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With A New Year Comes New Opportunities to Make Meaningful Connections
- Prevent isolation from overtaking someone you know by helping create a Personal Support Network with our back-up.
- Become a Community Connector for your neighborhood as a part of the CLC Team.
- Help tutor a new computer-user or maybe even teach a computer class about something you know and enjoy.
- Donate a computer or iPad, in good working order, to someone who is homebound and would love to be connected on-line.
- Join the Bay Area Community Exchange Timebank as a part of the CLC group where your time and talent will be valued in new and meaningful ways.
- Start the year off by donating to the Community Living Campaign.
We hope that you will choose to make a difference and get more connected with us.
Learn more about these and other opportunities below. Or email us at info@sfcommunityliving.org for more details.
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CLC and the BACE TimeBank Working Together
CLC folks join a festive crowd at the Bay Are Community Exchange (BACE) Timebank Holiday Faire on December 16th to swap time for knitted scarves, jars of salsa, recycled gifts, artworks or sweet treats. Those that came exchanged goods and services for hour credits that they earned by helping others on the Timebank and fairgoers didn't have to earn before they could spend. They just needed to be a member of the BACE Timebank. You too can join by going to www.sfbace.org. Then, please also join the Community Living Campaign group within the Timebank. CLC is now an official organizational partner with the Timebank and will be working with Mira Luna, one of the local founders, to help promote the concept that everyone has value and everyone has something to give. Learn more about the Timebanking movement with this article by Mira Luna in the Huffington Post HERE.
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The on-line exchange of the Timebank came to life with the first Holiday Swap meet. Timebank leaders Mira Luna (top center, left) admires a new scarf; Seth Mazov (top right) who offered on-going Q&A about how the time dollar exchanges work; and Rick Simon (bottom right) who helps individuals record their exchanges on-line on the way out the door. |
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Getting Ready with BTOP...
Soon More San Franciscans Will Say I'm Connected!
Pictured here, a diverse and enthusiastic cross-section of organizations involved with San Francisco's new Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) gathered to meet each other and to share ideas for how they might work together. The meeting, sponsored by the SF Dept. of Aging and Adult Services and the Dept. of Technology and facilitated by Ned Schaub, served as a great networking event where organizations detailed goals and ideas in an ad hoc "poster session" with lots of time for folks to meet, share contact information, and plan future collaboration. With the new year, new computers and faster broadband connections will be arriving at senior and community centers across the City.
Below, Lana Litvak of Northern California Presbyterian Homes and Services, Judy Auda and Deloris McGee of the Community Living Campaign share information about their part of the over-all BTOP project. CLC's focus in the grant is around social media and how computers can keep us connected and engaged. Lorna Walsh and Kami Griffiths (bottom right) from the Communty Technology Network, who have developed basic training curricula, are busy recruiting volunteers to start training as the computers are installed this month. Learn more about Community Technology Network HERE. Learn more about the over-all BTOP project at www.sfconnected.info  
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The Buses Roll With A Call to Seniors and Persons with Disabilities 
Sybil Boulilier and Aaron Low of DAAS show off the new bus signs, buildling interest in the up-coming trainings. Sybil offered a reward for the first person to see the sign on a bus, and guess what, she won the prize herself with this cell phone photo below. 
Tell us where you see the buses rolling with the new signs inviting folks to get connected and visit the new I'm Connected site on the City's website at www.sfconnected.info.
SAVE THE DATE: Aging and Technology Summit
City Hall - May 15, 2012 |
Celebrate the New Year with Rhoda 
Celebrate the deepening of who you are with sage advice by and discussion with
Rhoda Curtis, author of My First 90 Years
Wednesday, January 11, 4:00 to 7:00
AgeSong, 624 Laguna
Live Jazz with the Sam People's Band. Sponsored by AgeSong, co-sponsored by Planning for Elders and Stagebridge Senior Theatre Company. RSVP by emailing RSVP@agesong.com. Come, learn and celebrate! |
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 Long Term Care and In-Home Support Services (IHSS) Update
In his December 13 press conference about the cuts triggered by lower state revenues, Governor Brown included $100 million in additional cuts to the Department of Developmental Services (DDS). The cuts, when annualized in the next budget year, will be $200 million. It appears that:
- these funds may be saved through lower than expected spending
- at this time, it is not clear how deep direct cuts to program services will be
- savings to the DDS budget will be achieved in the next budget year through newly passed legislation requiring private insurance to cover specific therapies for children with autism
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Donna Willmott of Consumer Rights for Community Living at Planning for Elders, and Megan from the IHSS Program at DAAS, provide an update at the December Long Term Care Coordinating Council meeting.
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It also called for the 20% across the board cut to IHSS hours. However, a court order issued days later has temporarily stopped an across the board 20% cut of In Home Supportive Services, representing over $100 million in costs. Disability Rights California and co-counsel requested and received a Temporary Restraining Order on the basis that the drastic cuts are a violation of federal laws.
A January 19, 2012 court hearing will determine if the restraining order will stay in place, and if the case will be certified as a class action. The following local and state organizations will be providing updated information when available about how and if these cuts might be implemented. Stay Tuned for more information. Numbers to call for more information include below:
Consumer Rights for Community Living: 415-703-0286
Disability Rights California: 800-776-5746
Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach: 415-567-6255
Bay Area Legal Aid: 415-982-1300
You can also attend the IHSS Task Force Meeting the first Thursday of every month. Call Donna Willmott at 703-0286 for more information, or attend the monthly Long Term Care Coordinating Council Meetings which are held the 2nd Thursday of most every month at 1:00 p.m. at 1 South Van Ness Avenue, 2nd Floor.
