The Center's November & December 2019 Newsletter

November & December 2019 Newsletter

Good Day Everyone,

I am very excited to be writing this note as the new Executive Director of the Center. The first 3 months of my time here have shown me how important the Center is to our members and our community. Thank you all for your warm wishes.

I want to thank all who helped to make our 16th Annual Kitchen Tour a successful event on Indigenous Peoples’/Columbus Day weekend. Mother Nature tried to dampen our spirits with some drizzle and wind early in the day, but it didn’t stop our wonderful volunteers and guests from enjoying the day. Thank you to our sponsors, our homeowners, our volunteers and Carol and Natalie here at the Center for a very successful event.

As you’ll see in this edition of the newsletter, we have a busy remaining two months of the year! We look forward to honoring those who have served our country in so many ways and with so many sacrifices at our Veteran’s Day Coffee, Cake and Conversation event on November 12th.

Our Elder Elves activities are underway as well as is the preparation for the Annual Holiday Fair on Saturday, December 7th - part of the 1st weekend of Prelude activities. Mark your calendar for our Thanksgiving Luncheon on Wednesday, November 20th and our Holiday Party, planned for December 18th. These events, along with many others, are all described in the November and December Programming Events sections of the newsletter on the following pages. Keep an eye on the sign-up deadlines!

I look forward to seeing you here at the Center and helping to move us forward to meet the future needs of our members and community.

Keep Smilin’,

Kate Jollie

Executive Director

Staff

Kate Jollie

Executive Director

Carol Bousquet

Marketing & Communications Manager

Natalie Kfoury

Membership & Volunteer Engagement Coordinator

Center Hours

Monday-Thursday:

8:30-4:00

Friday :

8:30-1:00

Volunteer With Us!

The Center is always in need of dedicated volunteers. If interested, please click here to contact Natalie Kfoury.

FISH Ride Program

Our FISH Transportation Program volunteer drivers provide rides to area residents who need to get to medical appointments. To register for the program or sign-up as a driver, please call us at 207-967-8514.

Monthly Calendars

To find monthly calendars, go to seniorcenterkennebunk.org and click on "Newsletter/ Calendar" at the top.

As a reminder as the weather gets colder and snow is on the horizon: The Center follows RSU 21 for snow closures. If the schools are closed or delayed due to snow and dangerous driving conditions, the Center is closed/delayed.

We also post on the local TV stations if the Center is closed. So, if there is a storm and you're wondering if we are open, check the TV listings and look for "THE CENTER"! We try to send out email notifications if we are closed or on a delay as well.

New Program Highlight

Beginners Open Bridge - Weekly starting Monday, November 18 at 1:00 p.m. We are excited to offer a weekly Beginners Open Bridge Group at the Center starting on Monday, November 18. The group is invited to meet and play every following Monday at that time. This group is perfect for players new to bridge looking to develop their skills in the game further! As a reminder, we also offer regular Open Bridge every Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. and that is also open to all players!

Holiday Greens Presale for Members

Orders for Holiday Wreaths for Members will be taken November 1 - 15.

14 inch double faced wreaths with red or plaid bow are $22

12 inch double faced wreaths with red or plaid bow are $15

See the Receptionist to place your order.

November Programs & Events

Please remember to sign up for any of the following programs that you are interested in attending. This will help us accurately plan for every program.

Please note that the Center will be closed on Monday, November 11 in recognition of Veterans Day.

We will also be closed on Thursday, November 28 and Friday, November 29 for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Keep it Legal - Monday, November 4, 9:00-10:30 a.m. Attorney Milda Castner of Bergen Parkinson will meet with you privately to answer legal questions. For members only. Free. Call the Center to arrange a 30-minute meeting with Milda.

Bow Making Workshops - Tuesday, November 5, 1:00 p.m. & Thursday, November 14, 1:00 p.m.

For our volunteers that learned bow-making with Dolly last fall. Please help us make bows for our wreaths and swags. Bring your Bowdabra. The Center will supply ribbon. We also have a couple of Bowdabras. Thank you very much!

Elder Elves Meeting - Wednesday, November 6, 10:00 a.m.

Anyone who is helping out with our Elder Elves program this year is welcome to attend! We will be going over updates and setting course for the rest of the program.

