Letter from the President

One of the goals of Pasadena Village is to prepare older adults for the challenges associated with aging. This year, the historic Women’s Twentieth Century Club of Eagle Rock was the location for our third annual resource fair, where older adults, family members and friends gathered to learn about the local nonprofits and businesses who offer services and support to older adults and the resources they need to live vibrant lives. 

More than 36 exhibitors provided information and resources that can help older adults remain healthy, safe and engaged. Exhibitors included home care providers, community health clinics, real estate and financial experts, Medicare brokers and nonprofit organizations. 

In spite of the rain, the room was soon full of visitors engaged in conversation and enjoying cups of hot coffee and free pastries from Porto's Bakery. The LA County Public Health Department provided COVID-19 and flu vaccines to those in need, who then received a $20 gift card as a reward for getting vaccinated.

The resource fair is just one example of the many ways that Pasadena Village works to help older adults stay engaged in life through new friendships, meaningful experiences and involvement in the community. Through partnerships and generous sponsorships of the fair, including Clifford Swan Investment Counselors, New Wave Home Care, Imperial Health Plan, Optum, and Nancy Valentine Real Estate Broker, Pasadena Village is able to connect Villagers to representatives from many local businesses and organizations that serve older adults.

A few days after the resource fair, 11 older adults attended our twice monthly “Meet Me at the Village.” Nearly half of them had heard about the Village at the resource fair. There were two common themes expressed by the visitors: As they have grown older, they have experienced loneliness, a feeling that is often kept at bay while one is working or raising a family. And they also said, again and again, that they want to “be of use.” In our society, it is common to associate “older” with “needy.” And yet, we know that we all have something to give, to contribute to the community.

During the conversation, Villagers shared their stories of also being lonely and feeling at loose ends, and how, in becoming a Villager they now have purpose in their lives as well as new friends. As one Villager put it, “I am still living in my home, but I’m in a community.”

Pasadena Village, as part of the Village Movement, will continue to welcome older adults into our midst, knowing that everyone benefits when we help each other remain healthy and whole.