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CLC Mondays at
360 Valencia Street |
January CLC Computer Classes
Community Living Campaign (CLC) shows you how technology and social media are new tools to help individuals, neighbors and organizations reduce isolation and reweave community.
Click HERE for printable January Schedule
Social Media Classes - 10 to Noon
Jan 2 - Lab Closed for New Year's Day Holiday
Jan 9 - Searching the World Wide Web
Jan 16 - Closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday
Jan 23 - How to Get Where You're Going - Directions to Everywhere
Jan 30 - Doing Business on the Internet
Open Lab
Monday, January 9, 23, and 30
9:00 to 3:00
Skilled CLC Staff & Volunteers On-Site
Open Lab and Basic Skills Training in Spanish
January 17 through February 28
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1:00 to 2:30 Open Lab
A Special Thank-You to Mission Housing Development Corporation for making this spacious computer lab available to the Community Living Campaign for classes.
The Web World's your Oyster!!! Everyone is welcome! Call for further information or to sign up: CLC Computer Connections at 415-821-1003 or www.sfcommunityliving.org
These trainings are provided, in part, with a grant from the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) and the support of the San Francisco Department of Aging and Adult Services. |
Come Engage with Us - Other Neighborhoods
Connecting SEEDS OF HOPE & Special Events
Our team of Community Connectors, including Janis Kaempfe, Joan Teter, Jennifer Walsh, April Coleman, Marcia Peterzell, Cheryl Price, Deloris McGee and Margaret Gray, with support from Constance Smith and Lenny Reiter, continue to take our show on the road. Each month, you will meet one of our connectors, or you can find one or more at these events:
Tel-Hi Neighborhood Center - Wednesdays, 9:00 to Noon, starting January 11
One on one tutoring (sign-up needed in advance) and open lab every Wednesday from 9:00 to Noon, in partnership with Telegraph Hill Neighborhood Center and NEXT Village - San Francisco. Sign-up on site at Ruby's desk.
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Director Jerry Brown welcomes the Community Living Campaign to Bethany Center in the Mission District. |
Bethany Center
Every Thursday 9:00 to Noon, 560 Capp Street
One on one tutoring (sign-up needed in advance)
Special Skype Training on Friday, January 13 at 10:00
in partnership with Bethany Center.
Laguna Honda Hospital - Wednesdays, starting January 18th - Individualized Help/Instruction in the Library in partnership with Laguna Honda Activities Department.
Downtown Senior Center
Beginning Facebook (4 sessions)
Tuesdays, January 10, 17, 24, 31
1:00 to 2:30
If you have a laptop with wireless, please bring it. Onsite computers limited.
481 O'Farrell Street, In partnership with the Downtown Senior Center.
To learn about these upcoming December events, or if you are intereted in scheduling a "seeds of hope" party for your own neighborhood, please see the Community Living Campaign site or directly contact Judy Auda at (415) 826-3194 or judyauda@yahoo.com.
 | | Seniors at Bethany Center get an interesting overview, in 4 languages, of Social Media in December. Next Step - a multi-lingual Skype demonstration and training on January 13th. |
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Senior Health Policy Forum on November 30th
was a great success - proceedings and lots of pictures will be available soon. For now, see a few pictures HERE and watch this space next month. |
Meet Community Connector Deloris McGee
 | | OMI Community Connector Deloris McGee |
I have been working in the Oceanview Merced Heights and Ingleside (OMI) community for more than three years as a Community Connector for the Community Living Campaign. I have lived in this community since 1972 and have seen many changes. The work that I do is also part of the life that I have always lived: helping and communicating with others. The Community Living Campaign has given me a wide leadership role in addressing issues for seniors and community development.
As I was focusing on developing support networks for five seniors in the community, I realized they were not able to access the food pantries. I mentioned this fact to some of the other people living in the community - that this portion of the population was unable to physically access the food pantry. We met with Temple United Methodist Church about our concerns and a partnership was formed. The volunteers and I created the OMI Food Network Delivery Program as they joined in the Community Living Campaign as volunteers.
The community volunteers and Community Living Campaign partnered with Temple United Methodist Church and the Food Bank to deliver food twice a month to seniors and people with disabilities in our community who are not able to stand in long lines. As a result of working with the community on food issues I was seated on the Food Security Task Force Committee at San Francisco City Hall.
 | | OMI Food Network volunteers sort food and deliver boxes to over 50 seniors and persons with disabilities in that neighborhood. |
Food was a door opener for the community. They started to talk about other things that they needed. CLC partnered with Rebuild Together to make homes in OMI safer for seniors to age in place. They installed grab bars in the bathrooms and railing on their stairs inside and outside. They also insulated around doors and did minor reparis.
Then, since the OMI doesn't have a health clinic, the seniors started to talk about their health issues. They spoke of breast cancer and CLC partnered with the Lutheran Church of Our Savior and California Pacific Medical Center to start a Breast Cancer Support Group, which is now in its second year. The community has asked that we add other health issues to our upcoming calendar.
 | | Margaret Gray (also a CLC Connector, Rana Yamani, Kathryn Sommers, and Deloris McGee at the OMI Pink Luncheon in October. |
Last month, the Community Living Campaign partnered with Glide Foundation to provide Christmas bags to 100 families in the OMI. This was a first time for OMI and we hope to partner with them again next year. The community continues to let me know how people are suffering and asking how can they help to better serve the community where they live and love."
Deloris McGee, Community Connector |
Start the Year Off with a Much Appreciated Gift to the Community Living Campaign Here! |
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