Lunch & Learn

Wednesday, 11/05

Meet new Borough Manager Sean Halbom

New Borough Manager Sean Halbom joins us to introduce himself and give us updates from around the 'ville!

Date: Wednesday, 11/05

Time: 12:00 - 1:30 pm

Location: PAC Center, 129 Park Avenue, Swarthmore 

Lunch, beverages, and dessert are provided this week. (Leave the brown bag at home.) We will recognize & celebrate November birthdays!

Van service to/from the meeting is available for Strath Haven Condo residents for November 5th. Sign up in the Management Office!



It all starts at 12. Program begins at 12:30.


Upcoming L&L:

November 12th - Recognizing Veterans

November 19th - Donna Kay Jones & her Chopin program

November 26th - Thanksgiving Week - No Lunch & Learn.

Alexa Drubay for introducing us to Laughter Yoga. Alexa's enthusiasm and lively instruction had us all engaged and laughing with a new tool in our wellness toolbox.

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., West 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. 

Fall Wellness Workshops

conclude on Friday.

SSCA is offering one more Senior Wellness Workshop in the Fall series. Each workshop has been designed to introduce us to a different aspect of wellness. The workshops have included an explanation of health benefits, 45 minutes of activity, and time for questions afterwards. 

This week: Mindfulness/Meditation November 7th

with Jane Bunting

This class will be taught in the three-part yogic tradition of movement, breath work, meditation. The length of each segment will be similar and tailored to the needs of the group. 

Jane is a retired physical therapist, with certifications to teach yoga, Pilates and guided imagery.

A graduate of Swarthmore High School and Thomas Jefferson University, Jane is a longtime resident of Delaware County. 

There is no cost. Registration is appreciated; register online HERE.

Fall 2025 Senior Wellness Workshops

Fridays 1:30–3:00 pm

The Centennial Room  

Park Avenue Community Center

129 Park Ave, Swarthmore

Free for all area seniors

Light refreshments provided

Register online!

Thanks to Shirley Mitrovich!

Many thanks to Shirley for sharing her creativity and encouragement with the workshop participants. From the therapeutic kneading of the clay to the creative juices flowing in the designs, the group enjoyed the crafting experience.

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 “That’s Dancing!”, back by popular demand! Well, Dan wanted to see it again. He created it in 2023 for a Web Wandering. It touches on a great variety of dance styles, in scenes from the 1930s to present day. 

Web Wandering - Nov. 10th

Next Monday - 12:30 to 1:30 pm



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

This could be you: enjoying life with your tech gadget in hand! We are nearby and available to help you get to know your tech gadget better, by providing free one-to-one support.

Just ask for help by sending us an email at SwarthmoreSeniors@gmail.com and we'll contact you to follow up! 

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, 11/08 9:00 am-noon

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

Community Tent: Swarthmore CO-OP - come and reserve your fresh Thanksgiving turkey!

Music: 9:00-Charlie Bell; 10:30-John Bickell

20 Vendors so stock up for the upcoming Holiday!

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.

Barry Jacobs and Julie Mayer talk about caregiving at Celia Bookshop on Monday, November 10 at 7 pm

Celia Bookshop and the Swarthmore Public Library present an evening with Swarthmore residents, clinical psychologists, and former family caregivers Barry J. Jacobs, Psy.D. and Julia L. Mayer, Psy.D on Monday, November 10, at 7 PM. The couple will talk about the challenges and joys of family caregiving, as well as their new self-help book, The AARP Caregiver Answer Book.

The book is available for purchase at Celia Bookshop, 102 Park Avenue, Swarthmore.

They'll answer questions on any aspect of caregiving--from family dynamics to finances to finding a personal care aide.

This will be a highly interactive and informative conversation. 102 Park Avenue, Swarthmore.

The event is free but RSVP is requested at https://shop.bookmanager.com/9942475/events/3808220251110.

Photo credit: Jim Graham.

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!

Holidays are coming!

Keep your energy!

Keep your balance!

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

TODAY! 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 November:

6th - Swarthmore Weekly Club Meeting

Speaker: Dave Brown, Shadows of Glory: Memorable and Offbeat World Series Stories

Subject: An Interactive talk about baseball’s biggest event, the World Series.

13th - Swarthmore Weekly Club Meeting

Speaker: hold for Rotoplast, James T. Bradley

Subject: Hold for Rotoplast

20th - Swarthmore Weekly Club Meeting

Speaker: Club Assembly Rotary Foundation Update

Subject: Club President Jane Billings, Rotary Foundation Chair Elizabeth Churche

27th - Swarthmore Weekly Club Meeting

Speaker: Thanksgiving - No Meeting!

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