EngAGE Is Thankful: Teachers – Jack Witt

EngAGE is celebrating Thanksgiving all month!

EngAGE is thankful to be able to provide Fitness and Wellness programs that help older adults create and reinforce healthy behaviors to strengthen and retain their independent lifestyles.

We are thankful for Jack Witt, who teaches wellness and exercise, and leads day-excursions for residents at Burbank Senior Arts Colony in Burbank, CA,  North Hollywood Senior Arts Colony and The Piedmont in North Hollywood, CA. He’s been with EngAGE for over seven years.

Residents from Piedmont, NoHoSAC, and BSAC join Jack (second from right) on an excursion to downtown Los Angeles for the Day of the Dead Festival.

Megan Hocking, BSAC Program Director, shared her thoughts about Jack:

“Jack has a business where he takes tour groups all over the world.

“He is such a kind man who gives so much of himself to everyone. He is patient with our residents and incredibly knowledgeable. You can always depend on Jack to work hard with a smile on his face. He brightens every room he enters. He has helped so many of our residents maintain their health.”

Jack shows residents how to get toned and fit at home using everyday items.

BSAC resident Sally Connors said:

“I have been working out with Jack on Zoom for seven months, and he has been a lifeline to my physical health. However, his meditation exercise at the end of the workout has also been an important key to keeping me mindful in the moment during these stressful months of the pandemic.

“Jack has been instrumental in helping us stay healthy in mind and body for many years here at BSAC. We really appreciate Jack’s programming efforts via Zoom this year.”

Thank you, Jack Witt!

Posted in Burbank Senior Artists Colony, Community News, Exercise/Sports, Health, NoHo Senior Arts Colony, Piedmont, Yoga/T'ai Chi/Mindfulness | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

EngAGE is Thankful: Arts & Creativity Programming – North Hollywood Senior Arts Colony (NoHo SAC)

EngAGE is celebrating Thanksgiving all month!

We have so much wonderful Arts & Creativity Programming at our many communities that it was a challenge to decide what to feature this week! We’ll conclude with North Hollywood Senior Arts Colony in North Hollywood, CA, where we’re thankful to be able to provide residents with many opportunities to express their creativity in the arts, including acting, music, and art.

Acting

Enthusiastic thespians at NoHo SAC enjoy Acting 101, taught by Mark Salyer. Recently, the actors had their first recorded showcase titled, “Swimsuits, Therapists and Frogs.”  They received a sincere thank you for their participation, and a “swag bag” prior to their Happy Hour Viewing party on Zoom!

Music

Instructor Coren Zai teaches voice exercises weekly on Zoom for the NoHo Musical players.  They’re working on a voice recording and look forward to sharing with friends and family.

You can listen now to the recent heartfelt recording of residents Martin Green and Lindsey Taylor performing John Lennon’s, “Imagine.” Martin loved to play the piano at monthly potlucks prior to COVID pandemic, and Lindsey is a retired music teacher.

Art

Art classes are made possible with materials that are delivered to residents’ doors, including these clever Art Survival Kits provided to help artists get through the difficult COVID-19 restrictions.

Next week: more “EngAGE is thankful” posts featuring our talented teachers.

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EngAGE is Thankful: Arts & Creativity Programming – Flower Park Plaza

EngAGE is celebrating Thanksgiving all month!

EngAGE is thankful to be able to provide Arts & Creativity programming such as the watercolor and acrylic painting classes at Flower Park Plaza in Santa Ana, CA.

In February 2020, Instructor Trinh Mai, a multimedia artist, focused on creativity utilizing a variety of different mediums and techniques. The resulting self portraits were displayed at the Segerstom Arts Center in Costa Mesa, CA, as part of the Chinese New Year celebration.

Since March, residents have been inspired by the creative challenge of participating in art instruction through Zoom classes. Program Director/Instructor Meloney Morse leads them through step-by-step instructions using watercolors and acrylic paints.

Participants love to share their artwork during food deliveries!

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EngAGE is Thankful: Arts & Creativity Programming – ACE/121

EngAGE is celebrating Thanksgiving all month!

EngAGE is thankful to be able to provide Arts and Creativity programming at ACE 121, our family Arts Colony in Glendale, CA, where intergenerational programming connects participants through art and creativity. Recently, Instructor Meriel Stern’s Ceramics Classes focused on marbling with clay and salt dough sculpture. Meriel’s classes are made possible with materials that are delivered to residents’ doors. With common spaces closed on site, EngAGE is stepping in to fill that void with virtual programming!

Marbling with Clay

The class was inspired by the work of the late Japanese ceramist, Yusuke Aida.

Salt Dough Sculpture

Resident CandyJoe Dahlstrom added her salt dough basket to her Day of the Dead altar.
Young artists at work!

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EngAGE is Thankful: Arts & Creativity Programming – Magnolia @ Highland Senior Apartments

EngAGE is celebrating Thanksgiving all month!

EngAGE is thankful to be able to provide Arts & Creativity programming such as the Artists Roundtable at Magnolia @ Highland Senior Apartments in San Bernardino, CA. Early this year, the artists took on a new challenge: making fabric dolls. Program Director/Instructor Alma Wright led them through step-by-step instructions.

Now, the group members continue to explore their creativity through regular Zoom meetings.

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EngAGE is Thankful: Arts & Creativity Programming – LBSAC

EngAGE will be celebrating Thanksgiving all month long!

This first week, we’ll be acknowledging some of the many Arts and Creativity programs we are privileged to be able to provide residents in our EngAGE communities.

EngAGE is thankful to be able to provide “EngAGE in Music” at Long Beach Senior Arts Colony, Long Beach, CA., in conjunction with The Rock Club Music is the Remedy and through generous funding by the NAMM Foundation. The culminating event for the class was a wonderful concert which was presented with a premiere on Zoom! Watch it here.

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Experience Talks ZoomCast 11/24: Thomas Cudjoe, MD MPH

Register here: https://bit.ly/3jOq8Ln

Dr. Thomas Cudjoe is an Assistant Professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in the Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology and Core Faculty at the JHU Center on Aging and Health. He is board certified internal medicine and geriatric medicine. In addition, Dr. Cudjoe is a Major in the US Army Reserves, a participant in the inaugural cohort of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Culture of Health Leaders Program and serves on board of the East Baltimore Community School- Henderson Hopkins. In 2019, Dr. Cudjoe was appointed as a Commissioner to the Baltimore City Commission on Aging and Retirement Education. Dr. Cudjoe is actively engaged in the medical care of homebound older adults via the Johns Hopkins Home Based Medicine program. Dr. Cudjoe is a recipient of the National Institute on Aging Grants for Early Medical/Surgical Specialists’ Transition to Aging Research.  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 internal medicine residency Internal Medicine at Howard University Hospital in Washington DC. He completed clinical and research fellowship in the Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.  

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