It’s unlikely that we’ll see frost like this in L.A.!
Everyone at EngAGE wishes you the happiest of holidays!
And this year, as an added gift for all of us, there will be a full moon on December 25th! The last full moon that occurred on Christmas was in 1977, and the next one won’t happen again until 2034. So be sure to look up in the sky and enjoy the Full Cold Moon!
Tune in to Experience Talks, our weekly “Radio Magazine for the Experienced Listener,” on Sundays at 5:00 PM PT on KPFK 90.7 FM Los Angeles, 98.7 FM Santa Barbara, 99.5 China Lake, 93.7 N. San Diego, streaming live online, and now syndicated on up to 100 Pacifica Network stations! Experience Talks is produced by the non-profit EngAGE, Inc.
Miss the show? You can always hear it as a podcast on the Listen Page of our website! You’ll also find an archive-in-progress of all of our previous shows there for you to enjoy. New shows are usually posted within 48 hours after broadcast.
TAMIKA WASHINGTON is a dancer, choreographer, and the Assistant Director of the Lula Washington Dance Theatre. She’s also the daughter of its founders, Lula Washington and Erwin Washington. The Dance Theatre is part of the Lula Washington Contemporary Dance Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 1980 to provide a creative outlet for minority dance artists in South L.A. (This interview by Bobbee Zeno was originally broadcast in 2013.)
The Lula Washington Dance Theatre is celebrating its 35th anniversary with a special concert along with its annual Kwanzaa performance on Sunday, December 27th at 3:00 PM. “The Kwanzaa concert is two events in one. During the first half, the LWDT Company will share some of the works it has been touring all year. The kids take over in Act Two with Harambee Suite, the tribute to the non-religious, cultural holiday of Kwanzaa, which celebrates children, family, and community.” Click here for details.
EngAGE Vice President Nancy Goodhart shared these recent photos taken at Villa Anaheim during a visit by children from Centralia Elementary School. Nancy reports, “Warmth and smiles all around.”
EngAGE offers a variety of classes, workshops, and special programs at each of our communities. These posts highlight just a small sample.
EngAGE Team Member Sharon Springer sent in this photo, which represents the culmination of the “Origami 4 Animals” project that we posted about last week. See the previous post here and be sure to read the article in the Burbank Leader about 10-year-old Girl Scout Catherine de Wolff, who led an effort with family, friends, and residents of the Burbank Senior Artists Colony to create folded-paper animals to offer at the Burbank Farmers’ Market in exchange for donations to the Burbank Animal Shelter. “In two Saturdays at the market, one in October and one in November, the group raised more than $1,160. Catherine, along with her 10-year-old neighbor Simreen Kaur Sethi and Springer, presented a check for that amount to representatives of the Burbank Animal Shelter during a City Council meeting Monday night.” ~ This is such a great example of successful intergenerational and community cooperation!
From left to right: Stacie Wood-Levin (Burbank Animal Shelter), Antoinette de Wolff, Nicholas de Wolff, Mayor Bob Frutos, Sharon Springer (back), Simreen Kaur Sethi (front), Catherine de Wolff (holding certificate of acknowledgement), Carol Stensrud (BSAC resident), Gisele Kirschbaum (BSAC resident), Bhupinder Singh Sethi, Armen Dermenjian (Captain Burbank Police Department).
EngAGE C.O.O. Dr. Maureen Kellen-Taylor offers joyful seasons greetings and this report from Vermont Family Apartments:
Big Sunday volunteers, Kate and Maria, brought all the decorations, the tree, and many delicious treats to brighten the halls and warm the tummies at Vermont Family Apartments. They were helped by an enthusiastic group of residents and EngAGE team members Toni Byrd and Sharon Springer. It was heartwarming to hear the excited chatter and laughter filling the lobby and greeting residents coming home from work and school. As the front door opened, time after time surprised residents smiled with pleasure at the welcoming sight.
Kate and Maria are friends and when asked why they volunteered, they each replied, “We like working together; it’s fun!” Maria said, “I’ve lived here in LA all my life and it is my way of giving back.” Kate echoed both of their feelings with, “This is how I connect with a bigger family!”
Thank you, Kate and Maria, from all of us! Thank you, Big Sunday, for connecting us!
Sharon Springer and Friends
Kate and Maria
“Worth Repeating” is a weekly feature on the EngAGE Blog that will bring you previous posts that we think are still timely, interesting, or just plain fun! From 12/18/14:
“Once the recession occurred, we actually saw a real uptick in the number of kids living with their grandparents, and now the numbers are close to 8 million,” says Gretchen Livingston, who has studied the trend for the Pew Research Center. “To put that in perspective, that means that about 1 in 10 kids are living with a grandparent.” Read more and listen to the NPR story here.
California leads the nation in increasing numbers of grandparents raising grandchildren. Read more here and learn about resources to help grandparent/grandchildren families.
EngAGE Vice President Nancy Goodhart reports that EngAGE was delighted to be chosen by Steadfast Management Company for charitable support this holiday season. Their generosity was felt at Solara Court, Villa Anaheim, and Cottons Point where forty residents hand crafted greeting cards to the troops–both here and overseas–and donated useful personal items for them, such as socks, toothbrushes, and soap. Steadfast handled all of the event supplies as well as the mailings. Our servicemen and women will have happier holidays, thanks to Steadfast and our seniors!
Solara Court spreads cheer to troops.
At Villa Anaheim, a granddaughter writes, “Dear Fighter, Thanks for being a soldier for us.”
Cottons Point residents enjoy participating in holiday card making.
