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Blog archive

June 2025

May 2025

A Day to Celebrate, Connect, and Empower: Older Americans Month at Victory Park
05/30/2025

End of Life: You Do Have Choices!
05/30/2025

Get Moving, Pasadena Village: Walking Toward a Healthier, Happier You
05/30/2025

Music: A Universal Language
05/30/2025

President's Message
05/30/2025

The New Grammar Guardian of Pasadena Village
05/30/2025

Undue Influence: Keep your friends close and your enemies closer
05/30/2025

Village Within a Village
05/30/2025

What do we do now?
05/30/2025

A Tribute to Dad
05/05/2025

A Tribute to Mom
05/05/2025

A Board Director Perspective
05/02/2025

A Death Valley Adventure
05/02/2025

Ask an Architect
05/02/2025

Message from the President
05/02/2025

My 15-Minute City
05/02/2025

Neighboring Anew
05/02/2025

Scam Red Flags
05/02/2025

Sir Beckett, A Woman's Best Friend
05/02/2025

Volunteer Appreciation: Giving a New Level of Love and Caring
05/02/2025

April 2025

March 2025

About Senior Solutions
03/28/2025

Building a Bridge With Journey House, A Home Base for Former Foster Youth
03/28/2025

Come for the Knitting, Stay for the Conversation... and the Cookies
03/28/2025

Creating Safe and Smart Spaces with Home Technology
03/28/2025

Finding Joy in My Role on The Pasadena Village Board
03/28/2025

I've Fallen and I Can't Get Up!
03/28/2025

Managing Anxiety
03/28/2025

Message from Our President: Keeping Pasadena Village Strong Together
03/28/2025

My Favorite Easter Gift
03/28/2025

The Hidden History of Black Women in WWII
03/28/2025

Urinary Tract Infection – Watch Out!
03/28/2025

Volunteer Coordinator and Blade-Runner
03/28/2025

Continuing Commitment to Combating Racism
03/26/2025

Goodbye and Keep Cold by Robert Frost
03/13/2025

What The Living Do by Marie Howe
03/13/2025

Racism is Not Genetic
03/11/2025

Bill Gould, The First
03/07/2025

THIS IS A CHAPTER, NOT MY WHOLE STORY
03/07/2025

Dramatic Flair: Villagers Share their Digital Art
03/03/2025

Empowering Senior LGBTQ+ Caregivers
03/03/2025

A Life Never Anticipated
03/02/2025

Eaton Fire Changes Life
03/02/2025

February 2025

Commemorating Black History Month 2025
02/28/2025

Transportation at the Pasadena Village
02/28/2025

A Look at Proposition 19
02/27/2025

Behind the Scenes: Understanding the Pasadena Village Board and Its Role
02/27/2025

Beyond and Within the Village: The Power of One
02/27/2025

Celebrating Black Voices
02/27/2025

Creatively Supporting Our Village Community
02/27/2025

Decluttering: More Than The Name Implies
02/27/2025

Hidden Gems of Forest Lawn Museum
02/27/2025

LA River Walk
02/27/2025

Message from the President
02/27/2025

Phoenix Rising
02/27/2025

1619 Conversations with West African Art
02/25/2025

The Party Line
02/24/2025

Bluebird by Charles Bukowski
02/17/2025

Dreams by Langston Hughes
02/17/2025

Haiku - Four by Fritzie
02/17/2025

Haikus - Nine by Virginia
02/17/2025

Wind and Fire
02/17/2025

Partnerships Amplify Relief Efforts
02/07/2025

Another Community Giving Back
02/05/2025

Diary of Disaster Response
02/05/2025

Eaton Fire: A Community United in Loss and Recovery
02/05/2025

Healing Powers of Creative Energy
02/05/2025

Living the Mission
02/05/2025

Message from the President: Honoring Black History Month
02/05/2025

Surviving and Thriving: Elder Health Considerations After the Fires
02/05/2025

Treasure Hunting in The Ashes
02/05/2025

Villager's Stories
02/05/2025

A Beginning of Healing
02/03/2025

Hectic Evacuation From Eaton Canyon Fire
02/02/2025

Hurricanes and Fires are Different Monsters
02/02/2025

January 2025

LOOKING BACK/PLANNING AHEAD

By Bridget Brewster
Posted: 06/27/2025
Tags: bridget brewster, newsletter july 2025

“Pasadena Village is a successful organization that can face changes and challenges head on. We adjust and adapt to situations swiftly and efficiently, as evidenced in the Eaton Canyon fires. Thanks goes to the united efforts of the staff, volunteers, Villagers, board directors, and the greater community.”  Board President Dick Myers began the annual Board Planning Retreat with these words. From this perspective, the work of the day began.

The Pasadena Village Board of Directors was graciously hosted by Villa Gardens who provided a wonderful lunch and the space for 17 Directors and the Executive Director to review the past year and set goals and objectives for the year ahead. The review began by reflecting upon what seemed to work well last year and what needs more attention in the coming year. Our strengths were quite clear: we responded to the Eaton Fire swiftly, courageously and with compassion; the spirit of support and volunteerism was obvious; more than 60 new Villagers were enthusiastically welcomed; the Board of Directors is unified, informed and active. Our challenges were equally obvious: we need to engage Villagers in the importance and rewards of participating and leading; we want to establish sessions for developing strong leadership; we plan to inform more clearly the need to enhance the budget through various fund and friend raising; we will address the desire for Board and Villager interactions

The work of our Board of Directors is grounded in the Strategic Plan created in 2022 and reviewed annually. Eight functional areas representing relevant Village committees and small group gatherings were identified:

LEADERSHIP: Village organization and leadership

DEVELOPMENT: fundraising for the Village

FINANCE: development of the budget

PROGRAMS: social, cultural, and educational activities including special interest groups

MEMBERSHIP: attracting, nurturing, and educating our Villages

COMMUNICATIONS: internal and external information, including the website

SUPPORT: internal and mutual support for Villagers and volunteers

PARTNERSHIPS: relationships with outside organizations

During the Retreat, each Director chose two areas to explore what else can we be doing in these areas, how to do them, and whether each person will serve an advisory role or a participant role. Board Directors will help set directions and offer guidelines so that Village Teams can implement them. Final reports are pending follow-up meetings and will be a major focus of the 2025/2026 fiscal year.

In-depth discussions concluded with Goals and Priorities for 2025/2026:

 

Membership Goal: 300 Villagers by July 2026 

- Focus Areas & Priorities:

*Determine non-renewal, opt outs, turnover rates

  ~New, younger members need our attention

~Focus on the quality of our service

~Focus on forming friendship instead of providing services

~Be part of creating/planning rather than the recipient only

~Focus on ways to maintain the spirit and feeling of the surrounding community group

*Re-examine annual fundraiser

*Quarterly Board mixers with Villagers

*Support for fire survivors, providing resource connections 

*Leadership chairs, co-chairs

~Clarity/description on leader responsibilities

~Clearly define committee responsibilities so people feel comfortable volunteering

Every year the Board of Directors faces the daunting task of clearly articulating information gathered from Villagers throughout the year, reviewing the Strategic Plan, and listening to each other intently as we develop goals for the next year. We are, indeed, fortunate to have a well-informed, very engaged and responsive group of individuals who give hours and hours of time throughout the year to ensure Pasadena Village continues to attract, engage and serve the aging adults in our community.

As always, all Villagers are welcome to attend Board meetings. The Board of Directors meet at 4:00 pm on the third Tuesday of each month. You can find a list of Directors on our website, and you are encouraged to reach out to any Director with questions or concerns. 

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