From the Executive Director, Andy Gaines
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Ashby Village is currently recruiting and hiring two full-time staff positions:
With all these changes we want to keep members, volunteers and community members up-to-date. We’ll be trying several approaches to reach everyone:
Read about us
: Look for the first story in the monthly Village Voice for key organizational developments, including information about Ashby Village staff and project teams, the Board, the Program Leadership Team, Event Planning, etc.
Meet Us
: The executive director and/or Board members plan to come to the monthly Happy Hour
to have an informal opportunity to connect with one another.
Tell Us What You Think:
Information and feedback sessions will be held with the Board and Neighborhood Groups. Also, we hope to hold a
Community Forum
to discuss the changing needs of our membership.
Now, after almost 10 years, Ashby Village is addressing many more varied interests and needs. We have many village partners and we’ll continue to come together, moving forward with open ears and hearts.
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Embracing Change: Medication Management
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Wednesday, April 3, 2:00-3:30 pm
Ashby Village, 1821 Catalina Ave., Berkeley
Michelle Dhanak, MD-Geriatrician will discuss many aspects of managing medications with older adults including: Understanding the common pitfalls in prescribing practices; learning about a framework for appropriate medication prescribing that can be used by families as they advocate for their loved ones; understanding the use of antipsychotics in elders - when, why and how; which medications to avoid; and treating pain which is often undertreated in elders. There will be ample time for questions at the end of the presentation.
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Arts & Culture Series: Dr. H. Edwards - Sports As An Instrument of Social Change
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Sunday, April 7, 2:00-4:00 pm
Northbrae Community Church 941
The Alameda Berkeley, CA 94707
Thanks to the work of
Dr. Harry Edwards, we have come to understand that, far from being regarded insulated and isolated from life’s serious concerns, sports are infused with society’s cultural and political. Dr. Edwards will discuss this and its significance for our current political and social climate.
Harry Edwards is a founder of a social movement with international relevance and reach, the Olympic Project for Human Rights, which led to the now-legendary Black Power Salute protest at the 1968 Mexico City Summer Olympics. He’s been a consultant diversity for all three major U.S sports. Dr. Edwards was with the NBA’s Golden State from 1987 through 1995. The programs and methods he developed for dealing with issues and challenges facing professional football players were adopted by the entire NFL in 1992.
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Sunday, April 14, 3:00-4:00 pm
Albany
RSVP for location
Invite a friend to join our Living Room Chat!
They'll have the opportunity to hear what Ashby Village offers to our members and volunteers, how it enhances their quality of life, and why it helps them develop peace of mind about the future.
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Cannabis and Pain Management
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Wednesday, April 17, 2:00 pm start
Ashby Village, 1821 Catalina Ave., Berkeley
Laurie Vollen, M.D. , a Board Certified physician in Clinical Medicine and Preventive Care, has over 18 years experience passionately guiding patients towards the safe and effective use of medical marijuana. She is the founder of Naturally Healing MD in Albany (just down Solano Ave. from Berkeley), providing comprehensive services to patients who want to harness the medicinal components of cannabis. Her services include treatment plans, Cancer Consultations, medical marijuana recommendations, medication management. Her website (www.naturallyhealingmd.com) has valuable educational tools in the Resource section to keep cannabis consumers informed of the basics of marijuana use, including videos of her San Francisco Library presentations.
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Volunteer Training & Orientation
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Saturday, April 27, 8:30-1:00 pm
Ashby Village, 1821 Catalina Ave., Berkeley
Are you interested in giving back to your community? Do you want to build new relationships with a friendly and engaging corps of Village staff, members and volunteers?
Then join us by becoming a volunteer!
At Ashby Village, volunteers are the heart of our organization, supporting all aspects of our community, including operations, programs and services.
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2018 Volunteer Hours at a Glance
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Have you wondered... ?
- What percent of member service requests were filled in 2018?
- How many hours did volunteers spend helping Ashby Village Members in 2018?
- What percent of volunteers who signed up, stayed active in 2018?
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Upcoming Hearts N' Hands Events
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Gardening Project
Wednesday April 3, 2019
9:30am-2:00pm
For this event, the
project will include weeding in the back yard. Volunteers should be strong, agile and have good balance for the project.
Come and join us! Light lunch provided.
