Experience Talks ZoomCast 7/28: LGBTQ+ Elder Housing

Posted on July 15, 2021 by EngAGE

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Dr. Imani Woody, Founder & CEO, Mary’s House for Older Adults, Inc.

Dr. Woody is an internationally and nationally recognized thought leader and an advocate of women; people of color; and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/same-gender loving (LGBTQ+/SGL) people for more than 25 years. She has spoken out nationally and internationally about the circumstances of elder LGBTQ+/SGL individuals, and the specific jeopardies that LGBTQ+/SGL elders of color face as they age. Dr. Woody brought these perspectives and decades of community praxis to the 2015 White House Summit on LGBT elder housing development, partnered with SAGE as a panelist in the National LGBT Elder Housing Symposium in 2019.  Most recently, Dr. Woody was invited to the White House by Vice President Kamala Harris to join a small, intimate group to discuss issues that impact LGBTQ/SGL elders.

Dr. Woody retired from AARP to become a pioneer in the building of alternative housing and creating welcoming environments. She is the founder and CEO of Mary’s House for Older Adults, (MHFOA) with the vision and commitment to serve LGBTQ+/SGL elders, experiencing housing insecurity and isolation. Dr. Woody has secured an expert board of advisors and a commitment of $1.2 million from the District of Columbia to begin construction on the first MHFOA dwelling, a 15-room communal residence in WDC and the only one in the country.

Dr. Woody has been a three-term Mayoral Commissioner appointee to the DC Office of LGBTQ Affairs and appointed by Mayor Bowser to serve on the Global Age-Friendly Task Force. She was the first Program Officer for the 50+ Ministry of Metropolitan Community Churches and is the President of the Greater Brookland Intergenerational Village.

Dr. Woody has a PhD in Public Service Leadership, and a Master of Human Services degree from Lincoln University. She has received many awards including Next Avenue’s 2019 Influencers in Aging, Forbes Business of Pride, and the SAGE Creating Change Advocacy Award. She created a Living Life Like It’s Golden program that empowers people to live their lives more fully through visioning. Dr. Woody lives with her wife of 20 years in Washington, DC.

Alan Acosta, Director of Strategic Initiatives, Los Angeles LGBT Center

Alan Acosta is responsible for spearheading implementation of key elements of the Center’s strategic plan, which includes supervision of special projects and organizational initiatives. Prior to working at the Center, Acosta served as Associate Vice President and Director of University Communications at Stanford University. As associate vice president, he was the chief university spokesperson and oversaw the Stanford website, news and media relations, external and internal communications and video production. He worked closely with the senior executive staff on a wide array of strategic management and communications issues.

Prior to his tenure at Stanford, Acosta was the deputy city editor of the Los Angeles Times; during his tenure at the Times, he shared in two Pulitzer Prizes awarded to the staff for coverage of the Los Angeles riots and the Northridge earthquake. He also worked as an editor and reporter at the Orange County Register, the Dallas Times Herald and the Hartford Courant. Acosta has taught journalism at the University of Southern California and creative nonfiction writing at Stanford. He served on the Center’s board of directors from 1991 to 1996. He co-chaired the board of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and has served on the executive boards of numerous other organizations, including the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists’ Association and Kitchen Sisters Productions.

Acosta earned a bachelor’s degree in politics from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and received a master’s degree in journalism, with honors, from Columbia University.

Kathleen Sullivan, Ph.D., Executive Director, Openhouse

Kathleen M. Sullivan, PhD, is an accomplished speaker, author, and trainer on issues related to LGBTQ aging, gender equity, affordable housing, and social environments. She is the recently named Executive Director of Openhouse San Francisco, which develops affordable housing for LGBTQ older adults; provides a suite of programs and services including the nations first LGBTQ specific PACE program in partnership with On Lok; and provides comprehensive training to providers in the greater Bay Area on the intersection of race, gender, and sexual orientation to create accepting, supportive environments for LGBTQ seniors.

Dr. Sullivan holds a Ph.D. from the Nohad Toulan School of Urban Studies and Planning at Portland State University where she coauthored Oregon’s first study on transportation issues for older adults. She is past Board President of the Oregon Gerontological Association, is a member of AARP’s Diversity Advisory Committee and held an appointment to the Governor’s Commission on Senior Services in Oregon. She is the author of a book on meditation, and an avid skier; runner and tennis player. Dr. Sullivan and her wife recently relocated to the Bay Area, and look forward to exploring the neighborhoods, outdoor space, and all the region has to offer.
 

