Volunteer of the Month
Archives

July 2019
Charles Roberts

Photo of Charles Roberts

This month we’d like to give thanks to a familiar face, but one you might not know of in relation to the Highland Senior Center. Charles Roberts is the former editor of the Highland Community News, where he was a big supporter of the Highland Senior Center and would often visit the center to cover our events and activities. However when he retired at the end of 2017, he continued to support our center, but in a different capacity. Before retiring, he asked Jeff, the Outreach Director if we could use some volunteers, as he did not want to become bored. Well, he asked the right person, as he was immediately made a Transportation Assistance Program (TAP) driver. He volunteers to drive just about every weekday, and sometimes on weekends as well. Yet his helping us out doesn’t stop there. He also helps out in our Food Program, three days a weeks. He sorts outs the food we bring in and then helps us to pass it out to our seniors. We would also like to thank his wife, Myrna, who gives him time off from his retirement Honey Do list to help us out.

Featured Class

Conversational French
Date: January 15, 2019
Time: 1:00 - 2:00 pm
Length: 8 weeks
Cost: $8 members
      $8 non-members
Instructor: CiCi Tenney
Location: Game Room
Description: Parlez-vous francais? Would you like to ? We're not talking about speaking with a Charles Boyer 'Come with me to the Casbah' accent. We're talking true French. If so you're in luck, our Conversational French class will enable you to chat like a Parisian. Your instructeur, Cynthia 'CiCi' Tenny will help you to learn to understand, speak, and read French in an enjoyable way usable in 'everyday' situations. The class is a mixture of beginners and intermediate students alike. For those who already have learned a little French, this will be a fun refresher experience.

Featured Activity

Nutrition Program
Time: Dailys 12:00 pm
Cost: $1.75 members
      $3.75 Non-seniors non-members
Location: Dining Room
Description: This week, the Highland Senior Center would like to give you a little background on a program that many people take advantage of but probably know little about: their Nutrition Program. It has been going on here at the center for nearly 40 years. When it first began, it was run by San Bernardino County. There was even a cook who prepared the meals at the center. The following year it was taken over by the City of San Bernardino through the Parks and Recreation program, which has been running it ever since. The meals are cooked downtown and delivered to the center Monday through Friday. From there, the centers' Nutrition team of volunteers take over feeding approximately 225 diners every week. Starting at 8:00 am, the group comes in and begins cleaning the kitchen and getting everything ready for the food. When it arrives around 11:00 am they prepare the trays and service begins at 12:00 pm. Once everyone is done, its time to clean the kitchen and dinning area in preparation for the next day. This needs to be done because they are inspected regularly by three different agencies. The County of San Bernardino, the City of San Bernardino, and the Department of Aging and Adult Service. However, its not all about the food. Many people come also come for the social interaction; coming hours early to chat and visit with friends, staying afterwards to participate in activities. As they say, man cannot live by food alone, and the crowd shows that they are hungry for more. The cost is only $1.75 for those ages 60 and older, and $3.75 for non-seniors.
Luau a Success
By: Mike Sylva
Our Polynesian party proved to be popular as the Highland Senior Center proudly hosted its annual Luau and it was a sellout with all the seats filled. The mood was festive with the partiers decked out in their finest Hilo Hattie wear and mu mu’s. As people arrived they were greeted with leis and island music.

Duke Ching’s “Duke Kaleolani Polynesian Review featuring lovely girls from Hawaii” served up the entertainment with family members, he has done in the past, including his granddaughters and a cousin. Other entertainment included our very own HSC Hawaiian class dancers. The dancers made it look so easy some of the crowd volunteered to come up and give it a while.

Also served was our version of “authentic” luau food, minus the spam or poi. Hawaiian chicken, rice pilaf, fruit cocktail and a role, washed down with a mango-pineapple punch. The crowd remarked that it was great food and the best show they’ve ever seen!

We’d like to thank all those who bought tickets and came showing their support for the center and its activities. Mahalo and see you next year!