Lunch & Learn

Wednesday, 10/29

Laughter Yoga with Alexa Drubay

Alexa Drubay returns to enchant us with Laughter Yoga and to share her unique program with us. Don't miss this experience!

Date: Wednesday, 10/29

Time: 12:00 - 1:30 pm

Location: PAC Center, 129 Park Avenue, Swarthmore 

A Halloween-theme lunch, beverages, and dessert are provided. (Leave the brown bag at home.) It all starts at 12. Program begins at 12:30.



Upcoming L&L:

November 5th - Meet new Borough Manager Sean Halbom

November 12th - Recognizing Veterans

November 19th - Donna Kay Jones & her Chopin program

Meg Kearney for the explanation of the structure of Medicare, helpful slides, and generous sharing of her knowledge of this complicated system!

Hike at the Stroud Preserve Monday, 11/03

Monday, November 3, at 1:00, Jill Sabre, Preserve Manager, will lead us on a hike through the Natural Lands Stroud Preserve. We will enjoy the fall landscape while learning about the history of the land, wildlife habitat, and research conducted by the Stroud Water Research Center.

Our hike will be approximately 90 minutes and will take us up one elevation near the start and then be downhill and flat the rest of the way. We will make stops to talk and look at things along the way. There are restrooms where we meet and some along the trail but those would mean an uphill walk slightly off the trail. We will have an optional stop at a diner on the way home to enjoy some refreshments after our walk. 

The address is 454 N. Creek Rd., Wester Chester. You can learn more about the Preserve and see trail maps HERE.

We will car pool leaving from the PAC at 12 noon. Please sign up with Beth Lawn and let her know if you can drive. Text message is best but calls are okay: 484-431-3096. 

Walkway to Parish Hall lined with Heritage Trees

Heritage Tree enthusiasts

Lovely plantings along the way

Chuck Hinkle (Scott Arboretum Garden Supervisor) led fourteen of us on a tour of the Arboretum’s Heritage Trees. We learned that Heritage Trees are not necessarily the biggest or oldest, but rather those most deserving of protection during campus construction projects, as explained here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xa6BJUrqSQg

It was a beautiful cool Fall day as we toured from the Arboretum offices, past Parrish Hall, to the Amphitheater and back. Favorites included a Ginko tree that is trained to grow in a pattern on the rear wall of Parrish Hall, the double line (“allée”) of Oaks bordering Magill Walk from the train station to Parrish Hall, and the allée of dawn redwoods between the Lang Performing Arts Center and Kohlberg Hall. We look forward to future tours or walks in the Arboretum to see how it changes as the season progress.

Atlas Blue Cedar Tree - predates the 1929 founding of the Arboretum

Thanks to Darlene and Selene for the photos!

Fall Wellness Workshops

continue on Friday.

SSCA is offering four Senior Wellness Workshops in the coming weeks. Each is designed to introduce you to a different aspect of wellness. All will include an explanation of health benefits, 45 minutes of activity, and time for questions afterwards.

There is no cost. Registration is appreciated and online HERE.

Fall 2025 Senior Wellness Workshops

Fridays 1:30–3:00 pm

The Centennial Room  

Park Avenue Community Center

129 Park Ave, Swarthmore

This week: A Seasonal Craft October 31st

with Shirley Mitrovich

SSCA's very own Shirley Mitrovich will provide materials and inspiration to create a seasonal craft to take home with you.

Important parts of wellness include opportunities for creativity and fun. This workshop will combine these to make an enjoyable afternoon and perhaps spur you on to find creative outlets of your own!

Shirley is an artist herself and has been active with the Community Arts Center of Wallingford for years. She serves on the SSCA Board and is the familiar welcoming face at Lunch & Learn as she serves as SSCA Hospitality & Membership Chair.

Be sure to register online for this workshop so there are enough materials for all attendees!

Upcoming Wellness Workshop:

Mindfulness/Meditation

November 7

Jane Bunting (from PAC)

Free for all area seniors

Light refreshments provided

Register online!

Please join us to experience this interesting sampler. Attend select sessions or attend all.

