Village Newsletter

Village Connection September 2017

Upcoming Events

Being Mortal's Village:

The Value of Community and Choice As We Grow Old er

Live Simulcast with Dr. Atul Gawande

15th Anniversary of the Village Movement Event

Monday, September 25th, 4 pm

Office of Technology Management

Washington University

4240 Duncan Avenue, Suite 100

St. Louis, MO 63110

Free, reservations requested at

[email protected] or (314) 802-0275

STL Village and the Harvey A. Friedman

Center for Aging invite the St. Louis

community to a live simulcast conversation featuring Dr. Atul Gawande, author of the seminal book, Being Mortal . Hosted by Beacon Hill Village in Boston and streamed to Villages across the country, the discussion will focus on living life with purpose and how we can transform the

possibilities for the later chapters in

our lives. STL Village will lead a discussion for attendees following the simulcast.

STL Village Souper Sunday

September 24, 4 pm

The Library at the Executive House

4466 West Pine, St. Louis, MO 63109

Registration requested

Brian Carpenter, Ph.D., Professor of Psychological & Brain Sciences at Washington University, will lead a discussion on what quality of life means to us, what really matters and how we can live fully for as long as we live. Registration is requested at [email protected] or by calling the STL Village Office at (314) 802-0275.

Village Aglow: An Evening to Benefit STL Village

Wednesday, October 18th, 6 - 8 pm

Kaldi's Coffee Roastery

3983 Gratiot Street, St. Louis, MO 63110

Tickets available online at stlvillage.org

or call (314) 802-0275

Join us as we light up Kaldi’s Roastery for a night of java and jazz! See what’s perking on a tour of Kaldi’s new roasting facility in the Cortex Innovation district. Sample craft coffees, tea and cocktails, enjoy delectable bites and stimulating conversation, and sway to the sounds of the incomparable Anita Jackson and Phillip Graves. Proceeds support our mission of empowering adults in the St. Louis region who want to age in place in a safe and socially connected way that embraces aging.

Presentation on the

Village Movement

Friday September 15th, 10 am

AARP - University City Chapter Meeting

University City Library

6701 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63130

Free event, no registration required

STL Village members Edmund Acosta and Beverley Foster will provide an overview of the Village Movement and information on STL Village. Learn how this movement to empower older adults to age in place is growing across the country and how STL Village is leading the way as an advocate for this model in the St. Louis region.

Welcome New Members!

Please greet our new members who've joined since April 2017:

John C. David

Robert Eigenrauch

Thomas Fox

Mary Franklin

Gayle Gray

Grace B. James

Judy Leon

Jeanne McCormack

Marian Miller

Daniel O'Brien

Henrietta Parram

Francine Roden

Jane Sauer

Maxine Stone

Eleanor Sullivan

More Coffee Talk: We love our monthly Coffee Klatch!

The STL Village coffee klatch happens one morning a month, usually on a Tuesday. Cafe Osage at Bowood Farms and Winslow’s Home are two favorite spots. The new Kaldi's at Vandeventer and Laclede, Northwest Coffee and Whole Foods are on our list of possible future venues. In April, we met at IKEA where coffee is free until 10 a.m. Because it was Tom Blackwood’s birthday, his wife Mary Jo made a “cake” out of cinnamon buns and shared it with the group.

Right: Tom Blackwood celebrates with his wife

Mary Jo and other Village friends at the April

coffee klatch.

Like the Village happy hours, the coffee klatch fosters social interaction between members. Being a coffee drinker is not a requirement. Tea, juice, and eats are entirely optional. The point is to get together with others to enjoy some company and conversation in a casual setting.

Visitors interested in learning more about the Village are always welcome at the coffee klatch. Because the group is usually smaller, the setting is generally quiet and it’s a great way for visitors to engage with members and learn more about what they value about their Village membership. Give the Village office a call at (314) 802-0275 to find out where we'll

be meeting next and join us!

What is a klatch? Of German origin, it is "a gathering usually characterized by informal conversation." Merriam-Webster

Written by Linda Pinsker – Member and Activities Co-Chair

Visit our Facebook page for more coffee trivia as we get inspired for Village Aglow!

Redefining the Future of Aging:

Village Members and Washington University

Above: STL Village members participating in Washington University's fall semester class, "When I'm 64." Also pictured are Professor Nancy Morrow-Howell and Brown School of Social Work doctoral student Cal Halvorsen.

STL Village and Washington University in St. Louis are working together to help redefine the future of aging. Many of our members are participating in projects that will lead to breakthroughs in how society and healthcare providers respond to a growing aging population.

When I’m Sixty-Four

This fall, 15 Village members are sharing their experiences related to navigating aging in the Washington University undergraduate seminar, “When I’m Sixty-Four: Transforming Your Future.” The interdisciplinary class for freshmen was developed by a team of Washington University faculty including STL Village board member Nancy Morrow-Howell, MSW, Ph.D., the Distinguished Professor of Social Policy at the Brown School of Social Work and Director of the Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging. The goal is to get students thinking about the types of issues they’ll face personally or as caregivers in the future, as well as the wealth of career and research opportunities in the field of aging.

STL Village members have become an important asset to the class through their real-world testimonials about life beyond 60. “The students really like having Village members alongside them in the class,” Morrow-Howell commented. “They enjoy meeting them personally and hearing about their life experiences. The Villagers are good at taking the lecture topic and giving examples of how the issues played out in their lives, which is very instructive for the younger students.” This is the third year Village members have participated. The class is typically offered in the fall, and members interested in participating in future classes should contact the Village office at 314-802-0275.

MEDEX Study

Mindfulness, Health Education and Exercise - these are the three components of MEDEX , a study being conducted by the Washington University School of Medicine. STL Village members are among the hundreds of participants helping researchers understand the importance of each of these areas to cognitive performance later in life. Village member Edmund Acosta, Ph.D., who also serves on the Village board and on several of our committees, takes part in the MEDEX program. "I am so fortunate to have world-class trainers & instructors, teaching and tweaking me thru a big-time research program regarding cognition & memory," said Acosta. "It's exciting to be part of something so important and I'm definitely benefiting from the exercises I'm involved in."

MEDEX is currently seeking more people to take part in the study and there is no cost to participate. For more information, contact (314) 747-1134 or send an email to [email protected] .

Written by Liz Backus - STL Village Marketing Chair

Save the Dates:

Community Engagement Committee Events

“ Gray Power—Older Adults and Activism ” is the theme of a stimulating panel discussion to take place on Sunday, October 8, from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., at the Missouri History Museum.

Sponsored by STL Village, the program was organized by the STL Village Community Engagement Committee. Outstanding local social activists will speak and stimulate discussion with the audience on the power of older adults to improve the quality of life in our community and beyond.

Panelists include Percy Green, known for climbing the St. Louis Gateway Arch in 1964 to demand fair hiring in constructing it; Joan Suarez, a labor organizer and peace activist; and Ollie Stewart, executive director of the Southside Wellness Center. Pamela Talley, executive director of Lewis Place Historical Preservation and a member of the STL Village Community Engagement Committee will serve as moderator.

The event is free and refreshments will be served. Registration requested but not required; contact STL Village at [email protected] or call (314) 802-0275.

Village to Village Network Webinar: Diversity

Thursday, October 12, 1:00 p.m. CST

STL Village is a leader in the national Village movement in terms of our core value of diversity among our members and volunteers. Our Board members Gail Brown and Malaika Horne will lead a webinar for the Village to Village Network on the theme of diversity on Thursday, October 12 at 1:00 p.m CST. Village to Village Network members may participate in the live webinar by registering at vtvnetwork.org. STL Village will be providing a meeting space for our members to view/listen to the event; contact the office for more information.(We will provide details in an upcoming Calendar of Events).

Our long-range goal is to build a village that sets an example of diversity and inclusion both within the wider Village movement and in the St. Louis area as a whole. Through our Community Engagement Committee, we interact with the issues and concerns of the wider community.

For more information on either of these events, contact the Village office at (314) 802-0275.

Written by Gloria Gordon, Ph.D. - STL Village Board Member Emeritus and founding member

Senior Community Service Employment Program

Sharon James (left) and Dazell Wilkins (right) help out at the STL Village office.

In 2014, STL Village was selected to serve as a host agency for senior employees enrolled in the Senior Community Service Employment Agency Program (SCSEP). This national program is authorized by the Older Americans Act of 1965 and administered by MERS Goodwill. The mission of SCSEP is to provide opportunities for persons with barriers to employment to work and live more independently in the community and is a perfect fit for STL Village.

Sharon James came on board with STL Village in 2014 and has made significant contributions to the organization. Her responsibilities include database management and communications with members. Sharon uses the skills that she acquired at American Business Institute in Chicago, IL in her position. Her pleasant telephone voice is welcoming to members who call the STL Village office with questions and concerns. Sharon enjoys participating in STL Village activities and participated in our 2017 trips to Bentonville, Arkansas and Montelle Winery.

Dazell Wilkins joined STL Village as a SCSEP employee in 2016. Dazell’s responsibilities at STL Village include filling member requests for volunteer services and maintaining the Village calendar. Dazell is a lifelong learner, having recently completed her bachelor’s degree from the University of Phoenix.

STL Village is fortunate to have these two dedicated assistants supporting STL Village members.

Written by Madeline Franklin - STL Village Executive Director

Members: Log in and see what you're missing!

Dear Members: Did you know that we have a members-only website that allows you to register for activities, pay your membership dues and more?

When you visit the STL Village website, you will see the link "Member Login" at the top right of every page. This link will take members to our member services website. Once logged in, members can access our calendar and register (if needed) for upcoming events. We also have an online discussion board for members to ask questions or share ideas with other members. While members can always contact our office, the member website is another way to access useful information 24/7. Members will need to create a username and password to use the member-only website.

Want some hands-on help? STL Village will be offering a training session this fall for our members. For information, please contact us at: [email protected] or (314) 802-0275.

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