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Blog archive

November 2024

October 2024

ARBORIST WALK: NOT FOR TREE HUGGERS ONLY!
10/29/2024

Bill Wishner: Visual Hunter
10/29/2024

Can a Village Group Fix Our Healthcare System?
10/29/2024

Community Board Directors Strengthen Village Board
10/29/2024

Connecting with Village Connections: The A, B, C, & D’s of Medicare @ 65+
10/29/2024

Grief is a Journey: Two Paths Taken
10/29/2024

Message from the President
10/29/2024

Promoting Informed & Involved Voters
10/29/2024

What Will Be Your Legacy?
10/29/2024

1619, Approaching the Election...
10/27/2024

Beyond and Within the Village - A Star is Born
10/17/2024

Happiness by Priscilla Leonard
10/11/2024

Those Winter Sundays by Robert Hayden
10/11/2024

Unpainted Door by Louise Gluck
10/11/2024

In the Evening by Billy Collins
10/10/2024

Wild Geese by Mary Oliver
10/10/2024

Betty Kilby, A Family History
10/01/2024

Betty Kilby, A Family History
10/01/2024

Betty Kilby, A Family History
10/01/2024

September 2024

August 2024

1619 Wide Ranging Interests
08/19/2024

1619 Wide Ranging Interests
08/19/2024

First Anniversary
08/19/2024

Alexandra Leaving by Leonard Cohen
08/16/2024

Muse des Beaux Arts by W. H. Auden
08/16/2024

The God Abandons Antony by Constantinos P. Cavafy
08/16/2024

Ch – Ch – Ch –Changes
08/15/2024

Cultural Activities Team offers an ‘embarrassment of riches’
08/15/2024

Engaging in Pasadena Village
08/15/2024

Future Housing Options
08/15/2024

Message from the President
08/15/2024

There Are Authors Among Us
08/15/2024

Villagers Welcome New Members at the Tournament Park Picnic
08/15/2024

Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night by Dylan Thomas
08/14/2024

A narrow Fellow in the Grass by Emily Dickinson
08/13/2024

Haikus
08/13/2024

One Art by Elizabeth Bishop
08/13/2024

Poem 20 by Pablo Neruda
08/13/2024

Still I Rise by Maya Angelou
08/13/2024

Trees by Joyce Kilmer
08/13/2024

July 2024

June 2024

May 2024

Emergency Preparedness: Are You Ready?
05/28/2024

Farewell from the 2023/24 Social Work Interns
05/28/2024

Gina on the Horizon
05/28/2024

Mark Your Calendars for the Healthy Aging Research California Virtual Summit
05/28/2024

Meet Our New Development Associate
05/28/2024

Putting the Strategic Plan into Practice
05/28/2024

Washington Park: Pasadena’s Rediscovered Gem
05/28/2024

Introducing Civil Rights Discussions
05/22/2024

Rumor of Humor #2416
05/14/2024

Rumor of Humor #2417
05/14/2024

Rumor of Humor #2417
05/14/2024

Rumor of Humor #2418
05/14/2024

Springtime Visitors
05/07/2024

Freezing for a Good Cause – Credit, That Is
05/02/2024

No Discussion Meeting on May 3rd
05/02/2024

An Apparently Normal Person Author Presentation and Book-signing
05/01/2024

Flintridge Center: Pasadena Village’s Neighbor That Changes Lives
05/01/2024

Pasadena Celebrates Older Americans Month 2024
05/01/2024

The 2024 Pasadena Village Volunteer Appreciation Lunch
05/01/2024

Woman of the Year: Katy Townsend
05/01/2024

April 2024

March 2024

February 2024

January 2024

FROM THE CHAIR

By Susan Kujawa
Posted: 01/03/2023
Tags:

FROM THE CHAIR

 

Members of the Pasadena Village took on several projects during December to make the holidays brighter for some of our local residents. 

Under the leadership of Village member Toni Cavanagh-Johnson, 24 preschool children at Pasadena’s Families Forward Learning Center received gift bags full of art supplies, jingle bells, and a Christmas gnome. Small groups of Village members accompanied Toni to the center for the morning and afternoon preschool classes, to distribute the gifts and to listen with the children as Toni read a story about how a little bunny was given the gift of two new friends at Christmas.

Also in December, members of Pasadena Village joined 8 Cadettes from Girl Scout Troop 5531 to make 22 welcome baskets for the women at Casa Treatment Center, a substance abuse center for women. Founded in 1967, Casa is one of the only treatment centers in Southern California designed to specifically meet the needs of women in recovery. The local Girl Scouts adopt a nonprofit every year to help those in need over the holidays. As a girl-led group, the scouts take initiative to find out what would be helpful and ask each of the Girl Scout families to donate items. This year, they found out that there were 22 women, who range in age from 19 to 91, who were in recovery and might not see their families over the holidays. It was great for them to volunteer alongside older adults at Pasadena Village to put together the baskets filled with warm socks, snacks, facial masks, and craft supplies for these women. Cadette Karina Toro (an eighth grader in Pasadena) shared, "It was fulfilling and fun to make the gift baskets with my girl scout troop because I know a lot of people feel lonely over the holiday season, and it was great to know our baskets would go to people who would really enjoy them." 

The Village also participated in the Pasadena Senior Center food drive to provide food items for the many low-income seniors who depend on the Pasadena Senior Center for food supplies to help them make ends meet during this time of high inflation.  Senior Center Board member, Uma Shrivastava applauded our efforts, saying “I am excited that the two premier organizations serving the Senior Community in Pasadena are working together.”

It's not surprising that our members enthusiastically jumped in to help others during the holidays. Older adults, often stereotyped as “burdens” or “helpless”, want to contribute to their community.  During their long lives they have seen or experienced hard times, and they understand what it feels like to struggle in life.  They want to be generous, they want to be included, they want to help with the solutions, even in a small way.

 

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