Visit the Experience Talks website to learn more about our ZoomCasts!

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EngAGE Welcomes Craig Arthur Kolins, R. Lyne Martin-Modica, and Juanita Santana to Our Northwest Board of Directors

Posted on July 7, 2021 by EngAGE Editor

We are pleased to announce the addition of Craig Arthur Kolins, R. Lyne Martin-Modica, and Juanita Santana to our esteemed EngAGE Northwest Board of Directors. Please visit our website to see the entire list of dedicated board members.

Craig Arthur Kolins, Community College Administrator (retired) – Craig has experience conducting racial discrimination, sexual harassment, student and employment professional conduct, and Title IX investigations, and he is a diversity, equity and inclusion facilitator/trainer on implicit bias, whiteness/privilege and fragility. He also has experience in trauma intervention/emotional support, addiction/substance use and suicide prevention. He currently serves as Board Chair for SE Works, Inc. Craig is a survivor affected by HIV, with many personal and professional relationships involving people living with HIV going back decades. An early volunteer with Cascade AIDS Project in the 1980s, he now— over 30 years later—works to support the well-being of aging adults in the HIV community. He values collaboration and community advocacy, and continues to lean in to understand how bias, white centeredness, fragility, and privilege impact US culture, social isolation, and the human need for belonging and intergenerational connection. Craig has been married to his husband, Kelly, since 2006. They enjoy traveling internationally.

R. Lyne Martin-Modica, Executive Assistant, Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty – Lyne’s many years of experience in county and city government have lent her an understanding and appreciation for the community’s needs. She has worked for former County Chair Gladys McCoy, Beverly Stein, and County Commissioners Maria Rojo de Steffey and Dan Saltzman. Lyne is a lifelong Oregonian who is interested in serving on a Board that helps and provides a better standard of living for the members of her community. She brings a sense of humor to every encounter, and enjoys reading, traveling, and cooking for family and friends.

Juanita Santana, Executive Director, San Francisco State University Head Start/Early Head Start Programs (retired) – Juanita has been an active volunteer with AARP Oregon State Diversity Committee, Oregon Treasurer’s Financial Education Advisory Team, Oregon Governor’s appointee to the Oregon Retirement Savings Board, and Multnomah County Community Involvement Committee. She holds both a B.A. and a Master of Science in Business Administration. Ms. Santana is a National Head Start Fellow and a UCLA Head Start/Johnson & Johnson Fellow. She received the Certificate of Honor presented by San Francisco’s former Mayor, Gavin Newsom, for “positive contributions to the city, which will benefit generations to come.” She also received The Plate of Bounty Award, presented by the National Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Association in Washington, D.C., for making significant contributions to improve the lives of migrant and seasonal farmworker families at the national and state levels. Juanita has one daughter, Karla, who is married to Matthew Morgan. She has two grandchildren Elizabeth, 12 years old, and Paul Benjamin, eight years old.

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Tim Carpenter Awarded Sabbatical by Durfee Foundation in Recognition of His Leadership

Posted on July 1, 2021 by EngAGE Editor

The Durfee Foundation announced its 2021-2022 Sabbatical Fellowships giving leaders a chance to rest, reflect, and recharge

Downtown Los Angeles-based Durfee Foundation, which invests in extraordinary people who are making a better LA, announced today its 2021-2022 class of Sabbatical Fellows. Tim Carpenter, CEO/Founder of EngAGE, is honored to be selected in this year’s cohort.

In its 25th year of funding this program, in light of the extraordinary need following a year marked by intersecting crises and a global pandemic, the foundation more than doubled the number of awardees. There are 13 fellows in the 2021-2022 cohort.

Tim Carpenter commented, “I am truly honored to be a Durfee Foundation Sabbatical Fellow. What a terrific program to support social entrepreneurs by giving them some respite, especially after this difficult past year. I have been working for our mission for 22 years, and am looking forward to having some time to pause and regenerate.”

EngAGE will receive $60,000, which includes $50,000 for Tim to travel, reflect and recharge for a minimum of three consecutive months, and $10,000 to advance the skills and wellbeing of EngAGE’s staff, and also to reward those who carry extra responsibility during the sabbatical.

