Pasadena Senior Center Remains Social Despite Pandemic With Robust Lineup of Events

A group of senior citizens gathers around a computer in this undated picture. Photo Courtesy Pasadena Senior Center via Facebook.

To keep spirits high and to combat the negative effects of isolation, the Pasadena Senior Center is hosting another episode of its virtual social hour this Tuesday, September 15, starting at 10:30 a.m., for seniors who are looking to spend some online time and continue making connections with other seniors in the community, despite COVID-19.

During the virtual social hour, which the Pasadena Senior Center started in mid-May, around a dozen people will listen to a special guest who possesses a particular skill and will share the experience in an informal conversation with those attending.

“We find the experience best compares to a brunch or dinner party, with everyone sitting around the table, some who know each other and others who have just met, with everyone talking around a random subject suggested by the host,” said Akila Gibbs, Executive Director of the Pasadena Senior Center. “Some real friendships are being formed through these sessions. A few topics that stand out as particularly fun or memorable were Cooking, Shopping, and Advice. The larger the group of participants, the harder conversation becomes and it turns more to presentation style rather than give-and-take.”

The largest attendance they’ve had was with about 18 people, one which had music as the topic, and another which talked about poetry, Gibbs said.

“However, some of the most memorable of the sessions were ones with only six to eight participants, when everyone was really able to share and have conversations,” she added.

Tuesday’s session will be the third this month and is free for anyone who wants to join, the announcement said. The session will be about photography. Two more sessions are in store for September, one about autumn recipes and the last one about movies and TV.

“I chose photography specifically because two of our regulars are photographers, and because I am an enthusiast myself,” Gibbs said. “The subject is intentionally left general so that everyone can take part in the conversation, like ‘If you don’t take photos, do you like looking at them? If you do take photos, what do you shoot and how? What do people do with photos once they’ve taken them? Is photography art or documentation, or both?’ I’m sure some advice will be asked and given as well. What direction the conversation takes will depend on who attends and what their personal relationship to the topic.”

The free virtual social hour is accessible on Zoom. To register and for additional information, visit www.pasadenaseniorcenter.org/social-hour.

For anyone who misses actually visiting the Senior Center, Gibbs explains they do not anticipate being back in the center soon, nor that the Center could be fully operational until late next year. She said the biggest challenge is keeping the Center’s doors open, and they’ve been trying to raise funds which at this time is difficult.

“All of our revenue streams have been eliminated,” she said. “For the most part, we make money off of renting the building, which we can’t. We get some revenue from the parking lot in the back, and that’s not being utilized. We make money off of membership, and we’ve seen a slight decrease in classes, so it’s a challenge.”

In spite of the difficulty, the Center continues to offer more Zoom classes which have been increasingly popular. Currently, the Center is hosting about 35 different classes and activities online, including dance and fitness classes, yoga, strength training, and lessons on such skills as creative writing, sewing, art, and language training.

“People really like it,” Gibbs said. “The silver lining is that we are communicating with people in ways that we’ve never done before. And even when all of this is over, I think we’ll still have some kind of online presence.”

Additionally, the Pasadena Senior Center is hosting a series of Autumn classes that range from dance and hobbies to exercise and fitness.

Most courses are 10 weeks; a few are eight, five, and four weeks. All are taught by experienced instructors who are certified in their respective fields. The total cost of each course ranges from $40 to $85 for Pasadena Senior Center members and $50 to $95 for non-members. Scholarships for low-income older adults are available on a limited basis.

Register for autumn classes no later than Friday, Oct. 9, at www.pasadenaseniorcenter.org. Everyone who registers will receive email instructions for accessing the Zoom classes online.

A list of autumn classes available to sign-up for can be found at the bottom of this article.

The Senior Center has also established a phone bank, which staff and volunteers use to call members on a rotational basis. Since March, the Center has been assisting members in dire straits using this lifeline, including some who hadn’t been eating for days, Gibbs said.

“They didn’t know who to call. Some of them were running out of food, couldn’t find toilet paper,” she said. “So at this critical time, we are doing everything we can do to reach out and make sure people know that we’re a resource and that we’re here for them.”

Besides the Center doing this process of contacting seniors, Gibbs said those who have older members of the family who may not be living with them can help by reaching out to the seniors or asking neighbors to check on them.

For any information on how to help, or how you can seek help for seniors, visit the Pasadena Senior Center’s website, www.pasadenaseniorcenter.org.

August Classes at Pasadena Senior Center

Dance

• Zumba Gold – Mondays from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. beginning Oct. 12. This low-intensity dance/fitness program features Latin and world rhythms.

• Beginning Tap – Tuesdays from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. beginning Oct 13. Learn basic steps during each class, followed by a fun tap routine.

• Intermediate Tap – Tuesdays from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. beginning Oct. 13. Learn new routines as well as standard routines such as the Shim Sham Shimmy.

• Solo Ballroom Dancing – Wednesdays from 2 to 3 p.m. beginning Oct. 14. No dance partner at home? No problem! Learn basic patterns of rumba, cha-cha, waltz, and swing, plus leading, following, and developing timing and rhythm.

