July - September 2026 | PALM Quarterly Newsletter

September Edition

Message from the Executive Director

BUILDING THE FUTURE OF POSITIVE AGING THROUGH PARTNERSHIP

As we welcome September, PALM continues moving forward with purpose. Our programs are growing, our partnerships are strengthening, and our newly renovated center is once again becoming a place where older adults and the broader community can connect, learn, and make a difference.

At PALM, we understand that positive aging involves more than activities and trips. It means remaining informed, engaged, healthy, and connected. That is why we continue building partnerships that support the whole person and create meaningful opportunities for people to participate in the decisions and issues affecting their lives.

JOIN PALM:

PARTNERSHIP, PURPOSE, PROGRESS, AND PRESENCE

PALM is pleased to welcome ROOTS & WINGS: The Village Summit, sponsored by Box Lunch & A Book in partnership with the PALM Center for Positive Aging in Lower Merion.

On Friday, October 16, 2026, PALM will host a Chat & Chew Luncheon from noon to 1:00 p.m., followed by a Resource Exhibition and Meet & Greet from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. The Village Summit continues Saturday, October 17, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Please see the flyer for complete information.

Beginning in September and continuing through December, PALM will serve as both host and participant in the Progressive Community Meetings held on the first Tuesday evening of each month. These gatherings provide opportunities for residents to connect, exchange ideas, and participate in conversations that strengthen our community.

The Ardmore Avenue Community Center is currently sharing space within PALM’s facility as it prepares to transition into its new location in 2027. PALM and the AACC remain focused on advancing their respective missions while serving the broader community. We welcome their presence during this period of transition.

MOMMOM, POPPOP & ME: CONNECTING GENERATIONS

PALM is introducing an exciting new program, MomMom, PopPop & Me. This interactive, intergenerational experience will bring PALM’s older adults and community partners together to read with children and engage them in stories and activities. The program will be held on Saturdays, September 26, October 31, November 21, and December 19, from 11:00 a.m. Then, in true MomMom and PopPop fashion, lunch will be served and available to all!

PALM IS ON THE MOVE

PALM has also launched a new series of shopping trips and field trips in response to the interests shared by our members. From practical outings to exciting new destinations, we are creating more opportunities to explore, connect, and enjoy life together.

We have some wonderful experiences ahead, and we cannot wait to share them with you.

Get ready, get ready. PALM is on the move!

Please visit (http://www.palmseniors.org) for the latest updates, trip registration, and additional information.

PALM’S ANNUAL MEETING

We are now preparing for PALM’s Annual Meeting on Friday, September 25. We invite our members, volunteers, partners, supporters, and friends to join us as we celebrate the progress we have made, discuss our plans for the future, and share how we are expanding programs, strengthening partnerships, growing membership, and building long-term sustainability.

Our Annual Meeting is more than a business meeting. It is an opportunity to celebrate what we can accomplish when people come together with a shared purpose.

A vaccination clinic will also be available during the Annual Meeting, providing members and guests with a convenient opportunity to help protect their health.

THERE IS A PLACE FOR YOU AT PALM

Throughout this edition, you will find information about upcoming programs, trips, health and wellness opportunities, special events, community partners, and ways to become more involved. I encourage you to review the entire newsletter, share it with others, and invite someone new to experience PALM.

Whether you are interested in participating in a program, taking a trip, volunteering your time, supporting our mission, partnering with us, or simply learning more about what is happening, there is a place for you at PALM.

Yes, we have activities, trips, and special events. But our work extends far beyond our calendar. PALM is actively partnering and engaging with the community to improve lives, amplify voices, and help shape a stronger future for older adults.

This is PALM in action: a trusted resource, a community gathering place, and a center without walls.

Together, we are building the future of positive aging, and the best is yet to come.

With gratitude and excitement,

Dawn S. Allen

Dawn S. Allen, MHS

Executive Director

“ If you live, you will get older. The question is not whether you will age. How you age matters."

- Dawn Allen

SEPTEMBER

Healthy Aging Month

National Suicide Prevention Month

Wednesday, September 2

Bingocize in Partnership with Main Line Health

12:30 PM – 1:30 PM

Friday, September 4

Bingocize in Partnership with Main Line Health

10:30 AM – 11:30 AM

Wednesday, September 9

Ask the Nutritionist with Teri Wassel, Registered Dietitian, Office of Public Health

11:00 AM

Bingocize in Partnership with Main Line Health

12:30 PM – 1:30 PM

Friday, September 11

Bingocize in Partnership with Main Line Health

10:30 AM – 11:30 AM

Wednesday, September 16

Sight & Sound Theatres Trip

Bus departs at 8:00 AM

Tuesday, September 22

ACME Grocery Shopping

After lunch at 12:30 PM

Wednesday, September 23

TruVine Homecare Presentation & Ice Cream Social

12:30 PM

Friday, September 25

PALM Annual Meeting & Birthday Celebrations

11:00 AM – 1:30 PM

PA Health Presentation

12:00 PM

COVID & Flu Vaccine Clinic

1:30 PM – 3:30 PM

Saturday, September 26

MomMom, PopPop & Me Story Time

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Tuesday, September 29

Shady Maple Trip

Bus departs at 8:30 AM

Quarterly Mondays (Non-Holiday)

