October 2017 News and Updates from Philadelphia Chapter

Peer Group discussions, launching new SIGs, participating in TTN group volunteer programs and giving back to our community. All these activities reflect the strength and vibrancy of our Chapter, offering so many ways to interact and explore.

I am excited to announce that we have created a new Chair position for the Programs Committee, to be led by Marsha Yankelev. Programs will include educational offerings such as TTN's Signature Program "Women In Transition" (see article below), and other workshops, lectures, activities that offer opportunities to rethink your life or work and engage in deeper personal reflection and learning. Areas of interest may include successful aging, crafting your next act, personal development, resiliency, financial considerations, medical/health related, housing, living your legacy. If you have expertise to offer (i.e., skilled facilitator/speaker) or suggestions for new Programs you'd like to see, email [email protected].

Warm Regards,

Fatima Class

Chair, TTN Philadelphia

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TTN's Women in Transition Workshop November 14th

We are pleased to announce that our Chapter will conduct TTN's Signature Program, the Women in Transition Workshop, on Tuesday, November 14th from 4pm - 8pm in Center City Philadelphia. Members and prospective members are invited to attend.

If you are exploring new possibilities, anticipating retirement, rethinking your life and/or work, contemplating changes in your lifestyle or want to expand your networks, this experiential workshop will engage you with meaningful questions and conversations to expand your horizons and provide support wherever you are in your transition journey.

The goals of this workshop are to:

* Engage and connect with other women age 50+ in transition
* Understand the transition process

* Enhance skills for successfully navigating change

* E xpand your possibilities and options

* Learn how to create a more meaningful life

* Create a "next steps" action plan

Join us in this informative session with like-minded women who are considering what's next for them. This workshop will be facilitated by local experts from the Philadelphia Chapter. All materials and a light meal will be provided.

Click HERE for more information and to register. Please c ontact Marsha at [email protected] if you have additional questions.

Space is limited! Register now to secure your seat.

SIG Potlucks: Cook, Taste, Eat, Drink and Share

We think about apples (yum, let's make a pie!), pumpkins (should I get that Pumpkin Latte from Starbucks?) and of course, the many holiday meals to come. Our Potluck SIGs are a wonderful way to celebrate the bounty of the season .

A Moveable Lunch, an afternoon Potluck based in Center City, has had a busy few months. In August the group kept it breezy with "light and healthy lunches" and in September paid homage to the recipes of TV chefs. In October, A Moveable Lunch is taking a field trip to Bustleton Pike in Northeast Philly. The group will dine at an Uzbeki restaurant and then visit a local Russian food market.

Currently, there are four Potluck SIGs. The following two groups have openings and would be happy to have you join them:

Food For Thought Contact Fran Jonas at [email protected]	First Thursday of the Month	12:00 - 2:00 PM
A Suburban Supper Contact Carol Seelaus at [email protected]	First Monday of the Month	6:00 - 8:00 PM

The groups below are currently At Capacity. If you'd like to have your name placed on the Wait List for one of them, please contact Joanne Bowes @ [email protected]. You'll be added to the group as space allows or, if there is enough interest, a new group may be formed.

Potluck Suppers	Second Thursday of the Month	7:00 - 9:00 PM
A Moveable Lunch	Fourth Monday of the Month	12:00 - 2:00 PM

If Fall has you thinking about baking, cooking or just eating, consider adding a TTN Potluck to your schedule.

Link to full list of SIGs.

Peer Groups: Our Small Group Foundation is Thriving


Peer Group Advisory Partners

It all started with a note in our Chapter Newsletter about a new Orientation being held for women interested in joining a Peer Group. And a reminder to our New Member Welcome Ambassadors that Fall is a great time to join a Peer Group. Then came the September Mingle and ongoing word of mouth. Altogether, the response to our Transition Peer Group outreach has been incredible.

In the last month there have been meetings, emails, phone conversations with 30+ women. In October, our 19th group will get underway with the support of a Peer Group Partner. Other women have been placed in 5 existing groups with a couple more to go. As you can imagine, finding the right fit with everyone's schedules was like putting together a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle. But we will be starting the Fall with lots of new beginnings.

In addition, the Liaisons from all 19 Peer Groups will meet on December 11th. The topic of their discussion will be focused on best practices for bringing new members into a group. We will have a lot of experts by that time and we will explore what worked, and what we want to add into the mix.

TTN Philadelphia proudly proclaims that our Transition Peer Groups are alive and well!

If interested in joining a Peer Group, contact Marcia Goldstein.

Peer Groups Giving Back to the Community

Our PHL Peer Groups are pretty amazing and some get together outside their normal monthly meetings to further bond and and find creative ways to serve the community.

For the second year in a row, members of a Center City Peer Group prepared and served dinner at the Ronald McDonald House affiliated with St. Christopher's Hospital for Children. Joan Applegate, one of the founding members of this group and a long time volunteer at the House, organized the event.

According to Joan, "It was both an opportunity to do something good for the community and for their group to re-unite after spending our summers far and wide. There was the opportunity to interact with the families as well as with each other. Everyone finds it a positive experience and looks forward to preparing another meal in the future."

Peer Groups are finding many ways to keep their members engaged..........we'd love to share more of your experiences!

Looking for a Volunteer Opportunity?

Several non-profit organizations are actively looking for TTN volunteers in October.

MANNA, always a popular and satisfying experience, will offer its traditional meal preparation on Wednesday October 4 to package and ready nutritious and dietary specific meals for people in the Philadelphia and Southern N.J region. In addition,

MANNA has a special volunteer opportunity on Saturday Morning October 14 for the annual Pie in the Sky Fundraiser. Does that smell or sound good??!!

Cradles to Crayons welcomes TTN members for a group volunteer session on Wednesday October 18. We will be grouped as a team to organize, sort, or package for delivery, donations for children from birth to 12. Cradles to Crayons provides children living in homeless or low income situations with essential items they need to thrive - at home, at school and at play. Over 250,000 children have been served and 2,0000 volunteers are engaged monthly.

For more information and to register, click Events Calendar. Members and guests are welcome.

Giving Circle Grants Committee Holds 2017 Kick Off


Vo-Tech Student Summer Parnham

On Monday, September 25th the TTN Philadelphia Giving Circle hosted its 2017 kickoff meeting to a crowd of 40 women.

A wine and cheese reception was followed by a presentation by this year's grantee, Vo-tech in the House!, a program of Rebuilding Together Philadelphia (RTP). We heard from RTP's Executive Director Stefanie Seldin and Vo-tech Project Director Harold DeLoach about the program's many benefits to low income seniors and vo-tech students. But it was Summer Parnham, a student in the program, who stole the show with her poise and enthusiasm for the project.

Susan Vineberg, Chair of the Giving Circle, introduced a video chronicling the charities supported by our group. Many thanks to Susanne Kaplan for editing and expanding on the six year history of our philanthropy.

Maggi Kirk of The Philadelphia Foundation, spoke about the growth of giving circles in our region. We were the second giving circle administered by the foundation which now manages six such groups. It was gratifying to hear that she now recommends the charities that have gone through our vetting process to these newer giving circles.

Another highlight of the evening were the presentations by Giving Circle Grants Committee members Sharon Segal and Michelle Saland. Both women spoke movingly and eloquently about the gratifying experience of participating in the grant making process and the impact it has made on their own lives.

The Giving Circle focuses on non-profits benefiting women and children in the Greater Philadelphia area. Pooling contributions with those of other like-minded TTN members increases the impact of philanthropy many-fold. TTN members may get directly involved in the grant-making process and all donations are gratefully accepted.

Contact Susan Vineberg for more information or to volunteer.

Caring Collaborative (CC) Update

Hard to believe, but it's been almost two years since the Caring Collaborative Planning Committee fanned out across the neighborhoods of Center City, the Main Line and Bucks County to introduce a new program to our members. We met in small groups, according to ZIP Codes, and heard about this exciting new offering.

Over fifty women attended the first Orientation Session and founded Philadelphia's Caring Collaborative. Since that time, membership has swelled. We are one of only four TTN chapters in the country to offer this program.

The Caring Collaborative is often called your "help insurance". It consists of a Membership Information Exchange (MIX) where doctor referrals can be requested and personal experiences regarding procedures are offered. There is also a Service Corps component. If a member of the CC is temporarily unable to do some tasks for herself because of short term illness or injury, others stand ready to offer everyday assistance such as pet care, meal and prescription delivery, or escorted medical appointments.

Best of all, Caring Collaborative membership is free to TTN members. To sign up or request more information, email [email protected]. Our mailbox is monitored on a daily basis and you will hear from us within 24 hours.

Check out this NY Times article "Coming Together to Make Aging a Little Easier", featuring TTN's Caring Collaborative as an innovative approach to helping women live independently.