Director’s Comments
The Center As a “Third Place”
During July I had the treat of having my 14-year-old niece Rosy stay with us for a week. I took some vacation time to visit museums and parks with her, but it turned out that her favorite place to spend the day was the Senior Center. Of course, having the freedom to walk around town was a delight – she had plenty of time for shopping, eating, and people-watching.
Quite often, people state they are too young to participate at the Center. However, over several days, Rosy played Rummikub, helped with Tech Support, went shopping with an elder friend she met at the Center, and spent time chatting with many people. By the end of one week here, she was reading the YS News and was able to identify several of the people she had met within the week.
In the 1980’s sociologists coined the phrase “Third Place” to describe a place where you make connections. The first place is home, second place is work, and most people have a third place – a location where they socialize or participate in some way. It might be the library, a coffee shop, or even a bench downtown. In July, NPR’s “On Point” program provided a news story about how Third Places strengthen community and are important in the health and wellbeing of individuals (npr.org/podcasts/510053/on-point, scroll down to July 26). Research shows that feelings of isolation raise the risk of dementia by 40% and increase risk of early death by 26%.
Having a place which is available to everyone – with no restrictions, fees, or member requirements (you don’t have to be a member to participate at the YS Senior Center, and most of our programs are free), can reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness. This in turn creates a connected community who know one another, may share just a smile or nod of the head and pass it along to the next person. Have you visited the Farmer’s Market recently? Think about the moment of chatting with the vendor, petting a friendly dog, or just walking among little groups having conversations. It is an uplifting place even if you are a stranger.
I invite you to join us for any program and give it a try – you are not too young, or too old. You might be the person who helps someone else get connected.
Please note: The Greene County Senior Services Levy, which will be on the ballot for renewal in November, is the source of over 43% of YSSC’s operating budget via grants and payments for homemaker services. Please make a plan to vote.
– Caroline Mullin, Executive Director
937-767-5751 x 101, cmullin@ysseniors.org
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The Senior Center’s wheelchair accessible van has gotten a facelift, based on a design submitted by Cynthia Olsen. In addition to being used to transport seniors in wheelchairs to and from appointments, the van was used for the Pride Parade earlier this summer. | |
Use the buttons below to visit our website for the most up-to-date information about our classes and groups. | |
Upcoming Events & New Activities | |
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Community Colloquy Series, 3rd Thursday, 7 pm
The Senior Center hosts monthly guests to share their expertise and knowledge with the community.
The September 21 guest is Robert Brecha, PhD, Director of UD’s Sustainability Program will lead a discussion asking “Are we in a climate crisis? How do we know? What comes next? What is to be done?”
The October 19 program is “Poverty…in YS” with local professionals who will discuss poverty in Yellow Springs from their perspective as they work in the community. The panelists are John Gudgel, YS Schools; Beth Rubin, Greene County JFS; Florence Randolph, YS Police Department; Chloe Manor, YS Community Foundation; and Emily Seibel, YS Home, Inc.
Programs will meet in the Great Room and also on Zoom. All are welcome. To get the Zoom link, register on MyActiveCenter.com, call 937-767-5751, or email info@ysseniors.org.
Monthly Financial Series, 2nd Mondays, 5:30 pm
Ryan Carpe, financial advisor with Edward Jones in Yellow Springs, will discuss Budget Planning on September 11.
Ryan Beach, financial advisor with Edward Jones in Xenia will discuss Risk Tolerance, Asset Allocation, and Investment Diversification on October 9.
Day Trips, Thursdays, September 14 and October 12
The September 14 day trip is to the Hartman Rock Garden in Springfield from 11:30 am–2 pm with a self-guided tour of this unique garden. Meet at the John Bryan Center parking lot at 11:30 am to carpool.
The October 12 day trip is to Cedar Bog Nature Preserve in Urbana from 11:30 am–2 pm. A group tour can be arranged if there is interest, let Maggie know by October 9. Cost is $5. More info at cedarbognp.org/visit.
If you are interested in one or both trips, please register on MyActiveCenter.com, call 937-767-5751, or email info@ysseniors.org, preferably by a week ahead, but late registrations will be accommodated if possible. You will receive a call with further details. Carpooling will be arranged with no charge. Please indicate if you are able to drive.
Oktoberfest Social, October 27, 3–5 pm
Please join us for an Octoberfest Social on Friday, October 27 from 3–5 pm for a Skyline 5-way party! We’ll be on the NEW patio or in the Great Room if the weather is inclement. Everyone is welcome.
