Great Things Are Happening At
Senior Services of Alexandria!
Special Speaker Series on Identity Theft
and Fradulent Schemes
Thanks to the generosity of BB&T Bank through its Lighthouse Program, SSA wrapped up its 2012/2013 speaker series with a session on ways you can protect yourself against identity theft and fradulent schemes. The audience heard from experts about scams that target everyone especially seniors. The take-away from the session was to be attentive when talking to anyone about your personal finances, including never sharing personal information over the phone or with people you don't know. Most importantly, don't be afraid to report fraud and scams. For more information contact your financial institution or the Alexandria Police Department at 703-746-4444.
Photo: Sergeant Gregg Ladislaw, Alexandria Police Department; Gigi Frio, BB&T Bank; Janet Barnett, SSA's Executive Director and Greg Murphy, SSA President.
Janet Barnett Named as one of "Most Influential Women of Virginia for 2013"
SSA's Executive Director Janet Barnett was named as one of the "Most Influential Women of Virginia for the class of 2013" by Virginia Lawyers Weekly. The awards recognize the outstanding efforts of women in numerous fields who are making notable contributions to their professions, their communities and society at large.
Eagle Scout Project Focuses on Seniors
Joe Salmons, an Alexandria Eagle Scout, paired up with SSA, and put together emergency preparedness kits to give out with the Meals on Wheels deliveries to seniors. On a recent Saturday, Joe, along with his family, friends, and thirty volunteers from his church, delivered meals and the kits to Meals on Wheels recipients. Joe learned of Meals on Wheels through volunteer work at his church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Joe's act of kindness serves as a reminder to all the clients of Meals on Wheels that they are being taken care of and that their needs are not forgotten in the minds of today's youth.
The Alexandria Commission on Aging Recognizes the Ronald M. Bradley Foundation for Enhancing Lives of Seniors
The Alexandria Commission on Aging presented the Ronald M. Bradley Foundation with an "Excellence in Aging" award on Tuesday, May 15 at its 2013 Excellence in Aging Awards ceremony at City Hall. The award is given annually to organizations that have made outstanding contributions to elevating the quality of life of older Alexandrians.
Since 2008, the Ronald M. Bradley Foundation has donated over $100,000 to Senior Services of Alexandria to establish and fund a holiday "Meals on Wheels" program. This program complements the existing federally funded program by providing meals on holidays to seniors who are unable to leave their homes to shop or who have difficulty preparing meals on their own.
"We are thrilled the city has chosen to recognize Mr. Bradley," said Janet Barnett, SSA's Executive Director. "He has made such a wonderful difference in the lives of our seniors by providing special holiday meals."
Through the years, the Ronald M. Bradley Foundation has also provided funding to other organizations with efforts directed at improving the lives of seniors to include: the Alzheimer's Association, the American Heart Association, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the Foundation for Fighting Blindness and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.
Photo: Jane King, Chair of the Alexandria Commission on Aging; Ronald M. Bradley; and Alexandria Councilwoman Del Pepper.
May Speaker Series on Long-Term Care-What Everyone Needs to Know
SSA with its host Beth El Hebrew Congregation welcomed over 80 people to hear from a panel of experts about long-term care including the various options and how to plan emotionally as well as financially. You will find valuable information and presentations from our panelists below. If you have any questions about the event, please call the Resource Center, 703-836-4414, ext 13.
Photo: Eileen Spinella, Mt. Vernon Nursing and Rehab; Jim Lindsay, Adult Compansion Care; Colleen Ryan Mallon, Goodwin House; Sara Drexler, SSA; Kathy McNulty, Capital Caring; David DeBiasi, AARP; Tom West, Signature Estate and Investment; Mary Lee Anderson, SSA; David Baker, SSA's President Elect.
A big thank you to our supporters who donated to SSA through Spring2ACTion. The money raised will make a real impact on the work that SSA is doing through our various programs and services to support our seniors. We are grateful for your support!
SSA Staff - Janet, Mary Lee, Rosie, Lindsay, Dolores, Donna, MaryAnne (not in photo) and Sarah
April Speaker Series on Planning for and Making the Most of Your Retirement
SSA and over 60 Alexandria seniors gathered by the Charles Beatley Library to hear a dynamic panel discuss how to plan and the make the most of retirement. Topics included how to downsize, the ABCs of Medicare & Medicaid, what you can expect from social security and how important financial planning can be. Below you will find some useful information from the session. If you have any questions about the topic, please call the Resource Center, 703-836-4414, ext 13.
