Volunteer of the Month
Archives

November 2019
Linda Sowell

Photo of Linda Sowell

This month we’d like to shine the light on a new, yet not new volunteer. If you read last month’s newsletter, specifically the Activity Spotlite, you would have read a bit about Linda Sowell. Well this month we’d like to shine an even larger spotlight on her as our Volunteer of the Month. Linda is the new Gadabouts Trip Coordinator. She had been working in the Thrift Store and was asked to be a relief in the Trip office. When a vacancy occurred she was asked to take over, which she was more than happy to do. Since then she has been busy scheduling new trips, chaperoning trips on occasion, and generally managing our hustling and bustling trip office. Linda also serves on our Board of Directors. If needed she also helps out at our special events. Originally from Chicago, IL, she moved out to California with her husband who was in the Navy. Once out here she was not content to stay at home raising her two kids (who themselves provided her with five grandkids), but worked in numerous types of jobs. Her main career was in Food Service. She started out at McDonalds as a cashier, and worked her way up to manager. Then she transferred to the school system where she became the Director of Children’s Nutrition for the Bear Valley School District before retiring. Thanks Linda for helping to take our members on trips of a lifetime.

Featured Class

Intermediate Computers
Date: October 3, 2019
Time: 10:00 - 11:00 am
Length: 8 weeks
Cost: $8 members
      $8 non-members
Instructor: TBA
Location: Game Room
Description: This is for those who more comfortable on computers, but not advanced. If you know how to make a document, do email, or browse the internet, this is the class for you. Those who register will be asked about their level and what they hope or need to learn. Classes will be tailored to fit the needs of the students. Students are encourage to bring their own laptop, tablet, or smartphones.

Featured Activity

Highland Pickers
Time: Wednesdays 11 am to 12 pm
Cost: members
       non-members
Location: Game Room
Description: Are you a picky person? Are you named Peter Piper? If so, the Highland Senior Center has a new group that might be right up your alley. A group of singers, players, and strummers have formed the Highland Pickers Strummers and Singers. The club meets weekly at the Highland Senior Center on Wednesdays from 11 am to noon. They will hold additional jam sessions and club meetings at various locations to learn new songs or make plans for concerts. The objective of the club is to learn basic music theory, and then to apply it on the ukulele and other instruments, and we do mean other instruments. These have included kazoos, washboards, and pots and pans! Members will also develop their musical skills, either to perform solos or in ensembles. So if you've always wanted to learn to make music, pass on some musical knowledge, or just enjoy strumming strings, come on down to the center.
Karaoke Party
By: Mike Sylva
If you used to “Sing Along with Mitch” then you did karaoke, before karaoke was cool! Well since we at the Highland Senior Center are always cool, we decided to host a Karaoke Party. It is basically a singing to the music of your favorite songs. If you don’t know the words, no worries. There is a screen, where the words appear, and are highlighted as they are to be sung.

We tried it out last month with a few brave souls. Our very own Penny, Martha, and Timi sang out loud, to which others decided “if they can do it, so can I”, and belted out tunes of their own. Light refreshments were served and were paid back in lots of laughs and good times.

Thanks to Skip for running the event, and to Anthem Blue Cross for sponsoring the fun.

The next Karaoke Party will take place on Tuesday, March 15, and the 3rd Tuesday of every month thereafter. We look forward to having you join us.