EngAGE changes lives by transforming affordable senior and multigenerational apartment communities into vibrant centers of learning, wellness, and creativity.
Just in time for International Women’s Day! Making history now: The Magnolia@ Highland community won the award for most entries in our Greeting Card Art contest!
Feeling proud!Feeling silly!
Program Director Alma reports: “The Artists Roundtable class worked really hard for four months painting their masterpieces. I think they learned a great deal along the way, and they all felt pretty good about their finished works. There were 18 participants in all, and 14 of them submitted their art for consideration. I am thrilled that we have won for the most submissions and am so happy to reward the residents with an awesome luncheon.”
Alma made a “photo booth” for the luncheon, complete with a homemade banner and “a big old frame I got out of my garage.” The celebrants took full advantage of it!
The players in their team t-shirts with coach Jack, front, and Piedmont Program Director Arnold, back.
Program Director Arnold from the visiting Piedmont team reported: After a crushing 3:0 defeat by the Piedmont team in the first round last year, the Burbank Senior Artists Colony team was pumped up and ready for action for the second round. This time Burbank won!
This means that we currently have a tie, so we’ll have a third round coming up in the future!
The day started with the Burbank welcoming committee greeting the Piedmont team members in the parking garage and guiding them to the Theatre room on the second floor.
After everyone had arrived, the festivities began with a big, fun drum circle. We had around 65 attendees including the players, both cheerleading teams, and audience.
After a quick switchover from drums to chair volleyball, coach and chair volleyball instructor extraordinaire Jack declared the games open. Five rounds with five players on each team ended in a 3:2 win for the Burbank team!
We finished the games by playing a few rounds of mixed teams, including some audience participation. We may have picked up a few new players for each team during the non-competitive mixed exchange, as everyone seemed to have a wonderful time.
All these activities created quite an appetite, so we finished the day with all of the participants mingling and enjoying food provided by EngAGE and set up by BSAC Program Director Ernie and his wife, Candy.
BSAC Program Director Ernie and family serve dessert.
Thanks:
To BSAC drum circle instructor Mark who kindly loaned us a lot of drums for the event.
To Piedmont resident Nicholas G for baking and bringing several delicious treats and cakes.
To Ernie and Candy for loaning us their son as a scorekeeper during the games. We may have to borrow him next time, too!
To everyone who showed up in person and in spirit! It was truly a memorable event and we are looking forward to the 2023 Grand Finale later this year.
Christal Smith-Carpenter, Zoe Carpenter and Tim on a hike in Big Sur, CA.
“I want to live, I want to give, I’ve been a miner for a heart of gold, It’s these expressions I never give, That keep me searchin’ for a heart of gold, And I’m getting old.”
– Neil Young, “Heart of Gold”
My Heart
by Tim Carpenter
I don’t know whether I failed my heart, or my heart failed me. Either way, I’m trying to make sense of the fact that I had a heart attack at 62 last month.
I woke up on President’s Day morning and knew something was very wrong. A boa constrictor had wrapped itself around my chest. I struggled to breathe, was drenched in sweat, and my jaw ached terribly. I told my wife I needed to get to the hospital, just a handful of minutes away.
I thought I was going to have a heart attack, but when they looked at the EKG, they told me I was actually already in the middle of having one, and they would be moving fast now. The cardiologist had a stent in my blocked artery in what seemed like 15 minutes. Modern western medicine might get a bad rap sometimes, but when you need an angioplasty, you feel lucky to have access.
The worst part of that morning is knowing the pain and fear it inflicted on my wife, who drove me to the ER (important tip: don’t do this, call 911), her seeing the pain and panic on my face as I was wheeled into the Cath lab. Perhaps even worse was the tearful call I had with my daughter shortly after being in the clear, knowing that she knew I went in, and she didn’t know if I would come back out. Her mom died when she was 8 years old and the thought of her losing a second parent is devastating to me.
This event has brought up in sharp detail the memory of finding my father in his side yard, fallen in the leaves he was raking, trying to revive him. It was the first time I’d touched my lips to his since I was a small boy. He was 59 when he died, three years younger than I am now. I was lucky. He was not.
Before the heart attack, I had very recently started seeing a cardiologist for heart arrythmia, partly because my siblings all have atrial fibrillation, so wanted to get ahead of it if I was headed down that same road. I have always been competitive, so it’s just like me to one-up them by skipping AFib to have a heart attack, the first of my generation for the win.
