Welcome to The Santiva Heartbeat - News From the Santiva Islanders, our e-newsletter full of updates, event dates, and information for our members. The Santiva Islanders is an organization designed for all adults, offering exercise classes, special events, trips, health and wellness programs, social gatherings, seminars and lots of camaraderie.

We serve active adults on Sanibel, Captiva, and the surrounding area. Whether you are a year-round resident, part-time resident or visitor, please join us!

Join us for Trivia Night at Rosalita's Cantina on Sept 27 at 6pm!

Call Rosalita's to reserve your spots.

Did You Know we are 100% Member Supported?

Island Seniors, Inc., a nonprofit entity now called Santiva Islanders, served for nearly 30 years as a support organization and advisory board to the City of Sanibel Seniors Program, providing volunteers and raising funds to help defray the cost of activities. Before Ian, these activities were administered by city employees with assistance from Island Senior volunteers and conducted at city owned buildings—the Center4Life before Covid and the rec center after Covid. 



The move to the rec center was supposed to be temporary as the city had bought a new building that it intended to remodel and use for senior programing. After Hurricane Ian, the city decided to instead use this building for other city purposes. The city also informed us that going forward, they intended to operate independently of Island Seniors, Inc. They wished us well as a separate organization, recognized the need for senior programing, and might once again provide some senior programing if not otherwise provided by other island nonprofits.

For now the city has apparently shifted its focus to an intergenerational model of programming for all ages, rather than recognizing the specific needs of the older adults in our community. Ironically, adults 50 and older comprise over 80% of the island’s population, however, there is no longer a senior center, nor any city funding for activities specifically for older adults.

Santiva Islanders is so grateful to St. Michaels for welcoming us into their Gathering Place where we are now offering programming 10 hours a week. With this new location and as Sanibel’s population recovers from Hurricane Ian, we hope to have a steady rise in memberships--we’re now at 148 members and growing. We feel that adult programing on the island is more important than ever before as our past and future members struggle with post-Ian recovery.  We are determined to continue our mission to provide much needed educational, social, and recreational programming for older adults. 

Calling all Volunteers!

As we rebuild our beloved organization, we need volunteers of all sorts, from planning and hosting activities, to working on the board, to helping us plan for our future. Here’s a sampling:

• Happy Hour Hosts. Host one of our weekly happy hours at Mudbugs. Just show up early, secure our table, welcome guests, and have fun.

• Activity Committee Members. We meet for a couple hours every month or two to plan for the coming months’ activities. 

• Board Member Search Committee. Help us find qualified applicants to replace a number of board positions by the end of the year. If you’re interested in joining the board, let us know that as well.

• Strategic Planning Committee. We need members to help review our mission statement, establish goals for remainder of 2023 and 2024, and develop our business plan.

If you’re interested in any of these volunteer opportunities, let us know. Email us at santivaislanders@gmail.com, call us at 239-413-7324, or stop by the Gathering Place on Tuesdays or Thursdays—someone will be there from 10:00 to 3:00.

The Gathering Place

We have a new location to call home at “The Gathering Place,” which is centrally located on the campus of St Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church. We are thrilled to have a place to gather and offer our activities and classes. Please feel free to drop by and say hello on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 10:00-3:00

The Gathering Place is located at 2304 Periwinkle Way. It sits behind the Church (it’s the Noah’s Ark building). The Periwinkle entrance is for construction crews only, so please enter through the Dunlop entrance-- across from Big Arts. There is plenty of parking behind the Gathering Place. Handicap parking is just in front of the building.

Recent Updates

Exercising with Mahnaz!

Starting in September, Mahnaz will be conducting two unique types of exercise classes--

• Cardio and strength classes, which are already in full swing, take place Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 10:30-11:30. These classes begin with a warm-up, followed by cardio and strength training, and ending with a cool down and stretching. Enjoy musical throwbacks that will get your heart pumping. If you haven't already registered, please arrive at 10:00 in time to register and attend the class. Refreshments will be available after class with time to chat and get to know each other.

• New Stretch and Tone will be offered on Thursday afternoons from 1:00 to 2:00 starting on September 7.  This class starts off with functional toning exercises, followed by balance movements, and extensive total body stretches.  Many of you have asked for this class. We know you’ll love it!

Come Play Bridge!

Join us on Thursdays from 12:30-2:30 for organized bridge play.

Chicago scoring is used, and pairs rotate tables every 4 or 6 hands, depending on the number of tables that day. If you’re interested in playing or want more information, please contact Bryant Korn at bryantekorn@gmail.com

Upcoming Activities

Coffee bistro will be held each Tuesday and Thursday starting at 10:00 where everyone can gather with others in a relaxing atmosphere. Charlie and Diana Gray will host the coffees, along with other volunteer members. Refreshments will be served

Our Page Turners book club will meet in person at the Gathering Place, as well as via Zoom, on Tuesday, September 12, at 1:00 PM. The book we’ll be discussing is Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. Contact Louise Fitzgerald at sanibelbum22@gmail.com for questions, to be added to the Page Turners’ email list, and to receive the Zoom information.

We will be offering many afternoon activities including weekly games and other fun activities for your enjoyment.

Dates for your Calendar - A Heartbeat Away

Monday, September 4: At Mud Bugs

• 4pm-6:00pm: Happy Hour

Tuesday, September 5: At the Gathering Place

• 10am-3pm: Coffee Bistro
• 10:30am-11:30am: Cardio & Strength with Mahnaz

Tuesday, September 5 at Doc Ford’s   

• 12:00pm—Leisure Lunch

Thursday, September 7 at the Gathering Place

• 10:00—2:30 Coffee Bistro
• 10:30—11:30 Cardio & Strength with Mahnaz 
• 12:00—1:30 September Birthdays Cupcake Celebration
• 12:30—2:30 Fun and games
• 1:00—2:00 Stretch & Tone with Mahnaz



The Heart of the Matter...

"When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around"

Willie Nelson

Renew Your Membership

Our membership dues are $20.00 per year. Please join or renew your membership. As a member, you will be part of our family, and we will keep you well informed about all our events and activities. You will also receive special discounts on activities and meals. For example, if you join us for Mahnaz's exercise class as a member, the cost is $5/class or $40/month. Non-members can participate for $10/class or $80/month! Please email us for more information.

Click here to fill out a membership form.

CALENDAR

Click the calendar below to see activities happening in September.

Let Us Know What You'd Like to See on the Calendar!