SENIOR MOMENTS
brought to you by 
Meals on Wheels and
 Senior Outreach
Services 

        925-937-8311 
           
     www.mowsos.org       
IN THIS ISSUE
Welcome New Volunteers
Words We Live By
Tributes and Memorials
Upcoming Events
Media
AmazonSmile
Leave A Legacy
Available Resources
Awards and Recognition
Making A Difference
Meals on Wheels
C. C. Cafés
Fall Prevention
Thank You Sponsors
Healthy Bites
About Town
WELCOME NEW VOLUNTEERS
 
Meals on Wheels

Denise Geist
Jerome Gibson
Sheila Johnson
Rita McDonald
Richard McElroy
Michael Mestek
Bruce Walker
 
Friendly Visitors

JoAnne Creamer
Diane Mitchell

C. C. Cafés 
       
Francisco Flores 
Eugene Friedlander
Denise Geist
Richard McElvoy
Shiv Kumar Pabba
Rebecca Shelton
Judith Sweet
 
Office
 
May Shih 
 
WORDS WE
LIVE BY  

 

Letter from 102 year-old Friendly Visitors client

 

"Dear Meals on Wheels and Senior Outreach Services,

 

I want to thank you for sending Ginny to me.  She is a wonderful person.  We have so much in common and we have become good friends.  I want to make a contribution in her name."

 

Fondly,

Maxine  

TRIBUTES AND MEMORIALS
 
Meals on Wheels and Senior Outreach Services recently received donations
in memory of these individuals.

Our deepest condolences to the families and friends of:
 
Ruth Freeman
John Henderson
Marion Johnstone
Shawn Morrissey
Stephen Joseph Navarra
 
 THANK YOU,
 
When Empower Fitness heard that the Fall Prevention Program uses their adjustable ankle weights to help seniors improve muscle strength in the At Home Balance Exercise Program, they wanted to help MOWSOS even more.  According to Alayne Balke, Fall Prevention Program Manager, "Salesman Marcus Texeira arranged for a shipment of enough ankle weights for our clients for one year -- at half the price!"
"We are very grateful," says Balke."  
~~~
 UPCOMING EVENTS

 
"The Dementia Dilemma"
Presented by
Dr. Eric Freitag, Neurophysiologist and Executive Director of the Mt. Diablo Memory Center
       
Wednesday, October 26th
7:00pm - 8:30pm
Carlton Senior Living
540 Patterson Blvd., Pleasant Hill
  ~~~

MBKares

Gourmet Appetizer and Holiday Beverage Event

Support MOWSOS by collecting scarves and mittens.

Wednesday, November 2nd
4:00pm-6:00pm
The Commons at Dallas Ranch
4751 Dallas Ranch Rd, Antioch  
~~~

 
Tuesday, November 15th
1:00pm-3:00pm
1943 church Lane,
San Pablo
 
Refreshments will be served.
~~~


Saturday, November 19th

 

To schedule an appointment, Call

888-204-5573 by November 11, 2016

~~~
 
John Muir Health
presents
"How Dementia May Effect You and Your Family"
 
Friday, December 16th
9:30am-11:00am
 
~~~
Media    

 

Fall Prevention Awareness Week Good Neighbors Column

 

Fall Prevention Awareness Week Proclamation Clayton Pioneer Page 2

 

AmazonSmile
 
 
 
When completing your shopping on Amazon, use Amazon Smile and pick Meals on Wheels and Senior Outreach Services as your charity of choice.  Amazon will donate 0.5% of eligible purchases to our organization.
  
Make your purchases count, visit smile.amazon.com! 
Bequests
 
As a 501(c)3, we are eligible to receive bequests. 

Please contact Erica Marcus at emarcus@mowsos.org
 or 925-937-8315.  
Available Resources

 

Cancer Support Community

 

3276 McNutt Avenue

Walnut Creek

 

Website

~~~

 

Contra Costa County Information & Assistance

 

Contra Costa Crisis Center

~~~

  

Advisory Council on Aging

 

 Get Your Vaccinations

~~~

 

 Contra Costa Health Services Department

 

www.cchealth.org

~~~

 

Contra Costa Crisis Center

 

www.211database.org

~~~

Awards and Recognition

 Clayton Valley Women's Club

Celebration of Living Award 2016

  The Rotary Club of the Delta, Antioch

Certification of Appreciation

awarded to Elaine Clark

"In honor of Your Contributions and Presentation." 




Issue 4, Volume 10
October 2016
donate_now_blue4_btn.gif
 
       
"Greatness is not a function of circumstance.  Greatness, it turns out, is largely a matter of conscious choice, and discipline," Jim Collins. 
 
This quote from the book, "Good to Great,"  is what we strive for every day - providing great service so that our clients can live their greatest lives.  Thousands of dedicated volunteers, forty employees, and countless partner organizations contribute to our success. 
 
Donors are also critical to our "greatness."  As the giving season approaches, you will be asked by us and many other organizations for financial support.  MOWSOS earned Charity Navigator's Four Star rating, their highest.  GuideStar also rates us Gold.  Ninety cents of every dollar donated is used for program support.   Greatness includes wise use of the resources given to us.  Thank you for your continued support. 
 
Sincerely,
 
   jmml_green2_btn.gif
Making A Difference

  
A Youth-Full Partnership

Students in the College Park High School (CPHS) video production class have been providing video services for MOWSOS for over two years. Students earn credit for video class and MOWSOS receives video products that are used in a variety of ways, from showing videos at events to posting them online.
  
"I contacted Mr. Renaud just after I began my work at MOWSOS almost three years ago," says Leigh Shughrou, Public Affairs Specialist.  "My daughter introduced us during the annual 'Back to School Night' and we realized immediately that we could combine forces for a very mutually-beneficial partnership," says Shughrou.
       
Mount Diablo Unified School District (MDUSD) encourages partnerships with community organizations so teacher Paul Renaud believes serving nonprofit clients is more relevant than ever. "Students work for real life clients so they're required to evaluate client needs, videotape, edit, and debrief with clients - engaging every aspect of serving media needs for our clients," says Renaud. "Real life work experience leads to success in real life and we're delighted with our relationship with MOWSOS."

In addition to the videography students, twenty-three Photo Arts II students, along with teacher, Jennifer Kennedy, joined MOWSOS' Donor Relations Manager, Erica Marcus, at the Pleasant Hill Senior Center on Wednesday, September 28th to take photos for submission in MOWSOS' "Life is Grand" Photo Contest.

" We practiced how to create portraits of senior citizens, to capture the sparkle in their eyes and the wisdom in their faces," says Kennedy.  "Students had to adapt to a 'location shoot' which means the lighting, background and willingness of their subjects were not in their direct control," says Kennedy. 
 
Kennedy added, "This was a 'real world' photographing experience for the students.  They were very excited to participate in the contest sponsored by MOWSOS and hope to provide more photography services for MOWSOS as the year progresses."
 
Over the years, the video and photography students at College Park High School have delivered videos for MOWSOS events including the Crab Dinner, Pancake Breakfast and the March for Meals Campaign.  And this past spring, MDUSD Superintendent, Dr. Nellie Meyer, delivered meals to homebound seniors alongside CPHS video students.

Stay-tuned for an exhibition of the photos submitted to the "Life is Grand" Photo Contest in the November "Senior Moments" Newsletter.
 
College Park High School photography students capture moments with Anna (on tire swing), a Pleasant Hill Senior Center Spanish Resource Club member.

For more information on becoming a monthly donor, contact Erica Marcus at emarcus@mowsos.org or
925-937-8315.
Meals on Wheels
red-table-setting.jpg
 
Bill Keeps on Truckin'
         
Meals on Wheels client, Bill, has  many stories to share, among them, his love of carpentry.  "I can't remember when I wasn't whittling," says Bill.  "I have an affinity for wood."  Even as a young child, Bill recalls playing in the hickory trees near his home in Missouri.   
  
Bill enlisted in the Army toward the end of WWII.  He studied electronics prior to his enlistment and was able to use his knowledge in his work on anti-aircraft and radar repair.
Bill circa 1943.
 
After his work in the Army, Bill graduated with a business degree from Missouri State University and worked at Lockheed for twenty-five years. 
 
During that time, he met and married the love of his life, Genevieve, and they were blessed with two adoring daughters.  "I lost my wife in 1993," says Bill.  "I miss her everyday, but my girls visit often."
Bill, today, with his Meals on Wheels truck.
"I am very grateful for the delicious meals delivered by very kind volunteers," says Bill.  "I am not as sturdy on my feet as I used to be," he adds. 
 
Bill continues to find joy in his carpentry work.  "I am working on a new birdhouse," says Bill, "and have a couple I need to finish up!" 
 
