Last Month - Mount Vernon At Home

STAYING POWER
™
JULY 2016 NEWSLETTER
From the Executive Director
W
elcome summer! By now, many of our members have met our summer intern,
Christine Delude, a George Mason University student pursuing a B.S. in social work
with a concentration on gerontology. Christine sent out our recent health and wellness survey to all members. She is very busy studying the effects of isolation and being less active.
And as studies have shown, isolation and inactivity can lead to increased feelings of loneliness, depression and a higher risk of illness for older adults.
One of the great benefits of Mount Vernon At Home is our community! Here are a few
ways to stay active:





Sign up for and attend one of our many activities or events
Volunteer to accompany someone to a program
Have a volunteer come for a friendly visit or help with small household errands
Host one of our socials
Join one of our committees to plan our calendar
Mount Vernon At Home offers the opportunity to make new connections and friendships. Our job is to make
socializing easy and comfortable. Our programs are designed to encourage members to get to know one and
another and remain socially active. Take a good look at this month’s newsletter, especially our calendar for
trips, restaurants, outings, bridge groups and lectures. Call our office and we will help you get there.
Mount Vernon At Home’s sense of community and connection grow every year. With each new member, we’re
introduced to a whole life story that includes an individual’s talents, curiosity and ideas that expands our notions of what is possible. We have a full program agenda planned in July to connect members. Please help us
get the word out by sharing this invitation with friends and neighbors.
Barbara Sullivan
Cheers! At the Edelmans’
On April 28 Margaret and Arnold Edelman were our
hosts for Cheers! in their lovely Hollin Hills home. It
was a delight to be there. Their spacious living room
brought back lots of memories of the early beginnings
of Mount Vernon At Home in 2007-08.
Arnold and Margaret were there from the very start of
our organization, they were pioneers in founding and
developing Mount Vernon At Home. That living room
was the site of many meetings and discussions about
our budget, our by-laws, our future website – and
many other features of Mount Vernon At Home that
we almost take for granted today.
Later, after we got going, that same living room was
the venue for our Conversations lecture series for
www.mountvernonathome.org
several years, with the Edelmans moving lots of furniture to make room for us all, and serving cookies and
cider for us to enjoy.
This time we were back for a purely social event, and
that same room, and the Edelmans, served us well
once more. Cheers to Margaret and Arnold, and our
sincere, heartfelt thanks for your service and your
friendship over the years!
Mount Vernon At Home
Welcomes Our Newest Members!

