Branching Out
Sharing Stories and Information through Outstretched Arms
April 2024
Learn more about the 3rd ‘pillar’ in the Arbor West Neighbors’ mission:  to promote communications and coordination about local RESOURCES that support resilient living for older adults.  Perhaps you’d like to learn by participating in what’s known as the Asset Mapping project - read on for this and other good news and info, about members, interest groups and special programs.
Happenings
Literary Salon
On a beautiful Sunday afternoon, 52 Arbor West Neighbors members and guests and were treated to the readings of original works by 10 AWN members. The host team of Margaret Burk, Barbara Rose, and Sun-Hee Yoon selected the offerings from member submissions then coordinated the program at American House Bistro enhanced with wonderful culinary delights.
Terri Powell and Charlie Hoch
Peter Notier and Maureen Connolly
The readers in order of appearance – Phyllis Rubin, Jan Johnston, Peter Notier, Maureen Connolly, Elisabeth Muhlenberg, Gil Herman, Joyce Porter, Terri Powell, Charlie Hoch, and Victor Yipp – shared personal memories, poetry, and fiction.
February  Meetup
Over 50 people attended the February meetup.  We continue to break our attendance records!  Many thanks to The Sheridan at River Forest for hosting us and for conducting tours for over 20 of our guests. 
Marion Sirefman and Sue Beckman
Mike Doyle and Bob Mutter
Chris Hauri and Marie Kruse
Barbara Pagniucci and Iris Yipp
Ruth Reko and Linda Solan
Carol Mattar and Carol Gaebler
Hearing Challenges and Resources for Older Adults
Thirty-one AWN members and guests learned from Dr. Eva Lopez about how hearing works, what causes hearing loss and how it’s measured, and a cornucopia of technical devices to assist with hearing challenges. We learned about how hearing loss can lead to feelings of isolation, loss of productivity, and risks to health beyond hearing. We also gained clarity about how to work with a professional audiologist. Participants shared many of their own challenges and successes dealing with hearing loss, some for many years and many more recently. We learned that of adults over age 75, about 50% have mild to profound hearing loss. Resource materials were provided and some resources will soon be listed on the AWN website.

Photo: Dr. Eva Lopez, Elisabeth Muhlenberg and Gil Herman
March Meetup
Many thanks to John and Elisabeth Muhlenberg for opening their lovely home for our March meetup.  Once again, we had over 50 in attendance, including many guests who came to see what Arbor West Neighbors is all about.  Word is spreading!
Jane Wood and Marian Sirefman
welcome guests.
Linda Heffernan
and Dottie Hetzel
Jeanette Mancusi with
Dave and Anita Knechel
Haruko Shino, Marie Kruse
and Phyllis Rubin
Gil Herman and Barbara Rose
Rick VanDyke and Geof Greer
Upcomimg
Meetups for
Arbor West Members and Guests
Tuesday, April 23, 2024
10:00 - 11:30 am

Oak Park River Forest History Musem
129 Lake St, Oak Park
Tuesday, May 28, 2024
4:00 to 5:30 pm

hosted by Sunny Hall
304 N Grove, Oak Park
Programs
Expanding End of Life Options
 
This interactive session stresses the importance of planning for end-of-life and explores options for people with terminal illness. A main focus will be on Medical Aid in Dying (MAiD), which is an option for the terminally ill. Participation in MAiD is completely optional for both patients and doctors and is authorized in 10 states and Washington D.C.  AWN members, Terri Powell and Catherine Marienau, will explain efforts to get MAiD authorized in Illinois so our residents may have this option.
Thursday, April 4, 2024
2:00 - 4:00 pm
Veterans Room
Oak Park Main Library
834 Lake St, Oak Park
 

There is no charge, but pre-registration is required to manage logistics. To join us, sign up at registerAWNprogram@gmail.com
Recognizing Scams Affecting Older Adults
 
A panel of speakers from Age Options, the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, the Federal Trade Commission, and more will help educate us to “Prevent Scams and Financial Exploitation”. 
 
