Welcome to the Team: Dorsi Diaz

Posted on May 23, 2022 by EngAGE Editor

Dorsi Diaz, Program Director (Downtown Hayward/808 A Street) – An artist since she was a small child, Bay Area native Dorsi Diaz went on to become a well-known sign painter and muralist in the SF Bay Area and Northern California as an adult. She and her former partner owned Signs Now in Fremont for almost two decades. She has also taught art to adults and children, and currently serves as the Executive Director of the Sun Gallery in Hayward. An avid writer, she has over 300 published articles with HubPages, The Arctic News, Boomer Warrior, and the ANG Newspaper Group. Dorsi has also served as an Alameda County Arts Commissioner. She graduated from Chabot College and is currently attending Cal-State East Bay where she is focusing on how nonprofits operate and thrive. In her “free” time, she takes photos of her pup Zoey Van Goey, a pup influencer and working model dog on Instagram. Dorsi’s favorite motto is “Life is Service,” and she loves helping people of all ages find their talents and purpose. She feels she has found her creative home once again at EngAGE. 

Posted in Community News, Downtown Hayward, Meet the Team | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Springtime Singing Virtual Concert on May 20th

Posted on May 4, 2022 by EngAGE Editor

Join us for our annual Springtime Singing Concert featuring residents from Long Beach Senior Arts Colony, The Piedmont Senior Apartments in North Hollywood, and Crescent Park Apartments in Richmond, CA! Led by Instructor Lauren Wright, this is sure to be an entertaining event.

Posted in Crescent Park, Long Beach Senior Arts Colony, Music, Piedmont | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

EngAGE Welcomes Elizabeth Flores, MD, to Our Northwest Board of Directors

Posted on April 29, 2022 by EngAGE Editor

We are so pleased that Dr. Flores has joined us. You can see a list of all of our dedicated Northwest Board members here.

Elizabeth Flores, MD, is a physician with specialized training in geriatrics who has been serving the older population in the state of Oregon since 2008. Her expertise lies in helping older individuals improve health outcomes and age in place by bringing timely and comprehensive medical care to where they live.

Dr. Flores obtained her medical degree from UCLA medical school in 2004. She then obtained a specialty in geriatric medicine with Kaiser Permanente’s Long Term Care Program.

Dr. Flores is bicultural and fluently bilingual (Spanish & English). She is a devoted wife and mother of two healthy teenage children and enjoys live theater, dancing, and exploring Oregon’s natural beauty outdoors.

Posted in Board of Directors, EngAGE Northwest | Tagged | Leave a comment

Resident Spotlight from Dorado Senior Apartments: Artist Pon

Posted on April 26, 2022 by EngAGE Editor

Dorado Senior Apartments, Buena Park, CA: Pon is an active resident in our community and painting in all types of mediums is her favorite pastime. She finds her inspiration from either photographs she has taken or pictures from books, magazines, and newspapers. “I am drawn to the pictures like a magnet, and then I paint,” she said.

Pon has a great love of nature, and most of her paintings include picturesque mountainscapes or sunsets by water. She also enjoys painting food.

Pon arrived here in the United States as a young adult from Bangkok, Thailand. She has embraced American culture, especially watching American football. When she’s not at home during football season, you can find her at a local restaurant cheering on her favorite team, the Los Angeles Rams – now the Super Bowl 2022 champions.

In addition to studying and making art, Pon also enjoys cooking Asian cuisine and participating in a variety of EngAGE classes.

Here is some of her wonderful work. (Notice the reference photos for the top two paintings.)

Posted in Art/Architecture, Community News, Dorado, Resident Spotlight | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Welcome to the Team: DeAnne Spicer Todd

Posted on April 4, 2022 by EngAGE Editor

DeAnne Spicer Todd, Program Director (ACE/121) – Ms. Todd began her professional performing career in 1978 as Alice in Wonderland at Disneyland and finished it dancing the role of Headless Marie Antoinette in Los Angeles Opera’s Ghosts of Versailles in 2015. In between she traveled the world as a singer, dancer, actress, choreographer, writer, and teacher on stage as well as in film and television. DeAnne is a blogger for the Red Cross and was the Global Winner of the Erma Bombeck Writing Competition in 2020. She also teaches Everyone Can Dance to older adults at EngAGE communities.

Posted in ACE/121 (Glendale), Community News, Meet the Team | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Welcome to the Team: Rosa Jones

Posted on March 25, 2022 by EngAGE

Rosa Jones, Afterschool Program Director (Parc Derian) – Born and raised in Southern California, Mrs. Jones joins our team with over ten years experience serving children and adults with physical and developmental disabilities. Growing up in a multigenerational household, she gained a strong sense of service which led her to our EngAGE team. With her passion for humanitarianism, she was intrigued by human behavior and received her Bachelor’s degree in psychology in 2011. Since then, Rosa has dedicated her life to advocating for individuals in need and assisting them in reaching their full potential in California, Colorado, and Nebraska. Rosa is delighted to use her creativity to connect, empower and encourage the children and youth at Parc Derian in Irvine, CA. Her goal is to create a positive, safe and enjoyable atmosphere where everyone feels welcomed. She is fluent in English and Spanish. In her spare time, she enjoys being outdoors in Mother Nature: gardening, hiking, running, reading, painting, and spending time with family and friends.

Posted in Community News, Parc Derian | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Welcome to the Team: Jean Marie Hatton

Posted on March 23, 2022 by EngAGE

Jean Marie Hatton, Program Director (Huntington) – Ms. Hatton joins us after twenty years of creative arts management experience. She feels that everything in life should be treated as an event and sees the importance of creating an inclusive experience for all. Her innovative approach to programming allows for many opportunities to connect with the Huntington community. She enjoys collecting donations of goods and crafts from the local neighborhood to use in the programs. The re-use and re-create mentality is near and dear to her heart. It leads to new and imaginative projects while helping improve environmental sustainability. Jean Marie has lived on both the East and West coasts but finds her heart loves the sunshine and energy found in California.

Posted in Community News, Huntington, Meet the Team | Tagged | Leave a comment