Bill hand-crafted the Meals on Wheels truck in the photo pictured above.  "We keep it in our office in plain view," says Nancy Raniere, Meals on Wheels Program Specialist.  "It's so clever.  The tires are made from bottle tops and the roof is covered with sand paper."
 
For more information about the Meals on Wheels Program, contact Nancy Raniere at nraniere@mowsos.org  or
925-937-8607.
C. C. Cafés
  

Redefining Educational Services at the Concord C. C. Café

Since 1994, Ian Bremer and his dedicated staff at RES Success have been providing adults with disabilities and autism an opportunity to be everything they want to be - in an enriching and fulfilling manner.

The RES Success mission is to provide an environment that instills dignity and respect for greater independence by fulfilling each participant's intellectual and creative goals,
Pictured from left to right: RES Success student, Allen; Staff Member, Darlene Ross; RES Success student, Mena; RES Success Program Manager, Anthony Gargano. 
dreams, and aspirations.  According to Anthony Gargano, Program Manager, "Ian wanted to start something different than the mainstream programs at the time -- something with safer ways to communicate that would instill dignity and respect."

RES Success works closely with community-based business and organizations such as the Concord C. C. Café to provide daily hands-on interaction and activities.  "The week is full of activities that bring purpose and outcome together each day," says Gargano.

Students like Allen and Mena have learned how to take public transportation, health safety skills, and proper customer service.  Mena, twenty-four years old, began attending the
RES Success students Jocie (left), Danny (center) and Staff Member Aaron.
RES Success program directly after high school and now has a job with a Martinez coffee shop.  "I am so happy there," says Mena.  "Ian and Anthony have helped me so much."

For more information about the C. C. Cafés Program, contact Bonnie Paulson at bpaulson@mowsos.org  or
925-357-9706.
 Fall Prevention

 
Fall Prevention Program    Raises Over $15,000!
 

The bar was raised on Sunday, October 2nd, at the annual Fall Prevention Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser and as a result the MOWSOS Fall Prevention Program will reduce its waiting list of Contra Costa seniors in need of home safety modifications.

IndeeLift was the first Title Sponsor in the history of the event and was a tremendous support during the planning process. "I am thrilled with the fundraising results for the event this year," says Alayne Balke, Fall Prevention Program Manager.  "We had 270 people attend this year." 
Nearly thirty adults and children received flu shots at the Walgreens booth and many others had their hearing, balance and blood pressures checked.
         
A special thanks to the Pleasant Hill Senior Center for providing a beautiful facility and dedicated staff to help during the event.
         
Master of Ceremonies, Pleasant Hill Councilmember, Tim Flaherty, along with District IV Supervisor, Karen Mitchoff, and Pleasant Hill Mayor, Sue Noack, helped encourage a lively raffle drawing and pancake flipping contest for kids of all ages!
         
Of course we couldn't have done it without our sponsors:      
   Title Sponsor: 
 
   Platinum Pancake Presenting Sponsors:
 



Pleasant Hill Post Acute
                 
Moraga Post Acute







Golden Griddle Sponsors:
 
Actikare Home Care
Addus Home Care
Amedisys
Carlton Senior Living
Clear Captions
Eldercare Services
Episcopal Senior Communities
Oakmont of Concord
Tender Heart Home Care
 24Hr Homecare
 
Additional Supporters:
 

Walgreens

American Society of Magicians

Office of the Sheriff CCC

Linda Meneken, PT
Bernard Go, PT
National Charity League
CCC Area Agency on Aging
Home Instead Senior Care
Lamorinda Audiology

Rehabilitation Service of

Northern California 

Visiting Angels
 Healthy Bites

fitness_woman.jpg

Flu Season is here... 

Influenza is a contagious respiratory illness that can be severe and life-threatening, especially for older adults. Vaccination is the best way to help protect yourself from the flu and help prevent its spread to others.

Click on the photo below to watch an informative short video from the National Council on Aging (NCOA) featuring actress Judith Light. And join the Flu You Campaign in its quest to educate older adults and their loved ones about the importance of getting an annual flu vaccination.


 About Town

 

College Park High School Photography students and teacher, Jen Kennedy, at Pleasant Hill Senior Center.
 
Take #2.

 

Custom-made Birdhouse by Bill (story above).

Walnut Creek C. C. Café Volunteer, Soongi.

Dr. Hodge and Joannie putting on the moves at the Rodeo Italian Festival.

Rodeo C. C. Café diners enjoy a great meal at the Italian Festival.

MOWSOS Volunteer Specialist, Susannah Meyer, at the PG&E Campaign for Community Event.

KKDV Radio DJ, Mel McKay (left), and MOWSOS Fall Prevention Manager, Alayne Balke, at the Hometown Happenings taping.

If you have suggestions for our newsletter or would like to contribute a quote, photo, or story, please contact:
Leigh Shughrou
Public Affairs Specialist
Meals on Wheels and Senior Outreach Services
925-937-8311 x104
lshughrou@mowsos.org

This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.  
 

1300 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek, CA 94596 
925-937-8311  mowsos.org