MAY 2013
HEALTH BITS
May 19 Getting from Here to There
On Sunday, May 19, from noon to 4 p.m., Asbury Methodist Village will host “Driving and Beyond...Getting From Here to There, a Symposium and Mobility Resource Fair for Older Adults and Their Families.” The free program explores both driver safety and transportation resources. It takes place at Asbury’s Rosborough Center, 301 Odendhal Ave., Gaithersburg, Md. Space is limited; RSVP requested. Call 1-877-926-8300 or go to http://aarp.cvent.com/mddriversymposium.
May 20 Enhance Your Low Vision
At the monthly Dupont Circle Village Live and Learn Seminar, Dr. Rajiv Luthra, of the Department of Ophthalmology at the Georgetown University School of Medicine, will outline ways to accommodate low vision in daily activities. The program will be held from 3:30 to 5 p.m. on Monday, May 20 in Studio A at The Studio Theatre at 1501 14th St. NW, Washington, D.C. For reservations, contact Linda Harsh at (202) 234-2567 or lindajkh@mac.com. Cost is free for Village members and $10 for non-members.
May 30 Health And Wellness Fair
The White Oak Senior Center is hosting its First Annual Health & Wellness Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, May 30 — National Senior Fitness Day. There will be speakers, demonstrations, entertainment and a variety of vendors tailored to the interests of the senior community. For inquiries, call (240) 777-6944.
June 8 Learn About Your Retina
“Vision Matters: The Aging Retina – What You Should Know” is a free symposium that will discuss a leading cause of vision loss in people over 50. Hear from ophthalmologist Dr. Richard Alan Garfinkel, medical advisor emeritus of the Macular Degeneration Network, on Saturday, June 8 from 10 a.m. to noon at Friendship Heights Village Center, 4433 South Park Ave., Chevy Chase, Md. Complimentary parking on the rear deck of the Courtyard by Marriott. To register for this free program, call (301) 656-2797.
Ongoing Learn How To Deal With Vision Loss
Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind offers free services to individuals living in Arlington County who are coping with vision loss. There are group classes, support groups, and instruction in independent living skills, Braille, orientation and mobility training and adaptive technology. For more information, visit www.clb.org or contact Gail Snider at (240) 737-5170 or gsnider@clb.org.
Ongoing Independent Living Project
Fairfax County is offering a free six-week program that includes a gentle exercise program to improve strength and balance, presentations on county services, a healthy cooking demonstration, and advice on how to manage your healthcare and prescriptions. Led by professional social workers, the group meets at the Centreville Regional Library at 14200 St. Germain Dr., Centreville, Va., from May 8 to June 12 on Wednesdays from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Register online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dfs/olderadultservices/independent.htm or call (703) 324-7210, TTY 711. For more information, visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/olderadults.
Events Bits
May 19 All About the War of 1812
Learn about the War of 1812 and the history that was made in Maryland. “The War in Our Back Yard” is a free event and will take place on Sunday, May 19 at 1 p.m. at 10701 Livingston Rd., Fort Washington, Md. This event is presented by the Harmony Hall Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, with the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission. For inquiries, contact HarmonyHallDAR@gmail.com or visit http://rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mdhhcdar/Harmony_Hall.html
May 18 Experience Asian Heritage
Celebrate Asian Heritage Month at the 8th Annual National Asian Heritage Festival — Fiesta Asia. This celebration is a multicultural street fair on Saturday, May 18 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. along Pennsylvania Ave. NW between 3rd & 6th Sts. in Washington, D.C. Entertainment and activities include over eight hundred performers and seventy diverse groups from over twenty cultures locally, regionally and internationally. For more information, see www.asiaheritagefoundation.org.
May 18 5K+ Volksmarch Walk
The Seneca Valley Sugarloafers Volksmarch Club is sponsoring a Garrett Park/Kensington Walk on Saturday, May 18. This free 10 km. walk (with a 5 km. option) is suitable for wheelchairs. The walk begins and ends at the Safeway located at 10541 Connecticut Ave., Kensington, Md. Registration is between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. Race must be completed by 2 p.m. For more information, contact Carolyn Thurber at (301) 926-0915 or cbthurber@verizon.net.
