AIDS Memorial Quilt Display Golden Gate Park June 11 & 12
Marking the 35th Anniversary of the AIDS Memorial Quilt, formerly called the Names Project Quilt, nearly 3000 memorial panels will be on display in the park’s Robin Williams Meadow. A ceremonial Quilt unfolding begins at 9:30 am Saturday and a closing ceremony takes place at 4 pm Sunday. The opening ceremony will be followed by the continuous reading of the names of those whose lives have been lost to AIDS. There will be several community villages for visitors including a panel-making workshop and Quilt history village, a volunteer village, a social media and storytelling village, a conversations village, and a community service village with more than 35 non-profit organizations joining together. The display will be the largest in over a decade and the largest ever in SF history and will feature panels from the early days of the epidemic as well as from recent times, reminding us that the epidemic is not yet over. More details here.
The San Francisco AIDS Walk is coming up onJuly 17. A full 80% of the funds we raise goes to The Spahr Center! We’ll carpool from Marin, walk as a team and have lots of fun along the way. There is also the option to participate in a virtual walk from the comfort of your home.
Save the date! Save the date, too, for the LGBT+ Senior Picnicat Miwok Park in Novato on June 11 sponsored by our community’s beloved Social Committee! Reconnect with old friends, make new ones. The last picnic drew over 50 of us together in a beautiful setting. Please check the flyer below for more important information.
UPCOMING EVENTS(more info below)
June 1 Pride Flag Raising at Novato City Hall9 – 11 am / coffee and snacks providedJune 2Why Pride? senior zoom group topicJune 4Pride Flag Raising San Anselmo 2 pmJune 5LGBTQIA Meetup** June 8Spahr Center Mixer at San Rafael Joe’s4:30 to 6 pm Happy hourMust RSVP to Will: wboemer@thespahrcenter.org
June 10 Pride Proclamation Board of Supervisors9 am – 12 pm / BOS Chambers, Civic Center June 11Senior Picnic at Miwok Park* **noon to 2 pmJune 14Second Tuesday In-person at Mgt. Toddwatch for more detailsJune 16Senior Breakfast Club at Sam’s Place*June 21Games Day at Sam’s Place*June 24Men’s Brown Bag Lunch at Spahr Centernoon – 1:30
June 24 Seniors Learning Together about Our Transgender Friends**
June 31 Women’s Coffee at Sam’s Place*July 17AIDS Walk San Francisco
Save the date!*Social Committee event, RSVP required;to RSVP or get on their email list, write to them atsocialcommittee@comcast.net;find a link to their calendar and flyers below** See flyer below
To join the Spahr Senior Groupon ZoomMondays, 7 to 8 pm, &Thursdays, 12:30 to 2 pm,click the purple button below the Butterfly Heart or here:
New participants are warmly welcomed!If you’re zoom-challenged, let me know and I’ll work with you!
Topical Thursdays12:30 to 2 pmJune 2 Why Pride? Why do we talk of pride in claiming our identity?
Living Room Mondays7 to 8 pmWe share with each other about how we’re doing and have unstructured conversations focused on listening from our hearts and deepening community.
Coronavirus UpdatesThe Spahr Center has coronavirus rapid home test kits and they are available for free in the office – 150 Nellen Avenue, Suite 100, Corte Madera 94925; 415/457-2487. The office is open 10 am – 3 pm weekdays. Only vaccinated people may come to the office and masks must be worn inside the building. Any staff person can direct you to the kits. This is a great resource we are pleased to offer, please don’t hesitate to get these kits! You can also order free at-home covid tests from the USPS by filling in the form here. In order to keep track of new infections, the County asks that we report self-test resultshere. To see Marin County’s latest pandemic information, click here. The mask recommendations of the Mask Nerd– an aerosol scientist who studies mask effectiveness – are featured in this article and highly informative video. May we all be safe and well!
Community Notices
We had a great first meeting of the Men’s Brown Bag Lunch at the Spahr Upstairs room on Friday, April 29, with perhaps 15 guys participating. It will recur every Last Friday of each month. Mark your calendars now!
Vincent Stadlin & Ken Graham, for those of you who know and love them, are missing community in a big way. Vincent’s cancer has returne and Vince & Ken are feeling isolated. Vincent’s immune system is struggling and their close social contacts have shrunk. They would love to hear from you and to know that our community supports them. Their phone number and address is provided here (with their permission) to facilitate contact with them: 415-612-4042; 415 San Paulo Way, Los Robles Mobile Home Park, Novato 94949. They send their love to all.
Social Security Opens to Survivors of Same-Sex Couples Who Could Not Marry The Social Security Administration now allows lesbians and gay men to receive survivor’s benefits if we can show that we were in a committed relationship and would have married had that been possible. More information here.
The Spahr Center’s Food Pantryis open to seniors who need support in meeting their nutrition needs. We want to help! Items such as fresh meats, eggs and dairy, prepared meals, pasta, sauces, and canned goods are delivered weekly to people who sign up.
The Social Committee has been consistently offering fun events to offset the boredom of the pandemic. Everyone born in any month will be celebrated in that month’s email – including yourbirthday if you’ll let them know when it rolls around! Their Breakfast Club takes place at 9:30 on June 16th, Games Day is at 2 pm on June 21, and Women’s Coffee on 10 am June 31 all at Sam’s Place in Novato. They request that participants please be vaccinated and healthy. Please RSVP ahead of time as participation is limited to 20 people.To see their June calendar and flyers, click here. To sign up for their emails or register for events, clickhere.
Vivalon Resources for Seniors Whistlestop, now renamed Vivalon, offers many resources for us seniors, now listed in this easy-to-print one-page guide. Access to rides, food, classes, activities, resources, referrals, and more. Membership not required for most classes and services during the pandemic. Some in-person events are being planned. To get Vivalon’s listings, click here.They also provide access to resources including rides for older adults. Please note: there is a 3-week registration process for the ride program so register now if you think you may need rides in the future. Click here for their website. The Jackson Cafe has great specials, a roomy dining room, small tables and big round tables for groups. Open 11:30 to 1:45; $6 for members, $10 for guests, with takeout readily available. You can find their daily changing menu and more information here.
Building Community in the Midst of Sheltering-in-PlaceSee old friends and make new ones! Join us!The Spahr Center’s LGBT Senior Discussion Groupscontinue everyMonday, 7 to 8 pm& Thursday, 12:30 to 2 pm on zoom
To Join Group by Video using Computer, Smart Phone or TabletJust click this button at the start time, 6:55 pm Mondays / 12:25 pm Thursdays:Join GroupAlways the same link! Try it, it’s easy!
To Join Group by Phone CallIf you don’t have internet connections or prefer joining by phone,call the following number at the start time,6:55 pm Mondays / 12:25 pm Thursdays:1-669-900-6833The Meeting id is 820 7368 6606#(no participant id required)The password, if requested, is 135296#If you want to be called into the group by phone, notify Bill Blackburn at 415/450-5339
California Department of Aging ResourcesThe CDA has a website that is packed with information and resources relevant to the lives of seniors in our state. From Covid-19 updates to more general care for age-related health issues, access to legal assistance to getting home-delivered meals to help with housing, you may well find answers to your questions by clicking: here.
Adult and Aging Service’s Information and Assistance Line, providing information and referrals to the full range of services available to older adults, adults with disabilities and their family caregivers, has a new phone number and email address: 415/473-INFO (4636) 8:30 am to 4:30 pm weekdays473INFO@marincounty.org