Bingo, Last Friday of the month, 5:30–7 pm
Play Bingo for cash prizes starting September 29, in the Great Room with refreshments. Cards cost 25¢ per card each round, play as many cards as you like. Open to ages 21 and up. Register at MyActiveCenter.com, call 937-767-5751, or email info@ysseniors.org.
Drawing for Beginners, Fridays at 2 pm
Bob Huston is teaching another six-week Drawing for Beginners series starting October 6. Because there’s a waitlist, registration opens on September 22.
There is also a Drawing Practice Group meeting on Fridays at 2 pm in September. Some participants have taken Bob’s class but anyone is welcome to attend.
Golden Morning Walkers Club, Thursdays, 10 am
Gather in the Glen for a slow-paced walk on an easy wooded trail and portion of the bikepath to make a pleasant loop. Enjoy the beauty of the Glen and each other’s company while getting some mild morning exercise. We will walk for about an hour and go approximately half a mile. Geared toward older adults, but all ages and abilities are welcome. Co-sponsored by the Yellow Springs Senior Center and the Glen Helen Association. Meet at the north end of the parking lot at outside the Vernet Center, 405 Corry St. Registration is suggested but walk-ins are welcome. Weather permitting, in September and October. There is no cost and parking is free for program participants. Register at MyActiveCenter.com, call 937-767-5751, or email info@ysseniors.org.
Living Your Legend, September 18, 3–4:30 pm
Patti Dallas leads this workshop which gives participants an opportunity to share various aspects and events of their lives with prompts, such as, “What was your family’s heritage?” and “Do you have any stories related to your birth?” Participants will work their way through the years, talking about times and events, and sparking memories, as they share their own. Patti has led these sessions in cooperation with the Greene County Council On Aging. Open to all ages with a $10 donation suggested but not required. Register at MyActiveCenter.com, call 937-767-5751, or email info@ysseniors.org.
Tap Fit, Wednesdays, noon
This half-hour class combines tap dance and exercise and can be done standing, holding on to a chair, or seated and meets in the Great Room.
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Medicare Open Enrollment
It’s that time of year again! There may be changes to both Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage Plans for 2024. Open Enrollment, from October 15–December 7, 2023, is an opportunity to review plan options and make changes if necessary. I can help you review your current plan, run comparisons, and sign up for a new plan. There is a form on our website which may be used to list prescriptions you are taking, please fill it out prior to your appointment. If you have had insurance counselling here in the past, you will receive information and a form in the mail. The form is also available here on our website as well as at the Senior Center.
Thank you to everyone who has volunteered to call people in our SeniorLink program. We have several volunteer callers, but very few people who would like to receive phone calls. If you would like to make a new friend and be a part of this program, please see our website for more information.
Please contact me if you have questions about Open Enrollment, SeniorLink, or if you need help with Medicare, Medicaid, Food, Housing or Utilities assistance.
– Stephanie Lawson, RN, Support Services Manager
937-767-5751 x108, slawson@ysseniors.org
Why a YSSC Homemaker?
- We provide services in partnership with the GCCOA, which includes many other benefits and services, funded by the Senior Services Levy.
- Our homemakers have all had background checks, training, and report to me as their manager.
- We strive for consistency in scheduling, but can also provide substitutes when needed.
- Our aim is to truly care for the village seniors, not just clean. We also cook, run errands, shop, and provide companionship.
- By choosing a homemaker from the center you benefit from receiving help designed specifically for seniors in our community.
–Teresa Bondurant, Homemaker & Outreach Manager
937-767-5751 x107, tbondurant@ysseniors.org
Our 1.9 Square Miles
Creating a positive future begins in human conversation.
–William Greider, American Journalist
I find that a walk downtown most any day reinvigorates my continued infatuation with the ambiance of our village. The admixture of neighbors, friends, shop-keepers, and “visitors” create a living, breathing pastiche of a welcoming place and community. Even the traffic and our human-scaled environment adds to my perception a certain sense of coziness and intimacy. Our 1.9 square miles surrounded by reality (2.75sq mi, according to Wiki) radiates a charmed character and vitality absent from other surrounding towns and villages.
There remain many more folks in town I’ve yet to meet and yet I sense a bond with them in the knowing that their daily contributions – both visible and unseen – make our village so attractive. I often spy folks gathering and talking together on the side-walk, in a coffee shop, or at the farmer’s market. Many of these encounters pass easily from small talk (phatic) greetings of “How ya’ doin!” or “Hot enough for you?” into real conversations. These public chats add “character” to our community, effortlessly projecting a sense of acceptance, respect, and friendliness that most of us hunger for.