Medicare Plans Seminar - Aetna on Wednesday November 6 at 10:00 a.m. United Healthcare and AARP on Tuesday, November 19 at 10:00 a.m.

If you are turning 65, planning to retire or have recently relocated to the area you will want to attend. Please join us for an informative meeting with Kathy Kotakis, our local licensed insurance agent, to learn about Part C Medicare Plan Options and what plans work best for you. Now more than ever you need to hear the news for 2020 and your options when you are new to Medicare. Sign-up required.

Saco Bay Physical Therapy Falls Prevention Workshop - Thursday, November 7,

11:30 a.m.

Learn tips to stay on your feet both inside and outside. Saco Bay Physical Therapist Nikki Langstaf will lead the workshop and provide new ideas to keep you safe. Topics include how to properly lift someone who has fallen, equipment to keep you secure on ice and more. This class is for caregivers as well as those living alone. Free. Sign up required.

Veterans Day Coffee & Cake Talk - Tuesday, November 12, 1:00 p.m.

We are honored to welcome two Center members who served to speak about their experiences in honor of Veterans Day. We invite members to come, enjoy coffee and cake, hear their stories, and appreciate their service and sacrifice. This program is for Center members only. Sign-up required.

SMAA - Wednesday, November 13, 12:30-3:30 p.m.

Meet privately with a representative from the Southern Maine Agency on Aging. Call 800-427-7411 to make an afternoon appointment.

Fall Flower Arranging Make and Take Workshop - Friday, November 15, 1:00 p.m.

We are excited to invite Diane Trachimowicz to the Center for a festive flower arranging make and take workshop. Diane will instruct participants on how to make a beautiful fall arrangement in a pumpkin. Participants will take their creation home where it will be a perfect centerpiece or holiday decoration! Sign-up required. 15 participants maximum. Deadline to sign-up is Friday, November 8. The cost for instruction and supplies is $15 per member and $20 per nonmember.

Holiday Fair Planning Meeting - Wednesday, November 20, 10:00 a.m.

Any Center members interested in helping to plan the Center's Annual Holiday Fair during Prelude are welcome to attend this meeting.

Thanksgiving Luncheon - Wednesday, November 20, 12:00 p.m.

Huntington Common brings us a traditional Thanksgiving feast. Enjoy this special luncheon with family and friends. Members only. $8 per person, due at signup. Deadline to sign up is Wednesday, November 13.

November Movie: "Yesterday" - Friday, November 22, 1:00 p.m.

Jack Malik is a struggling singer-songwriter in an English seaside town whose dreams of fame are rapidly fading. After a freak bus accident during a mysterious global blackout, Jack wakes up to discover that The Beatles have never existed. Performing songs by the greatest band in history to a world that has never heard them, Jack becomes on overnight sensation. Space is limited, Sign up required.

Book Club: "Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine" by Gail Honeyman

Wednesday, November 27, 12:00 p.m.

All members welcome to discuss "Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine" by Gail Honeyman.

Eleanor Oliphant struggles with appropriate social skills and tends to say exactly what she’s thinking. Nothing is missing in her carefully timetabled life of avoiding social interactions, where weekends are punctuated by frozen pizza, vodka, and phone chats with Mummy.

But everything changes when Eleanor meets Raymond, the bumbling and deeply unhygienic IT guy from her office. When she and Raymond together save Sammy, an elderly gentleman who has fallen on the sidewalk, the three become the kinds of friends who rescue one another from the lives of isolation they have each been living.

Grief Support - Thursdays, 11:00 a.m.

The Grief Support Space is sponsored by the Bibber Family and Bibber Memorial Chapel. The Center is grateful for their support and Carol's leadership of this program that helps so many in need.

Garden Street Bowling - Thursdays, 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Make some new friends and have fun bowling at Garden Street Bowl on Thursdays. $10 gives you two hours of bowling and shoe rental. Several Center members will be there as well as folks from neighboring towns.

December Programs & Events

Please remember to sign-up for any of the following programs that you are interested in attending. This will help us accurately plan for every program.

Please note that the Center will be closed to regularly scheduled programming the entire week of Monday, December 2-Friday, December 6 in preparation for the Annual Holiday Fair on Saturday, December 7. If you would like to come in that week to help with boxwoods and crafting for the Fair, please get in touch with Natalie by emailing info@seniorcenterkennebunk.org or calling at 207-967-8514.

