I hope you will join me and my dear friend, author Anne Lamott, on Oct. 16 at 7pm PT for Love Amidst It All—a special online benefit.
We will explore together how we can love amidst the beauty and the pain of the world. With humor and heart, compassion and encouragement, Anne and I will share stories, teachings, practices, lessons, meanderings, ancient wisdom and modern kindness.
Our benefit supports LGBTQ+ asylum seekers and Oasis Legal Services, a nonprofit started by my daughter Caroline and other dedicated young lawyers to secure safety and asylum for many whose lives are in danger.
By participating in this event and donating even a modest amount, you can help a group of LGBTQ+ refugees from all over the world who have, because of homophobia and transphobia, been targeted, beaten, raped, and betrayed. Rejected by those closest to them who should have protected them. Your help can make a difference.
If you can’t attend but would like access to a recording, you must register by 6pm PT on Oct. 16. You will have 30 days from the original program date to view the recording of this event.
October is LGBT+ History Month!YOU Are Part of this History!
We are hiring for our Senior Program!Help us find the right person! The Spahr Center recently received a grant from Marin County to begin training the staff of senior residential facilities to better care for LGBT+ seniors. We are combining this effort with the Friendly Visitor efforts already begun to create a new halftime position:Senior Program Manager. To view the job announcement, click here.
Please share this information widely. Finding the right person will benefit ourcommunity for years into the future!
Senior Picnic October 16 noon to 2 pm The Social Committee is hosting an LGBT+ Senior Picnic at Miwok Park in Novato on October 16, noon to 2 pm. It will be a BYOE event – Bring Your Own Everything – lunch, utensils, beverage, mask plus a lawn chair if you can. Check out the flyer below. Thank you Debbie & Terry, Beth and Lolma!
UPCOMING EVENTS(more info below)October 14 – Your Sense of BelongingOctober 16 – LGBT+ Senior Picnic at MiwokOctober 19 – Games Day at Sam’s*October 21 – Breakfast at Sam’s*October 21 – LGBT+ History Zoom GroupOctober 26 – Women’s Coffee at Sam’s*Every Mon. & Thu. – Spahr Senior GroupsEvery Tue. – Trans/Non-Binary Support Grp. *Social Committee event, registration required
To join the Spahr Senior GroupMondays, 7 to 8 pm, &Thursdays, 12:30 to 2 pm,click the purple button below the Butterfly Heart or here:
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 October 14When Did You Experience Your Greatest Sense of Belonging?Our overall culture was broken in ways that prevented it from recognizing and valuing us as lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgender and/or non-binary people. We have created our own communities and families, worked to build our own lives and find others who do value us. That effort has made us strong, heroic in ways, and compassionate of others. Let’s talk about the sense we now have of belonging to community and share our insights into ways we can increase it. October 21 LGBT+ HistoryWe have lived through more historical changes around our identities, it seems, than ever during the history of humankind. What stands out in your memory regarding those changes? Were you personally part of that historic change? Let’s talk! Support Group Mondays7 to 8 pm We catch up with each other on how we’re doing and have unstructured conversations focused on listening from our hearts and deepening community.
A Trans/Non-Binary Support Group is offered by The Spahr Center every Tuesday, 7-8:15, for adults 18+. For more information, contact Sam at swood@thespahrcenter.org.
The Spahr Center’s Food Pantryis open to seniors who need support in meeting their nutrition needs. We want to help! Items such as fresh meats, eggs and dairy, prepared meals, pasta, sauces, and canned goods are delivered weekly to people who sign up. Contact The Spahr Center for more information: info@thespahrcenter.org or 415/457-2487
The Social Committee has been consistently offering fun events to offset the boredom of the pandemic. They want to help celebrate your birthday if you’ll let them know when it is. Everyone born in September will be celebrated on September 14th at 4 pm on zoom. They offer a women’s coffee plus a number of times to gather – now in person at Sam’s Place in Novato! – over games, breakfast and conversation. People wishing to attend still must register in advance due to room occupancy limits. To sign up for their emails or register for events, clickhere. To see their calendar & flyers for October, click here. Here’s their flyer for the LGBT+ Senior Picnic at Miwok Park on Oct 16:
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, click here. 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.
