Page 57 - Sonoma County Gazette July 2020

Supporting Self-Esteem
Aging with Dignity is essential to aging well.
Mirabel Lodge at Carnation
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6950 Mirabel Rd. Forestville
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Come see how we care for the most important people in your life.
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Jul 1 - Dec 18 ~ Creative Writing classes via Zoom ~ Created especially for those age 50+, but open to all adults who live in California. Free, Stacey Dennick, portal. santarosa.edu/SRWeb/SR_ScheduleOfClasses.aspx, sdennick@santarosa.edu
Thru - Jul 23 ~ How’s Your Nana Online Support Meeting ~ Resources for seniors with in-home care, in long-term care facilities, or nursing homes. Free, 707-526-4108, senioradvocacyservices.org/, info@sasnb.org
Thru Aug 5 “LGBTQI History: A Sonoma County Timeline” gives LGBT seniors an historical perspective of Sonoma County’s LGBT community and provides an opportunity to share memories and experiences. Will focus on the 1990s. Instructor Tina Dungan MA, has taught in in the Older Adults Program for over twenty years. The online class will meet on Wednesdays 1:30-3p. info: dungan@santarosa.edu.
Thru Aug 6 ~ “Aging Gayfully!” Explores the opportunities and challenges of LGBT aging while providing a safe place for students to share their unique life stories and common concerns. Instructor Gary “Buz” Hermes MA, an LGBT Aging Consultant, brings to the class over thirty years of experience serving the LGBT community and his research into both LGBT and general aging studies. Online class Thurs, 11a-1p. info: ghermes@santarosa.edu
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Mirabel Lodge at
5161 Oak Meado w Dr. Santa Rosa
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Senior Dining Council on Aging, 707-525-0143 ext. 013 to Register
Anyone 60 and over can pick up 5 day frozen meal packs. Must Register by 10a the
DSA North Bay rallied around food production as a way to stabilize, grow resilient and help its extended family base in the North Bay in the face of
the pandemic, expected financial collapse and climate catastrophe. “We’re promoting community self reliance as globalization shows its pitfalls, failing us completely,” said DSA member, Kelly Brothers, a former Peace and Justice Center board member who shows up for planting and weeding sessions on nearly every occasion, and encourages social (distancing) hour after work is complete for the day.
day before pick up. $20.00 donation if you can- if not, that’s ok.
5-Day Meal Pack PICK-UP DAY, LOCATION & TIME
Cloverdale Senior Center, Tuesdays ~ 10:30-11:45a, 311 N. Main St. Healdsburg, Mondays ~ 10:30 a - 12p, 1557 Healdsburg Ave
Rohnert Park, Wednesdays ~ 9:30a-11:30a, 6800 Hunter Drive, Ste. A Santa Rosa, Thursdays ~ 10a-12p, 415 Steele Lane (CommunityCenter) Santa Rosa, Thursdays ~ 10a-12p 40 Kawana Springs Rd
Santa Rosa ~ Mondays 10:30 a - 12p, Vhurch of the Roses, 2500 Patio Court Sebastopol (Deliveries on Thursdays only) Call to check availability
Sonoma Valley, Wednesdays ~ 10a-11:30p, Springs Comm Hall, 18627 CA-Hwy12
Noble Spoon Meals ~ Council on Aging is also offering “Noble Spoon Meals.” These are a prepared food meal kit for $10 per meal. Pick-up and delivery options; Wednesdays and Fridays. Call 707-525-0143 ext. 013 to order.
Kibbles of Kindness Program ~ The Council on Aging will provide dog or cat food monthly for seniors who cannot afford to buy pet food. You must be on the Meals on Wheels Program to receive pet food
Members can dig in, some weeding during the week, and all hands on the ground when it’s a harvest day. “We’re glad to share this fertile land with you, and to know the food is needed and will not be wasted,” said Connie Madden, sitting with gardeners under a mulberry tree dripping with fruit at Oasis Community Farm where the garden resides.
mirabellodge.com • (707) 887-1754
Mutual Aid Garden Builds Self-Reliance
By Connie Madden
With the ongoing COVID crisis, financial collapse, and climate chaos, the
Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) sees that adaptation is urgent. In response, DSA engages in projects that aid low-income and marginalized people across Sonoma and Mendocino Counties.
“We want to be able to donate seeds, set up more gardens, teach self-reliance and build a network to help protect ourselves,” says Ronan.
Sebastopol Area Senior Center
707-829-2440, sebastopolseniorcenter.org
The Senior Center is currently closed. Seniors can no longer go to the Center
for lunch, but the Center is now providing lunch delivery weekly including five frozen entrees, fruit, and milk, provided by the Council on Aging, desserts provided by Pacific Market, and bread by Wildflour Bakery.
The Center is still providing rides to medical appointments for those who cannot drive themselves.
Classes in yoga and balance, support groups, special workshops and field trips are now hosted on ZOOM with over 500 sign-ups.
The Center has also kept in close touch with the senior community. There are over 2500 folks on their e-news list, receiving e-mails once or twice a week with updates on programs and COVID 19 information.
The Center maintains an LGBTQI blog, Facebook and the website. Most importantly, check-in phone calls have been made to 1300 seniors.
GREAT NEWS for all the seamstresses, knitters and crafters. The Legacy is open on a limited basis for curbside pickup! Go to the website for details and stay in touch on our facebook page for Curbside SALES! www.facebook.com/eyezforart/
Please check our website for class schedules
sebastopolseniorcenter.org
The group recently joined the Cooperative Gardens Commission (CGC), composed of hundreds of volunteers from across the United States and Canada working as a collective to facilitate sharing of resources — including seeds, soil, equipment, labor, land, and knowledge.
Local food production is core to building self-reliance, and DSA North Bay is digging in literally, creating a Mutual Aid garden to feed up to 40 families to respond to unmet needs of food insecure people in the area. Distribution of vegetables grown just outside Petaluma has begun with fully loaded CSA-like boxes going to DSA member’s homes and further, the first delivery reaching out to a Mendocino informal food coop where more food is needed.
Plantings include frequently used vegetables including lettuces, bok choy, broccoli, kale and Swiss chard, cabbages, cilantro, basil, squashes, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, carrots, arugula and mustard greens among others.
DSA reached out to feed and support people living on the Joe Rodota Trail, Santa Rosa, in January, as the encampment was being evicted by the County. DSA also stood with Sunrise Movement, Youth vs. Apocalypse and others at PG&E’s San Francisco headquarters and in Santa Rosa calling for our utility to be publically owned after PG&E was shown to be culpability in massive fires.
Mutual Aid projects of many sorts are springing up across the country and around the world as supply chains become less dependable and people form informal support networks to deliver meals or other goods to those who wouldn’t receive them at schools, to elderly and others in need due to the COVID virus.
Find DSA North Bay on Facebook, at https://www.dsanorthbay.org . A General Assembly meeting is held each first Sunday of the month, 7pm, at Peace and Justice Center, 467 Sebastopol Ave., Santa Rosa.
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