We will be closed Christmas Week, Monday, December 23 - Friday, December 27.

Finally, we will be closed on New Years Day, Wednesday, January 1.

Annual Holiday Fair - Saturday, December 7, 8:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Our Annual Holiday Fair is back! Come to the Center the first Saturday of Prelude for a fair stocked with goodies for all! Greens, gifts, treats, and more- something for everyone!

Members only Preview is Friday, December 6 from 1:00-3:00 p.m.

Keep it Legal - Monday, December 9, 9:00-10:30 am.

Meet privately with Milda Castner of Bergen Parkinson Attorneys to discuss your legal questions. For members only. Free. Sign-up required for your 30-minute meeting.

SMAA - Wednesday, December 11, 12:30-3:30 p.m.

Meet privately with a representative from the Southern Maine Agency on Aging. Call 800-427-7411 to make an afternoon appointment.

Elder Elves Bag Stuffing - Friday, December 13, 12:00 p.m.

We will be putting together the Elder Elves gift bags with all of the wrapped items and gifts! Any volunteers who would like to help are welcome to join!

Victorian Nutcracker Ballet in Portland - Tuesday, December 17, 10:00 a.m. at Merrill Auditorium.

Once again we are able to offer a discount ticket to the full performance of the Victorian Nutcracker in Portland. Tickets are $19 for members, $29 for nonmembers and include transportation on Kennebunkport's Park & Recreation Bus. Limited availability. Sign up and payment deadline is Thursday, November 21.

Center Holiday Party- Wednesday, December 18, 2:00 p.m.

Enjoy live music performed by Rob Spaulding while sipping on holiday punch and munching on cookies and other goodies. Please bring a treat to share. Free for members. Guests are $5. Sign up by Friday, December 13.

December Movie: To Be Decided! - Friday, December 20, 1:00 p.m.

We are stumped! Do you have a favorite movie that you saw this year? Were there any that you didn't get the chance to see? Any favorite holiday movies we should show in the spirit of the season? Let us know what you think we should show for our December movie! Seating is limited, sign-up required.

Grief Support - Thursdays, 11:00 a.m.

We all have or will lose someone we love. As we age, loss becomes a more common experience and the grief that comes with it becomes a part of us. Self-care at this time includes having the support of others experiencing grief. Carol MacLeod, a retired advanced practiced nurse in psychiatry, has background in this area and leads the group. The Grief Support Space is sponsored by the Bibber Family and Bibber Memorial Chapel. The Center is grateful for their support and Carol's leadership of this program that helps many.

Featured Sponsors of the Month

Volunteer Spotlight

Elder Elves

It's Elder Elves season! Elder Elves are a special group of volunteers at the Center who collect gifts to go into festive bags that are delivered to older area residents who are alone at the holidays. Every gift that goes into the bags is wrapped so that the recipient has many items to open, giving them the gift of a festive holiday celebration and knowing that there are people in their community who care for them.

This year we are putting together 70 bags- the most we have ever done! The bags will be filled with items like handmade knitted hats and scarves, a $50 (or 2 $25) Hannaford gift cards, calendars, art, first aid kits, self-generating nightlight flashlights, stamps with note cards, and many more items.

Many Center volunteers take part in the program, whether it is soliciting the items, collecting items, wrapping the gifts, and/or putting together the bags. Center members can also take part by collecting half book stamps (or strips of 10 stamps), $50 Hannaford gift cards, or $25 Hannaford gift cards. These items play a vital role in the bags and we always appreciate help in collecting them! Also, keep an eye out for an Elder Elves Wrapping Table. We put one up as we collect items and all members who would like to help.

When asked why she participates in the program, long-time Elder Elves volunteer Diane Thayer said, "It gives me joy to know someone who is alone during the holiday season has others that are thinking and caring about them. Myself and all of the members at the Center who take part in the Elder Elves Program get much more than we give. It’s gratifying to know when an elderly person unwraps a gift card from Hannaford or a beautiful handmade hat or scarf, that it puts a smile on their face. So Merry Christmas everyone and keep the joy of helping and sharing in your heart all year long."