New: Covid-19 Risks & Symptoms Q &A Update from CA Dpt. of Public HealthYou will find answers to many of your questions here. Protect Yourself and Your Family and FriendsThe latest advisory is here. FEMA Assistance Programs Related To Covid-19:FEMA will provide financial assistance for COVID-19-related funeral expenses incurred after January 20, 2020. (No income- or citizenship-related requirements.) Call 844/684-6333. More info here. Free legal assistance to low-income people affected by the pandemic includes help with hospital bills, estate administration, problems with landlords, and much more. Call 888/382-3406. More info 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? We have resources and volunteers for:grocery deliveryfood assistancehelp with technology issues such as using zoomproviding weekly comfort calls to check in on youplus more!
The Sonoma County Library is offering virtual events throughout the month of October for all ages, including events for Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month and LGBTQ+ History Month. Registration is required for all events. See a sampling of October’s events below!
ChildrenDon’t miss Family Storytime, live on Zoom on Wednesdays! We model the practices of talking, singing, reading, writing, and playing that will help your child get ready to read. Join us on October 6, 13, and 20 at 10:30 am. See the schedule. There will be a Dia de los Muertos storytime on Wednesday, October 27, at 10:30 am. Meet the Author: Raúl the Third on Saturday, October 9, at 11:00 am. Raúl the Third is the Pura Belpré Honor-winning illustrator and author of ¡Vamos! Let’s Go to the Market and ¡Vamos! Let’s Go Eat.
Tweens/TeensChoose from a selection of teen programming this month (and every month!) Join other teens in beginner’s yoga practice, featuring mindful movement and breath work. Don’t miss Mindful Mondays Yoga with Ozlem on October 4 , 18, and 25 at 4:00 pm. See the schedule. Author of thrillers and fantasy Jennifer Lynn Alvarez will lead writers age nine to 13 through interactive prompts and teach fiction techniques at the Tween Writing Workshop via Zoom on Wednesday, October 20, at 4:00 pm. AdultsJoin us on Tuesday, October 5, at 6:00 pm for a film screening of award-winning documentary film El Cacao then join the conversation with film director Michelle Aguilar. The film threads together the themes of neoliberal ideology, human rights, and the economics of the chocolate industry. Register for Revisiting Coming Out Day in Sonoma County with Magi Fedorka and Adam Richmond on Tuesday, October 19, at 5:30 pm. Fedorka and Richmond, two activists from the 1980s and early 1990s, discuss the explosion of political and community organizing efforts during that period.Learn about the wild early LGBTQ history of San Francisco. Shad Reinstein and Tina Dungan will discuss Before Castro: LGBTQ San Francisco from the 1930s to 1970 on Tuesday, October 26, at 5:30 pm. This month’s Documentary Film Discussion event is on Thursday, October 28, at 6:00 pm and centers around The Gateway Bug: Feeding Humanity in an Uncertain Age. The film explores how changing eating habits can feed humanity. Use a streaming service (Kanopy, Hoopla) to view the film and talk about it via Zoom!Looking for more?
Eventos virtuales de octubre La Biblioteca del Condado de Sonoma está ofreciendo eventos virtuales durante todo el mes de octubre para todas las edades, incluyendo eventos para el Mes de la Herencia Hispana/Latinx y el Mes de la Historia LGBTQ.
Es necesario registrarse para todos los eventos. Vea una muestra de los eventos de octubre a continuación.
NiñosNo te pierdas la hora de cuentos, en vivo por Zoom los miércoles por la mañana! Modelamos las prácticas de hablar, cantar, leer, escribir y jugar que ayudarán a su hijo a prepararse para leer. Únase a nosotros los días 6, 13 y 20 de octubre a las 10:30am. Consulta el horario. Habrá una hora de cuentos del Día de los Muertos el miércoles 27 de octubre a las 10:30am.Conoce al autor: Raúl the Third el sábado 9 de octubre a las 11:00 am. Raúl the Third es el ilustrador ganador del Pura Belpré Honor y autor de ¡Vamos! Vamos al Mercado y ¡Vamos! Vamos a comer.
Preadolescentes / Adolescentes Elije una selección de programación para adolescentes este mes (¡y todos los meses!) Únate a otros adolescentes en la práctica de yoga para principiantes, con movimiento consciente y trabajo de respiración. No te pierdas los talleres de yoga con Ozlem los días 4, 18 y 25 de octubre a las 4:00 pm. Consulta el horario.Jennifer Lynn Alvarez, la autora de novelas de suspenso y fantasía, enseñará técnicas de ficción a escritores de 9 a 13 años a través de mensajes interactivos en el Taller de Escritura Tween vía Zoom el miércoles, 20 de octubre, a las 4:00 pm. AdultosAcompáñenos el
LGBTQI History: A Sonoma County Timeline 1947-2000.Wednesdays 1:30-3pm. Online via Zoom. Wednesday, 10/6 Shad Reinstein will be presenting on the Russian River Gay Mecca 1960s-1986. Please contact me to enroll in this free class and get a Zoom invite: cdungan@santarosa.edu
All LGBTQIA+ youth, families, adults, and elders are welcome at this gathering, which is part of a recurring series of monthly events taking place throughout Sonoma County where we are seeking to bring together members of our community across generations, particularly gender expansive youth, teens, and adults.
