If You Missed the Valentines Day Dinner Dance You Really Missed Something!

Oh what a party it was!

Read the story in the March Little House Newsletter.
http://www.penvol.org/littlehouse/pdf/march-2011-lh-newsletter.pdf
View the video on YouTube!
http://www.youtube.com/user/penvols#p/u/6/VpULn9Kd3D4

Lifetime Fitness

Once the process of aging starts, everything seems to get tougher to do! Walking, lifting things, playing with grandchildren - all of these become challenges.  So, how do you keep up with things you love to do? Remaining physically active is the key.

At Little House, we encourage you to do just that.  Mary Furuta conducts Lifetime Fitness classes twice a week at Little House.

Lifetime Fitness exercises train your body in a way that will enable you to perform your daily tasks with ease. It aims at providing the following benefits to your body:

1. Flexibility

2. Muscle Strengthening

3. Balance

4. Improved blood circulation

5. Maintaining posture

6. Resistance building

7. Increased endurance and stamina

8. Improved range of motion

The class begins with warm-ups, followed by a round of exercises, which are designed to provide the all those benefits to your feet, knees, ankles, shoulders and elbows. The instructor gives personalized attention to every participant and there are constant instructions.

But, what if you have never set foot in a fitness center? Would you be able to fit in?

Well, Lifetime Fitness is not a typical fitness class. The exercises are tailored to your body type and you can go at your own speed. The best part: classes end with some dancing, like the hustle or mambo. The classes are light, yet highly effective. They are serious workouts with a tinge of fun.

Aging is not under your control but aging gracefully is! Don't give in to the challenges of aging. Take the first step to enjoying your golden years. And remember, once you start working out; make sure that you keep going, since regular exercises will reap maximum benefits.

Wait no more. Give yourself the gift of Lifetime Fitness!

To learn more about Lifetime Fitness, contact Peninsula Volunteers at 650-326-2025 at ext. 241.

Joints in Motion

Arthritis can be painful and very expensive, both monetarily and emotionally. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 50 million adults in the United States reported being told by a doctor that they have arthritis. That means, one if every five adults suffer from some or the other form of arthritis.  Are you one of them? Do you constantly fight the battle of remaining independent?

How do you escape from the clutches of Arthritis? The answer is regular physical activity, since doing so will help reduce pain and improve body functions. Don’t give in to the pain otherwise it will take over your entire body before you realize it. Of course, getting out of the house will be painful. There will be days when you will not feel like getting up and going for a walk. Will it help if you had someone to go with? Some people have reported, “When I know there is someone waiting for me, it motivates me further to get up and go.”

Joints in Motion hopes to do that for you. Joints in Motion is a program at Little House (in collaboration with Arthritis Foundation) which is intended to helping you in the healing process. The exercises are aimed at muscle strengthening and improving your range of motion. Slower movements, which may seem harder, will help your joints and inner thigh exercises will help you get in and out of the car. Certain knee bending exercises are good for sitting and getting up from a chair with ease, taking stairs and walking. Just when you are about to give up, your friends in the class will encourage you to keep going.

Little House is a place where you will exercise, socialize and participate in various other activities. While you get involved in these activities, your body will heal itself, since your mind will be preoccupied not with the thoughts of pain, but in enjoying every moment.

To learn more about our arthritis class, please contact Little House at 650-326-2025  ext. 221

Kids - You Gotta Love 'Em! They Love Meals On Wheels

Bev Iverson's art students from Woodside Elementary School once again donated Valentine's Cards for each and every Meals On Wheels recipients. Cards were delivered with meals this week to all our diners.


Until you're shut in at home yourself, you have no idea how touching it is to receive these little notes of love from the students. To know that someone cares about you and took the time to personally make you a card is priceless!


Thank you Mrs. Iverson's class. You're terrific.

This Joint Is Jumpin’!

When Fats Waller sang, he must have been thinking of Little House: 

This joint is jumpin', It's really jumpin', Come in cats an' check your hats, I mean this joint is jumpin'.

Oh yes, that was from the fellas who gave us “Ain’t Misbehavin’”. Well, we ain’t misbehavin’, but we are havin’ fun and we’re full of life most days of the week.

On Friday it felt like Grand Central Station in the Jane West Room at Little House. People were flowing in and out of activities and classes, playing games, watching world events on TV, holding meetings, reading the papers, chatting, struggling with puzzles, trips were gathering more adventurers – and that was just the front room.

The action started off with exercise in the Fitness Center with Mary Furuta’s Lifetime Fitness. Then followed by Feldenkreis Movement. Advanced French was was in full swing. The Peninsula Tutoring Network joined us for the first time and were amazed at how great a meeting place Little House is.

The Little House Café was full and the food was great, as always. We were serenaded by pianist Lilly Sasson, Crane Place member, who now tickles the ivories most Fridays in the Café.

David Desederi was calling Bingo, and the bridge players were calling bids across the card tables.
Linda Washington was styling Perfect Hair all day.

Our Computer Lab held classes in Absolute Beginners and Email Clinic, while the Computer Club hummed along in the next room.

 

Our new media volunteer, Dhruti Shah, was interviewing and filming members for the new Peninsula Volunteers blog and the PV YouTube channel.

And if you think that was a fluke, try us on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Most of all, I kept hearing snatches of conversation in which members greeted one another with, “Hey, I haven’t seen you in a while.” If we haven’t seen YOU in a while, come in cats an' check your hats, I mean this joint is jumpin'.

It's Always Someone Else - Until It's You!

Peninsula Volunteers Meals On Wheels is available to anyone who needs it from Belmont south through East Palo Alto. Most seniors qualify on the basis of age, physical challenges and need (homebound and unable to cook for themselves.) But those who don't qualify under the usual requirements can still benefit; so call to ask.

For those with disabling conditions - permanent or temporary - it can be a lifesaver, literally!

One such person, who supported our service for 27 years, found herself in temporary need of it during her recent recuperation. Here's what she had to say, now that she's well again:

     "During my recuperation it was such a treat to have my meal delivered in time for lunch by a very pleasant young man....I always knew how important Meals on Wheels were. I never really thought that maybe someday I would be on the receiving end. Again, many thanks for such wonderful service."

We're happy to be there for you!

Senior services in general, from centers like our Little House through all sorts of in-home independent living support, are in serious jeopardy right now due to State and local budget cuts.

Peninsula Volunteers Meals on Wheels provides the most basic support of all for independence: food. We hope we can always be here. With your help we will. Please continue to support this vital service, and remember that we're here for you too!

Bart Charlow

PV Meals on Wheels is supported in part with funds from the Older Americans Act through the County of San Mateo. For further information on services through the OAA, visit: http://www.co.sanmateo.ca.us/portal/site/health/menuitem.1a7092c0977f9767a181dda7917332a0/?vgnextoid=ec2479a5a91a0210VgnVCM1000001d37230aRCRD&vgnextfmt=DivisionsLanding

Newsphotography:Exposed: #22 - Forgotten

Newsphotography:Exposed: #22 - Forgotten
A very personal story about the value and the warmth of Peninsula Volunteers Rosener House.