These welcoming and kindly public scenes help make Yellow Springs special. We shouldn’t, however, conflate proximity with community. For community to thrive, conversations are necessarily the means to addressing issues we support as well as those that vex us. Talk, then, must be the springboard to action.
Let’s keep talking, my friends. But let’s also find ways to get involved. To act. There are many ways each of us might help keep Yellow Springs the special place we know it to be.
Interested in volunteering? Call for more info!
– Robert Libecap, Transportation Manager
937-767-5751 x104, rlibecap@ysseniors.org
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Volunteer Driver Celebration Party!
We are gathering for a special celebration for those volunteer that “drive” our transportation services. Join us on Thursday, September 14 from 3:30–4:30 pm in the Great Room to appreciate the Volunteer Drivers, past and present, who make this community project such a success. Drivers, passengers and the community at large are all welcome to join us in thanking these volunteers for keeping the wheels rolling for all.
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Calendar
Use the buttons below to visit the calendar our website or MyActiveCenter for the most up-to-date information about our classes and events.
To participate in virtual classes and events using Zoom, you must register through their account on MyActiveCenter. Zoom links are emailed to participants one hour prior.
Information about how to set up an account with MyActiveCenter is at the bottom of this email.
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Members Art Show
The Members Art Show is returning to the YSSC Fireplace Room Gallery. The show will be up from Wednesday, November 8–Friday, December 22 with a reception on Friday, November 17 from 4–6 pm. The show is open to artists 55 years or older who live in Yellow Springs or Miami Township and are either members or become one. To guarantee a spot, submit a “Commitment to Exhibit” form by October 1, available at the Senior Center or download from ysseniors.org/member-art. Entry guidelines and forms are also available there and at the Center.
eNewsletter
PDF files of the Newsletter are available online at ysseniors.org/eNewsletter. An eNewsletter is sent to those who get the weekly emails. To sign up for them, go to the eNewsletter web page.
Mending Circle with Sister Trillium
Sister Trillium will host a Mending Circle on the first and third Thursdays from 6–8 pm in the Fireplace Room. For info, contact Hello@SisterTrillium.org.
Online Auction
The online fundraising auction the Senior Center had last fall through the “Everything But The House” auction will be live on September 5. Look for specific information on Facebook, on the website, and in the Constant Contact weekly emails. All items will be sold via www.ebth.com with proceeds benefitting YSSC services, building, and programs. Thank you to all the community members who donated items for the sale.
Grocery Delivery
The Senior Center continues to shop for groceries weekly from Tom’s Market for anyone who is homebound due to transportation, mobility, or health issues. Deliveries are on Fridays and orders are due by 11 am on Thursdays. Orders are accepted one of three ways:
Credit Card/Debit Card/EBT cards are accepted. This is a free service; donations are gratefully accepted.
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Photo Illustrations by Holly Knight,
Sept. 7–Nov. 6 in the Fireplace Room
Reception Friday, September 15, from 4–6 pm
Holly Knight grew up in a gallery of sorts. Her father, a professional watercolorist and graphic designer, worked in an upstairs studio and kept an ever-changing exhibit on the walls of their home. Growing up, one of her favorite pastimes was touring the studios of local artists with her father. Illustration and graphic design were strong influences on her own style.
Holly got a bachelor’s degree in fine art and a master’s degree in journalism and, with them, crafted a professional career fusing writing, art, graphic design and photography. She created and published numerous magazines, newsletters, books and other print and electronic publications for progressive, value-based universities and religious organizations.
In 1998, she left Yellow Springs and moved to the shores of Lake Erie to work for Pax Christi USA and with two feminist communities of Catholic nuns.
In 2012 she published an extensive line of cards which sold in Toledo, Ann Arbor, and locally.
When she returned in 2019, she found the real estate market in the village out of her price range. She purchased a small home in Xenia—too small to accommodate her custom-built drawing board and other studio equipment. So she turned to photo illustration.
“Converting my photos to illustrations allows me to use color, texture and radiance to create more evocative images of places and settings that speak to my heart,” she says. “Experiences are not literal. They are imbued with an array of sensory perceptions and emotions and, sometimes, transcendental awareness—the interpretive elements of experience that stay with us in the hinterland of memory.”
The show can be viewed during the Center’s open hours of Monday–Friday from 9:30 am–4 pm, unless there is a class in the Fireplace Room at the time.
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Greene County Council on Aging |
Fall Prevention Event
Falls are the leading cause of emergency room visits, hospital stays, and deaths for seniors, but they do not have to be. This event on Wednesday, September 27 from 1:30–3:30 pm at the Xenia Community Center, 1265 W. Second St., will cover ways to reduce the risk of falls and keep everyone strong, healthy and upright.
