From Frank...
I had the opportunity to meet a new member and her adult daughter this morning. Describing the Village concept, and our Village in particular, is always heartwarming to me. I like to tell the story of how I came to be the Executive Director after seeing the job announcement when I was signing up my own mother, then 89, as a member. The fact that there’s a community-based organization dedicated to bringing neighbors together, as volunteers and members, for social, educational, and practical assistance is something that makes me proud of our neighborhood for embracing and sustaining it for the past 12 years.
Many thanks to the 202 people that gave during our year-end fundraising campaign, including Giving Tuesday. The funds raised, along with membership fees and grants, allow us to continue to provide the programs and services to our neighborhood. It’s a meaningful commitment that our Village has made to our community to “be there” to ensure that older adults remain a vibrant thread in the fabric of our neighborhood.
This coming week, we have some great activities that I hope you’ll consider attending. These include:
Tuesday Talk by Village member, Pat Roos, courageously sharing her story of losing her son, Alex, to heroin addiction and then advocating for harm reduction methods, as opposed to the punitive approaches that currently exist. On Wednesday, our Cards & Games group will meet in a private residence in Woodley Park for a fun afternoon with neighbors.
Thursday we’ll have a docent-led tour of the renovated Folger Shakespeare Library. We’ve paid for the guided tour and we’d love to have a full group so please consider joining us for this special experience. We’ll go to lunch afterward at the library’s café, Quill & Crumb.
Finally on Friday, we have two events at 1pm: Line Dancing at Adas Israel Congregation and Transportation Training at the Cleveland Park Library.
Regarding the transportation training, this is an exciting opportunity to learn more about city-services, by goDCgo. Find out about affordable and sustainable transportation options offered through Metro. A $20 SmarTrip card and other transportation goodies will be provided to all attendees. I really encourage anyone (as this is not limited to Village members) to attend to find alternative ways to remain independent and on the go!
I hope to see you at an event next week, but remember that Monday the office will be closed for the federal holiday in memory of Martin Luther King, Jr, and the inauguration.
Have a great weekend and stay safe in this cold weather!
Read the entire newsletter here.
— Frank Finamore, Executive Director
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