Volunteer of the Month
Archives

October 2021
Don Harper

Photo of Don Harper

This month we’d like to shine the light on Don Harper is one of our longtime Transportation Assistance Program (TAP) drivers. Don has been a member for about 7 ½ years, and has been driving for 5 ½ years. During that time he has become one of our go-to drivers driving multiple times a week, and sometimes several trips in one day. He first heard about the center from his mother-in-law, who is a Wii Bowler. She got him a membership and he came and joined the Wii Bowling league. He then remembered then Outreach Director, Holly Andrade, talking about TAP and how they needed drivers. He gave it a test drive, enjoyed it and has been doing it ever since. He loves driving, and loves the people. He thinks of this as his job, but a job he enjoys. The clients love him too and has clients who ask for him. Originally from Fort Worth, TX, his mom brought him out here when he was two. He inched his way over from Blythe, to Beaumont, to Highland. We are thankful that his travels brought him closer to us. Thanks Don for driving that extra mile for us!

Featured Class

Sketching
Date: September 15, 2021
Time: 8:30 - 10:00 am
Length: 8 weeks
Cost: $8 members
      $8 non-members
Instructor: Ernesto Almada
Location: Game Room
Description: This month we’d shine the light on one of our older classes, but one of our newest instructors. The Sketching class has a new teacher and his name is Ernesto Almada. While he may be a new instructor here, neither art, nor teaching is new to him. Ernesto is an Art major and has spent 33 years in the school district as a bilingual tutor. During that time he worked with an after school program. During that time he taught young students art skill, but teaching adults would be no different. He had several students who earned awards in local art shows. Classes will start with a foundation in basic shapes and then use those shapes to learn shading before moving on to more complete objects, 3D, still life, then finally portraits. There will be no tracing or copying of other people’s works. He wants people to show their own creativity. Students need to bring their own pencils (from 9H to 9B – The HB scale ranges from 9H, a hard pencil that leaves fine, light marks, to 9B, a soft pencil which a high ratio of graphite that leaves bold, dark marks.), or even just a #2 to start, a sharpener, as well as a sketch pad. The size of the sketchpad will depend upon a student’s personal preference. So make your mark in the world and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. That’s what they make erasers for.

Featured Activity

Dances
Time: Tuesdays 2:00 p.m.
Cost: $4 members
      $4 non-members
Location: Dining Room
Description: Since June of 2020 there have been dances here every Tuesday and Thursday from 2 – 4 p.m., and on Saturdays from 11a.m. – 1 p.m. Yvonne Dandurand is your hostess and Art Cooper & Company provide the live entertainment. What kind of dancing can you expect? A bit of everything. From Line Dancing, to Swing, to Waltzes, to Tangos. Just not Ballet or Hula! Couples and singles are all welcome and the cost is only $4, which gets you entry as well as refreshments. So if you’re ready to get back on your feet again and get moving, come on down and join us.
Health Fair 2012
By: Mike Sylva
Maybe it was the prior rain, and gloomy skies. Or maybe it was the lack of a flu shot shortage, or concerns of a flu epidemic. Or maybe, just maybe, it was because of the seemingly year round availability of shots. Whatever the reason was the crowd was a bit thinner this year at the center’s annual Health Fair. That made it a bit nicer for those who did show up at they weren’t standing in line for a hour, getting impatient and simply wanting to get their flu shot and go. Still, for free flu shots this year, when other places are charging $25 a shot, we thought more people would brave the cold weather.

This year people came in at a more leisurely pace and were able to stop at each table, talk to the various vendors, and pick up lots of useful information before getting their shot. It may have been a trickle, but at least it was a steady trickle with new people arriving all morning. The sad part is the inevitable amount of phone calls we will receive after the event wanting to know if they can still come in for a shot.

Thanks to the volunteers who came to set up and work the fair, all of our wonderful vendors who came out to make this a success. Additional thanks go our to the Highland Police Department’s Citizen’s Patrol for their excellent traffic control. Mostly we would like to thank our event sponsors, the Physicians of Beaver Medical Group and the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians.