Welcome to the Team: Cathy Trout

Cathy is our new Program Director at Buckingham Senior Apartments and The Metro@Hollywood Senior Apartments, both in Los Angeles, CA.

Cathy Trout, Program Director – Originally from San Diego, Ms. Trout holds a BA in Journalism with a minor in Social Work and an emphasis in Art. She started her nonprofit career at a community center in Mid-Wilshire, running a youth computer lab and teaching graffiti artists Illustrator and Photoshop to empower them to operate a graphic design business with her. Then she became director of technology, education and employment programs at the center and taught an art class. Next, she transitioned into completing fundraising, project development, social media, web design and graphic design tasks for various nonprofits including a youth conservation corps, arts program, and currently for a charter school network. Ms. Trout volunteers regularly. Over time she has founded a single parents’ ministry, coordinated Saturday volunteer service projects, managed a weekly kitchen team, and most recently helped plan a welcome home party at supportive housing complex for formerly homeless seniors. She’s excited to build relationships with residents at the Buckingham and Metro LA sites. Ms. Trout has a teenage daughter with whom she enjoys spending quality time, and loves painting, crafting, gentle hikes with friends, and singing in her church’s band.

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Happy New Year!

Best wishes from everyone at EngAGE!

[Image by Annalise Batista from Pixabay]

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News from ACE/121: “Voice of Nature” Resident Art Show Closing Reception 1/3

ace/121 Gallery
121 N. Kenwood Street
(entrance via YMCA on Louise)
Glendale, CA 91206

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News from Vermont Family Apartments: Holiday Party

EngAGE’s Program Director and Road Theatre member, Elizabeth Sampson, works tirelessly every year at this time, collecting donated funds from the Road Theatre members, purchasing and wrapping gifts, and ensuring that the holiday tree at the Vermont Family Apartments community in Los Angeles, is complete with personalized gifts for each of the 65 youths that reside there. This year was as wonderful as each preceding year, as a room full of excited residents, from tots to teens to grandparents, were welcomed to the celebration on December 19th. Program Director Sandra Vargas organizes this event annually, centered around the festive holiday tree. She delivers a catered meal, a DJ bumping holiday music, the community art teacher painting on a large canvas, and Santa Claus making his highly-anticipated grand entrance. Special thanks to Solari Management for their support and donations to this event. A huge thank you to Elizabeth, Sandra, and all the folks who donated, making the holiday season special for this community. And thank you to Santa, the hippest Santa in town!

Program Director: Elizabeth Sampson serves in other EngAGE communities and volunteers for the Vermont Family Apartments Toy Drive.
Program Director: Sandra Vargas – Vermont Family Apartments

Made possible with support from The Road Theatre Company; Solari Enterprises, Inc., and the North Hollywood Senior Arts Colony.
Made possible with funding from The Eisner Foundation.

Vermont Family Apartments and North Hollywood Senior Arts Colony are Meta Housing Corporation Communities.

Best wishes for the holidays from everyone at EngAGE!

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News from NoHo Senior Arts Colony: Wrapping Party for Vermont Family Apartments Holiday Event

Volunteers wrapping and Elizabeth Sampson amidst the toys.

EngAGE Program Director and Road Theatre member Elizabeth Sampson leads a major toy drive annually for the kids at Vermont Family Apartments in Los Angeles, CA. Elizabeth explains:

“I’ve managed to do this for nine years, raising from $600 the first year, to $1300 this year. It has allowed me to get nicer and nicer toys. This year Marshall’s had a whole bunch of FAO Schwartz toys and I was so excited for Santa to give those out.

“My friends at the Road have turned this into a company-wide event that we take a lot of pride in. I start raising money at the company meetings in November and December, set up a Paypal account that they can donate into. Road members and our Artistic Director Taylor Gilbert all donate generously.

“Road member Keelia Flinn, has a Dojo (martial arts studio) in Studio City. She sets up a ‘Giving Tree’ in the corner. She puts tags on the tree, each with a Vermont kid’s ages and gender. Her young students take a tag from the tree and return with a gift attached to the tag. These kids (and parents) have been very generous for the last two years.

“Because we raised more this year, I attached all seventeen $20 Target gift tags that go to the teen-agers, to a bag of Moose Munch with a bow — more fun to get from Santa.

“I make probably four trips to Marshall’s altogether, making sure that each child is covered with a gift. There were 70 on the list this year.

“Lisa at NoHo Senior Arts Colony in North Hollywood, CA, was very helpful, providing refreshments for the wrappers at the Wrapping Party (five Road company members and four NoHo residents) yesterday. So big shout out to her.”

EngAGE gives a big shout out to Elizabeth and her group of supporters who make the holiday at Vermont Family Apartments very special every year! You’ll see pictures from the Vermont party tomorrow.

The North Hollywood Senior Arts Colony is a Meta Housing Corporation community, managed by Legacy Partners.

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EngAGE Receives Grant from The Eisner Foundation

EngAGE is pleased to announce that The Eisner Foundation has awarded us $300,000 over two years in program support to improve the quality of life and learning for more than 800 children and 800 low-income seniors through intergenerational arts education and mentoring collaborations between affordable senior housing residents and schools in Southern California.

The Eisner Foundation grant represents the foundation’s continuing commitment to meaningfully uniting generations in the Los Angeles area and beyond.

EngAGE CEO/Founder Tim Carpenter commented, “We would like to thank the Eisner Foundation for their continued support for our intergenerational programs and look forward to two more years of our successful partnership together.”

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News from LBSAC: “First Tuesday” – An Afternoon of the Arts

Last week, Long Beach Senior Arts Colony in Long Beach, CA, invited 5th – 8th grade students from the Maple Village Waldorf school to join our residents for a special intergenerational event. The afternoon began with interactive improvisational theater games, followed by an acting scene performed by our senior residents.  The group then moved to the art studio where our young students created personalized leaves and inscribed what they were thankful for regarding their elders. At the end of the event, as we were cleaning up the art studio, one young student started to help clean the tables. We remarked that it was great that he was helping without being asked, and he smiled and said, “It’s called GRATITUDE.”  The residents and students loved spending this creative time together and look forward to another intergenerational event in the near future!

Program Director: Helene Weinberg
Event Date:  December 3, 2019

Made possible with support from: The Eisner Foundation.

The Long Beach Senior Arts Colony is a Meta Housing Corporation community.

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