Rosener House Has Talent!

Think you've got what it takes to compete with Rosener House members? Come on by and take your best shot!

It's never a dull moment at Rosener. The activity level is high, as are the spirits. (Food and music are great too.)

Here are a few pictures to show you just how much fun we have every day. Talent show, cooking class, exercise, music and dancing - it's all here.

Rosener House is all about health retention - keeping all the faculties you have as long as you can. It's a gift to become a member. We can't guarantee you'll live as long as our oldest participant - he's 103 and counting - but we can all but promise that you'll have a quality of life for as long as you come to us.

Take a peek, then call Rosener House Director, Barbara Kalt, to find out what we can do for you and your family: 650-322-0126. Read all about Rosener House on the PV website.

Our Mayors Deliver!!!

On Wednesday, 3/23, Peninsula Volunteers Meals on Wheels program held our annual “Mayors for Meals” event. The event is actually coordinated nationally with our sister agencies in the Meals on Wheels Association of America, with thousands of public officials participating to show their support for senior nutrition services.

Officials from 6 of our South San Mateo County cities, along with officials of the Sequoia Health Care District and San Mateo County (which support our MOW program), participated in packing and delivering Meals on Wheels to their constituents. Participating were:

Jim Dobbie, Mayor of Atherton

Jerry Carlson, Council Member Atherton

Carlos Romero, Mayor of East Palo Alto

Richard Cline, Mayor of Menlo Park

Ted Driscoll, Mayor of Portola Valley

Alicia Aguirre, Vice Mayor of Redwood City

Omar Ahmad, Mayor of San Carlos

Ron Romines, Mayor of Woodside

Anne Kasten, Council Member Woodside

Don Horsley, San Mateo County Supervisor District 3

Lee Michelson, CEO Sequoia Healthcare District, and District Board Members: Jerry Shefren, Kim Griffin, and Kathleen Kane.

Marsha Fong, Manager San Mateo County Aging and Adult Services and Fel Amistad, San Mateo County Commission on Disabilities

This is great fun for our diners! They get the honchos from their communities coming right to their doors and handing out the delicious meals. How often can you say that?

We can, every year.

The beauty of Mayors for Meals is that it’s the most direct way that you can get a feeling for the real value of the most basic public service of all: food. It’s a reminder to our officials, as one of our speakers so beautifully put it, about the people they almost never see in public meetings: the shut-ins who are among the most vulnerable people in our towns.

We are so pleased to host this effort each year and we’re grateful to the mayors and officials who did their part – they really delivered!

Here are some great story links for you from our friends at Patch.com and InMenlo.com:

http://redwoodcity.patch.com/articles/video-mayors-deliver-meals-on-wheels#video-5373160

http://inmenlo.com/2011/03/23/its-mayors-for-meals-day-in-menlo-park-atherton/

http://menlopark.patch.com/articles/mayor-cline-delivers-hot-meals-to-local-homebound-seniors

Stanford Medical News Features Fitness at Little House

Seniors bond over benefits of exercise

BY SARA WYKES

Norbert von der Groeben

Strong for Life classes help Sylvia Wildmann maintain her independence.

Victorine Raugi is brave and bright of spirit although disabled in body. She can’t walk independently. Yet there she is at Little House, a senior center in Menlo Park, hands grasping the ends of a yellow rubber fitness band, stretching its resistance with all her might. “I talked to my doctor about this and she said, ‘Keep it up.’ At 92, I’m failing but this is keeping me strong.”

Today, Raugi is surrounded by more than 30 other seniors, as they twist, bend and lift their aging bodies with youthful enthusiasm. They are just some of the 300 people now taking advantage of this twice-weekly free exercise program, called Strong for Life, which is supported by Stanford Hospital & Clinics. 

For the full story, visit the Stanford Medical School website: Stanford Medical School News  

That Extra Mile (and a bowl of soup)

We love to tell the story of our Meals on Wheels drivers saving the lives of our diners, when they find them alone and incapacitated at home. It happens every month somewhere in our system, and we're glad to be there to help.

This story is a little different, though.

One of our Little House Cafe volunteers, who's been with us for 25 years, recently had a health problem that has pretty much confined him to his home. He needs a special diet to boot. Larry Wong, our Executive Chef, and his staff have been taking a specially prepared soup meal to him every day since he returned from the hospital. It's a more personal service than even our Meals on Wheels!

You can guess why they did this: They really care for those who care for our seniors.

Sometimes, "what goes around comes around" is a good thing! (And it comes with delicious soup.)

Thanks to all our volunteers and to Larry and our Peninsula Volunteers kitchen staff.

Castles in Spain

GALE FULLERTON: A PICTORIAL LOOK AT PORTUGAL AND SPAIN

Gale Fullerton, an active Little House member for 15 years, will share few of his 1200 photographs taken on a Little House sponsored trip to Portugal and Spain. Locations in Portugal include Lisbon, beautiful coastal towns, and several other scenic areas. In Spain you will experience the beauty of Madrid, Toledo, Cordoba, Seville, Granada, Valencia, and Barcelona. Although you may not have been on this trip last fall, do not miss this colorful summary.