At our October gathering we will be led in a series of all-ages yoga activities by local yoga instructor Xochi Lubin-Amaya. Yoga activities will begin at approximately 11:30 and will continue throughout the gathering, and will include offerings for kids depending on attendance and interest.
Please bring your own yoga mat or towel if possible (not required); we anticipate having a few extra mats on hand that you can borrow if needed. Feel free to bring your lunch or snacks, along with any chairs or blankets you would like. We will have water and a small selection of pre-packaged snacks available. We encourage you to bring sunscreen and hand sanitizer as well.
Parking at Riverfront Regional Park costs $7 (or free for folks with a Sonoma County Regional Parks Pass!) and we are happy to reimburse you the day of!
We will have $50 gift cards available at the picnic to families for whom financial barriers such as the cost of gas, a meal, or missed work would otherwise prevent them from attending. If you feel your family could benefit from this support, please fill out the form at the following link:
We at Positive Images and North Bay LGBTQI Families are still very aware of and concerned about the spread of COVID-19. If you are feeling sick in any way, please stay home and take care of yourself. Masks will be mandatory with no exceptions. We will have masks on hand for those who may need them. We will maintain a distance of six feet from one another at all times.
Please check out our Facebook event here for updated information regarding this gathering, and we’re excited to see you then!
FFT’s 20th annual Dining Out For Life event is on December 2!Dining Out For Life raises funds to support our nutrition programs for people living with HIV and other serious medical conditions in Sonoma County. The event lands on Thursday December 2, which follows after World Aids Day. This event is Food For Thought’s most delicious fundraiser of the year, and we would love your help to make it a big success! Plan to dine-in or take-out at one of dozens of participating Sonoma County restaurants on December 2! Participating restaurants will be generously donating a portion of their sales to Food For Thought that day.
We Need Ambassadors! Food For Thought is looking for volunteer ambassadors for Dining Out For Life on the day of the event. Volunteer shifts are available to welcome guests for breakfast, lunch or dinner at a local eatery. Contact HelenM@FFTfoodbank.org for more information.
Check Out the Dish and FFT’s Annual Report Online FFT’s summer newsletter highlights the “food is medicine” concept and the difference that having access to nutritious food makes in improving the health of our clients. The issue also includes a story celebrating Ron Karp’s 25th anniversary as executive director and details about our 2020 Annual Report. You can now view both publications online. Interested in getting a copy of the next issue of the Dish by mail? Click here to sign up.
Support FFT’s Upcoming Food DrivesMore than ever FFT could use help to make our upcoming food drives successful. All of the events listed below are located in Sonoma County. Strong community support ensures that FFT can provide healthy groceries for our neighbors living with serious medical conditions. Community Market Collection Bin6762 Sebastopol Ave, Sebastopol, CA 95472DATE: Ongoing through September, 2021TIME: Store open daily 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Oliver’s Market (Stony Point location) *Volunteers Needed*461 Stony Point Rd, Santa Rosa, CA 95401DATE: Saturday, September 25th, 2021TIME: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
VOLUNTEER. We need food drive volunteers for all of our food drives! We have new COVID-19 safety guidelines to keep our volunteers and donors safe.
DONATE. When ordering or shopping for your own groceries, FFT would greatly appreciate it if you could include any or all of our most needed items: Peanut Butter, Whole Grain Crackers, Olive Oil . These items can be dropped off to the Food For Thought team on the day of the event. Check out our Virtual Food Drive, too!
HOST. Host a food collection for a specific event, season or all year long. Anyone can host a food drive! Businesses, parishes, schools and apartment complexes have all hosted successful Food & Fund Drives for Food For Thought. SPREAD THE WORD. It’s also a huge help to tell every person you know! You can share the events from our Facebook page or forward our emails to your family and friends. For more information about hosting & participating in food drives, click here or email Chelsea at ChelseaP@FFTfoodbank.org.
Sonoma County Art Trails Open Studios are happening today and tomorrow (Sept. 18-19) and next weekend (Sept. 25-26). All around the county, 121 artists – painters, sculptors, ceramicists, glass artists, jewelry makers and more – are awaiting your visit.
