Volunteer of the Month
Archives
July 2019
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
Brain Fitness
Date: January 16, 2019
Time: 1:00 - 3:00 pm
Length: 8 Weeks
Cost: $8 members
$8 non-members
Instructor: Member Based Instruction
Location: Sun Room
Description: Quite sure we could all use a little better Brain Fitness. Your brain may not be a muscle but you need to keep it active to keep it healthy. Some of our members take advantage of our university classes, but learning is only a part of exercising your brain. To help you out we offer this Brain Fitness class. The class promotes brain health through fitness, nutrition, cognitive exercises and activities to boost memory skills and stimulate the brain. Adults are living longer and longer, and we need to promote mental as well as physical health. The group does crosswords, puzzles, trivia, and encourages active discussion. Everything is designed to get those synapses firing. The class is taught by various students, who take turns coming up with lesson plans. That in itself is a brain fitness activity! If you want to sharpen your skills and learn new things this group is for you . The group meets on Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m. in the game room and is always full, so make a mental note to show up at registration to ensure your spot. If you forget to register, you really need to get fit!
Featured Activity
Knitting
Time: Fridays 10am - 12pm
Cost: Free members
Free non-members
Location: Parlor
Description: Knitting has been has been around (depending on who you ask) for between 2000 to 600 years. The oldest real knitting (formed on two sticks by pulling loops through loops) object that have been discovered are the \'Coptic socks\' from Egypt, dating to around the year 1000 AD. The term 'to knit,' according to the Oxford Unabridged English Dictionary, wasn't added to the English language until the 1400s. Our knitting group is headed by Keiko Holcombe. When Keiko joined the center ten years ago, she almost immediately began teaching others to knit. She has been knitting since she was six years old, and has been teaching here in the states for over 39 years. That's not counting the years she taught in Japan. The students all work on individual projects, ranging from items as small as booties to items as large as afghans. Keiko helps each student on their projects and teaches skills to class when they are having a problem. The class is small, with about 12-15 students, so 1 on 1 time is guaranteed. If this art form sounds like something you might be interested in, the group meets on Fridays from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
St Patricks Day Party
By: Mike Sylva
With all this talk about everyone going green, St. Patrick’s Day took on a new meaning, as the Highland Senior Center celebrated one of the few holidays that celebrates the day someone died! Even then it is one of the most popular holidays, especially with partiers.
Well anyone who knows the center, knows that our crowd loves a party. Not only the companionship, but the food and fun. Everyone avoided getting pinched by making sure they wore green, somewhere on them, and dined on the traditional corn beef, cabbage, potatoes, rye bread, and of course, green jello. While we did not have green beer to wash it down with we did have Penny’s homemade Irish Green Koolaide.
After everyone drank the koolaide, it came time to see who had the luck of the Irish. There was a trivia wheel of fortune, as a lucky few got to spin the wheel for a chance to answer a question about Ireland or St. Patrick, and win a prize. Many were called, but only a few knew the answer. However it was Joan Lewis’ lucky day after she won the 50/50 raffle.
Thanks to everyone who came out to celebrate the day with us, as well as those who volunteered to help serve. Finally, \"Go raibh maith agaibh\" to Al and Claudia Wrona for the great songs.
Until next year:
May love and laughter light your days,
and warm your heart and home.
May good and faithful friends be yours,
wherever you may roam.
May peace and plenty bless your world
with joy that long endures.
May all life\'s passing seasons
bring the best to you and yours!