11AM – 11:30AM

Monday, July 6, 2026

Monday, October 5, 2026

Click Here to Register for the Vaccine Clinic

Activity Calendar

Click here to download the Menu (July - September)

September

Jennifer Beauford

Walter Bercilosky

Richard Bright

Elizabeth Burton

Lewis Burton

James Calfee

Barbara Cowan

John Crossan

Karen Dennison

John Egan

Louise Epperson

Betty Everitt

Elaine Garvin

Michael German

Louise Gibbs

Beth Greenspan

Brent Hile

Wesley Hicks

Angela Hudson

Albert Johnson

Janice Langley

Deborah Lee

Farilyn Leopold

William Leopold

Ronald Lipscomb

Elaine McDermott

Gail Montgomery-Watson

Shirley Ragsdale

Sylvia Ray

James Roberson

Rosalie Riddell

Ana Santos

Kevin Scanlin

Mary Shippen

Alice Smith

Eleanor Sloan

Margie Stanford

Joanne Stewart

Deborah Thompson

Cie Tillery

Swanee Waters

Dearia Williamson

Evelyn Williams

Pearlina Williams

If you have not seen your birthday, call 610.642.9370 to be added.

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Introducing Our New In Memory Of Section

At PALM, we lovingly honor those who have passed, including our cherished board members, members, and volunteers, whose lives and contributions have deeply impacted our community. To celebrate their legacy, we are introducing an In Memoriam section in our future newsletters, providing a space to remember our loved ones.

If you know of someone you would like us to honor, please email their name and any information you would like to share to info@palmseniors.org, and they will be included in our next newsletter. We deeply appreciate your help in ensuring we remember and celebrate all who have touched our community.

In Memory of Manijeh Kiafar

It is with deep sadness that we share with the PALM community the passing of our longtime member and friend, Manijeh Kiafar. Manijeh was a treasured part of PALM, and it is with love and gratitude that we remember the remarkable life and legacy she shared with us.

Born in Tehran, Iran, to loving parents Farah Molook and Abass Goli Khan, Manijeh was a dreamer, humanist, educator, artist, and woman of deep faith. She loved people, life, and conversation—and if you sat with her long enough, you might even become the subject of one of her drawings.

Manijeh educated teachers who worked with children with physical disabilities before receiving a scholarship to study at the Sorbonne in Paris, where she further developed her love of art and explored techniques including silk drawing, Batik, Gutta, and thread painting. She became an exceptional and prolific artist, creating thousands of works throughout her lifetime.

Her creativity and curiosity continued after retirement. Manijeh also entered publishing, translating English and French works for readers in Iran in partnership with Ms. Shahla Almaee.

Her faith was central to her life. In 1998, she made the pilgrimage to Mecca, becoming a Haji Khanoum. Family was equally precious to her, and she played an important role in helping to raise her beloved grandsons, Darragh and Cian.

At PALM, Manijeh continued to embrace life fully. She participated in art, poetry, yoga, and exercise programs and was a faithful weekly participant in PALM’s Shared Reading Program. An avid reader, you could often find her quietly with a book in hand, whether reading from her book of faith or the works of one of the great writers. Even while using a walker, she remained determined to participate. In a touching reflection of that commitment, Manijeh joined a PALM virtual class just one day before her passing.

Manijeh loved life, and she loved PALM. PALM loved her in return.

In celebration of her extraordinary artistic legacy, Manijeh’s daughter has requested that PALM host a special exhibition of her artwork in her honor. We are deeply honored to help celebrate her life and remarkable body of work and will share additional details as plans are finalized.

Among the wisdom Manijeh leaves behind is a message rooted in the way she lived: have faith in prayer, pray for one another, hold your loved ones tighter, remain grateful, and never lose faith. And perhaps most importantly, remember that those we love remain with us even after they are gone.

We extend our heartfelt condolences to Manijeh’s daughter, family, friends, and all who loved her. We will deeply miss her presence, but we are grateful for the many memories she left us and for the privilege of having been part of her journey.

Through her art, her faith, her love of learning, and the lives she touched, a part of Manijeh will always remain at PALM.

2026 PALM Holiday Schedule

The PALM Center will be closed on the following dates.

January 1 (Thu): New Year’s Day
January 19 (Mon): Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
February 16 (Mon): Washington’s Birthday (Presidents’ Day)
May 25 (Mon): Memorial Day
June 19 (Fri): Juneteenth National Independence Day
July 3 (Fri): Independence Day (Observed)
September 7 (Mon): Labor Day
October 12 (Mon): Indigenous People Day
November 11 (Wed): Veterans Day
November 26 (Thu): Thanksgiving
November 27 (Fri) Day After Thanksgiving
December 25 (Fri): Christmas

*Dates subject to change

Get Involved

Become a member of PALM and be a part of a positive and active environment. Offering lunch programs, daily activities, and engaging events such as line dancing, movie nights, Jazz Festival, and more!

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