Community Update (4/1/26)
April is National Volunteer Month
This is the perfect opportunity to celebrate and recognize the contributions of ANV’s invaluable volunteers. Quite literally, volunteers make our village work, creating a caring community where older adults can thrive. Through their service, volunteers don’t just complete tasks — they build genuine human connections that transform daily interactions into meaningful relationships. To all our volunteers – from those who help members directly, to those who support social and educational programming, and everyone who provides behind-the-scenes power to our village – you make a critical difference in the lives of our neighbors. Thank you.
Community Wellness Fair, Saturday, April 11, 10:00 am – noon
Join VHC for a day dedicated to your health and wellness, featuring free health screenings (for ages 18+), access to valuable VHC Health resources, and opportunities to engage with VHC experts to learn how to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Location: VHC Health – Outpatient Pavilion. See details below.
ANV Outing to Nationals Park May 21
Join us on May 21 for an afternoon of Major League Baseball at Nationals Park to see the Washington Nationals play against the New York Mets starting at 4:05pm. We are joining with other area Villages to go to the ballgame to celebrate Older Americans Month. See details below.
Early Voting for Constitutional Amendment
Early Voting for the April 21 Special Election for a Proposed Constitutional Amendment started March 6 at Courthouse Plaza, 2100 Clarendon Blvd, Suite 320. At Courthouse, Early Voting will be open Monday – Friday from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Other early voting locations are at Walter Reed Community Center and Madison Community Center (check hours and additional information). All registered voters in Arlington are eligible to vote in this special election.
Calling all Crafters – Monday April 13 from 1:00 – 2:00
ANV members and volunteers are invited to join our own ANV Crafts Group on the second Monday of each month in the ANV Conference room, 4000 Lorcom Lane. Whatever you are working on – needlework, knitting, coloring, mending, etc. – bring what you have and enjoy the company of others. All crafters are welcome – beginners and experienced, alike. Join the conversation and share your projects. No need to register, just show up. Contact Mencit Thomas at mencit@comcast.net for more information.
St. Andrew’s Players Spring Production
The St. Andrew’s Players’ 2026 Spring Production is a Musical Revue to be held on the evenings of April 17 and April 18. The show features a collection of iconic Broadway songs centered around the theme of “Hope Amid Hardship.” See details below.
New Billiards Group
ANV is starting a billiards (or “Pool”) group for members and volunteers who want to enjoy an indoor recreational activity that is a lot of fun and easy to learn. Games will be played at the Thomas Jefferson Community Center, 3501 S. 2nd Street, every other Thursday. See details below.
Welcome
New Members
- Richard Anderson
- Beth O’Hara
New Volunteers
- Brett Gold
- Chloe Goodie
- Megan Long
- Joe Macmanus
- Ashley McHugh
- Lucy Theilheimer
- Susan Zwingli
Activities
ANV Events are posted on our online calendar at www.ANVarlington.org/events including the Zoom links for virtual events.
Coffee and Conversation on Wednesdays at 10 am
- April 1: Aging Life Care Management
- April 8: End of Life Doula
- April 15: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- April 22: Arlington Historical Society
- April 29: Homes Renewed
Special Events
- St Andrew’s Players
- Nationals Baseball Game
Weekly Groups
- Tai Chi
- Bocce and Boules on winter hiatus
- Happy Hour
- Board Games
- Bowling
- Billiards (new)
Monthly Groups
- Men’s Lunch Bunch
- Ladies Lunch
- Crafts Group (new)
- Low Vision Group
- Pop Up Picnic (winter hiatus)
- Page Turners
Educational Activities
Wellness
Also of Interest
ANV Activities
Coffee and Conversation: Wednesdays at 10 am
This ANV Speaker Series is held each Wednesday from 10:00 – 11:00am. Join our weekly conversations via Zoom:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88948577106?pwd=eW0rN1RTTU5ITmJ5NnF2QXZINmdUQT09
You also have the option to dial in by phone to participate without video. For that, dial: 929-205-6099. The meeting ID is 889 4857 7106 and the passcode is 872327.
