim Carpenter, who led the organization for 25 successful years. His efforts resulted in a multitude of personal awards for him and acknowledgments for EngAGE, most specifically from the National Endowment of the Arts which named our organization one of the Ten Best Practices Programs in Arts & Aging in the country. We wish Tim the best in his retirement.
Home Forward and EngAGE joined together to bring storytelling classes to the Unthank Plaza and Rosenbaum Plaza affordable housing communities in Portland, OR, in 2018. At a special culminating event performance, we celebrated the participants with a live radio hour dedicated to hearing their stories and educating Portland about the power of artistic opportunity. Soon after, we broadcast the show in two parts on Experience Talks on 90.7 KPFK-FM. The video below presents the entire “PDX All Ages Radio Hour.”
SPECIAL THANKS TO: Storytellers in the class – Gren Israel La Bleu, Ruby Mercier, Kimberly Lewis, Benjamin Matthews, Joyce Morrow, and Mary Whetsel Will Hornyak, Instructor and Storyteller Extraordinaire Tyler Stenson, singer/songwriter Multnomah Arts Center Friendly House, especially Vaune Albanese, Executive Director; Mya Chamberlin, Assistant Director; Denise LaFond, Co-Director of Community Services Home Forward and their communities, Rosenbaum Plaza and Unthank Plaza EngAGE Northwest Board of Directors EngAGE Staff: Nancy Goodhart, COO; Consultants Dan Steffey, Jana Cole, and Stan Sawicki Sound Recording: Roy Payne & crew Promotion: Samantha Hanlin
Thanks to EngAGE Websites & Social Media Manager Cynthia Friedlob for #MakingADifference and sharing this personal story. Cynthia has been with EngAGE since 2007 when she began providing commentaries to Experience Talks, our public radio show formerly on KPFK-FM, Los Angeles, and other Pacifica Network stations. She enjoys keeping EngAGE in the public eye by sharing information about EngAGE programming and photos of participating residents at our communities. She also shares inspiring news stories and information of general interest to older people.
Cynthia noticed that many news stories promoting “positive aging” were about extraordinary people doing extraordinary things, usually involving exceptional physical prowess and often an element of risk. These definitely were not the stories of the everyday people who are aging positively in our EngAGE communities! This prompted her to write a 2021 blog post advocating skipping the bucket list of extreme adventures and appreciating the joys of the creative, smaller life close to home.
A version of this blog post was subsequently published by NextAvenue. Cynthia followed up with an “interactive journal” in which she shared memories of her smaller life growing up and mused about the creative activities that make it satisfying for her today.
In Praise of the Smaller Life
You’ve seen the articles. At age 73, South African heart surgeon Otto Thaning became the oldest man to swim the English Channel. At age 80, Japanese mountaineer Yuichiro Miura became the oldest person to climb Mt. Everest. And just last month, aviation pioneer Wally Funk, 80 years old, became the oldest woman to fly in space.
These are extraordinary achievements by extraordinary people. They also fit the popular cultural narrative: no matter how old you are, you’re not really living unless you stretch yourself to your limits. We live in a society obsessed by doing more, doing it faster, doing it to the fullest. Lean in, push the envelope, step outside your comfort zone. Go big or go home.
This kind of thinking usually leads to the creation of a bucket list made up of all things exciting and exotic. I have two friends who spent a month rafting 540 miles of the Blue Nile River in Ethiopia, then being handlers on the grueling, 1,000 mile Yukon Quest in Alaska. One of them did this to celebrate his 70th birthday.
Well, no, thanks. Not every life well-lived requires such extremes.
For some of us, like me, a smaller life is perfectly fine. All it requires is finding the things that bring you joy and cultivating opportunities to do them regularly. For example, I have an interest in genealogy, and it brings me great joy when I learn something new about my family history. I can get lost online for ages searching for information, and I value every discovery I make.
The smaller life is focused closer to home. I once had a conversation with a well-traveled colleague who pronounced with great certainty that the only way to understand the world was to travel. He was shocked when I disagreed. Not everyone enjoys travel, not everyone can afford it, and it is physically impossible for some. I happen to think that author Jon Winokur got it right when he pointed out that the root for the word “travel” is the same as that for “travail.” I look forward to the invention of the Star Trek transporter so that I can be plunked down in new places without having to endure the process of getting there.
For those who have wanderlust and the ability to fund it, I’m happy to say bon voyage. But some of us are content to be armchair nomads, learning about the world through reading; watching documentaries, foreign television shows and films; and visiting museums and historic locations online.
Those of us fortunate to live in the Los Angeles area can enjoy a taste of other cultures in nearby neighborhoods. You don’t have to go to Japan to celebrate the Cherry Blossom Festival, or to Mexico for Dia de los Muertos, or to China for the Chinese New Year. The experience isn’t the same as being in a foreign country, of course, but it can be satisfying and informative, especially if you talk to some of the locals.
The smaller life doesn’t mean that you have no goals, or you don’t challenge yourself to learn something new. It means that you have an open mind and set your goals realistically, taking on challenges that are manageable for your circumstances. In our EngAGE communities, I see residents who bravely try making art for the first time in their lives, writing a story or poem, singing with a chorus, learning another language, or exercising to regain strength. I understand and appreciate how significant those efforts and achievements are.
My smaller life may not include climbing Machu Picchu, but there’s a beautiful park where I can take a walk that tests my endurance. I won’t be immersing myself in a language learning program in Mexico, but my high school Spanish is getting a workout from a program online. And I don’t need to leave home to have my brain challenged by technology almost daily on my job!
Sometimes the smaller life is imposed upon us. The pandemic made just about everyone rethink venturing out. For many people, including EngAGE community residents, Zoom has provided a valuable connection to others, and an opportunity to learn and discover new interests. Fortunately, the Internet allows a physically limited existence to expand as far as the mind wants to go.
The smaller life is not a lesser life. It can be adventurous in its own way and quite a lot of fun! Most importantly, it can have purpose and meaning. The scaled-down triumphs of the smaller life are no less sweet than the dramatic ones that make the headlines.
It’s not necessary to “go big or go home.” It’s fine to stay small and stay home, enjoying a smaller life.
Slow down, you move too fast, You got to make the morning last, Just kicking down the cobblestones, Looking for fun and feelin’ groovy. – “The 59th Street Bridge Song” by Paul Simon
In 2016, EngAGE launched programming in Oregon. Our first community, Cascadian Terrace Apartments in Portland, which we continue to serve, is a 103-unit subsidized property providing affordable housing for very low-income residents. This was the first collaboration of EngAGE with Community Development Partners, the owners of Cascadian Terrace and other Portland properties. Residents enjoy an array of EngAGE programming, including art, writing, and gardening.
Our most recent arts colony, ACE/121, located in Glendale, CA, broke ground in 2015. It was designed for families of working artists and built in conjunction with a $5.5-million YMCA of Glendale makeover. The LEED Silver-certified colony celebrated its official opening in 2017. The mixed-use community was developed by Meta Housing Corp. and Designed by Studio One Eleven. It features homes for artists, artist studios, a kiln, classroom space, a computer lab, music rooms, and a ground-floor public art gallery, now managed by Glendale Arts Association.
In 2022, the ace/121 Gallery hosted an event with the Glendale YMCA and the city Department of Library, Arts and Culture to celebrate the “unveiling” of Glendale’s first-ever city-commissioned mural. It was painted by professional artist Ayumi Chisolm (SANOizm), a resident of ACE/121, after a years-long process of bringing the city its first mural, a project initiated by former ACE/121 Program Director Ben Evans.
How does EngAGE change aging? Here’s an example: our Arts & Creativity program goes beyond providing classes and exhibition opportunities in the visual arts; it also includes music and dance.
In 2018, EngAGE brought a dance/drumming workshop to Long Beach Senior Arts Colony. Thanks to a generous grant from The NAMM Foundation and our partnerships with Maha & Company and Percussion of Discussion, a ten-week workshop gave our residents a weekly opportunity to meet with the young dancers and percussionists. You can see their enthusiasm in the video below.
The culminating event held in the theater at LBSAC was standing-room only. The audience was enraptured as our residents shared the stage alongside the young performers. The finale had them dancing, drumming, singing, and smiling as everyone got in the spirit to Move & Groove!
Maha shared her thoughts on this experience: “I cannot even describe how incredible the outcomes were. The concert was above and beyond what the expectations were for the individuals and for the whole group. Other than what the performances represented, it was the positive reactions of the seniors who performed and the audience’s wonderful remarks that confirmed the positive outcomes.”
Heartwarming comments from the senior performers included:
“This was amazing.” “I never thought I could do this.” “This helped me get out of my shell.” “I am so sad this is over.” “When can we do this again?”
Once again, EngAGE sincerely thanks The NAMM Foundation for this opportunity, and we applaud our residents for their willingness to try something new.