RSVP
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Gardening Project
Wednesday April 17, 2019
9:30am-2:30pm
For this event, volunteers will
This project will include removing grass weeds in front (and some of the back) of the house
Come and join us! Light lunch provided.
RSVP
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Window Washing
Wednesday May 1, 2019
10:00am-2:30pm
For this event, volunteers will meet to wash the windows of two members' homes, one after another!
Come and join us! Light lunch provided.
RSVP
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The Hearts N' Hands program provides volunteer assistance to Ashby Village members when they need a hand
Volunteers gather for a half day to complete multiple
jobs at once.
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Connections Team is in
need of volunteers!
If you are an Ashby Village volunteer interested in visiting an Ashby Village member on a regular basis, who is feeling socially isolated, wanting a walking companion or someone with whom to have a cup of coffee, please contact Ellen Newman for more information about volunteering with the Connections Team.
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The skies are blue and the wildflowers are blooming. Join one of these hikes in April and enjoy the views and the wonderful, clear spring air.
Saturday, April 6 8 AM
Birdwatching with Celeste Burrows and Eric Schroeder. Under the guidance of mater birder Eric we’ll observe the changes the spring season brings to the bird life at Tilden Park. The pace is relaxed and distance can be 1-3 miles with several turn back options.
Saturday, April 13 11 AM
Nature walk with Audre Newman, Tilden Ridge Wildflower
Saturday, April 27 11 AM
Nature walk with Audre Newman, Redwood Regional Park, East Ridge Trails
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Monthly walk: UPPER STRAWBERRY CANYON
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In an effort to offer mid-week opportunities for Ashby Village members and volunteers to walk in nature, Audre Newman has started a
monthly series of walks on the Strawberry Creek Trail, every
second
Thursday afternoon, 1-3 PM.
Next hike:
Thursday, April 18
Description of the walk: wide dirt trail (fire road). After a short (~25 yds) stretch of ~20º incline the trail levels out and traverses the west-facing slopes below Grizzly Peak Blvd, high above the Cal campus. On a clear day the view of the campus, the city of Berkeley, the Bay, and the Golden Gate to the Pacific Ocean is spectacular. At 1.5 miles we can turn around and return to the trailhead. Not wheelchair accessible.
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Every Friday until 6/14/19, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
“
This is a FANTASTIC class that I look forward to every week. I find that I get better at remembering things inside class and outside... This class gives me a sense that I don’t need to be as anxious about memory which of course helps my memory.”
“
I encourage others to take this class. I learned great strategies that are very useful. This class is fun, informative, and well taught.”
Drop in and try it. Learn useful techniques to improve your memory and have fun while learning. For more information contact
Roberta Pressman
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"Falls can Kill You." Here’s How To Minimize The Risk. Every 19 minutes in this country, an older person dies from a fall.”
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No Pre-Happy Hour Program in April
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April is stacking up to be a busy month for events at Ashby Village, but please don't plan for our usual
pre-Happy Hour program.
Happy Hour
will
take place, and we look forward to seeing you there.
Instead, consider attending the April 3 program on Medication Management just a couple of days before. Details in the Upcoming Events section at the top of the newsletter.
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Berkeley Completes Action Plan to Become More Age-Friendly
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On March 4, the City of Berkeley finalized and released its action plan to become an age-friendly city. The 4 priority areas of the plan are:
(1) Develop a continuum of affordable, accessible housing options for older adults to age in their community regardless of their health or financial status;
(2) Advance a network of public and private transportation that equitably serves residents and connects them to services, social activities, and employment opportunities;
(3) Develop a more integrated system of services and supports that is person-centered and ensures that all residents have the opportunity to engage in health promoting activities; and
(4) Enhance neighborhood cohesion and social connectedness of all Berkeley residents with community events and activities that are inclusive, affordable, and accessible.
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Photo Wall at Ashby Village
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Stop by Ashby Village office
to see our updated
"Year in Review"
photo wall!
Thank you to volunteer Bill Graham for managing the job this year!
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Exciting opportunity for grandparents!
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Ashby Village grandparents have been invited to try out a service designed to
increase communication between grandparents and children.
The initiative is led by
Jennifer Rhodes, an attorney and Stanford grad who is passionate about reducing social isolation among older adults. Over the past three years – working with Stanford researcher Marlene Orozco – Jennifer has met with over 200 older adults, developed the attached online survey for additional data collection, and developed validated measures of loneliness, happiness and connectivity. Based on the finding, she has created a digital service that increases connection between grandparents and children.