May 19 Productive Aging Awards
The annual Jewish Council for the Aging Productive Aging Award Dinner takes place Sunday, May 19 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Conference Center, 5701 Marinelli Rd., Rockville, Md. Among those to be honored are Doris and Richard Goodwin. Doris wrote Team of Rivals, the book that inspired the movie Lincoln. There will be a silent auction inspired by Doris's writings, including tips, unique sports and movie memorabilia. Tickets, which may be partially tax deductible, are $300 each; table of 10 for $2,500. Register online at www.accessjca.org/article/10/upcoming-events or call Micki Gordon at (301) 255-4231.
May 25 Alzheimer’s Workshop in Spanish
Carmen Melendez, pastor and advocate for the National Alzheimer’s Association, will present a program entirely in Spanish about the 10 warning signs and clues for early detection of Alzheimer’s on Saturday, May 25 from 10 a.m. to noon. “Know the 10 Signs: Early Detection Matters” will take place at Culpepper Garden Senior Center at 4435 N. Pershing Dr., Arlington, Va. Please register by May 22 by calling (703) 228-4403.
Ongoing Ask A Master Gardner
Montgomery County Master Gardeners will present Ask A Master Gardener, a free clinic that will be featured at 13 different locations from April through October. Interested participants can bring inquiries and full (and intact) plant and insect samples for free advice from the masters. For information about locations and times, contact the Master Gardener Plant Helpline at (301) 590-9650 on weekday mornings or by email at mgmont@umd.edu.
MONEY BITS
May 21 How to Make a Living Will
Learn more about, and get expert answers on, living wills and other advance care directives on Tuesday, May 21 from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Fountains at Washington House, 5100 Fillmore Ave., Alexandria, Va. Guest speaker attorney Gene D. Robinson III will answer questions, as well as explain the important distinction between appointing your own power of attorney in advance and having a guardian appointed for you during a crisis. Attendance is free. To reserve a seat, call 1-877-254-9840 by Friday, May 17.
ARTS BITS
May 18 Free Workshops for Writers
Enjoy free workshops during this year's Gaithersburg Book Festival from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 18. Choose from such topics as "Speed Speechwriting: 60 Minutes from Idea to Standing Ovation" and "Whodunit! How to Write a Mystery." All Writer’s Center workshops will be limited to 20 participants, first-come, first-served. Register at the festival in the Writer’s Center Tent at 31 S. Summit Ave., Gaithersburg, Md. For more information and the schedule, visit http://gaithersburgbookfestival.org/gbf-programs/workshops.
May 18 See Showboat For Free
While the musical Showboat runs at the Kennedy Center, Washington National Opera brings a free, live simulcast of this performance to Nationals Park on Saturday, May 18. Watch the show on high definition screens at M&M's "Opera in the Outfield.” Gates open at 5 p.m., and the show begins at 7 p.m. Seating is limited; arrive early. For more information, see www.kennedy-center.org/wno/outreach/simulcast/.
June 1+ Explore Museums for Free
On Saturday, June 1 and Sunday, June 2, nine museums, including the Phillips Collection and the Textile Museum, will open their doors for free exploration. The 30th Annual Dupont Kalorama Museum Walk Weekend offers exhibitions and other events, including a neighborhood-wide scavenger hunt, period music, jazz and even a sheep shearing. Events will take place rain or shine. There will be a shuttle moving between locations. Please see individual museums for hours. For more information, visit www.dkmuseums.com.
Ongoing See The Gibson Girl
The Library of Congress presents “The Gibson Girl's America,” an exhibition of 24 drawings and works that depict the famous Gibson Girl image created by Charles Dana Gibson. It will also trace the impact of women on modern America. This presentation is free and open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday through August 17 in the Graphic Arts Galleries on the ground level of the Library's Thomas Jefferson Building at 1st St. SE, Washington, D.C.
Ongoing Explore Renaissance Ireland
Step back in time and visit the Folger Shakespeare Library's exhibit, “Nobility and Newcomers in Renaissance Ireland,” through Sunday, May 19. Exhibitions and free guided tours will explore the life of Irish nobility and illuminate the artistic, cultural and ideological exploration that occurred in Ireland during the Renaissance. The library is located at 201 East Capitol St. SE, Washington, D.C. See www.folger.edu/wosummary.cfm?woid=796 for more information.
Volunteer Bits
Ongoing Help others by Driving
Fairfax County needs volunteers to drive older adults to weekly health and wellness programs. If interested, contact Fairfax County's Volunteer Solutions at (703) 324-5406, TTY (703) 449-1186 or email VolunteerSolutions@fairfaxcounty.gov.
