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Celebrating Birthdays...
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Floramay (l), March 9, 2015 (95 years)
Margie (r), March 11, 2015 (94 years)
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Speaking of Birthdays,
Ashby Village Has One Coming Up Too!
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TOWN HALL PARTY
Inviting all members and volunteers to celebrate
ASHBY VILLAGE's
5th Anniversary
 June 14
3 - 5 pm
at Northbrae Community Church
We are celebrating Ashby Village's 5th birthday with balloons and cake. There will be opportunities to meet Board members, program leaders, and chat with members of the 25 Ashby Village teams who provide programs, services and support throughout the Village. Find out what's new at Ashby Village and the Village movement. More info here: Townhall & Party
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Celebrating National Volunteer Week
VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION EVENT
April 17, 2015
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Ashby Village is committed to making sure that everyone in our village has the experience of being part of a vital active community, and volunteers are essential members of our community.
More than sixty volunteers  were celebrated at the recent Wine & Cheese Volunteer Appreciation on April 17th. This was one of many ways Ashby Village takes the time to tell volunteers how important they are, and how essential their contribution is to our community.
Perhaps the most exciting news was the announcement and launch of the three new components of the Volunteer Program. (see article below). These will provide additional opportunities for volunteers to get to know each other while giving back and having fun.
At this appreciation, volunteers were invited to submit ideas for naming one of the new programs dedicated to "fun", like the upcoming Dragon Paddling event on Saturday, May 30 (click here). Many volunteers submitted innovative ideas for a name - peek at the article below to see the winning name, and click here to see all the names submitted.
Thank you Volunteers!
For more great Volunteer Appreciation Event photos,
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Stewardship in Action:
NEW VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS
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Often volunteer service routinely involves situations that are one-on-one. While these settings are a great opportunity for the volunteer to develop a relationship with the member they are serving, they may not further a volunteer's sense of being part of a community.
Ashby Village staff member Pat Carvalho has now been promoted from Coordinator to Manager, in charge of Operations & Volunteers. In recognition of her new responsibilities she'll continue assisting volunteers in responding to the service requests of our members, but in her new role she'll be making sure volunteers have their share of fun and have additional opportunities to give back and meet other volunteers who are also an integral part of our Ashby Village community.
One of Pat's first actions has been to build a Volunteer Team devoted exclusively to generating ideas for bringing volunteers together with other volunteers. One of the wonderful features of these volunteer opportunities is that, like other Ashby Village member service requests, these opportunities will require no more than a one-time commitment.
Want to know more about joining the Volunteer Team that is devoted to creating the experience of community for volunteers? Contact Pat Carvalho at [email protected] or (510)204-9200
And the three new Volunteer Programs are...
Village Hearts N' Hands
This program provides group volunteer assistance to Ashby Village members for multiple tasks all at once. A squad of 4-10 volunteers will arrive at a members home ready to tackle work estimated to take about 3-4 hours. A variety of the jobs will include home maintenance, gardening, cleaning, organizing, and other household tasks.
These events are great opportunities for AV volunteers to pitch in and help members and also provide an opportunity to build connections with other AV volunteers. Click HERE to join this team or to find out about upcoming projects.
Volunteer B' Cause
The Bay Area is filled with non-profit o rganizations doing important work, and some of these organizations could use a helping hand. Ashby Village is piloting a new volunteer program to give Ashby Village and our volunteers a chance to help out. It also provides them with an opportunity to build connections with other volunteers as well as the organizations they're serving. Volunteers will form small teams to provide short term support for projects or events. This support could look like maintenance, cleaning or gardening in their building or grounds, support with organizing and launching an event, or other group involvement in activities supporting their mission. The jobs should take about 3-4 hours utilizing 4-10 volunteers.
Volunteer B'Cause upcoming event:
Are you handy or would like to be? Help paint a hallway in the church office with us!
WHEN: Sat, June 20 or Sat, June 27, 10am - 2pm
WHERE: First Congregational Church of Berkeley
2345 Channing Way, Berkeley
CLICK HERE to sign up for one or (both) days.
FCCB is a valued partner who has supported
Ashby Village from the beginning
Play-It-Forward (PIF)
 Ashby Village volunteers are really special people with interesting lives and an amazing capacity for giving. We think you would enjoy meeting each other. The Village calendar of events is always chock full of interesting things to do, but until now most events have been selected on the basis of member interest. The Volunteer Team is planning events specifically designed to provide opportunities for our volunteers to build connections with each other, at events that are interesting for you. Do you enjoy activities that involve some type of competition, physical activity or team building? Does a monthly book club, hike or no-host lunch interest you? If yes, this is the volunteer program for you! Please contact the office if this interests you or if you have any ideas about some fun activities.
Play-It-Forward upcoming event:
Dragon Boat Paddling
Enjoy two hours of fun and games paddling with your fellow volunteers at the Berkeley Marina with Dragon Max, a non-profit organization that provides and promotes the sport, culture, and awareness of dragon boating to the East Bay community and beyond. A ll ages and ability levels welcome. Light lunch will be provided.WHEN: Saturday May 30, 11am - 2pm
WHERE: Berkeley Marina Dock M
SPACE IS LIMITED!