• Solo Ballroom Line Dancing – Wednesdays from 3 to 4 p.m. beginning Oct. 14. Learn basic steps from foxtrot to cha in a line dance format.

• BollyX LIT – Fridays from 3 to 4 p.m. beginning Oct. 16. This low-impact course is Bollywood-inspired, features dynamic choreography, and improves coordination and mind-body awareness.

Exercise/Fitness

• Strength Training –Mondays and Thursdays from 10 to 11 a.m. beginning Oct. 5. If you don’t have free weights, stretchable bands, or ankle weights, use anything that creates resistance, such as bottles of water, scarves, and cans of soup.

• Beginner/Intermediate Pep Up Your Life – Saturdays from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. beginning Oct. 10. This introductory course increases flexibility, balance, muscle mass, and bone density.

• Beginner/Intermediate Pep Up Your Life (additional class) – Tuesdays from 8 to 9 a.m. beginning Oct. 13. This introductory course increases flexibility, balance, muscle mass, and bone density.

• Beginner/Intermediate Pep Up Your Life (additional class) – Fridays from 8 to 9 a.m. beginning Oct. 16. This introductory course increases flexibility, balance, muscle mass, and bone density.

• Intermediate/Advanced Pep Up Your Life – Saturdays from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. beginning Oct. 10. This advanced course further increases flexibility, balance, muscle mass, and bone density.

• Mat Pilates – Tuesdays from 9:15 to 10:15 a.m. beginning Oct. 13. This course improves strength, flexibility, balance, and coordination while focusing on core postural muscles essential for providing spinal support.

• Yoga and Presence Practice/Meditation – Tuesdays from 11 a.m. to noon beginning Oct. 13. This course combines balance, strength, flexibility, and mindfulness with a unity of mind, body, and spirit.

• Yoga – Wednesdays from 9 to 10:25 a.m. beginning Oct. 14. Yoga’s influence is on the precise alignment of the body in the asanas (poses) and careful sequencing and firming of the asanas. This course is for beginning, intermediate and advanced levels.

• Chair Aerobics – Wednesdays from 9:30 to 10:15 a.m. beginning Oct. 14. This course combines low-impact chair aerobics and the use of weights. Participants tone their muscles and increase flexibility.

• Chair Aerobics (additional class) – Fridays from 9:30 to 10:15 a.m. beginning Oct. 16. This course combines low-impact chair aerobics and the use of weights. Participants tone their muscles and increase flexibility.

• Qigong and Tai Chi –Thursdays from 10 to 11 a.m. beginning Oct. 15. This course enhances participants’ physical and spiritual well-being through slow, fluid movements that can improve blood flow, reduce stress, and increase strength and balance.

Hobbies and Special Interests

• Advanced Watercolors – Thursdays from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. beginning Oct. 1. Designed for experienced watercolor painters, each class will feature a different paint-along lesson and share-and-critique session.

• Advanced Watercolors (additional class) – Thursdays from 1 to 3 p.m. beginning Oct. 1. Designed for experienced watercolor painters, each class will feature a different paint-along lesson and share-and-critique session.

• The Art and Joy of Sewing – Mondays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. beginning Oct. 12. Learn how to work with patterns, operate a sewing machine, and more. Fabrics will be available for pickup at the Pasadena Senior Center and are included in the cost of the course. All skill levels are welcome.

• Creative Writing – Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to noon. Beginning Oct. 14. Learn how to write poetry, memoirs, novels, and more. Constructive criticism will be provided in a supportive and friendly online environment.

• Beginner French 1– Wednesdays from 2:30 to 4 p.m. beginning Oct. 14. This course is for anyone new to the language or who took classes so many years ago that they have become rusty. There will be an emphasis on travel terms, basic grammar, present tense, and French culture.

• Beginner French 2 – Mondays from 9:30 to 11 a.m. beginning Oct. 12. Continue to build grammar and vocabulary skills and learn past, future, and imperfect tenses. There also will be an emphasis on French culture.

• Intermediate French – Mondays from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. beginning Oct. 12. Practice more direct communication, continue building vocabulary, and learn conditional and subjunctive forms of the language, plus French culture.

• Advanced French 1 – Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. beginning Oct. 14. Continue practice in communication, build vocabulary, learn literary tenses, and more about French culture.

• Advanced French 2 –Wednesdays from 9 to 11 a.m. beginning Oct 14. This course will include an intensive review of major grammar concepts, increased practice in communication, plus further exploration of French literature and culture.

• Introduction to Spanish – Wednesdays from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. beginning Oct. 14. Experience a fun introduction to Spanish greetings, vocabulary, and grammar, including class discussion and conversation.

• Intermediate Spanish – Wednesdays from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. beginning Oct. 14 Grammatical skills, vocabulary, and conversation will be strengthened so participants will be able to speak, write and read Spanish.

• Making Sense of the News – Thursdays from 1 to 2 p.m. beginning Oct. 15. This course will explore why some topics make it to the front page or broadcast news while others do not. Learn what makes something newsworthy, who the decision-makers are, and more.