“Nonprofit leaders, community organizers, and people at the front line, providing support and social services to LA’s most vulnerable, kept our communities afloat with a superhuman lift in this past year,” said Claire Peeps, executive director of the Durfee Foundation. “They put themselves directly in harm’s way for all of our good, and now is the time to take care of them in return.”

EngAGE creates community and changes lives by transforming affordable older adult and multigenerational housing communities into vibrant centers of learning, wellness, and creativity. By delivering life-enhancing, tailored programming in well-being, the arts, lifelong learning, and intergenerational opportunities, residents are enabled to use their acquired skills in real-world ways to gain enrichment and mastery. Our mission is to empower people – intellectually, creatively, and emotionally – to do what they do best for the rest of their lives.

The Durfee Foundation has funded over 100 sabbaticals to leaders in Los Angeles since 1997. Evaluations have revealed that sabbaticals help organizations retain their leaders and help shift leaders’ perspectives from daily management to distributed leadership and generative thinking and activity. Organizations also benefit from having an opportunity to plan and strengthen their capacity. Sabbaticals can create a permanent shift in the culture of work/life balance for both the leader and the organization’s staff.

The 2021-2022 class of Sabbatical Fellows:

Martha Dina Arguello

Martha Dina Arguello is the Executive Director of Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR-LA). PSR-LA advocates for policies and practices that improve public health, eliminate nuclear and environmental threats, and address health disparities.

Martha Arevalo

Martha Arevalo is Executive Director for the Central American Resource Center (CARECEN). CARECEN empowers Central Americans and all immigrants by defending human and civil rights, working for social and economic justice and promoting cultural diversity.

Maria Lou Calanche

Maria “Lou” Calanche is the Founder and Executive Director of Legacy LA, a youth

development organization. Legacy LA builds the capacity of youth to reach their full potential and equips them with tools to transform their lives and community.

Tim Carpenter

Tim Carpenter is the CEO/Founder of EngAGE, a nonprofit that provides arts, wellness, lifelong learning, community building and intergenerational programs to older adults and families living in affordable older adult and multi-generational apartment communities in California and Oregon.

Liz Herrera

Liz Herrera is the Executive Director of El Nido Family Centers, a social service non-profit agency. El Nido strives to build healthy families by providing community-based social services in some of the most underserved communities in Los Angeles County.

Zachary Hoover

Zachary Hoover is the Executive Director of LA Voice, a multi-racial, multi-faith community organization that awakens people to their own power, training them to speak, act, and work together to transform our County into one that reflects the dignity of all people.

Laura Jiménez

Laura Jiménez is the Executive Director at California Latinas for Reproductive Justice (CLRJ). CLRJ is a statewide organization committed to honoring the experiences of Latinas to uphold their dignity, their bodies, sexuality, and families.

John Kim

John Kim is the Executive Director of Advancement Project California, a multi-racial, multi-generational racial justice organization working to expand educational opportunities for California’s children, create healthy and safe neighborhoods, build participatory and representative communities, and shift public investments towards equity.

Christine Mirasy-Glasco

Christine Mirasy-Glasco is the Executive Director of Upward Bound House (UBH). UBH’s mission is to eliminate homelessness among families with children in Los Angeles by providing housing, supportive services, and advocacy.

Adam Murray

Adam Murray is Chief Executive Officer of Inner City Law Center (ICLC), a non-profit poverty law firm serving the most vulnerable individuals and families in Los Angeles County. ICLC provides legal representation and advocacy to thousands of homeless and working poor clients.

Tara Peterson 

Tara Peterson is the Chief Executive Officer of the YWCA Glendale and Pasadena. The organization is dedicated to eliminating racism and empowering women and works to end gender-based violence, promote girls’ empowerment and advance racial justice.

Alberto Retana

Alberto Retana is the President and CEO of Community Coalition, a nonprofit organization that works to help transform the social and economic conditions in South LA that foster addiction, crime, violence and poverty by building a community institution that involves thousands in creating, influencing and changing public policy.

Alexandra Suh

Alexandra Suh is the Executive Director of KIWA (Koreatown Immigrant Workers Alliance). KIWA combines organizing, leadership development, services, and policy advocacy in order to improve the lives of immigrant workers in low-wage industries in Koreatown and build a foundation for social change.