Photo: Nancy Van Gulick, Seniors Living Well; Mary Lee Anderson, SSA; Erin Scheithe, AARP; Tom West, Signature Estate and Investment Advisors; Cedar Dvorin, Virginia Insurance Counseling and Assistance Program (VICAP), and Renee DiPilato, Charles Beatley Central Library.
2013 Generation-to-Generation Gala - The Best Ever!
SSA's 2013 Generation-to-Generation Gala was a wonderful evening and we thank all of our supporters for making it so successful, and to our honorees, the Donley, Swanson and Greene families, for their contributions to the Alexandria community. Through this support, SSA is able to provide many programs and services to Alexandria's seniors including the delivery of meals, the friendly visitor's program, a monthly speaker series and more! Here is a photo of our honorees with Executive Director Janet Barnett and SSA President Greg Murphy.
SSA supported the Mayors for Meals Day as part of Meals on Wheels Association of America's (MOWAA) March for Meals campaign. Alexandria's Mayor Bill Euille, MOWAA's President/CEO Ellie Hollander, and representatives from Don Beyer Subaru and Subaru of America participated by delivering meals to Alexandria's seniors. This campaign raises awareness of senior hunger and encourages community outreach and engagement. Pictured below from left to right: Greg Murphy, SSA's President; Chris Dixon, Don Beyer Subaru; Ellie Hollander, MOWAA's CEO/President; Alexandria's Mayor Bill Euille, SSA's Executive Director Janet Barnett; and Dan Root, Don Beyer Subaru.
March Speaker Series on Maintaining Memory
SSA, and host Westminster Presbyterian Church, welcomed over 100 Alexandria seniors to the March Speaker series event: "Maintaining Memory and Coping with its Loss." The crowd was in good spirits and lighthearted about a topic that every aging adult will face, and gathered valuable information presented by an impressive group of experts in the field. Here are the answers to some of your questions and informative handouts and links. If you have any questions,call the Resource Center, 703-836-4414, ext 13.
SSA teamed up with Inova Alexandria Hospital for the February speaker series on "Heart Health and Fitness for Seniors." Over 75 attendees heard from local experts on how to choose healthier food options; how to maintain a healthy lifestyle in just 12 weeks; and got an introduction to the new Robust Walking Program. If you missed this informative session, here are some useful resources. If you have any questions, call the Resource Center, 703-836-4414, ext 13.
Robust Walking - the latest craze! Don't miss the upcoming session on March 9th at Cora Kelly Recreation Center and learn how Robust Walking can keep you fit.
DMV2Go will be at 301 King Street on Feb 21; Apr. 25; June 19, Aug. 22, Oct. 24 and Dec. 18 from 9 am - 4 pm. You can apply or renew your driver's license and all other DMV transactions.
SSA Recipient of Goodwin House Foundation's Angel Tree Program
SSA is pleased to announce that it is the recipient of the Goodwin House Foundation's Angel Tree program to support Meals on Wheels that delivers hot meals to homebound seniors 365 days a year. Senior Services has enjoyed a long and very productive partnership with Goodwin House Alexandria with each sharing a common goal to support, honor and uplift the lives of older adults and the people who care for them. Pictured below from left are David Baker, Administrator of Operations at Goodwin House; Janet Barnett, SSA Executive Director; Mike McCaffrey, Chair of Goodwin House Memorial Chapel Outreach Committee; and Rev. J. Bruce Steward, Director of Chaplaincy Services at Goodwin House.
Spreading Holiday Cheer to Needy Seniors
SSA had the honor of participating in the City of Alexandria's Department of Community and Human Services "Holiday Sharing" that provides gifts to underpriviledged Alexandrians, including seniors. SSA Executive Director Janet Barnett and Resource Director Mary Lee Anderson are shown below with a few of the gifts that will brighten some seniors during this holiday season.
Senior Information Center Opens at Charles Beatley Central Library
SSA recently partnered with the Charles Beatley Central Library at 5005 Duke Street in Alexandria, Virginia, to create a Senior Information Center. Here seniors can find information on numerous topics offered by Senior Services of Alexandria, Alexandria City and other local experts on available resources, volunteer opportunities, schedule of SSA's speaker series and more. Mary Lee Anderson, SSA's Resource Director, and Renee DiPilato, Branch Manager of the Beatley Library, are pictured in front of the Center. Make sure to check it out!
