The Chris Ross Blues Band entertained at the NoHo SAC holiday potluck, which also introduced new Program Director Sara Debevec to the arts colony residents. EngAGE’s Portland, Oregon, colleagues were in attendance, too, and joined the dancing circle.
~ Nancy Goodhart, EngAGE C.A.O.
The youth group from Our Savior Lutheran, a local church, celebrated the season by singing festive songs, playing instruments, and decorating cookies with residents at Cotton’s Point Senior Apartments in San Clemente, CA. Everyone enjoyed getting into the holiday spirit!
~ Jennifer Fallon, Program Coordinator
Matt Perry with Maria Shriver. Matt was the Creative Director for the roast / toast of Arnold Schwarzenegger before he left office, and this was taken after the event.
From EngAGE Founder and Executive Director Tim Carpenter:
One of the few reporters in the nation devoted to aging issues, for the past five years Matt Perry has celebrated the successful people and programs in aging — including EngAGE — while challenging existing stereotypes and bureaucratic bungles. His expanded coverage, “Aging With Dignity,” in the California Health Report, begins next year and includes videos, expert opinion pieces, “What We’re Reading,” and social media engagement.
Sign up here to receive his weekly newsletter. It just takes a few seconds. Matt is a very talented journalist and writer, a friend and colleague, and I couldn’t recommend his work more highly.
The holidays were in full swing as the residents of the Piedmont Senior Apartments in North Hollywood, CA, enthusiastically sold their handmade and swap-meet items at their festive holiday bazaar. There are some beautiful gifts headed for new homes! ~ The woman on the far right is Brindel. She hand crochets and knits doggie sweaters, baby clothes, and blankets, and also teaches other residents the art of knitting and crochet once a week.
Take a look here and here at a couple of very brief video snippets from the entertaining one-hour musical performance after the holiday bazaar, provided by talented students from UCLA’s Herb Alpert School of Music.
~ Lorraine Pope, Creative Programs Director
Every year the County of Los Angeles offers the public a wonderful holiday celebration event at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion at The Music Center in downtown L.A. Bands, choirs, and dance companies from the many neighborhoods and cultures of the region celebrate the season during this free three-hour holiday show. Beloved by Angelenos, the L.A. County Holiday Celebration takes place every Christmas Eve at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Between 3,500 – 5,000 people attend the live show each year and a half million Southern Californian households tune in to the live television broadcasts on PBS SoCal KOCE and pbssocal.org.
No tickets, no reserved seats, so be sure to arrive early! Free parking! Details here.
Saturday, December 24, 2016
3:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
135 N. Grand Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
And if you’d like to get in the mood early, here’s a link to last year’s show!
We may be immersed in the December holidays, but let’s take a look back at some of the Halloween fun at several of our EngAGE properties: Andalucia and La Coruña in Van Nuys, CA; Cantabria/Asturias in Panorama City, CA;and Park Plaza in North Hollywood, CA.
Andalucia had a Halloween Party where the Olympians came with their medals. In addition, they had a costume party with prizes. EngAGE and the managers of Andalucia always work closely together on parties and holiday events. The buildings combine on occasion and this time La Coruña came over to the Andalucia building for a shared communal event. (Click on the pictures to enlarge them.)
Cantabria/Asturias had a Halloween Party where the art students in Polet Zargarian’s art class brought their drawings and paintings to share with the other residents. The artwork was extremely well-received. EngAGE Regional Programs Director Elizabeth Sampson spoke to three of the ladies about their history with art and none of them had ever taken a class before in their lives. They got MANY compliments and you could see how pleased they were. In addition, they had a costume party with prizes. As always, EngAGE and the managers of Cantabria/Asturias, Maria and Jamie, worked closely together on this special event.
Park Plaza had a Halloween Party with a lavish lunch provided by WSH Management, and desserts and decorations provided by EngAGE. EngAGE art teacher, Polet Zargarian, came in her “Snow White” costume to decorate the property. It was an extravaganza of spider webs, sparkly pumpkins, silver spiders and ghoulish fun.
The residents of Park Plaza love their culture’s food and always bring all sorts of Armenian and Russian dishes to the party. There were pickled beets and rice dishes, home-made honeyed pastries and cream-puffs. It was a glorious coming together of tastes and cultures, with Polet beaming beautifully while she lent her artistic expertise to the festivities.
~ Elizabeth Sampson, Regional Programs Director
NOTE: There’s a lot going on at EngAGE, so we have two blog posts today!
Mirta Harris was our first GAIN applicant, through a Cal State LA program called EPIC (Educational Participation in the Communities) which creates opportunities for university students to implement classroom theory in real life situations. The GAIN program provides employment-related services to CalWORKs participants to help them find employment, stay employed, and move on to higher paying jobs, which will ultimately lead to self-sufficiency and independence.
Mirta enjoyed her work for EngAGE so much that she wrote a thank-you letter to Nancy Goodhart, C.A.O., and Sandra Vargas, Regional Programs Director, which she kindly is allowing us to share:
I attended my last anthropology class last night, and my professor mentioned that the EPIC office (the office which helps connect the students with the organizations for the service learning opportunities) will be having a luncheon to celebrate the students who participated in service learning. They required that the students write a little bit on what they took away from service learning and I felt so strongly about my experience that I wanted to share it with you as well.
First, I want to tell you both how thankful I am that you gave me a chance to be a part of the team, to be able to make a difference in the lives of others. I am honored to be a part of EngAge’s cause, and I strongly believe we make a difference in a community that needs it most.
This is what I wrote:
Service learning has been an incredible journey because of a myriad motives ranging from growth to networking opportunities. Yet, most of all, this experience helped me see a different world; a world that I have the power to help, to ease the growing pains of others by offering a kind smile, an open ear, or a shoulder to lean on. The time spent in service learning at Metro Hollywood has opened up my eyes to the power of having different outlets that encourage creativity. The offered classes helped raise the residents’ self-esteem and confidence by creating things that they could be proud of. As a result, the guidance they received nurtured their soul and the energy they were radiating was of a most genuine feel. The residents were ecstatic to be around friends and a comforting teacher, and they enjoyed their time together. I am honored to have been a part of that ambience, it has been an unforgettable experience.
What I took away from this experience is unlike anything that can be obtained through paperwork or networking; I took a feeling of fulfillment, of immense joy for helping others in their time of need, a blissful sentiment at their sense of happiness. When the service learning time was up, I wanted more, so I offered my time outside of school; I am now employed with EngAGE’s wonderful organization that brings creative outlets to independent senior living communities.
This non-profit organization is committed to redesigning the way people grow old by bringing them access to free yoga, art, English as a Second Language, gardening, crafts, and jewelry-making classes, among many others. The smiles and authentic conversations were what sealed the deal for me; I knew that this is what I would want to do to make a real difference in the world, uplift others and make an impact in the most positive way.
Thank you for allowing me to work with you.
With utmost gratitude,
Mirta Harris
From EngAGE: Thank *you*, Mirta! We’re delighted by your enthusiasm and energy.
~ Nancy Goodhart, C.A.O., and Sandra Vargas, Regional Programs Director
NOTE: There’s a lot going on at EngAGE, so we have two blog posts today!