Tuesday, May 14, 2024
9:30 - 11:30 am
Veterans Room
Oak Park Main Library
834 Lake St, Oak Park
 
Hilda Schlatter and Joy Aaronson of the Programs Working Group and Ruth Reko and Sandra Sokol of the Advocacy Working Group are collaborating on this program offered as part of Celebrating Seniors Week.
 Interest Groups
Theater Going Group
For people interested in seeing plays together.
Next Outing:

Joe Turner's Come and Gone by August Wilson
2:00 pm, Sunday, April 28, 2024 
Goodman Albert Theatre
170 N Dearborn St, Chicago
.
This production is a compelling revision of Wilson's play. It portrays Harold Lumis, the main protagonist, with his daughter, searching the country to find his estranged wife. In the process, Harold must regain his own identity and heritage in this story of spiritual and emotional resurrection. It is also the century-long story of the Black American journey in our vividly complex country - extremely timely for our current moment. For additional information, please contact Hinda Blum, hindablum@yahoo.com
Fiber Arts
If you enjoy textile-related projects, such as knitting, crocheting, embroidery, applique, finger weaving, and the like, you are welcome at our Fiber Arts interest group. Join us on the first and third Fridays of the month from 1:00 to 3:00 pm, usually in the homes of different members.
If you are interested, please contact Denise Poncher,
drponcher@gmail.com, or
 Bonnie Jordan, jordan-bonnie@hotmail.com
Meet Sue Beckman
Sue is truly an expert knitter. At the age of 13, she had a paying job as assistant to a knitting teacher at a girls’ day camp. The next summer, she was hired as teacher of the class.  Now, retired from her profession as a physical therapist, Sue volunteers as a tutor for Learning Edge at First United Church of Oak Park.  We have been amazed at some of the projects she has worked on, like a blanket depicting migrating sea turtles! Many of the things she makes are gifts for her friends and family.
Mix of Minds Discussion
We have changed things again!  We meet on the second Monday of each month, 3:30-4:45 pm (NOTE NEW TIME). We are meeting in person, only.
 
 April 8, 2024
Hosted by Cecily Mango
Community Room
203 N Kenilworth, Oak Park

May 11, 2024
Lower-level Meeting Room
Maze Branch Library
845 Gunderson, Oak Park

 
Group members take turns suggesting an article from a newspaper (e.g., New York Times, Tribune), a magazine (e.g., The Atlantic, The New Yorker) of their choice or a podcast.   A link to the material is distributed to the group to read/listen to at their leisure, before sending in questions to discuss at the meeting.
We always learn something.  If you are interested, call or email Phyllis Rubin, phyllis.rubin@comcast.net, 708-846-6168.
Movie Group
Arbor West Neighbors film buffs continue to enjoy monthly in-person Movie Watch Parties.

The Sting
Wednesday, April 24, 2024
2:00 – 4:30 pm

A 1973 American caper film set in September 1936, involving a complicated plot by two professional grifters (Paul Newman and Robert Redford) to con a mob boss.   (2 hours, 9 minutes)
Sunset Boulevard 
Wednesday, May 22, 2024
2:00 – 4:30 pm
A 1950 American comedy film noir that stars William Holden as Joe Gillis, a struggling screenwriter, and Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond, a former silent-film star who dreams of making a triumphant return to the screen.  (1 hour, 50 minutes)
The locations of the April and May Watch Parties are still being determined.  Send an RSVP to Karin Grimes at karingrimes@att.net, to receive information about the locations once they are decided.
Arbor West Ramblers
Forest Preserve Hiking Group


The Ramblers meet at various locations on the 4th Friday of the month at 1:00 pm.
After a winter break, the Ramblers are starting up again. Destinations for April or May have not been chosen yet. Peter welcomes suggestions about your favorite trails.
For information, suggestions or to be on the group mailing list, contact Peter Notier, pnotier@gmail.com 
Green Team
The Green Team's goal is to have clean air, water and land for future generations.  They actively support climate focused legislation and policy at all levels.
The Green Team meets on the first Thursday of the month from 10:30 am to noon, in different members' homes.  For more information or to join, contact Hinda Blum, hindablum@yahoo.com 
News and Information
Asset Mapping
 
