Newsletter of the Vital Aging Network--
celebrating more than 20 years of service and education!
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In this edition
- VAN welcomes Christine Farris to the Board of Directors
- Plan to attend our October Ageism workshop sponsored with the Minnesota Leadership Council
- Aging with Gusto Coordinator sought
- Wellness 50+ news and events
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VAN welcomes Christine Farris to its Board of Directors |
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Christine Farris has joined the VAN Board of Directors.
Chris spent her career in various aspects of nursing. She earned her bachelor's degree at St. Catherine University and a master's degree in nursing from the University of California. During her career, Chris has served in many nursing capacities and earned multiple certifications.
Among her experiences have been her consulting work with ElderNest in Apple Valley, her case management time with Parkinsons Specialty Care in Golden Valley, her work as an instructor of geriatric, adult and pediatric nursing at Globe University, an assignment as nursing program director and instructor in geriatric and adult care at Dakota County Technical College, an assistant professor of geriatric, adult and pediatric nursing at the University of Florida and her two tours in the US Navy
Nurse Corps specializing in critical care and nursing education.
"The Vital Aging Network welcomes Chris Farris to the VAN Board of Directors. Chris comes with numerous educational and work experiences. She should be a great asset to VAN. Her work with the U.S. Navy, educational institutions and the community brings valuable experience to VAN’s Wellness 50+ teams," said VAN Executive Director Mark Skeie.
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Save the date for this workshop!
The Vital Aging Network and the Minnesota Leadership Council are teaming up to sponsor an online, two-hour "Combating Ageism" workshop on Tuesday, October 25, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Mark your calendars and watch for more detail in coming editions of this newsletter. Find more information here.
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News from Aging with Gusto |
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VAN seeks Aging with Gusto Coordinator candidates |
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Current Aging with Gusto Coordinator Donna Comer is stepping away from that position at the end of August. She will remain active in VAN as an Aging with Gusto Task Force member, in her role leading AWG and Ageism workshops, and as a member of the VAN Board.
As a result, the Vital Aging Network is seeking applicants for its Aging with Gusto Coordinator position. This position includes a monthly stipend.
Primary responsibilities include:
- Promote Aging with Gusto in collaboration with the Aging with Gusto Task Force members
- Conduct outreach, recruit and engage organizations to sponsor AWG
- Respond to requests from interested organizations, including providing information about AWG program
- Ensure the delivery of Aging with Gusto sessions by communicating with the host organization, communicating with facilitators, confirming dates and time, and scheduling facilitators
- Document AWG activities
- Communicate and keep current with Aging with Gusto Task Force plans and projects.
To learn more or to apply, contact Mark Skeie at info@vital-aging-network.org
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What is Wellness 50+ all about?
Cottage Grove - Forest Lake - Oakdale - Stillwater - Woodbury
Phillips Neighborhood
Wellness 50+ has active teams in Washington County (Cottage Grove, Forest Lake, Oakdale, Stillwater and Woodbury). It also has a team in the Minneapolis Phillips neighborhood. Its purpose is to promote health and wellness in those communities. Wellness 50+ teams plan and facilitate activities that include walking groups, healthy cooking classes, book clubs, recipe sharing and more.
Click here to learn more about Wellness 50+ goals and strategies.
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A spotlight on Wellness 50+ Volunteers--Bonnie Wilson |
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Bonnie Wilson, Oakdale Wellness 50 +Team Leader has been involved with the Vital Aging Network for more than eight years and loves the connections, the new ideas, meeting enthusiastic, active people, and different experiences she wouldn’t otherwise have tried on her own!
“Mark (Mark Skeie, VAN Executive Director) contacted a friend of mine who had been part of the EVOLVE program for suggestions of people who might be interested in helping to begin a Wellness 50+ program. Mark asked us if we would consider taking leadership development classes and starting a new Wellness team in Oakdale. We agreed and soldiered on, holding events and talking to people about what they were interested in and where they might want to lead. That’s how our team was built.”
Wilson, a former curator of photos, films and video with the Minnesota Historical Society, claims that one of the Oakdale team’s greatest assets is its partnership with the Oakdale Discovery Center. “It is the best meeting place of all, and they help us with promotion. It’s been a great collaboration. We are so lucky,” she said. The team is now partnering with the City of Oakdale to become an Age Friendly Community to help Oakdale be a place where all can live and age better.
Bonnie says the team leadership is really shared. “Once someone appreciates one of our events, and starts to get involved, they join our team,” she said. The morning walks at the Discovery Center are a good example. People come to be social and stay physically active. They learn more about the Wellness 50+ team and want to get more involved. “We have grown so much by engaging people while we walk and talk,” Wilson said.
If you live in Oakdale and would like to know more about Wellness 50+, contact the team at oakdalewellness50new@gmail.com . Or, check out the Oakdale Wellness 50+ Facebook page and take a look at the activities on the Wellness 50 calendar. New ideas are always welcome!