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EngAGE Receives Grant from Bank of America

Posted on June 23, 2021 by EngAGE Editor

Bank of America recently awarded EngAGE a generous $20,000 grant to help fund the EngAGE in Wellness program, which partners with several large food banks to provide onsite delivery of tons of free food each month to thousands of low-income residents living in the affordable apartment communities we serve in Southern California. Tim Carpenter, CEO/Founder of EngAGE, responded, “We are so grateful for the continued and long-time support of Bank of America for our important work.”

The EngAGE in Wellness program solves two significant problems facing older adults and low-income families: the packaging of food is too bulky to handle and the pick-up locations are sometimes unreachable. We have trucks pick up the food, then we parcel it into bi-monthly, carryable packages, and arrange delivery directly to participating residents in our apartment communities.  

EngAGE also creates and, with the residents, maintains on-site vegetable gardens in many communities we serve. In addition, we provide free onsite wellness classes, teaching cooking and nutrition, exercise, yoga, falls prevention, health education, medication management, and other topics that empower residents to take on healthy behaviors that keep them in independent affordable housing and out of higher levels of care.

The demand for our wellness services increased significantly during the pandemic and remains very high. EngAGE is excited to put to work this Bank of America grant supporting greater access to food, a vital need in our communities. 

Bank of America partners with nonprofits, local governments and cultural institutions that boost job skills, provide affordable housing and improve the economic outlook for their local citizens. Bank of America’s support helps amplify their efforts and success.

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EngAGE Receives Grant from City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs

Posted on June 21, 2021 by EngAGE Editor

EngAGE is pleased and grateful to announce that we have received a grant in the amount of $41,530 from The City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA). This grant allows us to provide multi-week art workshops, including culminating events, for residents in our Los Angeles County communities.

Formed in 1925, DCA’s mission is to strengthen the quality of life in Los Angeles by stimulating and supporting arts and cultural activities, ensuring public access to the arts for residents and visitors alike.

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Spotlight on EngAGE in Northern California

Posted on June 20, 2021 by EngAGE Editor

We’ve been focusing on EngAGE in Northern California recently on social media. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to see what’s happening in all of our communities throughout California and in Oregon.

Laura Mason, Executive Director, EngAGE, Northern California, is responsible for developing strategic partnerships, projects, and resources to expand our award-winning program model in Northern California. As a member of the senior management team, Laura also plays an active role in developing and driving EngAGE’s overall strategy, governance, and vision for the future.

Earlier this year, The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation renewed their generous one-year grant of $150,000 to EngAGE to support the expansion in the Bay area of our service model which works to reduce the isolation and loneliness of older adults. We are so grateful for their continuing support.

EngAGE Program Highlights

In May, Laura Mason sent a huge thank you to Home Depot for their generous donation of garden supplies. All would be used to beautify the community garden at The Huntington Senior Apartments in Morgan Hill, CA. Laura is pictured below with manager Angel Miramontes (right) and Yesenia Millan (left) of store 8752 in Morgan Hill.

And here are the results: The large fountain in the main courtyard that once held dirt is now filled with a lovely array of flowers! In addition to Home Depot’s welcome donation, Johnson Lumber gave a generous discount on products used for the beautification of the garden area. Program Director Cassandra (at far right) reports that the residents have been thrilled to see the colorful life that has been created in what was a very dry, brown area. In addition to the beautiful flowers, the garden now has multiple tomato, cantaloupe, green onion seedlings, and basil plants. To celebrate, an outdoor gathering was held on the Friday before Mother’s Day.

At Crescent Park in Richmond, CA, residents were introduced to a new tablet “rental” program hosted by EngAGE. In exchange for a tablet, they must participate in at least one EngAGE programming event per week. With these tablets, residents have been able to access not only virtual EngAGE programming, but also to enjoy other personal digital activities like connecting with family and friends while sheltering in place during the COVID-19 pandemic. Program Director Liv visited each participating resident to assist with setting up their tablets with wifi connections, email, and Zoom login, plus any other tech assistance requested. The tablets are provided on a monthly basis with check-ins from Liv. Additional tablets were made available in May, allowing ten residents to have easy and vital technology access.