Arbor West Neighbors has convened three sessions bringing together organizations that serve older adults in our communities. The groups have included Township, Village, Police, Fire Department, Libraries, and Park Districts from Oak Park, River Forest and Forest Park. Also, Rush and Hines Hospitals, Age Options, 19th Century, Legal Aid, Chamber of Commerce, Beyond Hunger, Triton, Concordia, Cantata, and others.
 Communication among groups in these “Asset Mapping” sessions identifies which services are provided and which services are needed. Hosting these sessions has positioned Arbor West Neighbors as a key player in the community for highlighting resources for older adults.
The next Asset Mapping session will be in May or early June, focusing on four service gaps:
  • Need for a data base of services, and how to access them
  • Need for a communication vehicle for older adults to connect with each other
  • Need for reliable door-to-door transportation, including help carrying packages
  • Potential for a volunteer “clearinghouse” to match people to projects
See Volunteer Opportunities below to help organize this next important session.
The Green Team
The AWN Green Team has been asked to work on developing an electric shuttle bus system for Oak Park and River Forest in collaboration with the Director of Senior Services and the Environment and Energy Commission.  The team is also planning a program for September at the library on de-carbonization of our homes and cars.
For additional information, and to join the Green Team,
contact Hinda Blum, hindablum@yahoo.com
Arbor West Neighbors is part of the larger, national Village to Village Network   Each Virtual Village is a grassroots organization of local members helping each other thrive in community by coordinating recreational, social, educational, and cultural programs. Like Arbor West Neighbors, these Villages flourish when members volunteer to plan and/or lead group activities and programs.  Here are some opportunities for newer members to get more involved in Arbor West Neighbors:
Arbor Circles
Have you been thinking about a new opportunity for connections?
As published in the last newsletter, Arbor West Neighbors is inaugurating a program to foster small, ongoing groups called “Arbor Circles”, which are open to all members and other older adults. This initiative grows from a desire by members to develop more personal connections as a complement to our larger, well-attended meet-ups.
 
AWN will offer guidelines to help groups begin, but ultimately each would decide its own direction, including where and how often to meet. We have had a great response of interested members, and are working on the details. Watch for more information in the next newsletter!
 
For more information, contact Esther Brodsky at estsue@yahoo.com or 708-848-0442, or Nancy Van Dyke at nancyvandyke@gmail.com.
Programs
The AWN Programs Working Group is always open to ideas from our members. Every program we offer is designed around four E’s:
Exposure to create awareness
Education to create learning
Engagement to create community
Empowerment to create change
The group is also exploring other venues in the area for our programs to help AWN reach out to more older adults in our communities and facilitate more community building and collaboration. If you have suggestions for programs or program venues, please contact Gil Herman gil@managinghorizons.com
Website
Gil Herman is working to upgrade the AWN website (www.arborwestneighbors.org). There is a need for a few members to serve as an advisory group to make suggestions, review revisions, and provide perspective as an internal/external “consumer”.  No technical experience is necessary. For questions or to volunteer, please send a note to gil@managinghorizons.com
Outreach and Communications
Members of the AWN Community Outreach and Communications group are looking at ways to improve our website and ways to connect and partner with other community groups. If you have ideas about how we can do better in these areas, we’d love to hear them.
Call or email Phyllis Rubin, phyllis.rubin@comcast.net, 708-846-6168
Asset Mapping
 
There are many ways to contribute to the Asset Mapping project described above.
  • Helping to plan and execute the event 
  • Reaching out via email or phone to organizations 
  • Tracking who will be attending from each group
  • Reserving library room, equipment
  • Planning light refreshments
  • Greeting participants and issuing name tags
There is a special need for a data or graphics person to consolidate the huge charts listing each organization and what services they provide and make this information readable and reproducible to print and share. 
To sign up or ask questions, contact Chris Hauri, 708-533-2888 or chris@white-iguana.com
Board Report
As part of the larger, national Village to Village movement members of Arbor West Neighbors can attend certain open events of other Villages. Watch for announcements of these events and avail yourselves of them. It is a perk of being part of the Village to Village Network.  Learn more about the VtV movement here.
Election year reminder:
Especially because this is an election year, remember that Arbor West Neighbors is a non-profit organization and cannot endorse candidates. We can and should advocate for issues that affect older adults. Any statements or actions in support of non-partisan issues using AWN's name are to be vetted by the Board to ensure they're consistent with our mission. We can then claim a seat at the table, striving to make things better for all of us.
Branching Out will appear bimonthly in your inbox. 
Member submissions to arborwestneighbors@gmail.com for the June edition are due by May 18, 2024.  Please add NEWSLETTER in the subject line.
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