My cardiologist, who seems like a cross between Einstein and Jerry Garcia, called me in the ICU after the event and his first words? “Bro. You had a heart attack!” I laughed, the desired effect, and told him that I was still trying to wrap my head around that fact, too. I still am.
Ironically, toward the end of last year and the beginning of this one, I had been on a path toward getting healthy again after my less-than-great pandemic habits. When the attack happened, I had lost 30 pounds from my couch potato COVID days. I was eating much better, exercising regularly, trying my best. I guess in retrospect maybe I should’ve squeezed in one more cheeseburger for the good old days.
So, what happens next? It’s a question I’m still trying to answer and thankfully continue to be able to consider each day that I wake up.
As you probably know, for the past 25 years, I have been working for EngAGE, where we provide life-enhancing programs in arts, well-being, lifelong learning, community building, and intergenerational connection to people living in affordable housing. Our goal is to help give people the chance to live their best lives. Although we now work with all ages, we started with seniors, trying to make aging, well… cool. Having thought about better ways to get older for a long time, I am now trying to practice what I’ve preached, so here are some ideas I am applying to my own journey, post-heart attack, now. Many of these can be healthy ways to think about your own lifestyle.
Healthcare: I am taking my medications. I went from taking none to having a very colorful 7-day, twice-a-day pillbox, lucky me. I’m also under the ongoing care of my cardiologist Dr. Einstein-Garcia. I am closely monitoring my blood pressure and cholesterol.
Eating healthy: I am not on a diet; eating healthy is my lifestyle now. I am following a nutrition plan created by my friend and EngAGE board member Dr. Greg Berkoff, check it out here.
Exercise: I am slowly building back to exercising like I did before this happened, walking and building up to 30-40 minutes per day, to be followed by getting back to the gym for cardio, weights, core strength building, and balance.
Mental health: I am watching out for signs in me of depression, isolation, and loneliness. I am ready to go back to therapy if needed and am trying to constantly connect with family and good friends. This phase of life is interesting, as are all of them, so I talk about it with people I love, often.
Mental attitude: When I find myself feeling down about what happened or where I am in life, I try to feel a positive, strong sense of being lucky to be alive, as we all should feel, each day.
Gratitude: I practice it actively each day, thankful for my life, my friends and family, for each breath.
Drinking: I have had a love/hate relationship with this, especially during the pandemic, so I am using this event to quit, completely, and am very happy with that.
Mindfulness: I am trying to be more present, to actively breathe and to meditate. I try to pay attention to the beauty in life, to stop and notice that. The recent snow frosting the mountains near LA was a good reminder of that for me.
Community: I want to continue to create a sense of community, belonging, and social connection in my day-to-day life. My wife and I have been meeting people in our neighborhood, stopping on the street in town to pet their dogs, say hello, and try to establish relationships with people who live nearby.
Creativity/hobbies: I have been wanting to get back to being a more creative person in my personal life. I have taken up drawing again after a very long time, have been trying to do some creative writing (which I used to live for), and have been practicing photography as I travel and move through my world.
Nature: I have been walking outside more, trying to get back to a love for walking and hiking and taking in the stunning beauty of the great outdoors.
Purpose: As a person in midlife, I have been paying attention to my ongoing sense of purpose and how I want to live the rest of my life. I want to continue to do good, to help my community and the people who live in it.
Forgiveness: I am working to forgive myself. When we experience a traumatic incident, it’s easy to blame ourselves. I felt responsible for what happened to me and how deeply it affected the people I love, especially my wife and daughter. That has helped motivate me to change behavior to make sure I’m around for the people I love. But I also want to forgive myself and move on.
After having suffered a heart attack, I would not wish it on anyone – they hurt terribly, it scared me more than I can tell you, and I realize how much I want to live on, to spend more time with my wife, daughter, family, and friends. It’s never too late to make this phase, or every phase, of your life better for you and the people you love. Carpe diem.
Related Northwest and development partner Centro Cultural de Washington County joined Portland Housing Bureau and community-based partners to mark the start of construction of Related Northwest’s newest affordable development: Alder 9, a 159-unit affordable community for low and very low-income seniors and intergenerational families. EngAGE NWwill offer a host of resident services and arts programming at the ground floor arts center.
(L-R) Mamak Tabrizian, Director Senior Services Impact NW; Ryan Hood, Senior Project Manager Related Northwest; Commissioner Carmen Rubio, City of Portland; Stef Kondor, SVP Development Related Northwest; Maria Caballero Rubio, Executive Director Centro Cultural; Jonath Colon, Deputy Director Centro Cultural; Molly Rogers, Interim Director Portland Housing Bureau; Maria Rojo de Steffey, Executive Director EngAGE Northwest
The nine-story development will include a ground floor wellness center complete with social and activity spaces, including a fitness/movement room, and case management offices. There will be places for residents to gather and connect, including a community garden and courtyard. Alder 9 will be a community hub, providing a home for organizations to offer essential services to the residents. Centro Cultural will operate the Employment and Education Mobility Hub and provide culturally and linguistically relevant educational and employment services. Impact Northwest will provide wraparound services to the 25 units of permanent supportive housing.
Coming to St. Helens, OR: Broadleaf Arbor: A Gathering Place is a new Community For All Ages affordable housing complex from Community Development Partners. EngAGE Northwest will be the lead services provider, hosting on-site wellness and creativity programs that are specifically designed to foster intergenerational connection and community building. Management will be provided by Guardian.
A first of its kind for the area, Broadleaf Arbor will provide 239 affordable homes and intentionally-designed amenities where residents can live, play, and thrive together in a multi-generational 11-building complex.
Community amenities will include a trail system along existing wetlands, gardens, an outdoor play area, and a dedicated community building for resident services and programming.
EngAGE Team, left to right, on-site in January: Maria Rojo de Steffey, Executive Director, EngAGE Northwest; Tim Carpenter, EngAGE CEO/Founder; Sarah Davis, EngAGE Community for all Ages Program Director; Nancy Goodhart, EngAGE COO; Laura Mason, Executive Director, EngAGE Northern California; Laura Spidell, Regional Program Director, EngAGE Northwest
In addition to EngAGE, a community-wide collaboration of service providers including Latino Network, Community Action Team, St. Helens Senior Center, Columbia Pacific Food Bank and Columbia Community Mental Health will work to connect residents to services that support families through educational and employment programs that include financial stability, school enrollment, and food assistance.
Click here for info and to apply for the waitlist! Broadleaf Arbor provides homes for households making up to 60% of the area’s median income (AMI) levels ($63,900 for a family of four).
Congratulations to Sylvia K. for her winning entry titled, “Delightful Darkness!”
Sylvia won a $200 gift card for herself as well as a $100 gift card for her community, The Piedmont Senior Apartments in North Hollywood, CA.
“Delightful Darkness”
There’s an unusual twist to this story which we are pleased to share, thanks to Piedmont Program Director Arnold:
Sylvia was born 1936 and spent five years in the Jewish Children’s Home, an orphanage in New Orleans, LA, that cared for about 2,000 children. When she was five years old, a photographer chose her as a model, and that photo was then used on postcards which were sent to wealthy people, asking for donations for the very hungry orphans. This was in 1941, just after the Great Depression and during WW II when everything was very scarce. The orphanage raised a lot of money with the help of that postcard!
Sylvia saved a postcard!
And here’s another twist:
About ten years ago, several EngAGE community residents, including Sylvia, participated in an EngAGE event in Pacific Palisades. They talked about their lives, including their backgrounds. Sylvia told the postcard story. At the end of the event, an audience member came up to her and said that she remembered Sylvia from that postcard, and that she had donated money to the orphanage at that time!
Congratulations to Magnolia@Highland for having the most entries!
Fourteen talented artists at the Magnolia@Highland Senior Apartments in San Bernardino, CA, entered our contest! The community will receive a $100 gift card which Program Director Alma is excited to use for a celebration! Entries are below.
Congratulations again to winner Sylvia K. and thanks to all of the talented artists who entered!
Click here to see an album of all 46 contest entries!
Contest details: The winning art was selected by our leadership team: Tim Carpenter, CEO/Founder; Laura Mason, Executive Director, EngAGE Northern California; Nancy Goodhart, Chief Operations Officer; and Maria Rojo de Steffey, Executive Director, EngAGE Northwest. They were provided with images of all of the entries labeled only with numbers – no names of the artists or their communities were included.
EngAGE looks forward to sharing the winning image on greeting cards that will be used for promotion of our organization.
Liv Schaffer, EngAGE’s Intergenerational Programs Director and Director of Dance Generators, will be a speaker at the 6th annual Creative Aging Symposium, which begins at 9 a.m. on February 9th. This virtual event will explore how creativity helps us rediscover pathways to joy. Learn more here.
Registration fee is $12, but if this is a hardship, you can request a free ticket by emailing creativespark@frontporch.org.