Thank you Wells Fargo for your Generous Donation
SSA was fortunate to receive a generous donation from Wells Fargo's South Washington Street branch-our downstairs neighbors. Executive Director Janet Barnett received the check from Soraya Eman, Assistant Vice President of the Washington Street branch, at an event honoring local non-profits. We thank Wells Fargo for their generosity.
Questions & Answers from Senior Citizens Law Day
The following questions and answers are from the 2012 Senior Law Day. If you have any questions, please call Senior Services of Alexandria at (703) 836-4414, or the Alexandria Bar Association at (703) 548-1106.
SSA kicked off its Friendly Visitor Program with the support of Alexandria's Mayor Bill Euille and members of the faith community from Old Presbyterian Meeting House and Downtown Baptist. Friendly Visitors will match seniors with members of the community with the goal of relieving loneliness and the feeling of isolation experienced by many of Alexandria's seniors who may lack the local support of friends and family. SSA is looking to start the program by visiting seniors in local nursing homes and assisted living facilities in the city. SSA is currently looking for volunteers to be matched with seniors. Just call SSA directly at 703-836-4414, ext. 13 or email resourcecenter@seniorservicesalex.org to make a difference in a senior's life.
Colleen Hairston, Deputy General Manager of the Watergate at Landmark, and Mary Lee Anderson, Senior Resource Center Director for Senior Services of Alexandria (SSA), stand in front of the bulletin board in the new “Senior Corner” at the Watergate at Landmark. This new project, which improves outreach to the older population living in this large condominium community located in Alexandria’s west end, emerged from SSA’s communications outreach effort inspired by the Commission on Aging’s new Strategic Plan on Aging.
Our local Meals on Wheels program partnered with Meals on Wheels of America and CNN to produce a video on senior women and hunger. Check out the video featuring Board Member Tom Irvin!
SSA 45th Annual Meeting and Luncheon, Friday, June 21, Noon - 1:30 pm at the Fountains at Washington House, 5100 Fillmore Avenue, Alexandria.
SCAM ALERTS - WATCH OUT FOR THE FOLLOWING:
Scam Warning about New Medicare Cards. Beware of callers asking for personal information to receive your new Medicare card. This is a SCAM! For more information call the Virginia Medicare Patrol at 1-800-938-8885 or visit www.virginiasmp.org.
For a calendar of 2013 Speaker Series events, please call 703-836-4414 ext 10 or visit our events page.
Jobs Boot Camp Tuesday, June 25, 9:00 am - Noon
TC Williams High School
3330 King Street, Alexandria
Sponsored by Congressman Jim Moran
To register online go to
moran.house.gov, click on
"Serving You," scroll down
to "Events."
If your organization has an event or exhibit that you think would be of particular interest to the senior community, please e-mail details to volunteer@seniorservicesalex.org or call 703 836 4414, ext. 13.
Additional Volunteer Opportunities
Friendly Visitor Volunteers: SSA's Friendly Visitor program matches seniors with members of the community with the goal of relieving loneliness for seniors who don't have family or friends in the area. If you would like to make a difference in a senior's life, volunteer to be a friendly visitor. The time commitment is once a week for about an hour. You can email resourcecenter@seniorservicesalex.org or call 703-836-4414, ext 13.
Meals on Wheels Volunteers: SSA is now delivering meals to Alexandria seniors 7 days a week! We are looking for volunteers to deliver meals on weekdays, Saturdays,Sundays. For more information on time requirements, etc. contact SSA at 703-836-4412, ext 12. or email mealsonwheels@seniorservicesalex.org.
Computer Labs Available for Training Downtown Baptist Church has a computer lab with 10 computers and a flat screen for teaching. For more information, contact Dan Carlton, Minister at Downtown Baptist at dcarlton@downtownbaptist.org.
IMPORTANT NEWS FOR
VIRGINIA CAREGIVERS The Virginia Department of Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) just announced a temporary voucher program for caregiver respite. Virginia families caring for a loved one with disabilities or chronic conditions can apply for up to a $400 reimbursement for respite care under the Lifespan Respite Voucher Program. DARS will distribute vouchers for reimbursement from a federal grant which closes July 31, 2013. Visit DARS at www.vadars.org or VirginiaNavigator at www.virginianavigator.org for application forms and information on respite care and related services available in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Senior Services of Alexandria
700 Princess Street
Mezzanine Level
Alexandria, VA 22314
Phone: (703) 836-4414
Fax: (703) 836-1252
http://www.seniorservicesalex.org
Thank you for visiting our Web site. Please contact us with any questions or comments by calling the phone number above, or by e-mailing: admin@seniorservicesalex.org.
