Community Update (1/1/2023)
HAPPY NEW YEAR
How quickly a year goes by. The ANV team wishes everyone a happy and healthy 2023!
Office Closed
The ANV Office will be closed on Monday, Jan. 2 (New Year) and Monday, Jan. 16 (MLK, Jr. Day) in observance of the Federal holidays.
Welcome Mary-Ellis Bowler
Please join us in welcoming Mary-Ellis Bowler to the ANV staff. Mary-Ellis joins us as the new Member Services Specialist, assisting Jeanne in welcoming new members to ANV. Mary-Ellis is a graduate of George Washington University, recently completing her Masters in Public Health. She has worked with non-profit organizations here and abroad, and has worked with older adults helping with the same services that ANV volunteers provide to members. Mary-Ellis first learned about ANV through her volunteer work with us starting this past September. We are so pleased to welcome her.
Keep Your ID’s Current
Here’s a good yearend project – Take a look at your Driver’s License and make sure that it is up-to-date. Even if you are no longer driving, it’s important to have your License for identification purposes. If your license expires, it’s a lot more work to get it re-issued versus renewed!
Join ANV’s Next Door Private Group
One way to stay on top of late-breaking ANV news is to join ANV’s Private Group on Next Door. It’s easy. Just follow this link to ask to join the Group and you will get approved. Then, as plans are finalized for some events, you will see the information on the ANV Next Door Group.
Welcome
New Members
- Kevin and Marilyn Connors
- Martin Patton
Volunteers
- Judy Axelrod
- Susanna Lill
- Ymonique Louis
- Eileen O’Grady
- Sheridan Swope
Activities
ANV Events are posted on our online calendar at www.ANVarlington.org/events so you can always easily find the Zoom link for any scheduled event.
Coffee and Conversations on Wednesdays at 10 am
- January 4: Returning to the Road
- January 11: Dispatch Health
- January 18: Your Digital Life After Death
- January 25: Criminal Justice Reform in Virginia
Special Events
Weekly Groups
- Tai Chi
- Bocce
- Happy Hour
- Board Games
Monthly Groups
- Men’s Lunch Bunch
- Ladies Lunch
- Pop Up Picnic
- Page Turners
Educational Activities
- Holiday Happenings
- Wellness
Also of Interest
ANV Activities
Coffee and Conversation: Wednesdays at 10 am
Coffee and Conversation occurs on Wednesdays, 10–11 am. 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, January 4: Returning to the Road. Driving with a disability or returning to the road after an injury or illness can be daunting. Trista Windows, Occupational Therapy Assistant and Certified Driving Rehab Specialist (CDRS) and Amanda Mendez, an occupational therapy assistant and Driving Rehabilitation Specialist with the Driving Rehabilitation Center of Excellence will walk us through what to expect and how to navigate the process.
Wednesday, January 11: Dispatch Health – A New Model for Urgent Care. Do you dread going to the emergency rooms for urgent care? Afraid of the long wait times, not to mention the exposure to flu or COVID germs? Dispatch Health, in conjunction with INOVA, brings on-demand medical care to you in your home for urgent illnesses and injuries that don’t require a trip to the emergency room. Michele Cox, Provider Engagement Specialist with Dispatch Health, will introduce us to this exciting new service, the conditions they treat, and how you can access them when you need urgent care.
Wednesday, January 18: Your Digital Life After Death. Did you know that the average person has 25 online accounts? Do you ever wonder what will happen to your accounts after you die? Erin Byrne, Director of Education and Community Outreach at Tech-Moxie will help us understand the laws and company policies that govern these accounts, and why their disposition should be a critical part of your estate planning.
Wednesday, January 25: Criminal Justice Reform in Virginia. The criminal justice system in Virginia is plagued with dysfunction that keeps people locked up for extremely long sentences, disproportionately impacting Black families, and costing Virginia taxpayers a billion dollars a year. Mr. Brad Haywood, Executive Director of Justice Forward Virginia, will join us to talk about what they are doing to advance legislation and advocate for comprehensive changes to Virginia’s criminal justice system.
ANV’s YouTube channel
If you miss a Coffee and Conversation speaker, be sure to check out ANV’s YouTube channel where we are posting some of our Coffee and Conversation speakers and other special events. Sit back and enjoy!
|
Martin Luther King Day
There are many service events planned for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Monday, January 16. Volunteer Arlington is hosting its annual celebration in-person. The MLK Day of Service event will begin with an opening program at Washington-Liberty High School. Then, volunteers are invited to participate in community impact projects, in person or virtually. Volunteer Arlington will also present its first Beloved Community Award during the opening program. Learn more about the program and how to sign up for service projects here.
Weekly Events
Zoom Practice Session
If you need some extra help getting familiar with ZOOM, just call or email office@arlnvil.org and we will set you up with a volunteer who can help you.