Also at Crescent Park, residents began a weekly art class earlier this year with Teaching Artist Hugh Leeman of Art with Elders. The organization also provides the art materials: colored pencils, sketch pads, pastels. Hugh, a well-traveled, experienced artist, asks participants to bring mementos and stories to the class, and to dig deeper to connect their personal histories to what they’re creating. Some residents have invited their younger family members, helping to shape this class into a special intergenerational opportunity. Pictured is Margie, who is delighted by her drawing of a lighthouse.

The second floor patio and garden at 808 A Street in Hayward, CA, has gotten a makeover! What used to be covered in dandelion weeds was cleared by Program Director Liv and helpful residents (and some of their family members) in efforts to prepare for a summer of gathering outdoors. Residents added new seeds to the community garden, including watermelon, tomatoes, thyme, chives, and oregano. Pictured here (bottom row), you can see the beautifully cleared space and detailed photograph of the watermelon garden marker. Also pictured is 808 resident George sharing a beautiful vintage gardening book owned by his mother, and helping in the garden. Gardening is a beautiful metaphor for how this property is beginning to emerge from a dark year into a year of light and growth as a community.

Also at 808 A Street, residents hold their freshly planted succulents during Program Director Liv’s “Build Your Own Succulent” event. Participants were able to select a pot and succulent, then were guided through tips and tricks to plant it. Materials were provided by EngAGE, and residents were able to bring their new plant-friends home. What a great launch for outdoor activities in the community’s newly-made-over garden and patio area! 

This past spring was an exciting one for 15 artistic residents of the Empress, Le Nain, and Windsor communities in San Francisco. At their Swim Gallery group art show, John stood proudly in front of his two squares in the community’s Hope Quilt (one gold with his initials MH painted on them, and the second his re-interpretation of the American flag), and Maurice took in his photography of the city (made possible by EngAGE’s purchase of a disposable camera) with Program Director Mattie. A closing reception allowed artists to celebrate their success, and the quilt was subsequently exhibited at the Tenderloin Art Fair, along with individual artwork. Then, artist Bautista got back to work immediately on his birdhouse creation as art classes continued!

EngAGE takes a whole-person approach to community and creative, healthy living by providing arts, wellness, lifelong learning, community building, and intergenerational programs to thousands of residents in affordable senior and multi-generational apartment communities in California and Oregon. We appreciate your interest and support!

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EngAGE Welcomes Thomas Cudjoe, MD, MPH, to Our National Board of Directors

Posted on June 17, 2021 by EngAGE Editor

We are pleased to announce the addition of Thomas Cudjoe, MD, MPH, to our esteemed EngAGE National Board of Directors. Please visit our website to see the entire list of dedicated board members.

Thomas K. M. Cudjoe, MD, MPH
Robert and Jane Meyerhoff Endowed Assistant Professor, Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology
Core Faculty – Center on Aging and Health
Caryl & George Bernstein Human Aging Project Scholar – Center for Innovative Medicine

Dr. Cudjoe is a board certified internal medicine and geriatric medicine physician. In addition, he is a Major in the United States Army Reserves Medical Corps, a graduate of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Culture of Health Leaders Program, and Vice-President of the East Baltimore Community School – Henderson Hopkins school board. Dr. Cudjoe has served as a Commissioner to the Baltimore City Commission on Aging and Retirement Education. He also serves on the Scientific Advisory Board for the Foundation for Social Connection and the Administration for Community Living National Coordinating Center: Connecting Older Adults and People with Disabilities Clearinghouse, Scientific Advisory Group. Dr. Cudjoe is actively engaged in the medical care of homebound older adults via the Johns Hopkins Home Based Medicine program. He is also a recipient of the National Institute on Aging Grants for Early Medical/Surgical Specialists’ Transition to Aging Research and a Johns Hopkins University KL2 Mentored Career Development Award. 

Dr. Cudjoe is focused on understanding how social factors influence the health of older adults and developing strategies to improve the health trajectory of older adults. His research has focused on identifying risk factors for social isolation and currently examines the relationship between social connections and health outcomes.

Dr. Cudjoe received his undergraduate degree (summa cum laude) in Cellular and Molecular Biology at Hampton University and was active in the Honors College and Army ROTC program (Distinguished Military Graduate-Top 20% of Graduates in Nation). He graduated from Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and earned his Master’s degree in public health in health policy at Harvard School of Public Health. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Howard University Hospital in Washington DC, and his clinical and research fellowship in the Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

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