Volunteer of the Month
Archives
April 2021
Leisa Alexander
This month we’d like to shine the light on someone few of you may have seen, but may have benefited from her volunteering. Lesia (pronounced Lisa) Alexander has been helping us out since 2020. During that time she has helped serve meals for Thanksgiving, Operation Senior Claus, and most recently, the Grab-n-Go dinners Monday thru Friday she can be helping out her sister, Mae Lucero, getting the dinners from the local restaurants, then helping to distribute them to seniors at the center. However, Leisa doesn’t just come here help to serve food. All that work can wear a person out, so when she’s not volunteering, she enjoys coming to the center’s Aerobics Program to boost her cardio. Originally from Meridian, MS, she and her two siblings came out Calif., to live with, and be raised by their big sister Mae, when their mom passed away. After she grew up she went to work for the Dept. of Corrections where she worked for 27 years before retiring. During that time she raised a son, who in turn, gave her a grandchild. Thanks Leisa for helping to ensure that our senior don’t go hungry.
Featured Class
Spanish
Date: April 23, 2020
Time: 1:30 - 2:30 pm
Length: 8 weeks
Cost: $8 members
$8 non-members
Instructor: TBA
Location: Game Room
Description: This class is designed to teach students conversational Spanish. The class will enable you to carry on limited conversation at first just to get you started. Then as you progress, so will the levels. As for what to bring, just bring a writing instrument and paper. Books might come later. We hope to see you there, or as you will soon be saying, Esperamos verte ahÃ.
Featured Activity
Yoga
Time: Fridays 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Cost: $5.00 per class members
$5.00 per class non-members
Location: Exercise Room
Description: In these stressful times we have the perfect solution to help you relax. Yoga. Yuki Mugimiya, our yoga instructor, came to us from Kumamoto, Japan. It was there that he mastered karate and yoga. It was this mastery that brought him to the states. He was hired in 1971 by the Cincinnati Police Department to teach them karate. While there he also taught at the University of Kentucky. Then he transferred to the west coast to teach at U.S.C. He said that he teaches seniors the same techniques he taught the police and college students. He just slows down the pace. It is a mixture of Japanese, Chinese, and Indian yoga. [Sendo which blends Asamas (postures), Seifuku-ho, Qi-Gong, Mantras, and a few other techniques into this unique style.] He is also certified with the Bodden Institute for Yoga Holistic Studies and the International Yoga Alliance. So whether you have trouble getting into the lotus position, or if you can get both legs behind your head, this class is for you, he'll be able to get you relaxed. He also shows Shia-tsu and other massage techniques as well. The classes are on Wednesdays and Fridays at 10:00 am and are only $3 per class, so come and join them for a stress free time.
Casino Night 2013
By: Mike Sylva
It wasn’t the day before the beginning of Lent. It wasn’t even a Tuesday. However that didn’t stop us from having a great Mardi Gras in June! That’s when the Highland Senior Center and the Highland Area Chamber of Commerce held their annual Casino Night and Taste of the Town Showcase. This year’s theme was Mardi Gras and was held at the new Highland Event Center at the San Manuel Village.
The playing area was decked out in purple, gold, and green, colors representing justice, power, and faith respectively. These colors were suggested by the visiting Grand Duke Alexis Alexis Alexandrovich Romanoff back in 1872.
Meanwhile, back in 2013, most people were interested in the green of the money, or the gold for the well...gold. Some off our partiers and players arrived dressed ready for Mardi Gras, complete with masks. Some for the fun, but most for the extra $100 in play money they received. Still everyone had a fun time playing because it was not only for fun, but to help out the Highland Senior Center and Chamber of Commerce.
The other part of casino night was the “Taste of the Town.” As part of the admission, even if you weren’t lucky at the gambling tables, you could definitely be a winner at the food tables. A J Barile’s Chicago Pizza took home the honors for the “Taste of the Town” winner as picked by the judges, while Jose’s Mexican Restaurant was proclaimed the “People’s Choice Winner,” by all who attended.
The center and chamber would like to give thanks to all our sponsors, without whom this event would not have been possible: San Manuel Tribe of Mission Indians, Urgent Care Center of St. Bernardine, Cal Disposal, Robertson’s, and Mrs. Pat Fischer, Beaver Medical, The Gas Company, Windermere Real Estate, VNA Hospice & Palliative Care, and Burrtec Waste Industries, as well as our other money, raffle, and food sponsors. Most of all we’d like to thank all those who came out to support the Casino Night and the Center and Chamber for this great fundraiser.