To sign up or get more info, contact Pat Carvalho at [email protected]
CLICK HERE to see video of dragon paddling in action!
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Everybody's  BULLETIN BOARD
Notices, requests, local events
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Our Aging Population and
Macroeconomic Implications
Tuesdays, 2-4 pm: May 5, 12, 19
UC Berkeley Retirement Center invites Ashby Village members to learn and interact to Commemorate the 80th anniversary of Social Security and the 50th anniversary of Medicare, Medicaid, and the Older Americans Act. We're also to attend a reception following the final session on May 19th. Find out more online at: http://retirement.berkeley.edu/lir.shtml.
Senior Rally Day
May 6, 10am at the State Capitol in Sacramento
Senior citizens from around the state will be attending the rally to show their support for funding of the Older Californians Act. Many programs impacting the aging population have been severely cut back, or eliminated altogether. The California Senior Legislature will be there to encourage lawmakers to Make Senior Issues a Priority in 2015 and Beyond! For more information, visit the California Senior Legislature website.
Un-Retirement: Speaker Chris Farrell
How Baby Boomers are Changing the Way We Think about Work, Community, and the Good Life
May 7, 2015 4:45pm (reception), 5:15pm Lecture
The Commonwealth Club
555 Post Street, San Francisco
A grassroots movement is gathering momentum around the country. Aging baby boomers are rethinking the last third of life, turning away from traditional notions of retirement and embracing "unretirement." Chris Farrell will offer insights into the movement and provide practical advice about how to navigate this exciting, but unsettled, frontier.For more information, click here.
Sign Up for a discount Senior Clipper Card
Monday, May 18, 1:00-3:00pm
Near Ashby BART Station, Berkeley
 BART will be at the Center for Independent Living to sign up seniors for the Clipper card. BART staff will give a demonstration of the Clipper Card and Machine and answer questions. Seniors, who do not yet have Clipper, will be issued $20 to put on a new card on the 18th. To RSVP or request an accommodation, please contact Catherine at [email protected] or (510) 841-4776. Please note that if you already have a Clipper card, CIL is not able to issue you a new card or give you $20.
Big Ideas, Good Work:
How Elders, Caregivers & Senior Services Are Influencing & Inventing Thoughtful Technology
Wed, May 27, 8am - 4:30pm
Institute on Aging, San Francisco
UCSF Mission Bay Campus (accessible by BART &Muni)
Presenters will discuss the evolution of technology & aging, and how this evolution affects the health and social lives of older adults, as well as the work of both family and professional caregivers. Particular concerns of at-risk seniors will be addressed (physical, mental/cognitive, fiscal), but we'll also see how new technologies may help keep seniors engaged and more independent. $25 for seniors 65+. Click here for agenda and registration information.
Senior Injury Prevention Forum
Thurs, May 28, 10:45am
Hilton Garden Inn
1800 Powell St, Emeryville
"Building Healthy Communities through Care Coordination & Collaboration" panel includes Andy Gaines, executive director of Ashby Village as a presenter. For more information
Wouldn't it be great to travel abroad with other Ashby Villagers? Ashby Village member Eric Schroeder is exploring whether there is sufficient interest among the Ashby Village community in traveling as an Ashby Village group for him to organize trips to places like Australia, London, Greece, or France, or South Africa.  To flesh out some ideas, possible trips include Australia with split time between Melbourne and Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory; a theater trip to London focusing on Shakespeare's Globe and the National Theatre; a cultural trip to Greece that would include Athens, the Peloponnese, and the island Hydra; a trip to South Africa that would split the time between Cape Town and a safari camp near Kruger Park; a tour of several of France's wine producing regions, led by the winemaker from UC Davis. Trips would be planned for the spring and the fall.  In general trips would be 8-11 days in length. Most trips would be led by retired faculty members having expertise in that particular destination (and some of the leaders would be Ashby Village members). The price for these tours would be competitive -- neither budget nor luxury.
Let Eric know if you might be interested in possibilities for joining others from the Ashby Village community in taking international trips. Please contact Eric Schroeder at [email protected].
If you have lost a loved one... We are a small group of grievers who lost our spouses approximately one and a half years ago. We participated in a 10 week group led by a therapist through Sutter Hospice beginning February 25, 2014.  We have continued meeting on our own, twice a month, since June 2014. Our group has decreased from six people to four, so we thought it would be a good time to meet others who have had similar experiences. Perhaps by exploring the journey we are all taking , we can gain insight and strength from one another. We meet in each others homes in Berkeley, Oakland and Richmond. Please contact [email protected] if you are interested in joining us.
Willing to share your writing experience?