Date: Tuesday, March 8, 2011, 2 to 3 PM
Location: Little House, The Roslyn G. Morris Activity Center
Cost: $2 members/$3 non-members
Info: Julie Scales, (650) 326-2025 ext. 241

The Music of Life

Tuesday Teas at Little House feature some of the most interesting speakers anywhere. You enjoy them in our intimate Little House Theater, then participate directly in a dialog if you are inspired. Oh, and did I mention the refreshments and the company?
Here are two outstanding upcoming Tuesday Tea programs this month for you to consider:

DR. LISA CHU - LIFE AFTER THE APPLAUSE: FINDING THE MUSIC WITHIN YOU

Dr. Lisa Chu will share her personal story of recovery from work addiction, and how she discovered the healing power of music for herself after a lifetime of performing for others onstage. She will also lead a creative musical experience with the audience as part of the presentation. No prior music experience required!
Lisa is a classically trained violinist and pianist, having studied both instruments since the age of 3. She performed at Carnegie Hall at age 8, for Pope John Paul II at the Vatican at age 11, at the Kennedy Center at age 13, and for President Boris Yeltsin in Moscow at age 14.
She was also the founder of her own violin school, teaching children in Silicon Valley starting as young as age two and a half. Lisa has an A.B. in Biochemical Sciences from Harvard College, and an M.D. from the University of Michigan Medical School, and grew up in Libertyville, Illinois.

Date: Tuesday, March 15, 2011, 2 to 3 PM



Location: Little House, The Roslyn G. Morris Activity Center
Cost: $2 members/$3 non-members
Info: Julie Scales, (650) 326-2025 ext. 241

NANCY AIRD IN CONCERT  


Join us for a fun-filled, fabulous hour of song and music with Nancy Aird, musician extraordinaire, from Menlo Park Presbyterian Church (MPPC). Nancy is an accomplished vocalist and pianist, who loves to entertain and share her talents with others. She believes passionately in the power of Christ-centered music to bring healing and restoration.
She currently serves on the MPPC staff as Small Groups Operations Manager and leads worship for a variety of Care and Recovery Ministries. She has also participated in worship events at other Bay area churches, including Abundant Life Christian Fellowship, 1st Presbyterian Burlingame, Peninsula Bible Church and West Valley Presbyterian.
Nancy lives in Mountain View with her husband Cecil. They enjoy exploring the backroads of Northern California and watching classic movies.

Date: Tuesday, March 29, 2011, 2 to 3 PM
Location: Little House, The Roslyn G. Morris Activity Center
Cost: $2 members/$3 non-members
Info: Julie Scales, (650) 326-2025 ext. 241

Little House Book Club Birthdays

 What if your reading group had the wisdom of the ages to share? Ours does!

Yesterday the Little House Book Club met for their usual chat, plus a group photo of the members' birthday of the month picture. Featured here are Mary Lou Collyer, Florence Detlorf, and Ina Frymire. We're not sure they want their ages  known...but among the three there's 282 years of life!

It was a fun day with a great turnout.  Come by and join the discussion yourself.


The Little House Book Club meets once a month for lively discussions about selected books. Since not everyone likes the same books, the fun begins as individuals share their critiques and rave about the good and act as editors to try a rewrite of the less favorable themes of author.

Save the Date: Vital Aging Conference

The key to vitality is staying emotionally, cognitively, and physically active.

Multiple studies have shown that the brain remains capable of adapting to stimuli as you age. Little House is the perfect place to increase your vitality. The myriad of classes and programming provide all sorts of opportunities to remain active.

Come join us for our Vital Aging Conference on Sunday, May 22, 2011. You’ll hear from
community experts in older adult issues such as memory, relationships, housing, nutrition, exercise, and more. Keynote speaker, author and longevity expert Dr. Eric Shapira will talk about his new book, “A New Wrinkle.”

Jane West - Our Golden Girl is Always with Us!

PV President Jill Jerrehian

On March 1st Peninsula Volunteers threw a great reception to dedicate Jane West's portrait alcove in our "Jane West Room" at Little House. PVs, Community Advisory Council members, staff and friends all gathered to honor our dear friend Jane once more.

Jane's daughter, Jill McCalister, was thrilled with the portrait and thanked us all for continuing to honor her mother. She read the dedication plaque on the portrait frame: "Our Golden Girl is Always with Us!" You could feel Jane's spirit and presence in all her friends who were there to celebrate her gift of herself to Peninsula Volunteers.

Bart Charlow & Jill McCalister

There were two surprises for Jill McCalister as well. Jill was inducted as an "Honorary PV"; and we had also framed the lovely heartfelt letter that Jane sent to us on her mother's passing. Jill installed the framed letter immediately across from her mother's portrait in the Jane West Room alcove. A fitting tribute and something we can all view for inspiration any time we're at Little House.

The real testimony to Jane's legacy was all around us: the fire in the fireplace, the flowers, and Little House members in droves coming for the evening's exercise classes. Yes, we're getting quite full and that hubbub of people of 3 generations coming to use Little House is the result of all Jane's hard work for us.

Jill McCalister & Jane West's portrait

We hope she would be pleased.

Jill McCalister thanking all

Jill's delight