The Pasadena Village. A community of seniors supporting each other as they age in their own homes

GROWING OUR MEMBERSHIP

Despite the challenges of the pandemic, 14 new members joined Pasadena Village over the past 12 months! The action plan for the Membership Committee changed dramatically due to COVID-19 Restrictions. All of the community outreach programs came to a halt. Our monthly “Meet Me at The Village” events at our office were discontinued. Neighborhood groups, social events, and educational programs that once welcomed guests were all moved to Zoom. Still, lively discussions continued and, as a result of individual outreach, combined with the very human unquenchable desire for companionship, we welcomed these 14 wonderful new members:

Fran Allen
Betsy Blue
Tom Cox
Joyce Daly
Catherine Fuller
Karen Gross
Judith Harris
Vicki Hodges
Mary Fauvre Holmes
Bob Holmes
Valerie Jones
Mary Krach
Dorsey Lawson
Sandy McConnell

Our new members come from varied backgrounds. Some are retired administrators, finance managers, occupational therapists, or business owners. Several are retired educators. Some are still working. Some have recently moved to the area, and some are long-time local residents. Some are recently widowed. Some are caring for spouses or close friends. New members expressed a desire for meaningful social connections, intellectual experiences, and a sense of purpose. They want to help others and find companions.

Their warm welcome started with the Village staff and the Membership Committee, even before they chose to join. Upon joining our community, welcoming calls and emails are made, and the tech team helps them navigate the Zoom world. Neighborhood groups are critical opportunities for building community and making connections, along with our monthly birthday celebrations (on Zoom, of course) that feature getting to know you games. Member volunteers even safely delivered food to a new member who had broken her arm. Our new members are getting involved in Affinity Groups, attending Educational, Cultural, and Social programs, and joining Committees. They have become part of Pasadena Village and we are all benefitting from their life experiences, interests, and willingness to participate.

At the recent Board retreat, new President Pat Dawe shared his vision of membership in the Pasadena Village as a “definition of our culture.” It involves a network of communications, programs, development, and volunteer services that connect membership recruitment to welcoming, nurturing, and supporting members who themselves provide leadership, volunteer services, and financial support. Members join at any point in their life-long journey to be a part of a vibrant, caring community.

Executive Director Katie Brandon likes to say, “Our members are our greatest assets.” And that is so true. They form the vibrant heart of the Village by helping and receiving and creating and delivering. And each new member brings with her a lifetime of skills and experience that we, the Village, need. They know how to organize. They know how to facilitate. They know how to get things done. They have ideas of things they want to do – and that usually means that other people also want to do those things.

With the ebb and flow of pandemic restrictions, Pasadena Village is preparing to expand our membership and deepen our outreach to the aging community in the months to come. Already “Meet Me at the Village” has resumed as an in-person event. An “Outreach Team” has been created to ensure that Pasadena Village is ably represented as community events are scheduled. The Board of Directors and our Committees are committed to increasing our visibility and trying new approaches to reaching new members. We know the value that Pasadena Village offers to our 136 members, and we want to offer that sense of community and warm sense of welcome to even more older adults in the greater Pasadena area.

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