Tai Chi: Tuesdays at 9:30 am
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 meet indoors at Saint George’s Episcopal Church in Virginia Square, 915 N. Oakland St. 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, January 6 and January 20
Bocce has moved indoors for the winter. And it is on a new winter schedule (Friday’s). Join the ANV Bocce team at Pinstripes in Georgetown at 1064 Wisconsin Avenue NW. Pinstripes is offering ANV bocce for free – a $7 per person value – provided the group stays for lunch. The next trip to Pinstripes is Friday, January 6 at noon. For most players, getting there is easiest when taking the 38B Metro Bus from Ballston, departing at 11:30. All levels of bocce skills and experience are welcome. Everyone gets to play. Contact John Thomas for more information at thomas-johnr@comcast.net.
ANV Board Games Day, Thursday January 12 at 2pm
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 Scrabble, Mexican Train Dominoes, Cribbage, Ticket to Ride, Qwirkle, and more. We play every other Thursday at 2pm. Parking is available in the Ballston Quarter parking garage for $1.
Happy Hour: Thursdays, 5–7 pm
Join the ANV Happy Hour Group. The Happy Hour Group will try locations in the Ballston area. For more information and to know the weekly plan, contact Mike Murtha, Happy Hour Coordinator at dmmurtha@verizon.net. Mike will add you to his email list and let you know the weekly location on Thursday morning.
Monthly Events
Men’s Lunch
The Men’s first lunch of 2023 will be held on Friday, January 13 at noon at Meridian Pint located at 6035 Wilson Boulevard in Arlington. Meridian Pint offers a variety of pub food including sandwiches, burgers and salads. Free parking is available in the parking lot in front of the restaurant. Please RSVP to Tim Burns at tfxb23@yahoo.com or by calling him at 571-224-4546.
Ladies Lunch
The Ladies Lunch resumes on Thursday January 19 at noon at A Modo Mio, the former Joe’s Pizza and Pasta. A Modo Mio is located at 5555 Langston Blvd. There is ample parking. Please rsvp to Roslynva@gmail.com by January 18 to let Roslyn know you are coming so she can book the right-sized table.
Page Turners January 26 at 11am on Zoom
Page Turners is back! 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. The group is hosted by Donna Pastore and Beverly Cannizzaro.
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 Picnics are on hiatus until the Spring.
Educational Activities
Arlington Public Library Programs
The Library has several events planned for December; please visit their website to see the calendar of events. The Library staff have curated events from the 55+ Program, Encore Learning and elsewhere to make it easy to find something that will pique your interest.
Metropolitan Opera Saturday Matinee Broadcasts
Available every Saturday on our local radio station WETA, broadcast channel 90.9 FM at 1 PM. For more information on broadcasts, go here.
January 7: Met Debuts on the Air features highlights of artists making their Met debut.
January 14: Cherubini’s Medea a New Production/Met Premiere
January 21: Donizetti’s L’Elisir d” Amore
January 28: Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmelites
Wellness
COVID Booster shots and Flu Vaccine for Adults
Now is the time to get your COVID booster shot and flu vaccine. Opportunities to get COVID-19 vaccines and boosters and your flu shot are available in and around Arlington through pharmacies and other medical providers—visit vaccines.gov to find a location near you.
New Year’s Resolutions
As we welcome a New Year, we often make promises to ourselves such as starting an exercise program, loose some weight, eat better foods, read more books etc. All of these are good intentions, but do we really follow through? Maybe we just need to start small, establish a routine and add on as we feel comfortable with our choices. Here are some suggestions to get started:
- Do some stretching in the morning when you get up and again before you go to bed. Like to try meditation? AARP Virtual Community Center has free interactive online events and classes.
- Take a walk, just 30 minutes a day has many health benefits. Remember, ANV has a Walking Buddy Program.
- Try a new vegetable or fruit; we have so many choices available in our supermarkets. Many recipes are available online.
- Call a friend, that person you have been meaning to call, they will appreciate hearing from you.
- Clean out a closet, make a plan, have a box ready for things you no longer want or need and can donate.
Also of Interest
Aging Matters Radio and TV
Aging Matters (www.agingmattersonline.com) radio is a weekly program on Arlington’s community radio station WERA Arlington 96.7 FM. Every Tuesday at 2 pm and Friday at 2 pm, host Cheryl Beversdorf interviews experts on topics impacting the lives of older adults and their families. Aging Matters TV offers interviews with aging experts plus demonstrations of aging related subjects.
Shared Area Village Events Calendar
The Washington Area Villages are sharing their speaker series for all of us to enjoy. Please visit their calendar to see what’s available.
Remember as an ANV member, you also receive membership in Arlington’s 55+ Program. During COVID, many programs are on-line, and the Guide is now published quarterly. The Winter Guide is available online.
ANV Events are posted on our online calendar so you can always easily find the Zoom link for any scheduled event.