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Wellness 50+ Community-wide events
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It's always a good time to try something new. On August 2,
A group of Wellness 50+ novice disc golfers joined together and played a course set up by Washington County Parks. We learned about the different discs and had plenty of practice retrieving discs out of the rough (tall grass). Taking up a new activity helps your body both physically, mentally and cognitively.
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Wellness 50+ hosts a series of community-wide events in addition to events organized and led by our four community groups (Oakdale, Cottage Grove, Stillwater, and Phillips neighborhood).
All of our upcoming community-wide events ( i.e. 1st Tuesday, Biking, and Kayaking) are listed below AND are posted on the Wellness 50+ website calendar. Use this link ( https://vital-aging-network.org/wellness-50) to see the calendar and to add upcoming events to your personal calendar.
Registration for community-wide events is via our Meetup group "Wellness 50+ Twin Cities". Join the group (Wellness 50+ Twin Cities Meetup Group). You will receive email notifications when an event is ready for registration.
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Upcoming Events
--3rd Monday Kayaking: August 15, at White Bear Lake County Park 9:45 am
Wahoo Adventures will lead us on a paddle on White Bear Lake around Manitou Island. If you have wanted to try kayaking, this is the event for you. We will put in at a sandy beach and paddle the lake. You can rent a kayak ($25) or bring your own ($10). Register through Meetup (August 15th Rent a Kayak) or (August 15th Bring Your Own Kayak).
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On July 18, we spent another hot morning kayaking the cool waters of Little Falls Lake and up the Willow River to see the scenic falls. Many attendees had never been to this Wisconsin park just 30 minutes from the Twin Cities. The park has wonderful hiking trails, a swimming beach, nature center plus a waterfall that rivals the north shore of Minnesota |
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--4th Monday: Biking August 22, on Brown's Creek and St Croix River Loop Trails 9:45 am
Join us for a ride from downtown Stillwater, up the scenic Brown's Creek Trail then returning to Stillwater to ride the St Croix River Loop Trail. Route is 18 miles however shorter distances are available by turning around earlier. Register through Meetup (August 22th Biking Brown's Creek & St Croix River Loop).
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On July 25, we had an enjoyable, cooler morning to ride the Gateway from Oakdale to Pine Point Park. After the ride a group refueled at a North St. Paul restaurant where we shared gear information with ebikers. Ebikes were plentiful along the Gateway and are a great option for longer or hillier routes that may be difficult on a regular bike. |
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--1st Tuesday in the Parks: Sept 6, Basic Pollinators at Lake Elmo Park Reserve 10 am
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Oakdale Wellness 50+ events
Thursday, August 18, 6 to 7:30 pm--Be Safe and Be Well, a series on safety and awareness begins with a presentation on fire prevention at the Oakdale Discovery Center, 4444 Hadley Avenue N. The Oakdale Fire Department will demonstrate kitchen fire safety, in-home detectors and fall prevention. Future events in the series include self defense and crime prevention, Sept 15 and Sept 29, all at the same times at the Oakdale Discovery Center. Register by calling 651-747-3860
Wednesday, August 24, 2 pm--Movie Club The Oakdale Wellness Movie Club is watching the film Eat, Pray, Love and reading the book of the same title. There will be a lively discussion on Wednesday, August 24, at 2 pm at the Oakdale Library. If you want to join in, email us at oakdalewellness50new@gmail.com
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Wednesday 31 from 2-4 pm--Find us at the Oakdale Farmers Market, 1584 Hadley Avenue, next to the Oakdale City Hall.
The Oakdale Wellness 50+ team is meeting with folks at the Oakdale Farmers Market to promote Oakdale Wellness, Washington County Wellness, and to conduct the Age Friendly survey created by the Oakdale Age Friendly Task Force. Team members will be at the Farmers Market on Aug 31 under a brand new canopy provided by the Vital Aging Network.
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Cottage Grove Wellness 50+ events |
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Wednesday, August 17, 5:30-8:30 p.m.-Painting in the Garden at Wonderland Gardens 648 7th Ave., Newport. Register at: shorturl.at/dfoy8
Find more information on the flyers below:
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988—the new universal three-digit dialing code for suicide prevention and mental health crisis
988—the new universal three-digit dialing code for suicide prevention and mental health crisis—went live nationwide on Saturday, July 16, 2022. SAMSHA (the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) administers the new 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline which replaces the current toll-free National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255). Importantly, the pre-existing 10-digit number will remain active and will connect callers to the new 988 Lifeline.
The 988 Lifeline is designed to become a simple alternative to both 911 and the existing 1-800 number. One of the goals of the new number is to reduce the use of 911 for suicide and mental health crises, because calling 911 in such situations too often results in inadequate or inappropriate intervention by the police or unnecessary hospitalization or incarceration. Calling 988 instead will direct the caller to representatives specifically trained in the management of suicide risk and other mental health crises.
Information from Justice in Aging
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For more information about VAN's Wellness 50+ program
or e-mail: wellness50mn@gmail.com
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