Thanks to Judy MacRone!

Many thanks to Judy MacRone, from Penn State Extension, who last week led a group of seniors in a series of exercises designed to improve strength, balance and flexibility. She told the group that people start losing muscle mass in their 30s but the rate of loss increases significantly once they hit 60. The more muscle mass lost, the more vulnerable people become to falling.

During the 45-minute class, Judy demonstrated how several simple moves – when done on a regular basis -- can keep seniors remain steady on their feet while building strength in their arms and legs. 

The class was the second of four Senior Wellness Workshops the SSCA is offering. 



The next Web Wandering will be Monday, Nov. 10. At Web Wanderings we enjoy recorded content on the big screen at the PAC Center. 

The Nov. 10 show will be a curated potpourri of dance scenes, from the movies, stage and real life. Some are funny, some touching, all displaying amazing skills.

Web Wandering - Nov. 10th

Date: Monday, November 10

Time: 12:00 - 1:30 pm

Location: PAC Center, 129 Park Avenue, Swarthmore 

You’re welcome to bring your lunch if you care to, any time after noon. We provide cold beverages, cups and napkins. We can enjoy lunch together until 12:30, when the program will begin. 

If there is something you’d like us to show at a future Web Wondering, please let is know by email to

swarthmoreseniors@gmail.com

Pantry Staples Seeks Help for St. Katharine Drexel Food Pantry

 The end of this year will be a critical time for the St. Katharine Drexel Food Pantry in Chester. The Pantry is already feeling the effects of cuts in federal food aid; one of its most significant funding sources, Philabundance, has suffered an 18 percent budget cut with the termination of federal programs.

      The Pantry will come under additional pressure as SNAP food assistance to individuals and families is suspended starting in November, thanks to the federal government shutdown. It seems certain that more families will turn to the Pantry to fill out their market baskets.

      The Pantry Staples Program is committed to increasing our support for the St. Katharine Drexel Food Pantry to help offset the effects of the funding cut and increase in demand. Swarthmore seniors, and especially members of SSCA, have been generous contributors to Pantry Staples for many years. We welcome your support again in helping the SKD Food Pantry meet this crisis.

      Donations can be made through the Foundation for Delaware County at https://delco.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund?funit_id=4072

      Thank you!

      Andrea Knox and Amie Richan

      Co-administrators, Pantry Staples Program

Friday Friends is just the break you need! Grab a coffee or a late lunch; the friendly conversation keeps going every Friday! Gather at the Swarthmore Co-op to chat. No agenda, no program, and no special invitation required! Come on by.

Date: Every Friday

Time: 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Location: Swarthmore Co-op located at 341 Dartmouth Avenue

We do Windows! Until recently, the help we provide has mostly been for Apple devices. We’re happy to announce that Valentina Crosson has joined the Help Desk team, and Valentina does windows! So bring us your problems with Windows PCs and Valentina will be glad to help you. Ask us for help by emailing us at SwarthmoreSeniors@gmail.com and we'll contact you to follow up! 

PS: We still do Apple devices too.

Do you have a question for the Culinary Help Desk? Cindi Kruth is ready for your email.

Are you wondering why a recipe didn’t work? How to pick the right pan and why it matters? Do you really need all your ingredients at room temperature? 



Email Cindi at CulinaryHelpDesk@yahoo.com or drop into Lunch and Learn and ask Cindi in person. 

Swarthmore Farmers Market - Saturday, 11/01 9:00 am-noon

The Swarthmore Farmers Market opens at 9:00 am this Saturday!

Special Event this Saturday:

Taiko Drum Ensemble performing 10:15-10:45 in the amphitheater!

Only 4 more markets this season! Don't miss them!

Bring your reusable shopping bags to take home your fresh and delicious products!

*For a list of the vendors and their monthly schedule, click HERE.

*You can sign up for the Market newsletter by going to swarthmorefarmersmarket.org

*Scroll to near bottom of page to Newsletter Sign Up to subscribe. Updates are sent weekly by the Market Manager.

Keep up with the events at Swarthmore College by clicking HERE or by subscribing to the college's biweekly newsletter HERE.

Welcome to the Community Center!

Swarthmore Senior Citizens Association, a Founding Partner of the PAC Center, is proud to be part of this intergenerational place for adults and children to engage in a broad range of educational, recreational, charitable and networking activities, located at 129 Park Avenue in Swarthmore.

SIGN UP FOR THE PAC CENTER NEWSLETTER HERE!

How is your Fall going?

Make it better!

New class sessions begin the week of November 3rd.

The Health & Wellness Classes at the PAC Center are OPEN FOR REGISTRATION!

Click HERE to see the excellent class lineup! Notice the new Session tabs. Click on Upcoming Session to view your choices for the second half of Fall!

Monday: 9 am to 6 pm

Tuesday: 9 am to 6 pm

Wednesday: 9 am to 7 pm

Thursday: 9 am to 5 pm

Friday: 9 am to 5 pm

Saturday: 9 am to 4 pm

Regular Library Programs for Adults

For the listing of bookclubs, repeating activities, and for more information on any upcoming events, please check the LIBRARY WEBSITE.

Sojourner Truth: Portrayed by Dr. Daisy Century

11/03 - 6:30 pm-7:30pm

Sojourner Truth was born into slavery in New York, but escaped, with her infant daughter in 1826, and became a vocal advocate for abolition, temperance and civil and women’s rights in the 19th century. During the Civil War Truth was instrumental in recruiting black troops for the Union Army. After the war, she continued to fight for the rights of women and African Americans, until her death in 1883. In 2014, Sojourner Truth was included in “Smithsonian” magazine’s list of 100 Most Significant Americans of All Time.

Read more about Dr. Daisy Century and register HERE.

**This program is free and open to all those 18+.**

Boy From the North Country: An Evening With Sam Sussman

Wednesday, 11/12

7:00 - 8:30 pm

Swarthmore Public Library is proud to host author and Swarthmore College alumni Sam Sussman for an evening of conversation and community. Boy From the North Country is based on Sam’s Harper’s Magazine memoir essay “The Silent Type: On (Possibly) Being Bob Dylan’s Son.” Oprah named Boy From the North Country her most anticipated debut novel of Fall 2025, The New York Times and Washington Post listed Boy as best books of September 2025, and Tony Kushner calls the novel a work of “stunning poetic force, revelatory insight, heartbreak and wisdom."

Register for this special event HERE.

**This program is free and open to ages 18+.**

**Books can be purchased in advance at Celia Bookshop.**

The Rotary Club Invites You!

The Swarthmore Rotary Club invites members and friends of SSCA to come to their meetings and enjoy a lunch and the speaker. Meetings are on Thursdays from 12:15 pm -1:30 pm at the Inn at Swarthmore. Lunch is $20 per person.

Upcoming Swarthmore Rotary Club meetings and events in October:

30th - Swarthmore Weekly Club Meeting

Speaker: Evelynn Showell, member, Wesley AME Church, Swarthmore

Subject: The Paving Project for Swarthmore's Historically Black Neighborhood

SSCA Games

The SSCA-sponsored games meet weekly at the Park Avenue Community Center. Email SwarthmoreSeniors@gmail.com to let us know you are interested in playing. Is there a game NOT listed here that interests you? Let us know and we'll try to help organize it!

Tuesdays

• Mahjong - 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
• Pinochle - 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Wednesdays

(Wednesday Backgammon has been discontinued.)

Fridays

• Canasta/Samba - 10:30 am
• Mahjong - 1:00 pm

Play Canasta/Samba Cards from 10:30 am until 1:00 pm on Fridays. New players are aways welcome! Drop in any time before 1:00 pm, and there will always be a seat for you. We teach the game as we play, if you are new to the game.  

Other Card and Board Games

If you like to play board games or other card games with your friends, come to the PAC Center on Fridays!

Looking for a Helping Hand?

Call 484-437-8272

We will try to connect you and a volunteer to help with your specific challenge.



If it's an emergency call 9-1-1

SwarthmoreSeniors.org