No performer of the 20th century was more associated with Christmas than Bing Crosby. From 1931 until 1962, he was the star vocalist of radio. His popular Chesterfield Show, sponsored by the cigarette company, aired on Wednesday nights from 1949 through 1952. Read more about Bing’s radio career here, and enjoy this Chesterfield holiday show, with guest star Al Jolson, which was originally broadcast on 12/28/1949. Were you listening then?
100th Anniversary of the Crossword Puzzle
We like to celebrate longevity, so we’re marking the 100th anniversary this month of a brain-challenging pastime that so many people enjoy: the crossword puzzle. From the Washington Post:
On a snowy evening in the early 1900s, a newspaper editor at the New York World was hunched over his desk trying to think of something special for the Christmas issue.
Remembering the small word squares he’d solved as a young Brit in Liverpool, he drew a diamond-shaped grid with numbered squares and numbered clues. It contained 32 words, and his simple instruction read: “Fill in the small squares with words which agree with the following definitions.”
The puzzle appeared Dec. 21, 1913, and what 42-year-old Arthur Wynne had created was the first crossword puzzle.
Read more here in a fascinating article by Merle Reagle, who makes the Sunday Crossword puzzles for the Post. He tells the history of how the puzzle developed and how he tracked down the 80-year-old daughter of Arthur Wynne for an interview. Fun!
Worth Repeating: Social Services for Native American Seniors
“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 12/16/12:
“The National Resource Center on Native American Aging’s mission is to identify and increase awareness of evolving Native elder health and social issues. The NRCNAA’s vision is to empower Native people to develop community based solutions. . . . Native American elders have many of the same needs as other elder populations; however services to address these needs remain unavailable, underdeveloped or inaccessible in most Native American communities.” The NRCNAA has three centers committed to increasing awareness of issues affecting American Indian, Alaskan Native, and Native Hawaiian elders. Learn more here.
Elaine Stritch: Resettled
If you found it shocking last year that Elaine Stritch, 88, had decided to leave New York and move to the Detroit suburb where she grew up, you’ll be interested in hearing how she’s faring. Read the recent New York Times article here. And if you’d like to know who Elaine Stritch is, take a look at this video — her one-woman show from 2002.
EngAGE Receives $10,000 Grant from Bank of America
Gardeners proudly show off their successful crop of corn!
EngAGE is very pleased to announce receipt of a $10,000 grant from Bank of America. The grant we received is part of ongoing investments the Bank of America Charitable Foundation is making to address immediate critical needs, such as hunger and shelter, and longer term solutions that promote financial wellness through access to benefits and resources. This significant grant will allow us to continue and expand our food distribution and food growing efforts in our low-income senior communities in the Southern California area.
According to the 2011 “Senior Hunger Report Card,” a study by Meals On Wheels, the nonprofit that delivers meals to the homebound, 15.2% of seniors, or 8.8 million people, face the threat of hunger. This is a statistically significant increase from 14.3% since 2009, the end of the Great Recession. From 2001 to 2011, the number of seniors experiencing the threat of hunger has grown by 88%.
“Increasing numbers of seniors in our country are going without enough food due to economic constraints. This poses a significant public health challenge, which in the absence of additional resources to feed seniors, will lead to worsening health and higher spending on medical care.”
Our EngAGE food programs serve a vital need!
Here’s how the Bank of America grant will help us have a positive impact on the lives of our residents who face food insecurity:
HEAL Food Distribution Program
EngAGE partners with the Los Angeles Food Bank and once a month provides residents with ten-pound boxes of healthy, nonperishable food, plus five pounds of produce tailored for the needs of seniors. The HEAL Food is picked up by EngAGE staff and the much-needed supplies are delivered to 400 low-income seniors in six properties in five different cities.
Gardening, Health and Nutrition Class
This weekly class gives residents the opportunity to garden and to raise their level of awareness on various health issues. Residents plant fruits and vegetables, and proudly maintain their garden. After the first hour, they move to the community room for an hour long health education course. The instructor focuses on healthy eating habits and daily exercise, and explains how these habits affect one’s body in a positive way.
Residents also meet monthly with the gardening instructor for a healthy eating workshop. The workshop focuses on using the community garden vegetables to produce great tasting, healthy, and inexpensive meals which residents can also make at home.
You can see some photos below of our food distribution and gardening programs in action. Click on any photo to enlarge it. [Email subscribers: click the title of the post if you don’t see photos in your email.]
EngAGE looks forward to continuing to provide programming that nourishes both the minds and bodies of residents in our senior communities! We’re gratified that Bank of America supports our efforts.
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- Residents take good care of their garden.
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- Sometimes little visitors help out!
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- Valuable cargo: food boxes for the HEAL program.
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- Unloading food for distribution.
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- Residents line up to receive their food.
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- EngAGE documents the food distribution.
Couple Married 61 Years Takes “Up” Inspired Anniversary Photos
“This adorable couple, married for an incredible 61 years, finally got the photos they deserve! As a special holiday present, event designer and granddaughter Lauren Wells (on her husband’s side) decided to create some truly memorable anniversary photos for her ‘Nina and Gramps.’ According to Lauren, the two ‘have never taken their rings off, remain the best of friends, and have just one picture from their wedding day’ because ‘their photographer stood them up!’ Using the classic Pixar movie Up as inspiration, Lauren worked with a team of people to create their unique gift.” See their photos here.
Holiday Wishes from Outer Space
From the National Archives:
Once upon a time, space was quiet. This was before satellites had cluttered the orbit of the earth, beaming TV shows and text messages and GPS coordinates.
Before 1958, space was very quiet.
On December 18, 1958, the Air Force placed the first communications satellite, a Project SCORE relay vehicle, into orbit.
And then, on December 19, the sound of the a human voice was transmitted through space. It was the voice of President Eisenhower, broadcasting a message of peace to the world below.
This is the President of the United States speaking. Through the marvels of scientific advance, my voice is coming to you from a satellite circling in outer space. My message is a simple one. Through this unique means, I convey to you and all mankind America’s wish for peace on earth and good will to men everywhere.
Read more here.
Best wishes for happy holidays from EngAGE!