To participate, you’ll need online access through a computer, tablet or mobile device. Please also feel free to complete
this survey!
If you're interested or want to learn more, please
email Jennifer at and let her know that you're an Ashby Village member.
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WANTED: Your Speaker and Performance Recommendations!
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Some of Ashby Village's most successful events have come to the us by way of member and volunteer recommendations and offers - in other words, they came from you!
Are you interested in sharing your subject matter expertise, or artistic and musical talents, or do you know someone who may be willing to share theirs?
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Plan Ahead to Submit Articles to This Newsletter
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Would you like your event or notice to appear in the Village Voices Newsletter? Use
this simple form to submit your material.
It takes us time to prepare each issue! Remember that the DEADLINE for each newsletter is the 15th of the previous month. Late submissions are not guaranteed placement in the next newsletter.
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Technology resources!
Frustrated with technology?
Need more information?
The Ashby Village technology committee has created a web page with resources for you!
- Tech Tips articles published in previous issues of Village Voices
- Handouts distributed at previous technology workshops
- Information on local technology classes and tech support for seniors.
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Would you like personal assistance from Technology & Electronics Volunteers?
Volunteers can help you with a
wide range
of devices!
Do you want to learn how to get more out of your smart phone or tablet? Call us!
Not sure how to get your TV hooked up? Call us!
Interested in finally getting your printer to work? Call us!
Are you ready to learn how to use Skype or FaceTime to have video calls with friends and family? Call us!
Have you had enough of that weird thing that keeps happening with your computer? Call us!
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Demystifying Gmail
Gmail was the topic of a recent workshop hosted by four Ashby Village Technology Team volunteers.
Both UC Berkeley retirees and Ashby Village members came with laptops, tablets, and even cell phones to learn some Gmail tips and tricks.
Many participants expressed how much more comfortable they are now using Gmail because of the workshop.
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Neighborhood Groups &
Ongoing Activities
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Monday, April 15, 2:00 - 4:00 pm,
Handwork Group Knitting and More - This month at Tari's. Please contact Tari (510-525-1696) this month only if you would like to attend.
Check out our
online calendar for the
full view of our upcoming meetings, activities and other
events.
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Reflections on Past Events
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Ashton Applewhite’s Manifesto Against Ageism Draws Large, Enthusiastic Crowd
Story by Charli Depner, photos by Nancy Rubin
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On a sunny Friday afternoon, over 150 people turned out at UC Berkeley’s Clark Kerr Campus to dialogue with the author of This Chair Rocks, a new book that stands out as an incisive critique of the ageist stereotypes that divide the generations and lead to stigma, discrimination, and age segregation.
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Adult story time - indigenous cultures of the Arctic
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On Friday March 1, 16 Ashby Village members and volunteers attended the first outreach presentation of the newest Adult Story Time offering (Berkeley Public Library), which consists of three different stories from indigenous cultures of the Arctic: “The Blind Boy and the Loon”, “The Magic Drum” and “The Seagull and Her Two Uncles”. Unlike previous Adult Story Hours, the Library staff’s presentation was straight up storytelling by one person at a time, without musical embellishment or sound effects. Ashby Village audience was very appreciative and engaged and there was a terrific discussion afterwards.
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BusinessWire, 01/22/2018
by Richard Faragher, The Conversation, 04/25/2018
by Alan Golds, CBS News, 06/10/2018
by Hillary Hoffower. Business Insider, 06/22/2018
by Fred O’Brien, HomeNewHaven News, 11/2018
by Felicia Mello, capital public radio, 02/05/2019
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WANTED: someone who knows how to cast toy soldiers out of metal
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Member Ilse Eden is looking for someone who can provide insight about the process of making the figures "from scratch"; making the molds, and casting the final figure.
If you can help,
contact Ilse at
ilseeden@gmail.com
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If you've ever called the Ashby Village office, you've had the opportunity to speak with our fab administrative assistant Kate. Her daughter, Jessica, is seeking a place to live.
Single, responsible, professional adult female needs a place to live as soon as possible. Clean, no mold issues. Open to sharing if spacious and uncluttered. One kitty.
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Thank you to the Ashby Village volunteers who contributed to this issue of the Village Voices newsletter.
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