Mary Barker - Stratford on the Potomac
David Dougherty - Stratford on the Potomac
Skip & Mariby Johns - Tauxemont
703-303-4060
[email protected]
Mount Vernon At Home
2016 Board of Directors Officers
President: Richard Hart
Vice President: Teresa Dyer
Treasurer: Alan Gray
Secretary: Cher Terry
Directors
Priscilla Bornmann
Theresa Dixon
Julie Ellis
Ross Hunt
Barbara Knight
Paul Krizek
Thomas Lawler
Mary Peters
David Prescott
Franki Roberts
Elaine Serlin
Eileen Spinella
Lee Wampler
Professional Staff
Barbara Sullivan
Executive Director
Betsy Clagett
Office Manager
_____________________________
To reach us:
703-303-4060 (M-F, 10 am - 4 pm)
[email protected]
www.mountvernonathome.org
Office location
Sherwood Regional Library
2501 Sherwood Hall Lane
Alexandria, VA 22306
Mailing address
P.O. Box 7493
Alexandria, VA 22307
_____________________________
To become a member, call our office
at 703-303-4060.
To support Mount Vernon At Home,
go to www.mountvernonathome.org
and click on “Donate.” Mount
Vernon At Home is a 501(c)3 charitable institution. Your gift is tax deductible. All donations welcome!
Connect with Mount Vernon At
Home at:
July 2016 Staying Power - 4
Arena Stage - Interested in a Matinee?
Some of our members have expressed interest in attending a matinee
production at Arena Stage this fall. There are two upcoming productions
you might want to consider: as part of the Lilian Hellman Festival, The
Little Foxes is playing September 23-October 30. This is Lilian Hellman’s
tale of greed, betrayal and all the sordid ties taking sibling rivalry to unimaginable heights. From October 28-December 24, Arena Stage will feature
Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Carousel, the epic production with classic
songs June is Bustin’ Out All Over and You Never Walk Alone.
Weekday matinee ticket prices range from $55-$75 and weekend
matinee tickets are $75-$90 depending on seating. If you are interested in
participating, carpools and transportation options will be decided based
on the number of participants. Depending on member response, Mount
Vernon At Home will buy Arena tickets by September 1, 2016. Please call
our office if you are interested with production choice and availability.
Let’s Have Coffee! - Morning Coffees At Panera
Coming in the Fall
Starting in September, Barbara Sullivan will join Mount
Vernon At Home members for informal coffee gatherings at Panera located in the Beacon Hill Shopping
Center. This will be a great opportunity to stop by, catch up with old
friends and make new friends in an informal morning coffee chit chat.
And the Panera croissants are delicious as a splurge! More details will follow in the next newsletter.
Member Requests
Please be sure to call our office with your “help” requests with as much
advance notice as possible, especially in the summer months. So many of
our fabulous volunteers are busy this time of year enjoying time with
their families, taking vacations and entertaining house guests that advance planning is most appreciated. Thanks!
Mount Vernon At Home by the Numbers…
Services and Support in May 2016
Volunteer drivers completed 127 one way
transportation requests for medical
appointments, grocery shopping, and other errands; an additional 26 requests were assigned
volunteer drivers and members subsequently cancelled these requests.
Volunteers/staff completed 31 requests for
home technology, home maintenance, errands, preferred provider referrals, etc.
JULY 2016 MEMBER EVENTS
Sun
Mon
To RSVP, call
our office at
703-303-4060
during regular
office hours on
weekdays
10:00-4:00.
Please
remember to
wear your
name tags to
our events.
Makes for
great
mingling.
3
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
1
Sat
2
Our office is
closed for the
July 4th
holiday.
5
4
™
6
7
Grocery
Shopping
1:00 pm
Happy
Fourth of
July!
8
9
14
15
16
21
22
23
29
30
Lunch Bunch
Chadwicks
12:00 pm
Our office is
closed.
10
11
12
13
Dinner
Ventures
Taverna
Cretekou
6:00 pm
17
18
19
Lunch at
Severn Inn
Annapolis, MD
10:30 am
24
31
25
26
Bridge Group
10:00 am
at the home of
Virginia
Hodgkinson
Grocery
Shopping
1:00 pm
___________________________
Afternoon Tea
for Paul Spring
Residents
2:30 pm
20
Grocery
Shopping
1:00 pm
__________________________
Stroke
Lecture
1:30 pm
Paul Spring RC
27
Cheers!
at the home of
Vronna Endahl
5:00 pm
28
Grocery
Shopping
1:00 pm
July 2016 Staying Power - 5
July Member Events
Shopping/Errand Days: The grocery shopping days in July are Wednesday, July 6, 13, 20, and 27. Reservations
are required by the Friday prior to the scheduled shopping day.
Thursday, July 7: Lunch Bunch. 12:00. Chadwicks, 203 Strand Street (Old Town). RSVP to our office by Tuesday, July 5. Parking lot directly across the street from Chadwicks. Transportation options available.
Tuesday, July 12: Dinner Ventures. 6:00 pm. Taverna Cretekou, 818 King St (Old Town). Enjoy your favorite
Greek dishes at Taverna Cretekou. RSVP to our office by Wednesday, July 6. Transportation options available.
Wednesday, July 13. Paul Spring Retirement Community Residents - Afternoon Tea. 2:30 pm. Please join us
for an afternoon tea with other Paul Spring residents who are Mount Vernon At Home members. Bring along a
friend or two! RSVP to our office by Friday, July 8.
Tuesday, July 19: Lunch at Severn Inn, Annapolis, MD. 10:30 am. With panoramic views of Annapolis, the Naval Academy, and Severn River, Severn Inn offers classic American fare and seafood. Plan to meet on the uppermost level of the Mt. Vernon Recreation Center parking lot (recycling bin level) at 10:30 am. Depending on participation response, van transportation ($) may be available. RSVP to our office by Tuesday July 12.
Thursday, July 21: Cheers. 5:00-6:30 pm. At the home of Vronna Endahl, 8633 Fort Hunt Road (22308).
Bring your own beverage and a large appetizer for 4-6 people to share. RSVP to the office by Friday, July 15. Call
our office for transportation options.
Tuesday, July 26: Bridge. 10:00 am. At the home of Virginia Hodgkinson, 5904 Mt. Eagle Dr, #308
(Montebello). Reservations are required. Call Kae Wells (703-360-6159) or email her at [email protected]
to make your reservation. Call our office for transportation options.
Community Events
Wednesday, July 20. Medical Discussion. 1:30 pm. Paul Spring Retirement Community, 7116 Fort Hunt Rd.
Roger Koment, PhD, will discuss the mechanisms of stroke. The lecture will last about an hour. RSVP to Paul
Spring Retirement Community at 703-768-0234.
And Now For the Latest Scam…
The Social Security Inspector General warns that scammers are phoning older adults, pretending to offer help
applying for disability benefits. Many of these older adults have not actually applied for benefits. This is a scam.
The callers are phishing for Social Security and bank account numbers. Be aware!
Health, Wellness and Quality of Life
Questionniare
Thank you to the many Mount Vernon At Home
members who completed and mailed in their questionnaire that were sent out in early June. Please
take the time to complete this questionnaire and
return it to our office by July 5. Our intern, Christine
DeLude, will be compiling and analyzing survey
results, which will be shared in our next newsletter.
www.mountvernonathome.org
Bridge Game Winners
April 2016
First Place - Virginia Hodgkinson
Second Place - Ross Hunt
703-303-4060
May 2016
First Place - Richard Hart
Second Place - Kae Wells
[email protected]