Page 30 - SCG December 2015.indd

It Does Take a Village
By Lyndi Brown
Have you left your medical appointment with a totally blank mind? What did
But if you don’t have someone
to accompany you, there’s another option: membership in a local non-profit group: Village Network of Petaluma. A volunteer driver can go with you. A retired medical professional can take notes at the appointment. They can even report back to a son or daughter living out of town if you request it. And this example is just the tip of the iceberg on the connections that are available.
A member can call the Village office, and be linked with a volunteer or member who will climb that ladder to change a light or smoke alarm battery -- with a smile. Computer help is a call away. The group also keeps a list of screened service providers if the task is more complicated. Volunteers can also pitch in (with no age requirement).
she tell me to do? Which exercises were recommended? Was it three times a day, or a set of three, or hold for a count of three? It happens to me all the time, unless I ask a friend or my husband
to go with me.
The Petaluma Village is based
on a wildly successful nationwide
movement. There are 190 successful
Villages nationwide, 160 in
development, and more than 15 in the Bay Area alone. This group’s members are from Petaluma and Penngrove.
KBBF News
On Thursday, November
12th, KBBF had a meet-
and-greet mixer event to
officially introduce the
community to our new
General Manager, Vylma
Ortiz. The event was held
at the Finley Community
Center and was attended
by community members
and local officials and
business owners. The
attendees enjoyed food,
drinks, and speeches from
Vylma as well as members of our Board of Directors.
Andy Lopez
This October 22nd marked not only the annual National Day of Protest Against Police Brutality, but also the second anniversary of the death of Andy Lopez, the 13-year-old who was killed by Sonoma County Sheriff Deputy Erick Gelhaus in 2013. Andy’s mother, Sujey Lopez, was initially very involved in the protest movement that happened directly after he was killed, but has never been very outspoken in the media. She has, however, given KBBF three exclusive interviews over the last 2 years. On October 21st, KBBF program host Luis Gutierrez hosted Sujey via phone on his show, The Roseland Report.
She spoke to the community about how she has been doing, and invited the audience to the anniversary commemoration events which took place the next day. The next day, she attended the commemoration events at the Sheriff’s department building, as well as what is now commonly referred to as Andy’s Park in Moorland, Santa Rosa. On October 23rd, KBBF had the honor of hosting her in person here in our studios in Roseland, where she gave us another exclusive interview on Jorge Alfaro’s “Voz del Pueblo.” The interview was conducted by KBBF journalist Francisco Lozano and included a more in-depth discussion about the legal case against the County and Gelhaus. Previously, Sujey had also written a letter addressed to KBBF for us to read on the air. Every time she communicates with us, she thanks us for being the only media outlet that she trusts to accurately convey her words.
Community Center
On November 13th 2015, KBBF hosted a new entry-level community
Yoga class in our conference room at our Corby Ave. offices. The classes, titled “Raizes Yoga” (or “Roots Yoga”) are bilingual and provide the Latino community an opportunity to learn and practice Yoga and to learn about the various traditions and meanings of the discipline.
In The Community
KBBF participated in the North Bay Discovery Day, a regional science
fair with hundreds of interactive booths for kids and adults that encourages interest in the Sciences. It was held at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds. In past years, KBBF has been instrumental in doing outreach for the event to the Latino community, and this year was no different. We were also proud to have our own booth at the fair, where we showcased a fully operational mobile radio studio, and even broadcast live on the air, straight from the event. We interviewed dozens of kids and families who were fascinated by the many exhibits and activities. People enjoyed hearing themselves on the air as well as learning about how our radio equipment works.
Members enjoy living active, vibrant and connected lives in their own homes as they age. The group is for adults aged 50 and up. Members help other members, just the way a small village functions. The giving and receiving is mutual, and there’s a lot of fun to be had through interest groups created by the members. Think walking, gardening, game night and special health and safety talks.
“We like to call it interdependent living,” said Anne Greenblatt, who read about the concept in the AARP magazine, and led the local effort. “It is a friends-helping-friends kind of model. Everyone has something to share.”
The concept is ideal for a member even if family is nearby. Members often say they don’t want to rely only on the busy young families in their life. It’s satisfying to have independence and other connections. Newcomers to the community are joining the movement, too.
Free informational meeting: December 9th, 10:30 am.
For further information contact 707-776-6055,. email info@ VillageNetworkofPetaluma.org. Volunteers are welcome (no age requirement). And if you have friends or family in other locales, you may find a Village for them on the nationwide Village To Village Network at www.vtvnetwork.org
KBBF General Manager, Vylma Ortiz, with Directors Alicia Sanchez and David Janda.
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