The residents of Portofino Villas in Pomona, CA, recently celebrated the Chinese New Year with a festive presentation of native costumes, dances, and singing. Some residents delighted the attendees with their excellent performances, and a professional group was brought to the site to complete the entertainment. The afternoon was filled with eating wonderful Chinese food, sharing light conversation, and enjoying the music.
~ Alma Wright, Regional Program Director
EngAGE Founder and Executive Director Tim Carpenter is one of almost 50 of “the world’s most influential experts in the aging revolution” who are participating in the Age Without Borders Virtual Summit, February 26th through March 4th.
The Summit experience consists of seven days of inspiring and engaging 30-minute video-based lectures posted online, with multiple experts featured each day. It will show you how to stay mentally and physically healthy, join the encore entrepreneur boom, re-think your paradigms about aging, and get tech savvy.
Best part? You can get a free day pass by registering here. The pass allows you access to each day’s videos for 24 hours, as if you were attending an event. (For $97 you can have the all-access pass which allows you to watch the videos anytime at your leisure and has other perks.) Check out this Global University that provides valuable information for anyone 50+ years old!
The Residents of Magnolia at 9th in San Bernardino celebrated their last Art class in January with Instructor Julian Rubalcaba by learning how to use positive and negative space, and shape to begin screen printing. They really enjoyed the project and are looking forward to continuing to explore art with a new instructor who will start teaching classes this month.
~ Alma Wright, Regional Program Director
The residents of Magnolia at Highland in San Bernardino are exploring and creating art using newspaper, plastic bottles, and fabric. Their final product will be the centerpiece in the community room for all the residents to enjoy.
~ Alma Wright, Regional Program Director
EngAGE Regional Program Director Jennifer Fallon kindly shared this poignant story with the EngAGE team, and now, with you:
EngAGE brings so many wonderful experiences to our seniors every day. Our residents are at a different period in their lives facing new challenges, opportunities, and struggles. Our job allows us to educate them, to help them explore hidden gifts, and most of all to establish new relationships within their residential community.
Today, I struggle with a loss of a wonderful resident, John Duffy, a retired Gunnery Sergeant who served in the Korean War. I only knew him for three years at Cotton’s Point, but he touched my life dearly. Professionally, EngAGE gave me the opportunity to provide him financial and health resources through educational presentations and phone calls. Socially, he always came to our events. In particular, he really enjoyed the visiting school children who would sing at our property. Personally, he wasn’t just a resident, he was my friend. I was blessed to learn about him through the years. EngAGE events allowed me to see him smile, socialize with his neighbors, and talk to him about his life. His memories that he shared with me have more meaning than ever right now. Receiving the call from his son this morning was a difficult one. His family’s words to me – “Thank you for being there for my dad.” – bring a wonderful sense of fulfillment and love.
When we have difficult days with our job, please remember that our work touches the hearts of many forever.
Warmly,
Jennifer Fallon
Residents at LBSAC were offered an opportunity to work on a creative art project for a long established Long Beach non-profit called The California Conference for Equality and Justice (CCEJ). CCEJ is a human relations organization dedicated to eliminating bias, bigotry, and racism through education, conflict resolution, and advocacy.
CCEJ hosts an annual “Interfaith/Intercultural” breakfast at the Long Beach Convention Center which will be on March 2nd, 2017. About 1000 people are expected to attend. The keynote speaker will be Luis J. Rodriquez, who was, from 2014-2016, the official Poet Laureate of Los Angeles. He is an artist, poet, author, and activist who grew up in a gang environment. This year’s theme is “Hands and Hearts – Creating Community in Violent Times.”
The LBSAC creative goal: Create 100 table centerpieces incorporating the idea of “Hearts and Hands,” using CCEJ’s branding colors of red, orange, teal, and purple. The centerpieces can be vessels or any type of structure that stand about 8-10 inches tall. Each can be different. After the breakfast, guests will be able to participate in a raffle for the centerpieces by making a donation to CCEJ.
EngAGE, the instructors, and the artists will be recognized in the promotion of this annual special event, and are invited to attend.
Our resident artists are enjoying being part of this exciting creative project with the opportunity to create unique and meaningful works of art while helping to support an important community partner.
~ Helene Weinberg, Program Director
In 2016, EngAGE Founder and Executive Director Tim Carpenter was honored to be the recipient of a Stanton Fellowship from the Durfee Foundation.
When choosing recipients, the Durfee Foundation seeks “the most knowledgeable, inquisitive, and highly networked leaders – the ones who are best positioned to identify and make headway on a big question. . . . Peer learning is an important part of the Stanton Fellowship. Fellows meet regularly to share their work, learn from one another about their respective fields and projects, and discover more about LA from site visits to different neighborhoods and hearing from local experts. They come from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines, and bring curiosity and engagement to a cross-disciplinary network.”
On February 9th and 10, Tim participated in what he described as “the Durfee LA joyous retreat – community, connection, and hope” in Oxnard, CA. Here are a few photos.
Stanton Retreat selfie, Durfee Foundation, with Carrie Avery, Claire Peeps and joyous community of fellows. — with Paula Daniels, Aaron Paley, Jonathan Parfrey and Claire Peeps.
Waxing poetic on the beach. — with Keith McNutt.
Retreating on the beach, Stanton Fellows and Carrie Avery, joyous. — with Paula Daniels, Aaron Paley and Jonathan Parfrey.
Solo reflection…
The retreat group.