Wednesday, April 1: Aging Life Care Management. Heather Suri, BSN RN CMC is the CEO and founder of Pathways in Aging, an Aging Life Care Management practice in Northern Virginia. In this talk, we will learn how Aging Life Care Managers help older adults and their families navigate complex health, care, and life transitions by assessing needs, creating care plans, coordinating services and serving as professional advocates.
Wednesday, April 8: End-of-Life Doulas provide non-medical care that works in tandem with a dying person’s loved ones and medical team to ensure that the dying person’s needs are seen, heard, and honored. End-of-Life Doulas help clients understand care options, navigate the healthcare system, and adapt their homes for safety and comfort. The doulas strive to support the emotional and spiritual well-being of clients and their families. In this presentation, End of Life Doula Jane Euler, Co-Founder of Present for You LLC, will explain the services End-of-Life Doulas provide and how they complement and differ from hospice care.
Wednesday, April 15: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Briggs Horman will share about the iconic temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that we see from Interstate 495 in Chevy Chase, Maryland. The temple was originally dedicated in 1974 and rededicated in 2022 following major renovations. Briggs will share several events from the history of this landmark and discuss (Q&A) why temples are important within his faith.
Wednesday, April 22: The Arlington Historical Society (AHS) is the lead organizer of the county-wide effort to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary. AHS is partnering with over 60 civic, service, arts, school, government, and religious organizations. Peter Vaselopulos, Arlington Historical Society President and Chair of the Arlington VA250 Committee will outline plans for Arlington’s 250th celebration which include HistoryFest 250, a free, family-friendly, one-day outdoor festival. It will be held on Saturday, May 9, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Kenmore Middle School.
Wednesday, April 29: Planning to Age in Place? Simple changes for safe, comfortable, and confident aging-in-place. Learn how small, practical home modifications can make a big difference in your safety, comfort, and independence as you age. Louis Tennenbaum of Homes Renewed will highlight easy, affordable changes that reduce fall risk and make everyday activities easier throughout your home. Discover how creating a safer, more functional living space can help you stay in the home you love longer with confidence. Learn about local resources to help you assess and make the changes to your home that are right for you.
ANV’s YouTube channel
If you miss a Coffee and Conversation speaker, be sure to check out ANV’s YouTube channel where we post some of our Coffee and Conversation speakers and other special events. Sit back and enjoy!
Special Events
St. Andrew’s Players Spring Production
The St. Andrew’s Players’ 2026 Spring Production is a Musical Revue to be held on the evenings of April 17 and April 18. The show features a collection of iconic Broadway songs centered around the theme of “Hope Amid Hardship.” Through moving solos and powerful ensemble numbers, the show highlights stories of resilience, optimism, and the enduring human spirit in challenging times. The cast of 37 adults and children of all ages will take you on an emotional journey where you’ll find inspiration and comfort in beloved show tunes that remind us brighter days are ahead. Dinner starts at 6:00 pm and the show at 7:00 pm. Reservations are required for the dinner, but not for the “show only.” Make reservations via email to Jane Massant (jwmassant@gmail.com).
The cost of the Dinner and Show is $25 for adults and $12.50 for age 12 and under. The show only costs $10 for adults and $5 for children. The production is at St. Andrew’s, 4000 Lorcom Lane.
Take me out to the Ballgame
ANV outing to Nationals Park on May 21 at 4:05pm. Nats vs New York Mets
Step up to the plate at Nationals Park on Thursday, May 21 for an unforgettable celebration honoring older adults during Older Americans Month! This event brings together seniors, their caregivers and families, aging services organizations, and residents from the region’s senior living communities for a day filled with joy, connection, and community spirit. ANV members and volunteers are invited to join the event and cheer your favorite team. There will be a Resource Fair Before the game, hosted by the DC Senior Resource Group. All ticket holders for the game can attend the Fair starting at 2:45 pm until the first pitch at 4:05 pm. ANV will assist with purchasing tickets so that we can all sit together. Ticket prices are $54 (taxes and fees included). To ensure that we all arrive and enter the Ballpark together, ANV will arrange round-trip charter bus transportation to and from the ANV office. More details will be forthcoming, but what is needed now is an indication of how many ANV members and volunteers plan to attend. Friends and caregivers are also welcome. Call (703-509-8057) or email the ANV Office (Office@ANVarlington.org) before April 30 to RSVP.
Weekly Events
For more information on an event or to request transportation for an activity/event, please email Office@ANVarlington.org or call the ANV Office at 703-509-8057.
Tai Chi: Tuesdays at 9:30am
ANV Tai Chi practice meets outdoors every week, weather permitting. Meet the group in the parking lot at Museum of Contemporary Art (formerly Arlington Arts Center) at 3550 Wilson Blvd. If the forecast is too cold or wet, we will meet indoors. If you are interested in joining this practice (not instruction), please contact Anita Wallgren at awallgren@gmail.com or (202) 674-5553 to get the weekly location email.
Bocce and Boules, Winter Hiatus
ANV bocce and boules is still on winter hiatus and will return this Spring, once weather permits. More details on dates and time will be announced in the April 15 Community Update. Bocce and Boules will be played every Monday afternoon on the courts behind the Ballston Quarter parking garage throughout the summer. Contact John Thomas for more information at thomas-johnr@comcast.net.
ANV Board Games Day: Thursday, April 2 and April 16, at 2:00pm
Do you like board games? Join ANV members and volunteers for Games Day at Ballston Quarter Food Hall (lower level). Look for players at the tables near the elevators. Play games like Rummikub, Mexican Train Dominoes, Ticket to Ride, Quiddler and more. We play every other Thursday at 2pm. Parking is available in the Ballston Quarter for $1. Contact John Thomas for more information at thomas-johnr@comcast.net. If you don’t use email, please call ANV Office and request a call-back from John.
Bowling, Tuesdays, April 14 and April 28 at 3:00 pm
Please note the new day and time – switching from Mondays to Tuesdays and from 4:00 to 3:00pm. ANV will bowl at Bowl America in Falls Church,140 S Maple Ave, every other Tuesday at 3:00pm. Free parking. No leagues, just fun and recreation. All levels of skill and experience are welcome. Bowl one, two or as many games as you like for $5.99 per game, or choose the three-game special for a discounted price of $22, including shoe rental. Contact John Thomas at thomas-johnr@comcast.net for more information.
Billiards (new), Thursday, April 9 and April 23, at 11:00 am
ANV has started a new billiards (or “Pool”) group that meets every other Thursday at Thomas Jefferson Community Center, 3501 S. 2nd Street. ANV members and volunteers are enjoying an indoor recreational activity that is a lot of fun and easy to learn. Billiards is a fantastic social game for seniors because it keeps you moving, improves hand-eye coordination, and requires a good bit of strategy without being physically taxing. Contact John Thomas at thomas-johnr@comcast.net for more information.
Happy Hour: Thursdays, 5–7pm
Join the ANV Happy Hour Group. A trio of regular Happy Hour volunteers facilitates this popular get-together: Gary Eiserman, Linda Reck, and Roslyn Rubin. They will send the traditional weekly email on Thursday mornings to let participants know the location for that evening’s Happy Hour. For more information and/or to be added to the email distribution, contact Roslyn at roslynva@gmail.com. If you don’t use email, contact ANV Office at 703-509-8057 and request a call back from Roslyn. The Happy Hour group meets at restaurants around Arlington.
Monthly Events
Ladies Lunch, April 10 at noon
The Ladies lunch will be at Yayla Bistro, 2201 North Westmoreland Street, located just off of Langston Blvd. between Arlington and Falls Church. Free parking is available in the garage next to the restaurant on Westmoreland Street or metered parking is available on the street. Walking distance to East Falls Church Metro – Orange and Silver Lines. The lunch menu includes Turkish specialties such as skewers, spinach pie, flatbreads and wraps. Attendees pay for their own meals by separate check, using cash or credit card. Please RSVP to roslynva@gmail.com so we may have an accurate count. If you don’t use email, please call the ANV Office and request a call-back from Roslyn.