Ongoing Give New Life to Old Musical Instruments
Old or unused instruments collecting dust? Opera NOVA offers a way to give new life to old instruments and help those who are less fortunate. Old instruments will be donated to those who cannot afford their own. All instruments are accepted, including drums, clarinets and violins. Any recorders donated will be sent to an orphanage in Haiti. If you are interested in donating, please contact Miriam Miller at (703) 536-7557 or mcdm1@verizon.net. For more information, see www.operaguildnova.org.
Ongoing Help Those In Pain
Interested in making a different in peoples' lives? The Pain Connection — Chronic Pain Outreach Center, Inc. is looking for compassionate volunteers to assist them in providing information, training and therapy to those in pain, their families, and healthcare providers. Volunteers are either member outreach workers who communicate with members, or mental or medical health professional who may lead support groups. If interested, contact Pain Connection online at www.painconnection.org/contact.html.
Ongoing Give them a break! Caregivers, that is
Fairfax County needs Respite Care Volunteers throughout the county to give family caregivers of frail older adults a well-deserved break. Volunteers visit and oversee the safety of an older adult for a few hours each month. Volunteers are matched with families in or near their own neighborhoods. Support and training is provided. Contact Kristin Martin at (703) 324-7577, TTY 711, or Kristin.Martin@fairfaxcounty.gov. Find more information on this and other services at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/olderadults.
Ongoing Seeking Volunteers to Change Lives
The District of Columbia Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program seeks interested individuals to serve as ombudsman volunteers in long-term care facilities. Ombudsman volunteers serve as advocates for residents of nursing homes, assisted-living facilities and community-living facilities, protecting residents’ rights and promoting the highest possible quality of care. For more information, contact Genesis Cachedon at (202) 434-2037 or gcachedon@aarp.org.
Ongoing Free Brochure about Community Input
Interested in giving advice to the Montgomery County Department of Transportation? The Community Outreach Meeting Guide 2013 is a free brochure describing the eight main resident advisory groups that advise the department and when they meet. Each group is a committee made up of residents, business representatives, civic and community leaders, and county representatives that advise the department on community concerns and priorities. Attendance is open, and residents are encouraged to apply for membership when available. For a copy of the brochure, call (240) 777-7155 or email mcdot.outreach@montgomerycountymd.gov. Visit www.montgomerycountymd.gov/dotdir/resources/files/meetingguide.pdf. to view this brochure online.
Ongoing Donate Art and Collectibles
From fine art to folk art, modern to traditional, Judaic and non-Judaic, collectibles, framed or unframed paintings, limited edition prints, sculpture, and fine crafts, donate your no-longer-wanted items (in good condition) to the annual Better Treasures Art Show & Sale! Profits benefit future gallery shows and educational programming. Artwork is accepted year round. If you wish to donate, please bring items to the front desk anytime the Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington (JCCGW) is open. For more information, contact Phyllis Altman at paltman@jccgw.org or (301) 348-3770. The JCCGW is located at 6125 Montrose Rd., Rockville, Md.
TRAVEL BITS
May 18 Elderhostel Seminar
Find out about all-inclusive travel programs offered by Elderhostel, Inc., a not-for-profit lifelong learning travel organization, at a free event on Saturday, May 18 at 11 a.m. at 7001 Little River Turnpike, Annandale, Va. Register online (starting May 4) at: https://va.evanced.info/fairfaxcounty/lib/eventcalendar.asp or call (703) 256-3800. Event is titled "Road Scholar/Elderhostel" on the website.
May 23 Walking Tour of Annapolis
A costumed guide will narrate and lead a two- to three-hour tour through the charming historic streets of Old Town Annapolis, the historic State Capitol, St. Johns College and the exteriors of famous mansions. Complete the day with a narrated cruise on the Harbor Queen. Lunch, on your own, in City Dock area. Buses for this Montgomery County Recreation Dept. trip depart from Olney Manor Park, 16601 Georgia Ave., Olney, Md. at 8:15 a.m. on Tuesday, May 23 and return at 4:30 p.m. Cost is $60. For more details and to register (starting May 6), visit https://recweb.montgomerycountymd.gov/Activities/ActivitiesDetails.asp.
Ongoing Free Brochure on Fairfax County Tours
Fairfax County hosts a number of interesting and reasonably priced day tours and trips. To receive a free brochure, contact the Tours Program Coordinator at (703) 324-5220 and leave a voicemail with your name and address. To automatically receive a list of upcoming tours, email tours@fairfaxcounty.gov.