 Looking for a writer who has sold their short stories. Would appreciate advice on how to get started. This would include selling, organizing and protecting my writings. Please contact Annette: [email protected] |
Caregiver Support Group
1st and 3rd Thursday of the month
5:30-7:00 pm  Jewish Family & Children's Services of the East Bay, 2484 Shattuck Ave., Ste. 210, Berkeley, $25 per session, drop-ins welcome Providing care for an elderly family member or friend can be an engrossing and stressful experience. In this group we will learn:
- how to care for yourself while caring for another
- how to manage stress and anxiety
- how to establish realistic goals and expectations
- where to turn in the community for help
For more information contact Rita Clancy: [email protected] or 510-558-7800, x257
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 Comments? Got an item of interest to the Ashby Village community? Deadline for the July Village Voices is Thurs June 18. Email
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 Memorial Day
May 25
Ashby Village Office will not be open.
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I just want to stay in my own home as long as I can!
From NEXT Village SF, nextnews (April 2015) cartoonist Bob Nelson
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Ashby Village Members -
Do you need help?
Cleaning up your garden? Do you have some spackling and painting that needs to be done around your home? When was the last time you had your mattress turned or had that high shelf dusted in your living room? Wouldn't it be nice if all of this could get taken care of all at once,
home maintenance jobs you need done, such as cleaning cupboards or your refrigerator, de-cluttering closets, washing windows, dusting cobwebs, organizing paperwork or sprucing up the yard? The jobs should take about 3-4 hours and
utilize 4-10 volunteers.
The new Village Hearts N' Hands program provides an excellent opportunity for Ashby Village members to receive assistance from a group of volunteers working as a team to tackle all those jobs around your home.
If you interested in getting some assistance, please contact the office.
Each request will be assessed and approved based on availability of
volunteers and job scope. We cannot guarantee that we will be able to complete and fulfill all member requests.
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Sat, May 3, 2pm - 4pm
Clipper Club
Watergate Apts
5 Captain Dr, Emeryville
Join us for this free informational session on the Village movement and Ashby Village. Learn how we enhance the quality of life of our members today, while also helping them develop peace of mind about the future. Light refreshments. Wheelchair accessible. Parking. For more information, click here. RSVP to
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THINGS TO DO
Ashby Village Activities
Click on event for information
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Don't forget to check listings under your neighborhood group (last item left column). Great way to make nearby friends!
(4pm, 1st Fridays)
Save the date: 6-5-15, Happy Hour featuring live  Swiss yodel- ing!
Mah Jongg
(2pm, every Friday)
Every Thursday
10am Chair Yoga
10:45am Mat Yoga
Painting Workshop
(2pm, Thurs & Fridays)
Danute's House
Call (510) 843-1783
May 5 & 19 Macular Degeneration/Low Vision
(2pm, 1st & 3rd Tuesdays)
May 12 Lunch at Danute's
(12pm, 2nd Tuesdays)
May 18 Non-Fiction Book Club
(7:30pm, 3rd Mondays)
Save the date:
June 10
Compassion and Choices
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 NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS Click on event for information
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May 21 Trader Vic's Happy Hour
(4:30pm third Thursdays)
Kaleidoscope (Kensington/El Cerrito)
Midlandish (North Berkeley)
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to read the articles below,
click on underlined text |
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Brain Power and Memory
Can Music Help Keep Memory Alive?
Greater Good, April 21, 2015
By Jill Suttie
Submitted by Patricia Hom
A Diet Might Cut the Risk of Developing Alzheimer's
Wall Street Journal, April 20, 2015
By Sumathi Reddy
Submitted by Roberta Pressman
Senior Volunteers Ward Off Brain Shrinkage
Futurity, April 14, 2015
By Stephanie Desmon-John Hopkins University
Submitted by Walter Park
New Alzheimer's Treatment Fully Restores Memory Function
Science Alert, March 18, 2015
By BEC Crew
Older Really Can Mean Wiser
New York Times, March 16, 2015
By Benedict Carey
Submitted by Elaine Hooker
Staying Physically Healthy
Exercise Beats Vitamin D for Injury Prevention
New York Times, March 31, 2015
By Nicholas Bakalar
Submitted by Walter Park
The Far-Reaching Effects of a Fall
New York Times, March 9, 2015
By Jane Brody
Submitted by Peter Sussman
Feeling Good
Even at a Molecular Level, Taking it Slow Helps us Cope with Stress
UC Berkeley News Center, March 19, 2015
By Sarah Yang
Finding Success, Well Past the Age of Wunderkind
New York Times, March 20, 2015
By Abbey Ellin
Submitted by Peter Sussman
The Toll of a Solitary Life
New York Times, March 16, 2015
By Tara Parker-Pope
Submitted by Rachel Kahn-Hut
Smart Money
How to Make Money from Spring Cleaning
Kiplinger's Personal Finance, April 2015
By Lisa Gerstner
Dutch nursing home offers rent-free housing to students
PBS NewsHour, April 5, 2015
By Carey Reed
Submitted by Walter Park
The Tangle of Coordinated Health Care
New York Times, April 13, 2015
By Paula Span
Submitted by Roberta Pressman
Q&A: How to You Pay for Long-Term Care?
PBS NewsHour, February 19, 2015
By Bonnie Lawrence, Family Caregiver Alliance
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