The Staying Put office will be closed from Dec. 24-Jan. 1

for the Holiday Season and Jan. 19 for MLK Day.

Susan Engel creating a masterpiece at the Brushes & Bites event in December.

January at a Glance

Fri., Jan. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, 10am: Walk with Kate at Irwin Park

Wed., Jan. 7, 12pm: Book Talk Group Lunch at Staying Put

Thurs., Jan. 8, 10am: Men's Coffee at Staying Put

Tues., Jan. 13, 12:30pm: Staying Put Birthday Party at First Presbyterian Church

Wed., Jan. 14, 12pm: "Let's Talk" and Lunch at Staying Put

Thurs., Jan. 15, 1:30pm: Onera Foundation House & Exhibition Tour

Tues., Jan. 20, 2pm: Bingo and Ice Cream at Staying Put

Wed., Jan. 21, 10am: Men's Coffee with Ed Vollmer at Staying Put

Thurs., Jan. 22, 12pm: Chat and Chew Crew Lunch at Cherry Street East

Tues., Jan. 27, 2pm: Carol Burnett and Snacks at Staying Put

Wed., Jan., 28, 10am: Ladies' Coffee with Robin Bates-Mason at Staying Put

Member Events

IMPORTANT

Please RSVP by the date listed for each event so we can plan properly and have enough supplies and treats for everyone. Thank you.

Hello from Kate

A topic came up at a recent Ladies Coffee here at Staying Put. It was the idea of Wellness (yes, capital “W”) in the form of kindness and gratitude. I know this is an area I have touched upon before, and one that hopefully, we all think about from time to time. The gist is that if we can center ourselves in gratitude and kindness—even briefly—we can evoke a physiological change in our bodies. For the better. But the interesting point that arose at this coffee is that even in moments where we are trying to express gratitude, or extend kindness and it isn’t received or acknowledge it can actually have an adverse effect. Example: Being aware of a crowded aisle at the local store and moving to the side to allow someone else to get by you. That’s a thoughtful, small act of kindness. In that moment we are conveying “I see you, I see this busy store, and I am in no rush, so please go ahead”. But when the person taking the right of way doesn’t smile back or acknowledge the gesture, we instantly start grumbling to ourselves about manners (or lack thereof) and other peoples time being more important than our own. Have we achieved anything if the result is us “bah humbugging” our way through the rest of our shopping trip? So what does it really mean to express gratitude and kindness that is soul filling? While the exercise itself is quite simple, the intention is where we could all put some extra time. We have to remind ourselves (myself, quite frequently!) that acts of kindness are essential—they connect us to one another, they force us to take off our blinders, they offer us the opportunity to learn about someone else, see a different perspective and frankly.

I remember years ago, when we were living in Brooklyn, there was an unhoused, former Vietnam Vet who was often in our neighborhood. He needed more support than I or my family could really provide; but on the days when I would see him outside the grocery store I would always offer to pick up some food while I was doing my own grocery shopping. It was a total feel-good moment and certainly a good example to set for Adelaide (she remembers this gentleman to this day) and one day; after saying I would pick up some things for him, he said back very flatly, “Could you ask me what I even want?” Initially, I was aghast. I’d been doing this nice thing and his response is insinuating that I could do better. I saw him taking my act of kindness and customizing to his taste. And then that’s when it hit me. My motives were entirely selfish. I was doing this because it made me feel good and it set a good example for my daughter. All the while I wasn’t actually seeing or acknowledging the person I was intending to help. I was only helping myself. So, I took his order. And humbly, and with deep gratitude for what he taught me, I went into the store and bought him what he wanted. 

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Community News and Events

Lapham Community Center

Register for All Events - Call 203-594-3620



Thurs., Jan. 8 - Ask the Attorney. 15 minute consultations. By appointment. Free. Please Register!

Fri., Jan. 9, 11am - Health Talks with Shannon and Ellen. Coffee, conversation and snacks. Free. Please Register!

Tues., Jan. 13, 2pm - Travel Together: Planning for Multigenerational and Group Vacations with Beth Dwyer. Free. Please Register!

Wed., Jan. 14, 28, 12:30pm - Blood Sugar and Blood Pressure Clinic. Free.

Wed., Jan. 14, 12pm - Game Time with Mike Bacon: Name That Face. Includes lunch. Free. Please Register!

Thurs., Jan. 29, 2pm - Tech Workshop with Good Kid Tech. Presentation on tech related topic and time to ask your personal questions. Free. Please Register!

New Canaan Library

Register for Events - Call 203-594-5000

Tues., Jan. 6, 12pm - Avoiding AI-Powered Scams. Learn about several scams that use AI tools and get informed on how to better identify these scams to help protect yourself and your family from fraud. Free. Please Register!

Tues., Jan. 6, 13, 20, 27, 2pm-4pm - Open Tech. Help with email, smartphones/tablets, social media, etc. Drop In. Free. No Registration Required.

Sat., Jan. 10, 10:30am-1:30pm - Nonprofit Volunteer Fair. With over 40 New Canaan Nonprofits, drop in to learn about these organizations and speak with representatives to learn how you can get involved. Free. Please Register!

Gina Z. Blum

Executive DIrector

director@stayingputnc.org

Kate Brambilla

Manager of Member Services

members@stayingputnc.org

Kim Herr

Manager of Operations

operations@stayingputnc.org

Office Hours

Monday-Thursday: 9am-5pm

Friday: 9am-1pm

Please call us anytime

203-966-7762

Gina, Kate, & Kim