Activities include: Fall & Balance Assessments; Device Station (Safety Checks of Canes, Walkers, etc.); Technology Resources, including Emergency Response Systems, Medication Dispensing Systems, and Fall Apps for smart phones; Review of High Fall Risk Medications (bring your med list); Chair Volleyball and other movement activities; Blood Pressure and other screenings; Door Prizes, a Grab ’n Go Snack Bag, and a live remote with Real Roots Radio’s Roy Hatfield.
It’s My Money! It’s My Stuff! It’s My Life!
This popular four-week program returns this fall. The sessions, presented by local professionals, are held in the Xenia Community Center on Tuesdays from 6–8:30 pm on October 3, 10, 17, and 24. The cost is $40 per household and includes a binder with all program materials, and box suppers. Space is limited and reservations are required. For information or a registration form, email yourfriends@gccoa.org.
Savvy Senior Expo
The Savvy Senior Expo on October 19 is a fun and informative event exploring options for your best aging experience. The Expo at the Xenia Community Center runs from 10:30 am–3:30 pm, with a shot of Zumba at 9:30 am for those familiar and new to Zumba. There will be a variety of information booths, fitness & wellness demos, refreshments, and opportunities for door prizes in the gym.
There will also be interactive sessions covering topics such as: Streaming Options; Smart Phone Security Settings; Hip, Shoulder, Posture and Gait; and Brain Fitness. Presentation topics will include: Medicare Open Enrollment; Utility Aggregation Contracts in Greene County; Pelvic Floor Health; Medication Considerations; and The Importance of and Strategies for Having Your Legal Affairs in Order.
There is no cost (although a donation for area food pantries is requested) and no registration is required.
Save the Date!
The Fall Shred Event is on Saturday, October 28 from 9 am–noon. Bring up to three boxes of private papers to be shredded by an onsite shredding truck at the Xenia Community Center. They accept medical or financial papers but not recycling or businesses.
Other GCCOA Events
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Caregiver Support Group: Mondays, Sept. 4 and 18; Oct. 2 and 16 (first and third Mondays) from 6–7:30 pm at the First Presbyterian Church in Yellow Springs.
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Grief & Loss Group: Mondays, Sept. 11 and Oct. 9 (the second Monday) from 10 am–noon at Peace Lutheran Church in Beavercreek.
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Memory Loss, Dementia & Alzheimer’s Disease: Wednesday, Sept. 13 from 2:30– 4:30 pm at the Xenia Community Center (XCC) next door to the GCCOA Office.
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Medicare 101: Wednesday, Oct. 11. 9, 3–4:30 pm at the Xenia Community Center (XCC) next door to the GCCOA Office.
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Legal Chat: Thursday, Sept. 21 and Oct. 19 (third Thursdays) at 2:30 pm at Peace Lutheran Church, 3530 Dayton-Xenia Road, Beavercreek. Enter at lower level door with awning.
Contact GCCOA with questions or to register for these events at 937-376-5486.
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Susan Wolf, left, teaches an introduction to ukulele class on Tuesdays at 10 am, filling the Senior Center with joyous sounds. Ukuleles are provided for in-class use. | |
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Welcome NEW Members!
Elly Brucker
Erin Leigh
Julie Lovell
Sara Martin
Steve Martin
Joyce McDonald
Rachel Roebuck-Howard
Pat Shaw
Janet Swenson
Bo Waite
Lou Zaytoun
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Monthly Potlucks Return on the Third Thursdays
The Senior Center is starting monthly potlucks again, co-sponsored by Friends Care Community. Join us in the Great Room on the third Thursday from 11:30 am–1 pm for a shared meal featuring guest speakers who will focus on Health & Wellness topics. Please bring a side dish to share with the group.
The first guest on September 21 is Al Schluter who will talk about “The Joy of Gardening,” and will share slides and samples from his garden.
The October 19 guest speaker is Maxine Fredericks. Maxine is a body builder in her 70s who would like to live to be 120. She has recently written a book, Living Life to the Max, and has inspiration and wisdom to share. Maxine would like to engage in a community conversation about living life to the fullest.
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The Yellow Springs Senior Center newsletter is published every other month, coming out at the end of the even numbered months. Copy deadline is the 1st of even numbered months. PDF versions of this and past issues can be found on the website.
All YSSC members also receive a hard copy mailed to their home. Memberships are $25 annually with $15 for each additional member and are due in January. Make checks payable to YSSC and mail to: YSSC, 227 Xenia Ave., Yellow Springs, OH, 45387 or use the button below to go to the website to pay with a credit card.
Email updates are sent weekly and the eNewsletter is sent every other month.
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