Please join us

Tuesday, April 11th.,

from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM

for

Let's Do Lunch and presentation at,

The Danish American Center

3030 W River Pkwy, Minneapolis, MN 5540 

(Dining Room)

Invite a friend, and let's enjoy connecting!

Questions, contact Dennis @ 612-746-0753

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR LOCAL RESOURCES!

Julia Wolfe (she/Her) has led the Healthy Aging Initiative of Saint Paul - Ramsey County Public Health for six years. Her previous 12 years in direct service include being a case manager with both homeless youth and people living with HIV, managing a battered women’s shelter, and providing substance abuse and mental health counseling in public schools. She was a consultant in corporate communications and organizational change for a Fortune 50 company.

She earned a BA from Macalester College and graduate degrees from the University of Maryland and the University of North Texas. She is passionate about eliminating racism and other forms of oppression. She has been a nomad for most of her life but is now happily settled in the Twin Cities.

Saint Paul – Ramsey County Healthy Aging Framework examines how to support healthy and vital aging in the community. The plan is grounded in public health principles and examines disparities that affect health. It includes information about older adults in the county. 

Jon Burkhow, Senior Community Services,

is the Director of the Household & Outside Maintenance (HOME) Program. He has been working in the field of aging since 2001. He currently oversees all aspects of the HOME program and is focused on expanding HOME’s service offerings. Jon graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College with a BA in Asian Studies.

Senior Community Services Mission: To innovate and deliver services that meet the changing needs of older adults and their caregivers.

Krystal Wiebusch, LSW,

Krystal specializes in community educational presentations, caregiver support, and support group facilitation. She has worked with older adults and their families since 1996. She graduated from Saint Cloud State’s social work program in 2006 and has worked in nursing homes and assisted living facilities prior to joining Senior Community Services in 2012. She enjoys working with her experienced Senior Outreach and Caregiver Services team colleagues. 

Ann Bailey (She/Her) became President of DARTS in 2015 and served on the DARTS Board from 2010-2015. Ann discovered DARTS services when her father’s Alzheimer’s disease advanced to a point where it began to take a toll on the family. Before joining DARTS, she led technology teams at Target Corporation. Ann holds a Bachelor of Science in Business from the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management.

Ann and her husband, Randy, live in Apple Valley and engage in various community-building activities, supporting Eastview Community Foundation, Aquatennial Ambassador Organization, and Rick’s Bike Sale. Ann serves on the boards of the Minnesota Leadership Council on Aging and the River Heights Chamber of Commerce. She is an active member of the South Robert Street Business Association, Fairview Hospital Auxiliary, Dakota County Regional Chamber of Commerce, and Burnsville Chamber of Commerce. She provides aging services perspectives to several steering committees, including the University of Minnesota 10,000 Family Studies and Fairview Ridges Healthy Communities.

In her free time, Ann enjoys traveling, and typically two trips a year are states drawn at random. She also enjoys cooking and has a small garden to provide recipe ingredients.

Tabatha Barrett (She/Her) is the Senior Director of Social Services and Innovation for DARTS. She earned her Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Minnesota and is a Licensed Independent Social Worker (LISW) with the Minnesota Board of Social Work. 

Tabatha started at DARTS in 2013 and has 15 years of experience working in aging services. Growing up, she had a close relationship with her grandparents and has preferred working with older adults throughout her career. She enjoys program development and finding solutions to gaps in services for older adults. She is passionate about connecting older adults and their caregivers to the resources they need to continue living safely and comfortably in the community.

Tabatha resides in St. Paul with her husband, Matt, three daughters, two cats, and a golden retriever. Outside work, you’ll find her watching one of her daughters’ volleyball games or archery tournaments, hiking with her dog, or curling up with her cat and a good book.

DARTS is a nonprofit organization that has provided personalized and professional services for older adults and their loved ones for over 45 years.

Since 1974, DARTS has been a community-based nonprofit serving seniors (ages 55+) and their families in Dakota County and the surrounding area, helping them to lead more independent and fulfilling lives. Through services like light housework, outdoor chores, home repair, caregiving resources, volunteer opportunities, and transportation, we have worked to be a community partner across generations.

DARTS was originally an acronym (for Dakota Area Resources and Transportation for Seniors). Still, the name was shortened to DARTS in 2008 as its services expanded to include homemaking, outdoor chores, and volunteer opportunities while living out our mission of creating connections that enrich aging.

A message from Silvia. 

Before we came to the USA, we spent a lot of time with Family members and some friends. Almost all of them brought joy to my life, and when we decided to come to the US, I felt like I would never feel something like that again. Fortunately, I was wrong. You bring positive energy good mood to my life, and today was a great day for me because of you. Thank you for opening doors for me and for letting me know that great things happen even far away from home. This is proof that there are people who will bring joy to my life and people with whom I will bring happiness.



-Silvia and Edenson

GET TECH HELP @ LUNCH!

Our friends at Senior Community Services will be available to assist you with your tech questions/problems at our lunches. Please click the link below to ask for your one-to-one tech session and fill out the form. Thanks!

Vital Living at East Side has a program update we wanted to share with you.

Vital Living will be offering an LGBTQ+ cohort for Our Whole Lives (OWL) Sexuality Education for older adults March-May.



OWL is a series of 2-hour workshops over ten weeks that uses exercises and techniques to reduce shame, normalize age-related changes, and provide information about relationships.

It is a curriculum that takes a values-based, social justice approach to the sexuality of adults in midlife and beyond – recognizing and honoring the diversity of participants concerning sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, and disability.

The topics and issues addressed in the workshops are organized in four broad topic areas: Self-Worth, Sexual Health, Responsibility, Justice, and Inclusivity. Our Whole Lives is recommended for adults over the age of 50, as well as for caregivers working with older adults. This program has no cost, but a commitment to attendance is required.

Expressions of Joy

Performance & Artmaking Workshop

Join Minneapolis Institute of Art and Theatre 55 for

a FREE workshop to tell your story through

performance art and the art of quilting at the

Minneapolis Institute of Art.

Make new friends, reconnect with familiar friends,

and learn new skills by using your body, voice, and

imagination. Workshops led by the artistic director

Richard Hitchler of Theatre 55 and teaching

artist, Maria Asp.

Technology Partners Program

Making connections to help you get connected.

Contact Joe @

952-888-5530

or

tech@seniorcommunity.org

SOVRAN HELP DESK LINE

If you joined us for the Tech Tuesday Lunch, you know that SOVRAN has opened up its tech line to our group for FREE! Below is the information should you need further tech support. Please reference "Let's Do Lunch" or "Friends & Co" when you call or e-mail them for help.

Help Desk Phone In: 651-905-5509

Delp Desk E-Mail: totalcare@sovran.com

Rainbow Health Aging Resources:

Friends & Co Resources: