UPCOMING EVENTSall events are free February 7LGBTQ+ & HIV+ Grief Group **at the Spahr Center and on zoom(see flyer below for more details)7 to 8 pm February 14A Special Valentine’s Day!where we throw away the idea that Valentine’s Day is only about romantic loveSecond Tuesday LGBT Senior Group at Mgt. Todd Senior Center 1560 Hill Road, Novatowatch for details!12:30 to 2:30  February 15Monthly Mixer at San Rafael Joe’s please RSVP to Will: wboemer@thespahrcenter.org4:30 to 6 pm – from 4th Street entrance February 16Death Cafe Conversationled by Patricia Stamm & Jerry Schmitzon our weekly Thursday 12:30 zoom * Social Committee event, RSVP required;to RSVP or get on their email list, write to them at socialcommittee@comcast.net ** See flyer below

Shirley Pahl, a longtime member of our community, died last month. A memorial for her on Sunday, January 29, has just been announced. Please RSVP by text to 407/509-1366 if you plan to participate.

Be Heard!  Join this anonymous survey to make sure Marin County Mental Health and Recovery Services offer what we need as a community. You will enter your name and mailing address separately to get your gift card.

SAGECents SAGECents is a digital wellness platform made specifically for LGBTQ+ elders to increase financial stability and reduce economic stress. By creating a free account, registrants instantly access tools, information, and resources that are curated for the LGBTQ+ experience to help seniors make the financial decisions that are right for their life.  You can learn more and start the process here. SAGE is a terrific national advocacy and services organization for LGBTQ+ elders, offering a wide range of resources for us. More information here.

To join the Spahr Senior Groupon ZoomMondays, 7 to 8 pm, &Thursdays, 12:30 to 2 pm,click the purple button below the Butterfly Heart or here: 

Join Group

New participants are warmly welcomed!If you’re zoom-challenged, let me know and I’ll work with you!

Topical Thursdays12:30 to 2 pm January 26Topic: The Best Thing Someone Told MeIt may have come in the form of advice, or a story from someone’s life, or a recommendation that you read a certain author or listen to someone’s music. Perhaps they shared their interest in a topic that became an inspiration for you. Maybe they held a mirror up to you that helped you see yourself in a new way. Most of us remember someone saying something to us that changed the direction of our lives or deepened our understanding of life itself. Let’s remember those moments and share them our community circle.

Living Room Mondays7 to 8 pm We share with each other about how we’re doing and have unstructured conversations focused on listening from our hearts and deepening community.

The Northbay LGBT+ Senior Social Committee has been consistently offering meaningful, fun events for the senior community. Everyone born in any month will be celebrated in that month’s email – including your birthday if you’ll let them know when it rolls around!  To sign up for their emails or register for events, click here. Watch here for their February calendar coming soon.

Unity In Marin is a welcoming and inclusive spiritual community committed to individual and collective transformation. Unity offers an open-ended approach to spirituality rather than a closed or dogmatic one. Whatever our race, faith background, sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnicity, or culture, Unity’s goal is to have us remember our true divine nature and support & encourage the evolution of our consciousness. Their vision is to realize “a world powerfully transformed through shared spiritual awakening.” You can learn more about Unity In Marin’s commitment to Diversity Equity and Inclusion at  https://unityinmarin.org/dei/

Coronavirus Updates A new Bivalent Covid Vaccine is available and it is recommended that most seniors get that shot. Contact your health provider for more information.  The Spahr Center has coronavirus rapid home test kits & masks and they are available for free in the office – 150 Nellen Avenue, Suite 100, Corte Madera 94925; 415/457-2487. The office is open 10 am – 3 pm weekdays. Only vaccinated people may come to the office and masks must be worn inside the building. Any staff person can direct you to the kits. This is a great resource we are pleased to offer, please don’t hesitate to get these kits! In order to keep track of new infections, the County asks that we report self-test results here.  To see Marin County’s latest pandemic information, click here.  The mask recommendations of the Mask Nerd– an aerosol scientist who studies mask effectiveness – are featured in this article and highly informative video.  May we all be safe and well!

Community Notices

The Spahr Center’s Food Pantry is open to seniors who need support in meeting their nutritional needs. We want to help! Items such as fresh vegies, fruit & meats, eggs and dairy, prepared meals, pasta, sauces, and canned goods are delivered weekly to people who sign up. Glen & Robert, our Pantry Managers, do a terrific job in trying to meet the individual needs and preferences of the people we serve.

Contact The Spahr Center for more information: info@thespahrcenter.org or 415/457-2487Space for your Community Notice here. Email Bill with information at bblackburn@thespahrcenter.org.

Vivalon Resources for Seniors  Whistlestop, now renamed Vivalon, offers many resources for us seniors, now listed in this easy-to-print one-page guide. Access to rides, food, classes, activities, resources, referrals, and more. Membership not required for most classes and services during the pandemic. Some in-person events are being planned. To get Vivalon’s listings, clickhere. They also provide access to resources including rides for older adults. Please note: there is a 3-week registration process for the ride program so register now if you think you may need rides in the future. Click here for their website.  The Jackson Cafe has great specials, a roomy dining room, small tables and big round tables for groups. Open 11:30 to 1:45; $8 for members, $10 for guests, with takeout readily available. You can find their daily changing menu and more information here.

Building Community in the Midst of Sheltering-in-PlaceSee old friends and make new ones! Join us!The Spahr Center’s LGBT Senior Discussion Groupscontinue everyMonday, 7 to 8 pm& Thursday, 12:30 to 2 pm on zoom

To Join Group by Video using Computer, Smart Phone or TabletJust click this button at the start time, 6:55 pm Mondays / 12:25 pm Thursdays:Join GroupAlways the same link! Try it, it’s easy!

To Join Group by Phone CallIf you don’t have internet connections or prefer joining by phone,call the following number at the start time,6:55 pm Mondays / 12:25 pm Thursdays:1-669-900-6833The Meeting id is 820 7368 6606#(no participant id required)The password, if requested, is 135296#If you want to be called into the group by phone, notify Bill Blackburn at 415/450-5339

California Department of Aging ResourcesThe CDA has a website that is packed with information and resources relevant to the lives of seniors in our state. From Covid-19 updates to more general care for age-related health issues, access to legal assistance to getting home-delivered meals to help with housing, you may well find answers to your questions by clicking: here.

Adult and Aging Service’s Information and Assistance Line, providing information and referrals to the full range of services available to older adults, adults with disabilities and their family caregivers, has a new phone number and email address: 415/473-INFO (4636) 8:30 am to 4:30 pm weekdays473INFO@marincounty.org

Questions? Assistance? Suggestions?  We have resources and volunteers for:grocery deliveryfood assistanceproviding weekly comfort calls to check in on youplus more! Bill BlackburnLGBTQ+ Senior Program Managerbblackburn@thespahrcenter.org415/450-5339 Funding for this program, at least in part, is made available by the Older Americans Act, administered locally by the Marin Department of Health & Human Services, Aging & Adult Services.