Redefining What it Means To Be A Senior

July, 2023

Celebrating ‘22, Planning ‘23

Congratulations, Cathedral City Senior Center! Thanks to our loyal members, dedicated volunteers, donors and Cactus Club, business partners, and the City of Cathedral City, we experienced another successful season of:

Ending isolation by making more new friendships,
Creating support networks, volunteer, and philanthropic opportunities,
Cactus Club events and establishment of a premier gala (two in one season!),
Providing connections to our community, and
Listening to great jazz, taking art classes, bilingual classes, and services like haircuts and vaccinations
providing food and social services,
showing up at more community outreach sites, and
serving more seniors, caregivers, and families than ever before.

We experienced a fast-paced year of record-breaking participation, which means more Cathedral City and nearby cities exercised their minds and bodies, keeping seniors independent and in our community longer. The message is clear: Cathedral City wants more community center activities, and the Cathedral City Senior Center is stepping forward to respond. With your help, we are looking ahead to a fantastic new season ahead. Please stay tuned!

CACTUS CLUB

Please join us in welcoming our newest Cactus Club Members!

Jill Hamilton

The Cactus Club is a group of monthly or annual donors who support Cathedral City Senior Center's mission.

To learn more, or to join, please click the applications below, visit the Cactus Club Website, or call Vic Ide or Geoff Corbin at 760-321-1548.

Monthly Member Application

Annual Member Application

EXPRESSING GRATITUDE

Big thanks to Marty Weber from Proctor Insurance for hosting an incredible Father's Day Birthday Brunch! It was a great celebration thanks to your generosity and warm hospitality. Here's a reminder that it's never too early to start shopping for insurance. Our Medicare Business Partners are ready to help you every step of the way. Let's work together to give you the best coverage and service. Bringing you peace of mind and well-being for another year! Stay tuned for more info about our other partners:

Bilhartz Desert Insurance Agency: John Nguyen and Nancy Morales from Brian Bilhartz Insurance

Cindi Monaco (independent Medicare and MediCal agent)

Avon Hall from Alignment Health Plan

Marty Weber from Bill Proctor Insurance

Stephon Tyson from Humana

Wayne Gerry from Med-Edgz Medical LLC

Cynthia Prendiz from Jar Insurance

Ivette Silva from Kaiser Permanente

Thanks to Paul Thiel and his team at Palm Springs Motors, David Mizener and Arturo Carrillo at Contractors State License Schools, Charlie McClendon and the great team at the City of Cathedral City, and Hall of Flowers for our beautiful van! This van will allow us to increase our capacity to deliver food to people in need around our community who can't get to the center. It will also allow us to bring people to the center who are not able to get there themselves. Thank you for making a difference in our community!

Thank you Dinner With Patsi!

Patsi does it again for the Cathedral City Senior Center. On Wednesday, June 21st, Patsi threw a party at Luchador where she passed her famous red hat, raising money and food for Cathedral City Senior Center's Food Bank. Patsi's commitment and dedication to raising money and supporting Cathedral City non-profits is second to none. She is a true supporter and friend of the senior center.

For those of you who were at Luchador that Wednesday, thank you for your generous and ongoing support. Money and food raised at Dinner With Patsi helps support our growing Food Bank that serves over 200+ families each week. If you know someone in need of food, our Food Bank is every Monday from 9:00 - 11:00 am.

Thank you Patsi!

INFORMATION TO SHARE

GET YOUR RECIPES IN NOW!

UPCOMING EVENTS

July 19th, 2023

PROGRAMS

JULY PROGRAM SCHEDULE

PRESENTER SERIES

PEACE MEDITATON

Wednesdays at 4:00 pm

We know the world can be an uncertain place, so consider joining Bob McKechnie on Wednesdays at 4:00 PM, for an opportunity to meditate for peace in ourselves, peace in our community, and peace in the world.

This group is non-political, non-religious, and dedicated to permanent peace.

Part of the newly formed Cathedral City Peace Initiative.

VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTH

“There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about”

Margaret J. Wheatley

Tom Turner

Tom Turner stands out as a volunteer at Cathedral City Senior Center. Everyone agrees. Most of his volunteering takes place at the front desk, but he also works on monthly food distribution. Tom is informed, obviously intelligent, intuitive, and extremely articulate. He manages to resolve difficult situations through the artful handling of difficult people. A lot of people are attracted to his droll sense of humor. All this is true although Tom has only volunteered at the center for two years. “Tom has assumed just about every volunteer position in the agency on his tenure here. He is one of the most knowledgeable and reliable volunteers we have. Tom is someone I know we can count on in a pinch.” Says Geoff Corbin, CEO

Tom is a Californian to the core. He was born in Palo Alto and raised in Mountain View. He was second in the birth order in a family with four boys. He said his upbringing was good until his mother died when he was 17. After that he had to take on all homemaker duties. That was difficult, given that he also had to attend school at the same time. He got married at age 20 and at age 22 became the father of his only child, a son. At about that time he started working on computers, especially administering database products for a variety of companies. In that work, he was always extremely confident, but admits to lack of confidence in other pursuits. Tom and his family lived in Washington state. After more than 30 years of marriage, he realized he was gay, got divorced, and happily returned to his beloved California.

Tom ended up in the beautiful Coachella Valley with its lively and eccentric people. He quickly found and joined the local chapter of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. This is a group of drag performers who dress as nuns, prance around town in their astonishing costumes, and raise money for people for a variety of causes. “I’m proud of what the Sisters do,” he said. “They mess with conservative people's heads and do good at the same time.” The two pursuits that give Tom a sense of purpose is the Cathedral City Senior Center and the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. Tom admitted to being afraid of too much aloneness. You can be sure he knows what to do about that. “I love being at the center with all these wonderful people,” Tom said. “This way I can avoid being alone and live a meaningful life. It’s a win-win.”