Men’s Lunch, April 10 at noon
Please join the Men’s Lunch at Kabob Bazaar, 3133 Wilson Boulevard. Kabob Bazaar serves authentic Persian cuisine including a large variety of kababs (beef, lamb, chicken and seafood) and vegetarian dishes. The restaurant is conveniently located in the heart of Clarendon across the street from the metro stop. Metered parking is available on the street. Attendees pay for their own meals by separate check, using cash or credit card. Please RSVP to Tim Burns at tfxb23@yahoo.com so we may have an accurate count. If you don’t use email, please call the ANV Office and request a call back.
Crafts Group (new), Monday, April 13 at 1:00 – 2:00 pm
ANV now has a new affinity group for members and volunteers who like to work on crafts. Whatever your craft and experience, you are invited to meet on the second Monday of each month in the ANV Conference room, 4000 Lorcom Lane. Bring whatever you are working on – needlework, knitting, coloring, mending, etc. and enjoy the company of others. Join the conversation and share your projects. Crafting is thirsty work. You are welcome to bring your own coffee, tea, juice or whatever. No need to register, just show up. Contact Mencit Thomas at mencit@comcast.net for more information.
Low-vision Group, Monday, April 20, at 1:00pm
Brigid Doherty of MetroAccess will present information about the accessibility programs offered by Metro and how to access them. She was supposed to address our March meeting but it was canceled because of the possible tornado.
Do you experience low vision or want to learn more about it? Please join us in the conference room at the ANV Office, St. Andrew’s Church, 4000 Lorcom Lane (lower level of the church, entrance off of Military Road). Participants are invited to share conversation, exchange experiences and useful tips, discuss helpful resources, recommend presentation/ speaker topics, and brainstorm future field trips. Please bring your ideas, experiences, and thoughts to share with others who experience low vision. If needed, call the ANV Office to request transportation. For location and other information, contact facilitator (and ANV member/volunteer) Susan Wallace at susanbwallace@gmail.com.
Page Turners, April 23 at 11:00am
Please join us to share a book that you have read, and you think would be interesting for other people to read. It can be something you are reading now, or a book you enjoyed in the past. Meet up with your fellow bibliophiles, share opinions, and learn about new books to add to your reading list. See the list of books at the last meeting below.
Join the conversation via Zoom:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89666785566?pwd=WFFpTlY2SkJMQlJjN0NWNEUraFhEQT09
You also have the option to dial in by phone to participate without video. For that, dial: 301-715-8592. The meeting ID is 896 6678 5566 and the passcode is 007241.
Pop Up Picnic in the Park (PPP), Winter Hiatus
Pop Up Picnics are on winter hiatus but will return as soon as the weather warms. Look for more details in the April 15 Community Update. Plan to join us and bring your lunch for an outdoor picnic. PPPs are a chance to enjoy fresh air and light conversation and to discover a different Arlington neighborhood park. For information, contact John Thomas at Thomas-johnr@comcast.net.
Educational Activities
Arlington Public Library Programs
The Library has curated events from the 55+ Program, Encore Learning and elsewhere to make it easy to find something that will pique your interest. There are craft programs, book clubs, and more. It’s worth 5 minutes of your time to click on the calendar of events and see what’s happening at your local branch of the library.
Wellness
Community Wellness Fair
Saturday, April 11, 10:00 am – noon
VHC Health – Outpatient Pavilion, 1851 N. George Mason Dr.
Join VHC for a day dedicated to your health and wellness, featuring free health screenings (for ages 18+), access to valuable VHC Health resources, and opportunities to engage with VHC experts to learn how to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Screenings will include an A1C diabetes screening, vision, blood pressure, grip strength, posture assessments and more. Experts will include staff from the VHC Health Physician’s Group (General Practitioners, GI, Mental Health, Cardiology, Medical Weight Loss), as well as Diabetes Education & Nutrition, Joint Replacement, Physical Medicine & Rehab, Senior Health, Stroke Education & more. Make your health a priority and be part of the Community Wellness Fair! Free, no registration required. Questions? Email CommunityWellness@vhchealth.org.
Difficult People, Hassles, and Aging
by Joan Smith
Have you ever noticed how dealing with some people makes us anxious, “antsy”, wanting to get away? Spending time with a difficult person can impact your mood, and over time, these stressful situations may have a detrimental effect on your physical health, speeding up your aging process, new research suggests.
Now, we have all had to deal with “hasslers” — people defined as those “who create more problems, make life more difficult” — by researchers who recently completed a study funded by the National Institute on Aging and published in the National Academy of Sciences (Washington Post, March 16, 2026). And we have known that negativity can have a contagion effect, perhaps making us feel more depressed, helpless, insignificant, but the idea it can physically age us is newly researched!
While positive relationships have been linked to healthier, longer lives, hasslers tend to increase stress and elevate biomarkers associated with aging. And some people, including women, are more sensitive to effects of hasslers and more likely to report hasslers in their lives.
We know that strong social networks have a protective effect as one ages, lowering risks of cognitive impairment and mortality. But social ties with hasslers, including friends, families, and caregivers, create a dilemma. These relationships may be ambivalent as they offer some positive aspects of friendship but also create stress or cause problems.
The researchers, at New York University, studied data from more than 2,000 people in a health survey in Indiana. Survey questions included aspects of social relationships during the previous 6 months, and about how often that person hassled them, caused problems or generally made their lives more difficult. Participants then self-rated their own health. They submitted saliva samples which researchers analyzed for DNA changes that signify biological aging; researchers then compared the aging rates of those with hasslers in their lives with those who did not. Results showed that those with hasslers aged at a faster rate; the more hasslers in one’s life, the faster the aging rate. While the amount of aging rate was small, it added up over time and with more hasslers. So, while causation cannot be proven, a relationship was there.
What to do? Well, we cannot always cut off family members, but we can limit the amount of time we spend around them, and perhaps visit in larger groups to dilute the effect. With acquaintances, we may do best to move away from those relationships altogether, and spend our time seeking out more positive groups.
The researchers also advise creating plenty of social buffers by consistently investing in relationships that do provide support. This is where ANV comes to mind! So many groups and activities and volunteer opportunities = potential buffers to choose from! Give it a try.
Also of Interest
Aging Matters Radio and TV
Aging Matters radio is a weekly podcast, hosted by Cheryl Beversdorf, and features interviews with experts on topics impacting the lives of older adults, their care partners, and families. Every Tuesday at 3 pm, a new Aging Matters broadcast is posted on Apple, Spotify and RedCircle podcast sites. Aging Matters TV Show offers interviews with aging experts, including demonstrations of aging related subjects. Stories of Life programs feature interviews with older adults who have made a difference in their communities.
Tax Aide
The AARP Foundation Tax-Aide program is the nation’s largest free, volunteer-run tax preparation service. Volunteers are trained on tax law and are IRS certified at an advanced level. The program focus is on low and moderate income taxpayers, and seniors. The national program helped over 1.7 million taxpayers in Tax Year 2024, with over 28,000 volunteers at over 3,300 sites. In Arlington, tax aide help is available at the Central and Columbia Pike Libraries. Please review these websites for more information on appointments and needed paperwork. Appointments take priority but walk-in service is available.
What to Watch
Here are TV shows or movies recommended by ANV members and volunteers. Enjoy!
Nuremberg (Netflix)
Please share your recommendations with us for the next issue by sending an email to Office@ANVarlington.org.
Complimentary membership in Arlington’s 55+ Program is available as an ANV membership benefit. If you haven’t yet opted-in and would like to do so, contact our Member Services Director at 703-509-8057. 55+ Program offerings are posted in the quarterly catalogue available online.