Plan your Art Trails itinerary today with our Collectors Guide or get a sense of which studios you’d like to visit by checking out the Sonoma County Art Trails Online Gallery. You can also visit the Art Trails Preview Exhibit at Sebastopol Center for the Arts, 282 High St., where you can see one piece from every Art Trails artist all in one place. So grab a friend and hit the road for Sonoma County Art Trails! So much art, so much fun!
Here’s just a taste of what you’ll see at Sonoma County Art Trails. Works from artists (in rows from top left) Susan Proehl, T Barny, Gen Zorich, Linda Barretta, Terry Sauve, Suzanne Edminster, James Reynolds, Serena Hazard, Teri Sloat, Robert Weiss, Peter Krohn, Michael Constantini, Vicki Folkerts-Coots, Mylette Welch.
LGBTQI History: A Sonoma County Timeline 1947-2000.Wednesdays 1:30-3pm. Online via Zoom. Wed. 9/15 we’ll be talking about the historical significance of Sonoma County LGBT bars. Look forward to seeing you there! Please contact me to enroll and get a Zoom invite: cdungan@santarosa.edu
Are you ready if disaster strikes? Learn how to prepare yourself and your loved ones in case of an emergency with virtual events through the Emergency Preparedness: Sonoma Ready Series!
Advanced registration is required. See a selection of events below. Some events offered with simultaneous Spanish interpretation.
Listen to experts review different brands/types of products for your Go Bag at the Go Bag Product Review event on Saturday, September 18, at 11:00 am. Register here.
How to Home Harden on Saturday, September 25, at 11:00 am, will teach you how to “harden” buildings and create good defensible space so your home can better resist the heat and embers of wildfire. Register here.
In this special storytime on Wednesday, September 29, at 10:30 am, local author Emma Bland Smith will read her book Odin: Dog Hero of the Fires and share behind the scenes photos. Register here for Family Storytime “Odin: Dog Hero of the Fires.”
Join us on Wednesday, September 29, at 6 :00 for a film screening of the award-winning documentary film Wilder than Wild: Fire, Forests, and the Future, then ask questions to our panel of firewise Sonoma County professionals and film directors Kevin White and Stephen Most in a Q&A discussion. Register here.Get Prepared
Thank you for being a member of the Sonoma County Library community. Visit us online or in person at one of our branches. Be sure to check out open jobs at Sonoma County Library here.
Es necesario registrarse con anticipación. Vea una selección de eventos a continuación. Algunos eventos tendrán interpretación simultánea al español.
Escuche a los expertos revisar diferentes marcas/tipos de productos para su bolsa de emergencia en el evento Go Bag Product Review el sábado 18 de septiembre a las 11:00 am. Regístrese aquí. Este evento virtual se estará presentada en inglés con interpretación simultánea al español.
Cómo endurecer su hogarel sábado 25 de septiembre, a las 11:00 am, le enseñará cómo “endurecer” los edificios y crear un buen espacio defensible para que su hogar pueda resistir mejor el calor y las brasas de los incendios forestales. Regístrese aquí.
En este especial hora de cuentos el miércoles 29 de septiembre, a las 10:30 am, la autora local Emma Bland Smith leerá su libro Odin: Dog Hero of the Fires y compartirá fotos detrás de escena. Regístrese aquípara Family Storytime “Odin: Dog Hero of the Fires”. Este evento se ofrecerá solamente en inglés.
Acompáñenos el miércoles, 29 de septiembre, a las 6:00 para una proyección del premiado documental Wilder Than Wild: Fire, Forests and the Future y una conversación con nuestro panel de profesionales del fuego del Condado de Sonoma y los directores de cine Kevin White y Stephen Most. Regístrese aquí. Este evento se ofrecerá solamente en inglés.Prepárese
Gracias por ser miembro de la comunidad de Bibliotecas del Condado de Sonoma. Visítenos en línea o en persona en una de nuestras sucursales. Asegúrese de consultar los trabajos disponible en la Biblioteca del Condado de Sonoma aquí.
¿Preguntas? Por favor llame a su biblioteca local o haga clic para mandar un mensaje.
A Trans/Non-Binary Support Group is offered by The Spahr Center every Tuesday, 7-8:15, for adults 18+. For more information, contact Sam at 
More than ever FFT could use help to make our upcoming food drives successful. All of the events listed below are located in Sonoma County. Strong community support ensures that FFT can provide healthy groceries for our neighbors living with serious medical conditions.
